Friday, March 5, 2010

My bookcase



I've recently bought Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. It's a brilliant book, especially helpful while working on revisions. But it has sort of put me over the top in my ability to handle the clutter of books laying around the house.


It's a strange thing, but I've never owned a bookcase. And I've always wanted one. So here it is, my first ever bookcase.








I've had it for three days, and I'm still compulsively shifting books from shelf to shelf. Do I organize them by favorites? Genre? Author? Fiction/nonfiction? Which books do you have on your prime real estate shelf? (the one at eye level.)



22 comments:

Anna Staniszewski said...

Ooh, very nice. I put all the prettiest books at eye level, especially series because they look nice all together. I tend to go completely random in terms of organization, though, which makes it tough to find books later!

Jonathon Arntson said...

I can't wait to see MOCKINGJAY there!

Rena Jones said...

Nice case! I have a bunch of them all throughout the house. But then again, we homeschool, so this isn't surprising. Like Anna, I like keeping all the series together.

Jody Hedlund said...

Yah-hoo! 1st bookshelf! Cheers for the many more to come!

And I love the Breakout Novel Workbook too. I read through it before starting my current novel and made notes about areas I needed to remember to include.

Caroline Starr Rose said...

I love it!

Just had people through to view the house (we're moving home to NM in June). They asked if all of our books were props! Nope, we really read them.

Laura Pauling said...

Okay, so now I'll post under the right post. :) I have the Break out Novel workbook. I'm half way through. Great insight.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Don't you just love seeing all of your books lined up like that? Oh, how I love bookshelves when they're full! :-)

nephite blood spartan heart said...

I tend to put favorites at eye level and the less value a book has generally the lower it goes in a shelf-but I have just a few more shelves than you. Maybe 20-30, I have a book problem.

I am addicted.

Tina Laurel Lee said...

I totally should get Writing the Breakout Novel. I had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.

Unknown said...

And what a lovely bookshelf it is too!

One can't have too many of them I feel :)

Jemi Fraser said...

My primo bookshelf space goes to the beautifully bound editions (both mine and my dad's), including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit & the Little Women series.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

We have select favorite authors' hardbacks and some coffee-table type movie books on our oak bookcase in the living room. After that, they are grouped by genres on the other shelves.

And this is your first bookshelf? Goodness, I have seven, and there's still a box of books in our closet! Maybe we're just book pack-rats...

PJ Hoover said...

I love it! And I have to say I also love seeing my book there next to The Forest of Hands and Teeth :)
Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

I love bookshelves! As soon as mine are filled, I donate them. The books I keep are the writing books and one of those is a well worn copy of the "Breakou".

Marcia said...

Oooh, I like that bookcase corner. But then I'm very partial to blue. I also vote for favorites at eye level.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Wow! A writer who'd never owned a bookcase!!! And now you have one! I'm getting a kick out of that! I remember my first...

I have huge tall, wide, mambo bookcases and rooms lined with standard height book cases. What's on them depends on their location.

I might have to blog about that!

TerryLynnJohnson said...

Anna - glad you say that, I'm tempted to go random.

Jon - YES! One of my most awaited books this year!

Rena - I'd forgotten you homeschool, no wonder you do such amazing craft projects. You are super creative.

Jody - I'm doing that right now with my WIP.

Caroline - props? What a strange question! THey must be non-readers. How exciting you are moving!

Laura - thanks for commenting twice :)

Shannon - Yes, I've been standing in front of it admiring all the books and smiling. I run my hands along the spines and can't believe I've waited so long to get a bookcase!

TerryLynnJohnson said...

David - holy crap, that's a lot of books dude!

Tina - another great book I liked is On Writing by Stephen King.

Wendy - If I had the room, I agree, I could have bought two. This one is already filled up!

Jemi - Oooh, those must look so nice! I wish I had kept books from when I was younger.

Diane - WOW! I'm trying to imagine how many books that is. Lots.

PJ Hoover - Thanks for stopping by! I laughed when I read your comment - you must've clicked the photo to look at all the titles! Yes, I've got your book on the favorites shelf!

Catherine - Yes, I've been giving away some books. I'm gearing up for another book giveaway on my blog.

Maria - thanks for your comment. Yeah, I like the favorites where I can see them I think.

TerryLynnJohnson said...

PJ - Yes! Show us your shelves!

I know - it was sort of embarrasing having books stacked up everywhere. I kept thinking - it would be so nice when my book comes out to be able to put a copy in a bookcase. Now I can!

Heather Kelly said...

I hope someday you'll need to devote an entire shelf to your own books...
:)

Janet said...

I'm glad you now have a book shelf. We've always had book shelves, my favorite one is made from an old floor model radio. The insides were torn out and fitted with shelves and glass doors on front.I hope how soon you get to put your book in your bookshelf.

Anonymous said...

Nice shelf. Like Jody, I used his Breakout Novel Workbook too. I found it to be very helpful for putting to practice the ideas that were in his book.