Off Tangent Thoughts (OTT) is a bi-monthly meme run by Charvi @NotJustFiction that has a basic list-based format. Bloggers express their points in the form of a short or long list with the points under the list being merely a couple lines or even complete paragraphs.
Here’s Charvi’s post for this week!
The first prompt for OTT is:
Thoughts You Have While Organising Your Bookshelf
So, let me set the scene. I have one tall, wide set of bookshelves in my room, one equally as tall but narrower set, and three piles of books on my bedside table (I know). I’m facing the wider one, contemplating how to the three piles from my bedside table into my shelves. There is no space.
What if I stacked some of them upwards? I could fit more in that way.
But then I’d spoil the nice rainbow I have going on. Wow, I’m basic.
But rainbow shelves are so nice. And it’s a little bit of Pride in my room.
OK, maybe I keep two of the rainbow shelves, and re-organise the third, stacking some of the books upwards?
But I’m not going to be able to fit all 30 books on my bedside table into one shelf.
Ugh I need help. Maybe Marie Kondo can hook me up.
No, she’d just tell me to get rid of them all. And I haven’t even read half of them. They’re staying.
OK, if I turn some of these sideways, I can stack them upwards. The top of my narrower shelves are also empty, so I can fit at least 10 up there.
And I can definitely hide some more in my wardrobe so my Dad doesn’t ask me every 2 hours if I’m going to get rid of some of my books.
Actually, he’s been quiet on that front for a while. Maybe I should be worried. What if I come in one day and he’s just moved loads of my books into the loft? Or has them in a bag, ready to go to charity. Oh god.
I’ll put some of the books I’m not as fussed about/have already read in my wardrobe. That way he won’t know they’re there. OK, let’s just put… every SJM book in the wardrobe. Out of sight, out of mind.
I should keep a pile of about 8 on my bedside table as my immediate TBR. So let’s have My So-Called Bollywood Life, On The Come Up, Aurora Rising, and a few others.
Gosh, the cover for Crown of Feathers is so pretty. That goes on the pile too.
OH. I need to fit The Near Witch into my V. E. Schwab shelf. There’s literally no space. Perhaps it’s time for the Schwab shelf to become two shelves.
OK, my books look a lot tidier now. Until the next time I haul some new releases.
Maybe it’s time for a book buying ban.
I had so much fun writing this. I basically rearranged by bookshelves while I was doing it and wrote all my thoughts down.
How often do you rearrange your bookshelves? Do you have more books than space like me?
coffeeinonehandbookintheother.wordpress.com 
I find myself reorganising my bookshelves fairly regularly, the last time just last week after bringing some new books into my collection. When organising, my main thoughts are whether I should keep my YA and Adult books separate or have them all together, whether it’s best to organise them aesthetically or simply alphabetically like they are now.
Ah that’s good! I sort of do mini-reorganisations every month or so, but I haven’t done a big overhaul since Christmas when I got my new shelves. Ah so you have yours alphabetically? That’s really cool! I integrate my YA and adult books, but I have separate shelves for manga, poetry, and graphic novels. I’ve also got a couple of rainbow shelves going on, which I have no shame about because I like the colours 😂
Mine are always mini-reorganisations too and often it’s just to tidy the shelves up a bit as I don’t like them getting too messy. Although, on my last reorganisation I rejigged a couple of the shelves on the side of my wardrobe so I could incorporate separate shelves for my YA Contemporaries, and fairytale retellings. I also take up two shelves on the bookcase in the hall with my classics and poetry books!
I wish I could have rainbow shelves too but they wouldn’t work for me with my books (too much of one colour and not enough of another) and I hate having to separate series.
Oooh do you collect the new Penguin editions of classics? I’ve only got one clothbound edition, but I’d really like to get a few more 🙂 With my rainbow shelves, I’ve somehow managed to keep the series together! Probably because there’s only one or two on those shelves 🙂
As much as I love the new editions, my collection consists more of the black Penguin classics. If I start collecting the new ones, I’d end up with duplicate copies of classics I already own and I don’t have the space for those.
I can so relate to your thought process. I am literally running out of shelf space, but then I’m looking at the shelves thinking that all that weight from the hardbacks can’t be good for it. Books I don’t intend on ever reading again are stuck in an empty drawer and I’d love to donate them to charity shops but they don’t take books!! The struggle is real haha.
The struggle is completely real! 😂 I keep most of my hardbacks on the bottom shelves so they don’t bend them to much. Wait, your charity shops don’t take books??? How? Why not? I’ve given so many of mine away to charity shops over the years, I’d be lost without them!
Seriously. There’s at least 5 charity shops in my area and none of them want books!! It blows my mind!!
This is such a fun idea for a post! Tbh also made me want to do some bookshelf organization!!
xoxo, tree
Aww thank you! All credit has to go to Charvi, as she created the weekly feature! I rearranged some of my shelves for this post, but I STILL need to do more 😛
I need new shelves,lol
Haha, me too, honestly!
Hey Kate! Sorry I’m late 🙈
I actually read this post ages ago but forgot to comment whoops! I absolutely love your thoughts especially about the rainbow bookshelves! I would honestly freak the hell out if my dad ever did something like that and I totally think that you need a completely different shelf for your Schwab collection 😂