For What It's Worth


Friday, December 14, 2012

Let’s Talk! The Keeper Shelf


Let’s Talk is a fun new meme to discuss an little bit of this & a little bit of that (not always bookish) hosted by Smash Attack Reads and A Book Obsession.
This weeks question:

How many books do you own (keepers) and how many are in your to-be-read pile? Feel free to include pictures!

This is my keeper shelf. I just reorganized it last month but I already need to do it again as I keep adding books. (sorry about the crappy picture quality)

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Shelf #1 is dedicated to signed or important to me books. I have every book by Jeri Smith-Ready (signed) as well as a few foreign editions of her books. Next to hers is the growing Ann Aguirre collection and a signed copy of Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I also won a few “marked up” books through a charity auction so they’re on that shelf. (total - 28 books)

Shelf #2 are my favorite paranormal books. The first four Sookie books, Jeaniene Frost, Kelley Armstrong, Stacia Kane, Carolyn Crane, Mark Henry. A few of them are signed as well. (total - 39)

Shelf #3 is mostly YA books that I love. A few paranormal books and a signed J.R. Ward book are stuffed in there too – decidedly NOT YA lol (total 34)

Shelf #4 contains my husbands zombie keeper books, a BDB boxed set, a few more paranormal and several contemporary romance keeper books. (total - 41)

Shelf #5. Now that I’m looking at it I have no idea why some of these books are in my keeper shelf lol I’m thinking that the TBR pile overfloweth and ran into this set of shelves. Also, there are a few series there that I’m in the middle of so I keep them until I’m sure the entire series stays or goes once it’s over. (total - 26)

Grand total for the keeper shelf is........ 168! Yikes.....I did not know there were that many books on my shelf!!

TBR pile.

I refuse to count. It will stress me the hell out! I’m finally making some headway so I don’t want to demoralize myself. But here are a few pictures – two separate bookshelves. There are more books in boxes and throughout my house. I’m guessing close to 200, probably more. When I purchased bookshelves a few years ago I purposely got a few with doors so I can pretend that I don’t own as many books as I really do. Plus it keeps my favorite books free of dog/cat hair!

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I have several 100 books on my Kindle if we're counting that too.

It used to be really difficult for me to get rid of books but the more I read I realize I can’t keep everything so I clean everything out once or twice a year now and try to focus on keeping books that made an emotional impact on me.

15 comments:

  1. wow love your book shelves. I didn't know how you organized but it makes perfect sense.

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    1. Kevin bought them for me at Ikea when we got back from our first BEA. I have another set in a spare bedroom for books that I've read and can be passed on.

      The TBR shelves are pretty organized too. Each shelf is borrowed/review request/for fun reading/then by genre - release date. I'm getting there......lol

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  2. Don't feel too bad... I have thousands of books on my keeper shelves...which run all throughout my house--and I'm running out of space!

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  3. Wow - lots of books means you'll never be bored :-)

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  4. I am too ashamed to tell the nr of my TBP pile, some are really really old

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  5. I am nowhere near this organized right now. I jsut bought my house and I have boxes upon boxes of books in my office that are waiting to be shelved! Here's what I had to say.

    Vyki @ On The Shelf
    Check out my Giveaway!

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  6. Wow, love your shelves. I can completely understand the shock of figuring out how many books are on the TBR pile. It depresses me constantly. So I am glad you didn't count them. Books are so very beautiful.

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  7. Gah!! I have so many books!! And it's so hard to get rid of any of them. I may have a slight hoarding problem when it comes to books... But they make a beautiful art masterpiece on my shelves!!

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    1. I used to keep everything but even with my bookshelves I just don't have room!

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  8. I love how you have your shelves organized. That mixes things up. I need everything to be alphabetical though, or I would never find it. lol

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    1. It's not alphabetical but there is an order. To me anyway lol I can tell when my husband moves something. It usually has to do with covers. It really doesn't make sense to anyone but me!

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  9. I love this. It's like I'm in your house checking all the shelfs :D Snooping around. You have Catching Fire and Mockingjay signed??! O_O
    Jeaniene Frost is the only one I know from your paranormal shelf, loooove her books, favorite series ever!
    I haven't read any of J.R. Ward books but everyone loves them, it makes me so curious.

    Haha your TBR is coming to life to attack you, "read me, read meeee" that is one crazy TBR.

    I always thought you had a crazy ammount of books (don't know why) all over your house and different shelfs but this seems normal, I like it :)
    Aaah if you could see my lame small bookshelf LOL. It's now full and I don't know what to do with my other books, I have no space...zero, nada, none! I don't have that many books so it's not a problem, yet.

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  10. Well I didn't take pictures and show you the rest of the house! lol There are books in boxes on the floor in my other room and yeah....there are books everywhere but I am trying to get some control over it.

    I found Catching FIre signed at a small bookstore in NYC. She signed there before the series took off & I ordered Mockingjay signed from the same place. I can't find a THG signed that is cheaper than $3000. lol

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  11. I don't really have a keeper shelf. Crazy huh? :) I'm like an ultra minimalist.

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