I talk a lot about books. They are one of my favorite things. I will deprive myself and/or my family of a lot of things, but never books.
I remember vividly being in a bookstore when my husband and I were first married and in our mid-20s. There was a kid about 5 years old who was begging their parent for a book. The parent yelled at the kid and told him no and to stop asking for things.
As we left the bookstore, my husband and I made a pact that if we had kids, we would never say no when they asked for a book. I know this kid may have been a lunatic and already asked for a million things that day. He may have been acting like a pill for weeks and did not deserve a gift. I get all that. Maybe a book would have helped.
Our daughter is now 18 and has books coming out of her ears. We kept our vow. We have bought her every single book she has ever asked for. I would do it all again. Every. Damn. Time.
When we moved into our house almost 10 years ago, we had something like six bookshelves. We now have 14. It’s a lot. I know. I’m addicted to books.
Here’s the problem, as I have added more bookshelves and countless books, I have not been good about the organization of said books. That has to change. The shit is getting out of control. There is no rhyme or reason to any of my bookshelves.
I have consulted numerous book-minded friends on how they have their shelves organized. I’ve been very open to all suggestions. The only option that I refuse to consider is organizing them by the color of their spines. That is bullshit. For the record, none of my friends have done this nonsense.
I have started to formulate an organizational plan in my head. I’ve actually even moved some books amongst my various shelves. My system thus far, is not one I feel a librarian would approve of. Hell, I’m pretty sure no one else could figure it out but me—my husband included.
I’m trying to work with genres and at least put similar books together. Here is the part that only makes sense to me. I’m placing my favorite writers on my favorite bookshelves/my favorite places in the house. Alphabetical order seems to be irrelevant as I move my book collection all about my house. I need to work on that. I also need to figure out how to leave the proper amount of space for new books to come into my house and not jack up my system.
Here’s the thing: I know where every damn book is located. Name a book in my collection and I will find it. Quickly.
I suspect the book organization process is going to take me the better part of this year. I’m okay with that. I love surveying and placing things in my library.
Books. They take up space. They are a royal pain in the ass to move, but dammit, they are amazing. I’m only going to buy more and continue the organization process. I will never be done, because there is no such thing as too many books.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
