What book are you reading? Are you reading one or two at a time? Are you reading virtually on your Kindle, or holding authentic books in your hands? I like to read two books at a time; one for during the week and a second book I save to read on Shabbos. A clever senior adult once told me she keeps a book in the car exclusively to bring to her many doctor appointments. So many of my clients have asked me to help them organize their bookshelves, and I have noticed that my clients who are ardent readers are interested in establishing a cozy reading spot, presently referred to as a “reading nook.”

This can be done, in most cases, with a small amount of effort and on a modest budget. Hand-in-hand with a peaceful spot for reading comes organized bookshelves. Clients that are serious about this will take stock of all the books on their shelves, decide which to keep, which to donate and where, which to recycle and which to toss. This column is meant to help my readers know how to go about the process. The more books, the more decisions. Remember you do not have to make all the decisions in one day. If you are stumped about whether to eliminate a book from your library, put it aside and come back to it at a later date. Don’t let a hard decision slow your progress!

Once you decide you are not keeping a book, follow these guidelines:

• If it is in good condition and it is not an encyclopedia or an outdated textbook, you can donate it or if it is a novel you enjoyed, offer it to friends. Contact places like your local library to discover their donation rules, which vary from town to town. Consider charities such as lupus, but do your research. Not all charities accept books.
• If it is in bad condition or it is an old textbook and it is a paperback, you can put it in your recycling.
• If it is a book that the charities would not accept and it has a hard cover, put it in your trash. Alternatively, you can elect to recycle it only after you spend time removing the hard cover and binding materials, which is not a simple procedure. If this puts you off, throw it out.

Once you have completed the elimination process, you are ready to put the books on the shelves … or are you? Maybe you want to do a little bit of decorating at the same time. Make sure your shelves are in good condition and can hold the weight of the books. If not, you may need to consult YouTube on how to add necessary supports or possibly buy a sturdier bookshelf or additional shelves. When buying additional bookshelves, it may not be possible to duplicate your existing ones. Look for either a bookshelf with a similar color/stain, or select something completely different, yet in harmony with the original. Consider carefully because you want to be pleased with your decorating decisions.

In the case of having two bookcases that are very different from one another, you can pull the look together by painting or staining them the same color, although the same stain used on different types of wood will come out differently. An out-of-the-box idea to tie different bookshelves together is to remove the shelves from each bookcase and paint the same picture or design on the inside. Replace the shelves and arrange the books so that some of the painted background peeks through to every shelf.

If you still do not have enough space for books, there are some clever ways you can add more room. You can place books on floating shelves and picture ledges, inside decorative baskets or plastic bins, or on a rolling cart.

Let’s consider the top surface of our bookcases as a welcome place for plants and sometimes pottery, glassware or art. Be careful not to use it as a “warehouse” for objects that have no other place to go. Instead, try asking yourself, “What would be the worst thing that could happen if I give that away?”

If you do not want to have books lined up from the top of the shelf to the bottom, as in a library, you have other options. Interior designer, author and TV personality Nate Berkus offers excellent advice when arranging bookshelves. He wants us to envision each shelf as a separate unit where we can create different arrangements. Berkus said to intersperse our books with prized items such as things we found during our travels, a touch of nature like a seashell, our family photos, sentimental objects, and anything with interesting shapes and textures that catch our fancy. Berkus cautioned that we must be careful to keep each shelf contained and looking organized.

Based on personal experience, there is a temptation to overdecorate that we should avoid. Finally, Berkus advised anyone who feels stumped, to ask an artistic friend over for coffee and pick their brains.

Now that you are ready to place your books on the shelves, check if you have deep bookshelves. Some people might push their books far back until they touch the back of the shelves. For a cleaner look, keep the spines close to the outside edge of the shelf.

There are those who sensibly place their books by height, or group their books alphabetically by author. Have you heard of organizing books by color? Each shelf holds books of the same color, no matter the size, topic or author. Another illogical idea is to place your books in the shelves backwards. In essence, all you will see are the edges of the pages. The interior designer was going for “a uniform look.” This is perfect for people who are concerned the spines of their books may clash with one another and don’t actually read books.

Picture this: When trying to locate a book, every book must be removed and flipped until the desired book is found or until you lose interest in reading. I think what is needed here is an item furniture stores place on their bookshelves to mimic the look of books; it is hollow and made to look like several books standing together, complete with book titles painted on their fake spines.

Personally, I love the look of books of various colors, ages and sizes sharing shelves together.

Hand-in-hand with attractive, well-organized bookshelves comes the idea of creating a fitting place to read our books, the “reading nook.” My new friend, Copilot, defines a reading nook as “a small, cozy space in a room that is designed for reading. It can be any part of the room that is divided from the rest of the space.” When decorating your reading nook, have fun and get creative. You are going for your happy place vibe. I recommend you head to TJ Maxx or Marshalls for countless decorative items at affordable prices, including area rugs, framed pictures, and signs relating to books and reading.

I asked my friend Merri Ukraincik, avid reader and author of numerous articles and the “Days of Rest” newsletter on Substack, to describe what makes her perfect reading nook. “Our den is really a library teeming with the books we’ve read and loved. It’s a great comfort to sit there, but to read among them is glorious. Comfortable seating, a place to rest your feet, a warm afghan, perfect lighting, and a great book are a must.”

If you would like help containing your books, rearranging your bookshelves and creating a cozy reading nook, please call me. I offer a 20-minute, complimentary phone consultation, and from there we can set up a work session.

Ellen Smith of iDeclutter, LLC of Central Jersey is a residential organizer and a member of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. For over 16 years, Ellen has helped people restore order and create calm in their homes and souls. See Ellen’s work on Instagram @ideclutterbyEllen. Contact Ellen for a complimentary phone consultation at [email protected].