Okay, so. I have to tell you: I made a decision. I really took it under consideration, spent a whole day thinking about it; it's been longer than that but in concentrated contemplation. Slept on it. Put out some feelers. Then I just made a decision and jumped into this project.
I sorted my books by author. Not by color or anything else fun like that. I thought about horizonal instead of vertical. I thought about alternating but went with the standard sorting by author. Not alphabetically by author because I just don't have the bandwidth for that right now.
But wait, here's where it gets controversial:
I got rid of my To Be Read pile(s) (TBR) Well, mostly.
Gasp. Sputter. Dismay!
Okay, I know, I know. It's upsetting. Here's how I came to that controversial conclusion:
Let's begin at the beginning:
- I'm sorting the books by author.
- I'm keeping only books I intend to read or reread someday when I'm old and can't just easily buy books.
By putting the TBR with the Read, my shelves will have more room, be more aesthetically pleasing, and create space for new additions. Yes, I know, I'm still going to buy MORE BOOKS and that will still be an issue. But Right Now, I want them sorted this way. That is a Future Me problem.
Then if I want to read that author specifically, I can just browse those shelves and have the fun discovery of "Oh, I have a new book!" Thanks, Past Me!
*Also, I'm terrible at keeping track of which books in series I have. This solves the duplicate issue, probably.
However, there are 1 3/4 shelves of TBR still so not to worry. Perhaps I was a little misleading...or excited about rule-breaking.
I've acquired books of one-off authors along the way. I've read and kept them so right now, that is a shelf less than full of books. This requires them to share a shelf so that took some rearranging as I placed books back and forth, back and forth.
Two other book-related things while I'm rambling:
Earlier I finally went through writing from my childhood; essays, assignments, and a journal I don't remember writing. (so horrifyingly cringy, do not recommend) I had kept a book report about a book I really liked and for the first time in too long, I ordered a book from shamazon. Remember when they had only books?
I have one author that I have way too many of her books. As it progressed: three shelves reduced to two. At this point, it feels like those shelves are valuable real estate so I will probably go through those books again to make sure I didn't hoard a book I didn't mean to. Also, feels a little weird having Such An Excessive Amount of one author's books. However, this author tends towards series so that just complicates this whole sort-by-author process.
Sidenote that I've mentioned before: for all the years working in social services, I prefer more light reading than anything dark or complicated. So, while not quite grocery store romance novels, or even chick-lit, not true crime either. I'm not a huge non-fiction fan and those books are on a different bookshelves.
I've done away with most of the old standard-size paperbacks. Well, done away with being defined as sitting in a pile next to the bookshelf....now time has passed and I kept a few of them by authors I like and, obviously, I like the stories. I kept the very first adult fiction book that I read...other than Flowers in the Attic...just out of sentimentality. (Danielle Steel - Full Circle. It was the 80's and I was fifteen)
It feels daunting to either surf the interwebs to replace the smaller paperbacks or photograph them to be replaced later. Because let's just be honest: they're not getting replaced. If they're old enough to be the old standard-sized paperbacks, chances are they are not reprinted in the new mass market style.
Then there's the books from the book clubs that you order on a whim or it's the featured book or you forget to reply and now you have this random book. Also from book clubs: I kept a few from an author that was/is popular in attempt to give them a try. I find the author personally annoying so I really did just set us both up for failure there. Into the pile they go. Rinse and repeat for another author unburied from the shelves.
This process took almost two days. I started mid-day on Saturday and was making headway when Kevin mentioned that he told his bff that we would go to his house for an impromptu barbecue. I whined at him "But I want to play with my BOOOOOOOOKKKKSSSSS."
Sunday, I was determined to finish. The thing about working from home is that this can't be the storage/clutter/I'll-get-to-that-later room. At this point of the adventure, the floor was nearly impassable and the bookshelf mostly empty.
Of course, this is now the time to go into town to pick up a new television and router. Welcome to living with Surely.
What had happened there was we had to disconnect our satellite and the television in our room was not a smart television. In the Prepare for the Worse, Hope for the Best mindset, I ordered a new television so we would have something to watch at night. The new router was just needed, Then we also had to run the cable - that's not the right word, I know - from the bedroom to the office. The office where books had exploded. The office where the router lives. The office where the books are right in front of the door.
Oh, and because of the possible no television in the bedroom, my brain thought that this was the Absolute Perfect Time to cull through all the dvds in the cupboard. As a result, "my" dvds are on the bottom shelf of the non-fiction bookcase. The decision-making factor with that was I need more shelves for photo albums and some of the mother-in-law's things. Also: who even watches dvd's anymore?
I am an excellent decision maker and planner.
By now, I'm fully in If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. (or as Kevin called it the other day "If you give an elephant a cracker") There are three projects going and yikes. I banished Kevin to his shop, put on my headphones, and set my determination to finish.
As a result, the backset of my truck is FULL of boxes/bags of books. Everything was placed on the shelf, including some paperbacks because I couldn't let them all go. The other bookshelf was reorganized because see: dvds.
And all was content in Whoville.
Until, I decided to fix my paint job that I did prior to my eye surgery. Did you know that painting while being/going blind is not effective? Hmm. I promised Kevin that I would fix everything once my eyes healed and now it's been well over one year.
Now, I know...this has been a lot to process...remember when I got new curtains for the living room and decided I hated the prefab valance so I had Kevin change it? Well, there is one in my office above a giant window. It was a different color that I ended up disliking so I had draped fabric across the valance. This window also had the heavy green satin curtain that matched the rest of the house.
Next thing I know, I've taken down the valance and ordered new curtains. Like you do when sorting books on a bookshelf.
Now that I have approval for working from home for the foreseeable future, I took out the box from my old office and went through it. I put up my Doctor Who stuff, used the lamps elsewhere in the house, and just Moved In, I guess is the best way to describe it.
 |
| I still have to rehang the rod with the sheer curtain |
It has such a nice feel to it now, like a legitimate office. It feels enjoyable to walk into the room now and it makes me want to read. Now I'm on the hunt for a glider rocker because the rocking chair I have isn't comfortable for long sits. It's not a secret library (yet) but I'm holding out hopes for that to happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment