Ouch. Well, the good news is that I finally have been able to have built-in shelves put in one room, an office/study. That takes care of maybe a third of our books, in here there is one wall [in back of me:] that is mostly dedicated to mystery/detective stories.
The wall in front of me is filled from right above the computer monitor to the ceiling, mostly literary fiction, and some non fiction. One free standing bookcase, tall is half miscellaneous, half science fiction. In the hallway there are 5 tall bookshelves filled to the brim and above...history, mostly divided between French, English, Greek, and Roman history. Some American history thrown in too. More literary fiction as well.

I converted a hall closet to book shelves, sides and back floor to ceiling...that's a kind of catch all, everything from Harry Potter to Jean Auel.

Oh, a tallish bookcase in the kitchen filled with herbal, cooking, and [ugh:] diet books. In the bedroom we have only one tall bookshelf with some religious books, non fiction, and miscellaneous.
In the upstairs hall I have my 200 book Star Trek collection taking up most of one tall bookcase. :) There are three more shorter shelves down that upstairs hall with more herbal books, and some nature books. Oh, and another glass enclosed bookcase with my great-grandfather's books...he loved history and poetry, so that's mostly what is in there.

That's all I can think of right at the moment. I have about one-third of our books listed on GR, it became too tedious to list them on both Library Thing and here, so I stopped this list.

Becky wrote: "How does everyone organize their shelves (when they are organized at all? *pointed look at myself*)?

By author?
Genre?
Size?
Color?
Favorite status?
Series?
Or not at all?"


Well, I just got a second shelf and here is how it works.
shelf 1: Stephen King novels.
shelf 2: my series[inkspell/inkheart, LotR, Harry Potter:]
shelf 3: my new books that i haven't read yet, and it seems most are just general fiction novels.
shelf 4: horror/mystery/true crime [ dean koontz, ann rule, etc.:]

I usually sort them from smallest to biggest, and it usually ends with a high hardcover if i have one. I think it looks pretty tidy!

If I had more books I would probably alphabetize them, buuut i'm nowhere near that and i think the size differences would drive me mad. you never know though! hah

I live in a small NYC apartment, so the only thing left on my bookshelves are books I feel I don't want to recommend and give away.

My bookshelves are overflowing and there is little organization to them at all. I think the Harry Turtledove novels are all together but it's all pretty much random otherwise.

So perhaps I'm random and disorganized? Perhaps? Probably.

I have all my books arranged by genre (history, political science, the Middle East, fiction, memoirs, travel, etc...) though every time I see a picture of someone's library who has their books arranged by color, I fall in love.
I toy with the idea of arranging my books like that, but I don't think I can handle splitting up series. Now that I've written it down, I hope that doesn't make me sound crazy!

Ti, it says you enjoy a wide range of genres :)

mmm my book shelfs are divided (and I'm trying very hard that they stay kind-of like that) in fiction and non-fiction. The non-fiction part talks about my profession, I'm a historian and I love art history so that book shelf is full of history and art history books. The fiction one has a lot of things but I think that if someone outside looked at it would find: history fiction, vampires (a lot of Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, Charlane Harris, Elizabeth Krostova), fantasy (Harry Potter mostly), some clasics (like Jane Austen, Milton, Lewis Carroll, Homer), some detective stories (I'm a Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot fan!), some romance, poetry...
What does that says about me? Don't know actually...

Nikhaule wrote: "My book shelf says that I read alot but I mainly stick to one or two genres. A habit I need to break. So if anyone have any book recommendations in the genres romance, non-fiction, sci-fi,fantasy o..."

am exactly the same as i mainly read fantasy or romance its usually both but occasionally i branch out to just romance lol. if you havent read The Hunger Games or City of Bones or Evermore i would definately recommend them to anyone they are all my faves i cant chose out of them

My book shelf says that I read alot but I mainly stick to one or two genres. A habit I need to break. So if anyone have any book recommendations in the genres romance, non-fiction, sci-fi,fantasy or thriller. Please tell me.

You sound like me Dan.

I'm thinking my bookshelves might say "What drugs are you on?"...especially if you consider the sequence in which some of the books have been read. Then there's the appearance of almost total lack of organization. They match my "filing system" which consists of stacks of paper on every available horizontal surface. I know which stack and approximately where in the stack important stuff is, so don't rearrange my stacks...or my bookshelves.

If you looked at my bookshelve, you would think that I have gone to school way too much, do a lot of politics and economics. LOL. I await anxiously the day when my pleasure books out number my "work" books!!! it shall come sooN!

I definitely organise by author, though I organise everything (cd's, dvd's etc) by title or artist alphabetically. In terms of books though it goes by auther then by series eg. Sookie Stackhouse books go under H but then they get kept in the order of the series.

I have some slight OCD tendancies in terms of those sorts of things.

I have no idea what mine says about me (besides being a HP fan since I have on bookshelf dedicated to it). It's organized after authors surname and is basically a mixture of everything; colours, sizes (hardcover, paperback), languages (Swedish and English), genres (fantasy, general fiction, romance, ya, classics, crime (even though I rarely read that), non-fiction, and etc).

I like diversity :D

Kim ,

You have described me to a tee!! Very seldom read nonfiction although I enjoy historical fiction. I don't like anything to do with vampires, science fiction, authors who have a book once a month. Books written by more than one person. I try to read books before they become popular once they do I probably won't read. All these quirky little rules... What does say about me..?

I just recently reorganized mine (new pictures in the "Show us your bookcase" thread!) and they are in a semi-sort-of order.

By that I mean:
- They are now designated by "read" status, with 1 bookcase with "read" books and another with "to read" books, mainly.
- Except if:
a) It belongs on my King shelf or with my Austen books
b) An unread book is part of a series I've mostly read

Other than that, they are in no particular order, but I tried to keep the MMPB's together and the trade size and HC's together for efficiency. :)

Becky wrote: "How does everyone organize their shelves (when they are organized at all? *pointed look at myself*)? ... Or not at all?"

Guilty as charged... I try to be organized, but then can't find the book I'm looking for, pull everything out to find it -- double rows of books due to minimum bookshelves :-( -- and can't be bothered to be organized again... the shelves look like those puzzles where you have to fit the shapes in without leaving spaces.


Fiona said: My bookshelf is currently a jiggsaw puzzle of books wedged in whatever way

Snap! Saw your message after I wrote mine!

Becky wrote: "How does everyone organize their shelves (when they are organized at all? *pointed look at myself*)?

By author?
Genre?
Size?
Color?
Favorite status?
Series?
Or not at all?"

My fiction books are organized by author or series. Wherever they would fit in their fiction bookcase. Hardcovers are usually together, same for paperbacks. But I won't broke up a serie if I have some in PP and some in HC.

My non-fictions books are organized by subject, in their own bookcase.

Becky wrote: "How does everyone organize their shelves (when they are organized at all? *pointed look at myself*)?

By author?
Genre?
Size?
Color?
Favorite status?
Series?
Or not at all?"

I organize it by size with the ones I read first.
-Paperback
-Trade paperback
-Harcover
-Vintage Hardcover

The dictionaries, thesauri, language etc...

All my school books are in my office that I use for reference

I have my shelves sorted by genre-author of sorts. Hardbacks then paperbacks. Now that I have an entire thin bookshelf freed for more books...I gotta consider what ones I truly want there. (aka book shopping spree!)

This is a funny thread. I can identify with those who said their bookshelves say: she has a problem and history major!

I think I scare my friends and relatives (save a few) who actually wander into our library/office and actually look at the titles and how they are stacked everywhere. Then they are scared more when I tell them they are organized by subject (which I attempted to replicate here on my GoodReads shelves) or theme (for fiction).

Fiona, I'm with you on that!! Disorderly bookshelf means Loved bookshelf!!

I think my bookshelves tell me that I need more bookshelves! They are overflowing and two deep...which I hate cause I can't see all the books!

Several years ago I streamlined my book shelves. I rarely keep books now, but willingly pass them on to others who can't afford or have no way to get books.I have been going to the library lately, but I am getting frustrated, as they usually are not on the shelves.

My bookshelf shows my steadily changing interests and progression through the whole of waterstones, barnes & noble, borders and the strand! I need to buy some new ones, I now have stacks of books all over the living room table which isn't a good look.

My bookshelf is currently a jiggsaw puzzle of books wedged in whatever way - I think it is currently saying I need to sort them out again but also that I like getting my books out and looking at them every now and then!

Something about a disorderly bookshelf makes me think of a loved bookshelf. <3 That's what I say when I wake up to look at my messy display anyhow.

I gues the main thing that my bookshelves say about me is that I am an escapist. Almost all of my books are fiction. Less than five percent are non-fiction, and I've probably read less than half of them.

My fiction covers science fiction (contemporary and vintage), pulp fiction (E.R. Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, Robert E. Howard), fantasy (with a heavy bias towards dark or urban), classics, along with children's and Young Adult. Hmmm...I think even my fiction is "escapist". I don't have much contemporary or literary fiction.

I think my shelves also say I may need medication for my obessive compulsive organizing. I will spare you the details, as it would require a phonebook sized post.;)

Becky wrote: "How does everyone organize their shelves (when they are organized at all? *pointed look at myself*)?

By author?
Genre?
Size?
Color?
Favorite status?
Series?
Or not at all?"

I organise by series... by that I mean I place all the books from on series together and all the rest get placed around them.

My bookself has a mixture of things on it including Harry Potter, Twilight (just the first 1), All of Matthew Reilly's Books (but 1 due out this month and 1 I can't get my hands on) all of the Women's Murder Club series plus a few books on beading and kniting and other hobbies that I have...

Come to think of it I need a new bookshelf...

"Good at stacking." That's me too! My husband isn't allowed to touch my bookcases anymore. He's had everything come sliding out on him a few too many times!

Organization...hummmm

My books are organized by author - if there is a bunch by the same author they are together... otherwise they are bunched how they best fit and look okay on the shelves...

my to be read books are all stacked on a bookcase in the corner...

My bookcases say - that I read a lot and am good at stacking.....LOL

Well I now have a name for the small extention to my living room.LOL This is actuall the old part of the house and was the origional living room. The house was added on to before we bought it. The small part of the living room has four built in bookcases. It is a little on the narrow side and only has a recliner and rocking chair in it. I am now going to start calling it the Library. Most of the books that are visable on the shelves are Colorado History and Mom's Cookbook collection. The closed section at the bottom are full of books waiting for donation to our local book exchange and the library friends book drive.

Most of my newer books (other than text books) are audio books and they are all on my external hard drive.

Most of my audio books are mystery books so I am not sure what that says about me.

I only understand it because I'm taking an Irish lit class, but he wrote when Ireland was becoming Anglicized and modernized, both of which he was opposed to, because he felt that a communal heritage (like Gaelic mythology) could help unify the people. He gets a bit more jaded in his later poems.

Yeats confuses the heck out of me, but I enjoy it. Beautiful language.

Books and more books. In a two bedroom house--3 floor to ceiling in the bedroom, in the other bedroom/office 4 seven shelf bookshelves and 2 smaller 3 foot ones and downstairs another 4 seven shelve and an amoire stuffed to the doors. Extremely loose collections of history--American and Asian, US current political, sci-fi/fantasy, travel--mostly Asian, language, classics, misc novels, bio, cookbooks, psych, old college texts, computers, classics, cat care, mythology, religion, gardening, local books and the two library book/swap shelves.

Liz wrote: "~♡кαтιє♡~ wrote: "my books are mainly of the fantasy genre which is mainly vampire at the minute although am getting a bit hooked on fairies. most of my books are also young adult. i try and have a..."

no i havent read any of his poetry thanks for the suggestion i will definately look into : )

~♡кαтιє♡~ wrote: "my books are mainly of the fantasy genre which is mainly vampire at the minute although am getting a bit hooked on fairies. most of my books are also young adult. i try and have a change sometimes ..."
Have you read any poetry of W.B. Yeats? He ahs some very nice romantic poetry about fairies, but that's also about Nationalization and Anglicization in Ireland (sorry, I'm writing a paper). His writing is beautiful.
Also, I don't know if you've heard of Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, but they have some awesome fairy tale collections--I've read part of The Faery Reel, which is awesome. I need to buy a copy.

I just looked around the house. We have books/bookcases in every room including a small bookshelf in the bathroom for reading while soaking in the tub.

I tend to keep subjects together - e.g., I collect old etiquette books and they are in my study. It's a small room with built in bookshelves along one wall and free standing bookcases along the opposite wall.

Lots of craft magazines and books in these cases.
Also a shelf of to be read.

Kitchen/sitting room has 6 x 8' bookcase with gardening books and mags., bird watching books and mags, oversized books, cookbooks (though I have gotten rid of most of them in the last year; I will never be a power cook), books I just finished and haven't put away yet.

In my husband's room we have four 4' x 6' bookcases for most of them; actually I sorted them by subjects:

fiction
non fiction
mysteries (lots of these)
reference (foreign language dictionaries, etc.)
sci fi (mostly vintage, husband's favorites)
biographies
history
old books we were given by relatives and don't want to get rid of for sentimental reasons but won't ever read
miscellaneous
Most are stacked two deep.

Bathroom shelves contain at the moment mysteries, a bio of Edward VII, Mike Savage's latest book.

Spare room has an antique bookcase in 3 sections 2' wide each, 5' tall. Contains vintage magazines (American Home, Punch, etc.) and etiquette overflow.

Sewing room contains, guess what, sewing books.

Sorry to be so long; I had never actually thought about this before. And to think we gave away over 3000 (yes, thousand) books in the last two years to the library booksale.

I guess this says all we do is read and we seldom clean out?

That one takes the prize, Christy!!! OMG

Suzanne wrote: "The comment I hear most;

"You haven't read all these books, right?""

I get "Why do you have this?"

The comment I hear most;

"You haven't read all these books, right?"

I try to remain organized with my books. When I buy a new bookshelf (which I need to do again!) I tend to reorganize, because I just cant keep up with it under normal circumstances.

At the moment I have all my Stephen King (which takes up an entire shelf) chick lit and kids books in the computer room. In the living room I have all my books. The contemporary stuff is in a tall case (5 shelver) and the three shelver is broken into Poetry,Jose Saramago, Classics, and Lost Lit books.

Yes -- I keep my Jose Saramago away from the regular novels. I don't want his writing to become contaminated/tainted- it's too perfect the way it is. I also want to be able to display him at eye level and not at the lower portion of a bookcase! hee hee

The unread books (of which I own close to 200) are all stacked into the bottom row of the smaller bookcase in the living room, shoved in front of the books on the bottom row of the bigger case and all stacked on the floor in front of both! I need a new case JUST for the unread ones!

Upstairs are my oldest sons books along with my hubby's books.

My bookshelves would tell you that I read just about every genre, except Romance, non-ficition/biographies, and self help.

Christy wrote: "My bookshelf says:

This person has no friends or life"

LOL!

My bookshelf says:

This person has no friends or life

I have a shelf for L.M. Montgomery, a shelf for Charles de Lint, a shelf of Harry Potter, a shelf of my old kids books, a couple of shelves with photo albums, and then everything else is sorted out roughly by how "favorite" it is and by size within that. I don't know that that would be obvious to anyone else. They really are just a mess.

My to-reads are stacked on my bedroom floor, and my borrowed to-reads are in a huge plastic crate in my office floor.

my books are mainly of the fantasy genre which is mainly vampire at the minute although am getting a bit hooked on fairies. most of my books are also young adult. i try and have a change sometimes so i have a few that are not fantasy they are comedy and romance (well actually i think all my books have a bit of romance in them).
i try and put my books in order of my favourites but there is some books that i havent read in such a long time that i cant remember if i liked them or not so they go to the back.

I don't arrange mine at all except to keep the series together and in order. Also i have my favourite books on the same shelf too

Becky wrote: "How does everyone organize their shelves (when they are organized at all? *pointed look at myself*)?

By author?
Genre?
Size?
Color?
Favorite status?
Series?
Or not at all?"
Quasi-alphabetization. I say "quasi" because the thought of splitting my series among shelves makes me shiver, especially my Harry Potter books.

hmmmmm...my shelves probably scream "history major!!!"

I mostly read literary fiction these days, but pretty much cut books (fiction, particularly) our of our budget 9 years ago. So the shelves don't really reflect what I read these days. And much of the fiction there is is historical fiction!

Dh keeps most of his books in the den (or in his office)--he teaches geography at a CC. It is obvious :)

I separate mine into my books, and books my husband might like. (Tom's take about 1/8 of one shelf...)

:)

Uh, generally speaking, I generally separate out:

mystery
science fiction
historical fiction
general fiction
history
science
miscellaneous, for the stuff hard to categorize, or the stuff from categories I just don't read much from

I have a separate bookshelf, next to my bed, for favorites from all categories. And "history" has a lot of sub-categories, as I read and own a lot of it. Usually by author/series order within category.