chris martenscontroversial question time
how do you organize books on your home bookshelf?
mcc@chrisamaphone vibes
This sounds like a non-response but is real. I have identified five to seven unique vibes the books on my bookshelf comprise and sort them in that order, with vibe-straddling books in between vibe sections as transitions
@chrisamaphone I should also note that *what goes on the bookshelf* follows a particular scheme… I do virtually all my reading on ebooks, so the bookshelf is specifically for things which serve some "visual" purpose, e.g., they are artbooks, comics, or (I am not ashamed of this) books I am proud to own and want people to see I own on my bookshelf. And also some reference volumes. If it isn't very specifically in one of those categories they go in my storage unit. I don't have that much space.
@mcc yeah, the prevalence of ebooks has really clarified for me why i own physical books: their physical form has to matter for some reason, like enjoying the way it looks or feels or the colors in print. and *absolutely* they are conversation starters for guests or video calls, or just emblems of who i am and what’s important to me. they’re part of personal style imo
Lea@mcc @chrisamaphone Vibes-based for me, too, and I also don’t actually have very many books (either physical or ebook, since most of the ebook reading I do is library loans). I used to be embarrassed about that because “having lots of books” has been such an in-group marker of the cultural group I am mostly in, but I think this has changed a lot with the existence of ebooks and the predominance of renting (and thus moving often) in my social circles.
@mcc @chrisamaphone
I own physical books iff they are 1) rare/obscure, souvenirs, or otherwise sentimental; 2) “reference,” meaning that I am likely to return to them on short notice and/or are primarily “flip through this for inspiration”; 3) something I would lend to friends (and for this last category it has to be already beaten up / inexpensive or else I would not be willing to lend it).
I own physical books iff they are 1) rare/obscure, souvenirs, or otherwise sentimental; 2) “reference,” meaning that I am likely to return to them on short notice and/or are primarily “flip through this for inspiration”; 3) something I would lend to friends (and for this last category it has to be already beaten up / inexpensive or else I would not be willing to lend it).