A love for literature expands beyond just reading and enjoying books. From favorite authors to literary paraphernalia, all of these things and more, encompass a love for literature as a whole. As a fellow book lover, one of the things I love most about literature is being able to see all my books on display in my own home. I take pride in the layout of my bookshelves and am constantly thinking of new ways to organize my books. If you’re unsure of how to go about organizing your own bookshelf, here are a couple of suggestions from one book lover to another:
By AUTHOR’S LAST NAME
This is probably the most obvious choice, and hence, maybe the easiest in terms of organization. Bookstores and libraries tend to use this method, making it easy to view an author’s entire oeuvre in one glance. This is also the easiest choice to incorporate with another method, such as by genre.
By HEIGHT
Some people enjoy organizing their books by height, such as cascading from tallest to shortest or vice versa. This method falls under the larger genre of “aesthetics”.
By COLOR
Now this is a personal favorite method. There is something so satisfying about organizing a bookshelf by colors! I currently have my books divided by color, from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink. Black, white, and brown covers sit on a separate shelf. This method may not be the most practical in terms of tracking down a specific book. You’ll have to recognize your favorite reads by the color of their spine, which shouldn’t be too hard to do! This method also falls under the larger genre of “aesthetics”.
By GENRE
This method is very broad and easy to incorporate. I have my books divided by fiction and non-fiction, but you can also organize your books by other genres, such as romance, travel, biographies, YA, new fiction, classics, and more. The only problem I’ve run into is not having enough books to fill a certain category. I usually combine genres to create a full shelf, like history and religion together, or theater/plays and literary theory together.
By FAVORITES
I know a few people who live by this method, such as my roommate! She says this method provides her with a physical view of her book rankings. I also love this method and tend to keep my ultimate favorite books stacked on my nightside table for comfort.
By BOOK TITLE
Personally, I have never seen this method used before. This is probably a good method for people who don’t necessarily focus on the author of the book, but rather, pay more attention to the title instead.
Happy organizing!