how to stay on top of your book collection

Being a bookworm is usually a positive thing - well-read, vocabulary is expanded, get to go on adventures while sitting on the couch... However, I am also a clutter bug. This is the current state of my coffee table - packed with books, magazines, and catalogs.

I tend to buy books secondhand, bring them home, then let them sit where they get put down until I'm ready to read them. Now that we live in a one-bedroom apartment, this isn't acceptable. Here are some ways to tackle and stay on top of your reading material!

Control what you do have // Assign a designated spot for magazines, catalogs, and books and only keep them in that spot without expanding it. Put away the new books you bring in, whether it's a bookshelf, a corner of the closet, or in a decorative box. I have some stacked and holding cosmetic organizers on my vanity.

Switch to eBooks // I know, I know. The feel of a physical book can't beat an eBook. But they take up so much less space and it's easy to always have a book on hand (especially when it's dark and you can't read via light!).

Avoid the book section // I'm always afraid of missing out on a book on my TBR for cheap at the thrift store, so I tend to buy more than I can feasibly read for our space constraints. I remedy this by not even looking at the book section when I thrift, and avoiding pricey retail bookstores.

Institute a 'read 2 before buying 1' rule // Instead of just not buying anything, vow to finish and get rid of two books before buying one. Drop off those books at the thrift store, sell them, or gift them to someone and then go get only one to replace them.

Read, read, read // Not carving out time to read can make those books sit there. I sometimes feel that reading isn't "productive" enough, so I bypass it. Reading is productive, as long as you aren't ignoring glaring tasks that need to be done. Take the time to sit and enjoy a book for a while!

How do you handle your books?

my currently-reading shelf:

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