I knew I didn’t want this particular shelf to have books I wanted to look at all the time. I also wanted to avoid (however) a sense of RANDOM-ness. My thing now is organization, simplicity, and ease. So what should go into this bookshelf in my hallway?
It’s important to remember where I came from. An apartment that was basically two rooms, and my books completely overwhelmed me. They were EVERYWHERE. It was a situation that became totally unmanageable. Not only do I have my library to contend with, but I have things like collector’s editions of Life magazine (I always buy those), and favorite Vanity Fairs, and then my huge collection of Interview magazines, which I can’t seem to get rid of. In my old apartment, I had no room to bascially REVEL in my collections. They were shoved into boxes in all of my closets. I never looked at them. EVER. I’m not an indiscriminate pack-rat. I’m not a hoarder, for example. I don’t have a lot of random stuff lying around, things that don’t mean anything to me that I keep for no apparent reason. That’s not my thing. I live a spare life. Everything I own (and have kept) is tried and true. I have a small wardrobe, clothes I wear all the time. I do have a ton of shoes, but whatevs, I’m a girl, that’s par for the course. But my books? Every one is part of a whole. It’s a LIBRARY, for God’s sake. And my collector’s edition magazines, and my years of Interview mags is part of that library. It hurt me to live in a place where I basically couldn’t enjoy my own meagre possessions.
The way Mike and David built this bookcase was perfect for what I wanted to do. There are two small top shelves, and then a really tall bottom shelf, where I could stack my magazines, and photo albums (another thing I didn’t have room to display in my old place, where every surface space available was taken up by books).
So here is my organizational thought process:
Top shelf:
Random funny books that could be classified as “bathroom reading”. For me, bathroom reading is my Latin vocabulary book. Don’t judge. Also my zodiac books. Funny silly books that don’t really fit in anywhere else.
I also put what I call my “political philosophy” books here. Leviathan, The Prince, Aristotle, Plato.
Second shelf:
I call this the “Samuel French” shelf. Best part is that there is room to grow.
Bottom shelf:
Photo albums, all of them.
My Interview magazines. BEAUTIFUL! I love old-school Interview, when it was huge and unwieldy, and I am so glad now that I didn’t decide to throw them out in my old place when I had no room for them.
Top shelf:
Funny random books.
Political philosophy books:
Second shelf:
The Samuel French shelf.
Bottom shelf:
Photo albums. Interview magazines. Beauty.
Oh this is delicious. I love looking at other people’s libraries!
Schenkkan’s Kentucky Cycle being upside down bothers me.
;-)
Kerry – I know, it’s bothering me too. I’ll go fix it.
I love the Samuel French shelf.
Phew, thank you. :-)
“Schenkkan’s Kentucky Cycle being upside down bothers me.”
“Kerry – I know, it’s bothering me too. I’ll go fix it.”
That’s the first thing I noticed too. Something is seriously wrong with us.
Mark – ha!!
At least we’re not alone.
Hahahahahahahaha
I would also prefer that the books be straight up and down, and not slanty, but that’s just me.
Hahahaha
“For me, bathroom reading is my Latin vocabulary book. Don’t judge.”
Not judging at all. In fact, I think I might steal that idea. A couple of my friends and I were thinking of getting a Latin group going again, and I’m starting to realize how much I’ve forgotten from high school.