THIS WEEK’S HOT TOPIC TO TAME IS: BOOKSHELVES, BOOKS & MAGAZINES
WELCOME TO WEEK 5!
Welcome back! So far for the month of January, we’ve covered several areas which you can find here, here, here, and here.
This week we are going to organize bookshelves (or bookcases) along with books and magazines.
Disclaimer: I love to read! So personally, this one is a bit tough for me. But we can do this one together, right?
Let’s go!
I know there are others like me that love to read therefore, love books and magazines. And I also know that books and magazines take up A LOT of space. And they are heavy.
Have you ever tried ebooks?
I have mixed feelings about ebooks and there are definitely pros and cons. Let’s discuss pros:
The only space they take up is the piece electronics they live on. I use a Kindle. A really old one as a matter of fact. I love that I can store a large number of books on it. I can easily find the one I am looking for. What I also like are the features an online electronic book has - highlighting and bookmark. I particularly like the highlighting feature because you can just touch the button at the top and see everything you have highlighted. Love this feature. Unfortunately, I forget to use it! I am one of ‘those’ people who do not dog ear, highlight, or mark in a book I am reading so I have not been in the practice of highlighting. But this highlight feature is great!
So with storage not an issue and great features to use, ebooks are great.
The not-so-great part? You don’t get to feel the books. Or smell the way only books do. Part of reading apart from visual is utilizing other senses as well. It’s a package deal. The feel of the paper under your fingertips as you turn the page. The weight of the book as you hold it in your hands. The way it clunks you in the face when you fall asleep reading. bwahahahaha!
Now let’s talk about REAL books!
Books make me happy. BUT there is a point where you can have too many to fit the space allotted. Ack! What to do? Ok, here comes the tough love…. You’ve got to purge. OUCH. There, I said it.
Marie Kondo, of the infamous Netflix series Tidying Up, has a great process for decluttering.
HOW TO:
1) Take them ALL off the shelves and wherever they are in your house.
2) Put them all in a big pile in the middle of the room. Neat stacks are perfectly acceptable.
3) Take each one in your hands (physically one-by-one) and decide whether you want to keep it or donate it.
THE KEEPING CRITERIA:
Do you LOVE it? Does it give you a thrill when you touch it? Does it make you happy? Would you read it again and again? Is it worthy to keep?
DISPLAY:
Once you go through your books and have chosen the best of the best, the keepers, the ones that you cannot live without, the ones that will actually ALL fit on your bookshelf, it’s time to put them back. But how to do that? Here are some suggestions:
by category or subject
by author
alphabetical
by color (ROY G BIV)
by height
with decor style in mind
And do you want an example of a strictly decor option? Flip all the books backwards to the spines are at the back of the bookshelf and you see the pages facing front. Check that look out in the picture below to the left in the back:
Here is another bookshelf that has the books backwards AND it displays wonderful objects AND it’s got enough white space (or breathing room) that nothing is jammed in and is visually appealing. This is a great way to display your treasures.
Photo: DIY Playbook
Below is a bookshelf that has 1) books in categories AND 2) books in ROY G BIV order AND 3) enough white space AND 4) meaningful decorative objects displayed. In addition, the three top shelves have been left blank in order to display a collection.
WRAPPING IT UP:
Where to Donate
used book stores
local library
your child’s classroom or school or daycare
swap with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers
donation center
A final note about books
Sometimes the books are not all kept in the same location. Cookbooks for example. They are best stored in or very near the kitchen for obvious reasons.
A note about magazines
go digital if you can
subscribe for the best discount
keep the current year or better yet, pass along the read magazine to friends, family, neighbors, coworkers
take a snapshot of ideas or recipes you like and store them in your computer or app
So there you have it. Bookshelves, book, and magazines. Did I cover everything you were looking for? For the challenge this week, determine a day and time you will do this project. Block your calendar. Put on your sneakers and comfortable clothes, have some water and a snack, and set your timer if it helps.
Let me know how it goes! Good luck this week!