What do your bookcase/bookshelves look like?

[Elle]

I love organizing my book shelves especially after a fun shopping spree at the bookstore. I feel my books are an expression of my personality and I enjoy tending to them. I make sure my favorites are in full sight and reachable. And, the new ones stay together on the shelf to remind to read them since I don't want them to get lost on the shelf. I guess this means I can be a little forgetful sometimes :).

What do your bookcase/bookshelves look like?

[drbooks]

I organize my books alphabetically, but I only keep the good ones. I have no problem recycling the bad ones which I do right away. There is no room for bad books in my home.

[Heidi]

Ha, ha, I used to be very neurotic about my bookshelves and loved tending them just like you! I used to have the books organized by author/ series.

Then I had kids. Now they are just a cluttered mess and make me want to weep. Sometimes books are lying in front on their sides, some are even stacked sideways on top of others that are vertical.

But I have two wonderfully clever boys who love to read as much as I do. I could complain about my shelves, or ban them from touching my books, but their love for reading and having the freedom to do so is more important to me.

Yet I secretly long for the day when they go off to college and I can organize my shelves again ;)

[Kirsten]

I've heard of people by color of the spines. That's way too disorganized for me. (I need to find the book again!)

I sort by mass market paperback or not, and then by author, then by title.

[Michele]

I have 2 bookcases for paperbacks, sorted by author, 2 bookcases for hardcover, also sorted by author, one bookcase for non-fiction, one for cookbooks, one for craft books, all those sorted by subject. And my kids each have their own bookcase, sorted by recently read (I have them put the book they just read on the far right end of the shelf so they can easily pick a book to read that they haven't read before, or find a favorite.) Yes, I over-organize my books LOL