Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Hey guys, today I started organizing my book shelves here on goodreads. I’m not very good at this kind of thing so feel free to throw some tips at me. So far I’ve made a ‘Library Request’ shelf. I’m looking at all of my ‘to-read’ books and seeing if they are available at my library via the online library catalog system. It’s going to take a while, but it’ll make my life easier in the long run.
How do you guys organize your book shelves?

I'm always updating and changing my GR shelves. I decided today to add a "1st in series" shelf.

Since most of the books I read are smutty romances, I decided to divide them up by sub-genre: historical, paranormal, sci-fi & fantasy, etc. I also have a non-fiction shelf for all my history, biography and science books. I've got my "find a copy wishlist" shelf and a shelf dedicated to books I already own or have pre-ordered and one for books that are related to Scotland in some way.

I divided my library books into three shelves: library read, library on hold and library to read. Makes it easier to keep track which ones I've already gotten.

I'm thinking about doing a "connected or in a series" shelf but I'm not sure about that yet.

There's a lot of crossover in my shelves but I'm happy with them. No matter what "mood" I'm in, I can find what I want quickly.

The Library request shelf is a good idea. I have a shelf that is books that friends have on their shelves that I want to read. I think I may divide up my to read shelf to be things I want to read immediately and things I'll read in due course.

Thanks Ingrid and Sans.

Ingrid, I may make a shelf for the books that I can potentially borrow from my friends. Thanks for the idea.

Sans, I've been avoiding organizing it for a while. My book shelf is such a mess! I can never find what I'm looking for so it’s long overdue. I'm going to try that sub-genre thing you mentioned too and I’ll definitely do shelves for series (YA, paranormal, historical etc...). Wow this is going to take me a week (at the least).

I'm a bit OCD, so I always have fun organizing my books. Just don't ask me to fold or put away laundry. I'd rather leave that in baskets on a chair and rummage through it each morning.

Feel free to browse my shelves if you'd like some more ideas or want to borrow something from my "own-or-ordered" section. I will caution you that I'm a bit fanatical about my books and prefer to get them back in as-close-to-original condition as possible. No folding pages or cracking the spine if avoidable. ^_^

I just have the read, currently reading, and to-read.

Then I added "owned," and "borrowed." It's pretty self-explanatory.

Sans wrote: "I'm a bit OCD, so I always have fun organizing my books. Just don't ask me to fold or put away laundry. I'd rather leave that in baskets on a chair and rummage through it each morning.

Feel free t..."


Thanks Sans :). I understand, I'm a bit of a mama bear when I lend out my books too. I will take a look at your shelves, when it comes to organizing anything I suck-but I'm up for trying.

Lauren wrote: "I just have the read, currently reading, and to-read.

Then I added "owned," and "borrowed." It's pretty self-explanatory."

I had mine that way too, minus the owned/borrowed, but it was not working out for me so it's time for a revamp.

Sans wrote: "I'm a bit OCD, so I always have fun organizing my books. Just don't ask me to fold or put away laundry. I'd rather leave that in baskets on a chair and rummage through it each morning.

Feel free t..."

OMG I am the same way about my books. I can't stand it when someone has to fold the book in half to read it. I sometimes let people keep books they borrowed if they creased the spine or dog eared the pages(I know, I know ...I'm that bad).

Ingrid wrote: "Sans wrote: "I'm a bit OCD, so I always have fun organizing my books. Just don't ask me to fold or put away laundry. I'd rather leave that in baskets on a chair and rummage through it each morning...."

I lent my friend one of my books once and she sent it back to me with the cover ripped. Mind you it was also one of my favorite books. I didn't even take it from her: I told her that she had to buy me a new copy, which she did.

I'm glad she did that at least. I lent a book to my boss and it came back greasy (sunblock got on the cover). I don't lend anymore books to her.

Worse, I lent a book to a coworker and she never gave it back. Grrr.

By the way, anyone can borrow books I own (as long as the "return in original state" condition is met), not just Lisa or Sashana.

I'm just glad that there are others who care about the book itself not just the story between the covers. I think it's just rude to not respect other people's property. If you borrowed it, take care of it. If I borrow something and it gets damaged I always try replace it or at least offer to replace it.

Anytime I lend books out the come back looking great! I think my frieda know how much my books mean to me. One of my friends always forgets to give them back so I just take them off her shelf when I go over :) lol

So I did it again. I started organizing my shelves and ended up adding a whole bunch of books....83 to be exact. Organizing is harder than it seems. *sigh*

Ingrid, Tis why I haven't done it yet.

And that's why I have over 1,400 books on my TBR shelf here.

Oh, oh, oh, there goes my spine..

If you ever saw my books you would swear that I didn't read them. Yep, I'm that serious..

Heather, You keep them in pristine condition?

Sans, I'm determined to go through your shelves to get ideas of books to read/books that I have read just can't remember so I can add them to my shelves.

Although, I'm not going to lie, the prospect of going through 2,000 books is a bit daunting, haha.

Welcome to my temple of bound paper, Danie.

Heather, most of my books are the same. I've been hitting up the used book shops more lately so some of them are in obviously read condition. It makes me sad but hey, if I can buy two previously loved books for the price of one new one, I'll do it.

Temple of bound paper, I like that...

Oh, and have you tried Half.com? It's a division of ebay, you can find books for 75 cents and then pay around $3 in shipping and handling. And if you buy multiple items from one user, they give you a reduced rate on shipping. It's basically a giant used book shop. I've bought most of my books from there. Just an idea, if cheap books are what you're after.

Heather wrote: "Oh, oh, oh, there goes my spine..

If you ever saw my books you would swear that I didn't read them. Yep, I'm that serious.."

Welcome to the "I don't crack the spine on my books club".

I used to have my goodreads shelves by genre. But I found I never really looked at my shelves here. So now I have them sorted by series # which I find helpful for challenges. I have a Next In Series shelf for the books I'm up to in various series. I have a Stand Alone shelf and a Wish List shelf. I think I even have an ebook-shelf. Or I did at one point, I may have delted it when I removed the genre shelves.


OK just checked-I still have the e-book shelf. I used series # up to 9 then made a shelf for 10 and over in a series because I don't have that many of those. I don't usually bother to shelve any library books here until I read them and I keep my read books only shelved under Read. If I look at a shelf here only want to see books I own already and haven't read. But I'm not a keeper-I get rid of books after I've read them.

There's also booksfree.com, paperbackswap.com and bookmooch.com.

I don't have my books shelved at home the same way as they are shelved on goodreads. Riht now all my books are just put on the shelves because I just moved. I wanted to get the boxes out to the recycling because they only come every 2 wks. Once I have the space and time to sort them they'll go in a combo sort of genre and author last name.

Mary wrote: "I used to have my goodreads shelves by genre. But I found I never really looked at my shelves here. So now I have them sorted by series # which I find helpful for challenges. I have a Next In Se..."

Mary, I also have an eBook shelf, its still 'under construction' though. I think I should also make a Stand Alone shelf too, thanks for the idea. I get rid of my books too, though my heartbreaks every time I have to. I just don't have enough space in my apartment to keep them all so usually they go to Goodwill.

I like book swaps, but I never get to use them because my dad doesn't let me use his credit card number online (he's paranoid). But I'll be getting my own cc in a few months so I can swap all I want soon :)

So after going through 250 books in my TBR pile and running them through my online library catalog system I can gladly say that I’m done with my ‘Library Request’ shelf. YAY! Out of about 250 books (give or take a few) my library has 127 of them. On to the next shelf.

Lisa/Ingrid, yes, I keep them in pristine condition and should my spine be cracked, I loose it, seriously, I lose it. Never, never, ever do that or face me.. Not a pretty picture..

Does anyone NOT know how to create bookshelves on Goodreads? Should we post instructions?

Oh my goodess Lisa! I figured it out and if I can do, please, anyone can (owner of little brain)! I have a few and was thinking of adding one or two more. I have my library, TBB and I think another one but again, little brain and I can't remember..

Heater, to read so many books you can't possible have a "little brain!"

Danie, I did recent get a book from Half.com (an out of print bodice ripper) and it was in really good condition. I'm going to start trolling the books there as well. So much for my savings account.

Mary, I tried paperbackswap.com but...I can't let go of my books. I'll sell them at Half Price Books across the bay if I didn't like them or they are genres/authors I no longer read. But if I enjoyed a book, chances are high that I'll pick it up again at some point.

Sans, they're usually in pretty decent condition. Occasionally you'll have some that are marked up and folded pages, but you're only paying 75 cents for them, so I figure you get what you pay for.

And Mary, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for turning me onto booksfree.com! I just created an account there, I think this is going to make my TBR list go down a bit.

i have read, to read, and currently reading. then i added a wish list because i don't like putting books i don't own my TBR shelf. i set up the wish list shelf, so it was just like the original 3.

then i also have shelves for authors, genres, book clubs, and i'm adding 2 shelves right for my mom and a friend since the 3 of us are always trading books and this way i know what books the 3 of us have all read so i can get rid of that book.

I checked out your shelves, Stephanie: very organized. I think I'll make a shelf for my challenge because I can't seem to keep track of the things I'm supposed to read.

Lauren, trust me, my brain is little. But it does come in handy when I need it..

:)

If it will make you feel better Lauren, it did take me a while to figure out how to create more shelves. I think the only thing stopping me, make that two things, is I don't know which shelf to add and I don't know if remember all the steps, LOL..

The thing is, I don't have that many books on my shelves...

Lauren wrote: "The thing is, I don't have that many books on my shelves..."

Eventually u will have more.

Heh-heh, keep a pad of paper and a pen by your computer and trust me, your shelves will grow..

Seriously, Heather. I'm also constantly adding books I want to the notes section on my phone. And I carry around bits of paper with book titles and authors I'm interested in all the time, just in case I go to a book shop.

OMG, Sans, I do that too! Like, when I am at work and someone recommends a book. Then, when I actually remember to take said piece of paper home and transfer it to my note pad..

Exactly. And since I troll GoodReads throughout the day, I come home with a LOT of scraps of paper.

I hate that cause then I lose the papers or if they are next to my laptop I start to write down the spam addys for me to block! Or I can't read my writing and no one better be laughing at that!

Wow it seems so many people here keep there books in great condition. Personally I LOVE used bookstores,I don't feel the book is used but rather loved. Usually, if I didn't like a book it will look like it hasn't been read. But if I liked a book it will look abused, because I take it everywhere.

Of course when I borrow a book it's different, and I take good care of it. haha
:)

I don't mind a used book; just as long as I didn't do the damage or the person I lent it to..

I love used bookstores. It's like going on a treasure hunt where the prizes are great books for super low prices.

exactly :)

Heather wrote: "I don't mind a used book; just as long as I didn't do the damage or the person I lent it to.."

I totally agree.