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My Week

So this article really amused me this week and I thought I’d share, it for a bit of fun if nothing else. If like me, you are an avid reader then no doubt you have shelves and piles of books around your home.  Now people who know me will tell you I am a little obsessed with neatness and although my house is by no means the tidiest, I do like a tidy bookshelf.

I came across this article this week on the Penguin books website, entitled What the way you arrange your bookshelves says about you – why not have a click through and read it in full?

I loved that it said that books are a window into the soul and they are the bricks that build knowledge, hope and personality. To share your shelf is to share yourself – so it stands to reason you would want to show them off properly.

The article explores personality based on the way you arrange your bookshelves. It describes as follows:

1.       Alphabetical – the classic way and it’s great for bookshops but is described as unimaginative, but also shows you’re someone who cares about books and wants to know exactly where they are at all times. It says you are a voracious reader who wants to find any book in your collection quickly.

2.     Genre – this way signifies a broad mind.  It’s flexible but has its downsides as genres can be fluid in nature.  It says you are cultured, interesting and you know a lot about a lot.

3.     Colour Coded – Books are knowledge but they can also be art. Colour coding is said to be a popular way to organise bookshelves, however, it does require a bit of self-sacrifice, as it is difficult to find things quickly, which means a lot of time scanning shelves to find the book you want.  But lovers of this display method will say it is a small price to pay for the aesthetics. It says you are a visual thinker with a creative eye and lots of time on your hands.

4.     Chronological – this challenge is to turn your shelf into a literary timeline arranging them by the period in which they are set, decade by decade.  It says you know your history. You have an academic background. You are the person your friend’s text when they’re at a pub quiz and need an answer quickly.

5.     By Value – this is not the cost of the book but the value you place upon it.  It is the most personal method of display and the most difficult to do. It says that books have shaped you and are the trophies of your past.  You may be a touch sentimental.

6.     Stack ‘n’ Pack – in short, you lay your books on their sides in piles. The best thing about this method is you can fit a lot more books into your home. It says you have a ‘what will be will be’ approach to life and don’t believe too much in order.

Interesting isn’t it? When trying to work out which type I am, I wasn’t sure I fitted into any of the categories.  I suppose I like to arrange mine by broad subjects but I have this strange obsession that they have to decrease in size also – it’s that neatness thing! Oh, and they have to be perfectly straight against the front of the bookshelf too, otherwise I can’t walk by without straightening them up.

So on to sharing my favourite things this week.

Favourite Things

Photo of the Week

Question of the Week

I’ll always leave you with this question, as I think it’s a nice way for us to connect.  Please do leave your answers in the comments section and I will read and reply to them. 

How you do arrange your bookshelves?

Thank you for reading.  Bye for now.

Jackie