Tag: Surveys

Organization

Posted November 29, 2010 by Holly in Discussions | 12 Comments

We’ve finished moving. I have some light cleaning left to do at our old house, a few odds and ends to put away here and all of my books left to unpack. The new house is approximately double the size of our old house. There’s tons of storage, huge rooms and an amazing amount of natural light. It’s wonderful.

Except we gave up a room in moving. Our old house was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath with a den. This new house is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath with a sunroom. The problem with the sunroom is that it’s totally open to the rest of the house. The entire back wall of the house (which is the sunroom) is windows. The inside wall is made up of double glass doors into the living room, a large window into the living room and a huge doorway into the dining room. This leaves me with one full wall (the wall separating the sunroom between the main living area and the master bedroom) of free space for bookshelves – and it isn’t very big.

This is the back wall of the sunroom. I had to angle the shelves in order to make them fit (it was my SIL’s suggestion). I actually like how they look, but..where am I supposed to put the rest of the shelves? I have four more that need to go somewhere.

There’s extra space in the living room where I can set up a reading nook. But it isn’t large enough to hold more than one or two small shelves. So, again..where do I put the rest? The shorter shelves I can line up against the back wall of the sunroom under the windows I guess, but that means buying more shelves since I only have 2 short ones right now. Not that I have a problem with that, but MM might.

That isn’t my only dilemma. I’m also not sure how I should organize them. I used to have a set shelves for my collections (authors I’ve glommed over the years – Linda Howard, Hannah Howell, Lisa Kleypas, etc), one for my keepers that weren’t gloms (maybe just one or two books by the same author), one for my hardcovers/trade paperbacks and a set for my TBR pile/review books. Do I keep them the same way? Since I’ll be using shorter shelves that means less books per shelf. Which means my collections will be spread out farther. Not a big deal, but I like having everything together.

Because I’m nosy and looking for inspiration, how about a quick survey? Feel free to answer the questions here in the comments or on your own site with a link here so I can read it.

1. How do you have your books organized? Do you alphabetize by author, keep your gloms together or jumble them all up in a way only you recognize?
2. Where do you keep your books? Do you have a room for them or are they scattered all over the house?
3. Do you separate your hardbacks and trade paperbacks, or shelve them with your mass market paperbacks?
4. Do you proudly display your books in the main part of the house, or keep them hidden in a closet or bedroom?
5. Like me, do you dream of having a library, like the one in Beauty and the Beast?

12 Comments

Tagged: Curiosity Killed the Cat, Holly Says, Holly Says, Holly's Bookshelf, Organization, Poll Questions, Surveys

2008 – The Best and The Worst

Posted December 23, 2008 by Holly in News | 9 Comments

Yes folks, it’s the time of year where we, as bloggers, sit back and take stock of what we read throughout the year and decide which were the best – and which were the worst. Beginning next week we’ll be doing a series of posts featuring our best and worst reads of 2008. We’ll also be highlighting the best new authors, heroes and heroines we met and a list of books we’re anxious for in 2009.

Also, on Friday I’ll be guest blogging at The Book Smugglers as part of their Smugglivus celebration (have y’all be following along? They’ve had some amazing guest bloggers and prizes to give away). I decided to talk about what makes a book for me..and what kills one. I hope you’ll come by and check it out.

In the meantime: Bloggers – do you do best/worst lists every year? Why or why not? Non-bloggers – do you like seeing the lists up at the blogs you frequent each year? Why or why not?

9 Comments

Tagged: Best of 2008, Best of Lists, Best Reads, Holly Says, Other Bloggers, Surveys, Worst Of Lists, Worst Reads

Message Board or No Message Board?

Posted November 27, 2007 by Holly in News | 20 Comments

Several months ago, the girls and I discussed the idea of opening a Book Binge Message Board. A place where we could have more in depth discussions of the books we’ve reviewed, somewhere to dish on our newest favorite authors, a forum where we, as a blogging community, could converge to discuss life and books and whatever else caught our fancy.

We shelved the idea at the time, but I’ve been thinking about it again. How do you feel about message boards? There are pros and cons. As I mentioned before, I got my start in Romanceland via message boards. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Seriously. I met Casee, Isabel, Rowena, Daphne, Niks and many, many others on message boards. We just clicked. Isn’t it amazing that 5 of my closest friends are ones I met online? Over romance novels? I think it is.

I want to share that with the rest of you – and others. I want you to feel the same sense of community I felt the first time I posted at a popular author’s message board and saw there truly were other women like me. Ones with careers and kids and lives who loved to read just as much as I do.

But, as with any project, there’s a lot of work that goes into maintaining a message board. I’m not sure if I’m up to the challenge. Not only that, but there can be a lot of…snark, cliques, whatever…when you put a bunch of women together. Although…I’m pretty good at staying out of those things, or moderating them as needs be. But it is something to consider.

So what do you think? Would you, as fellow romance readers, be open to visiting/posting on a message board? Do you like the idea? Have reservations? Share your thoughts with me. I’m the curious sort, you know….

20 Comments

Tagged: Changes, Coming Soon, Holly Says, Off Topic, Other Stuff, Romance Related Stuff, Surveys

Silence is the Better Part of Valor

Posted June 19, 2007 by Holly in Discussions | 16 Comments

Generally, as a rule, I try to stay out of the Blogland drama. Authors Behaving Badly? Reviewers being mean and not paying homage to all author ass? Meh. Doesn’t interest me. But every once in awhile, something grabs my interest or sparks something inside of me and I can’t keep silent.

I’m ashamed to say, that happened recently. Yes, I should have walked away, but I just couldn’t seem to stop myself. The thing is..I stand by all the things I said. I stand by all the things I say all the time. Yes, I occasionally run off at the mouth (it’s a habit I have that I can’t seem to break) but I realize that once it’s written down, that’s the end of it. 20 years from now when I’m president, those words could come back to haunt me. I’m fine with that. I have very firm morals and convictions and no matter what, I stick by them.

But you know, some people (damn them, damn them all) don’t want to know about me (hard to believe, isn’t it?) and my personal issues and dramas. Now, I can understand that perfectly. I really don’t want to know about a lot of people’s personal lives. Some people? Yes. But others? Uh..no. Authors fall into that category for me. Well, for the most part. Sure, there are exceptions, but really, I just want to read your books, not be your best friend. Well, sometimes. Sometimes I want to be your best friend, too. But that’s a post for another day.

Do you want to know? Are you interested in the daily lives of your favorite authors, publishers, editors, etc?

For the most part, I can separate a book from it’s author. Let’s say I was snubbed by an author, but she writes good books. I’ll still read her books. Does that mean I like the author? Uh..no. But whatever’s clever.

That goes both ways, I think. Can I absolutely hate a book but lurrrve the author? Of course. It’s only natural.

But here’s what I want to know….Does an author ever cross the line so far you can’t imagine reading another one of her books? Because of her personal behavior, did she lose you as a reader? I never thought that would happen to me. I never thought I’d find out something personal about an author and have it ruin his/her books for me, but it has. Because of the personal life choices of a certain person, I won’t be able to read a book by her again.

I wonder what that says about.

Anyway, I want to know if I’m alone here, so how about a mini-survey?

1) Do you pay attention to online gossip and drama surrounding your favorite authors/publishers?
2) Does what the authors does/says in her personal life affect (or effect? I’m drawing a blank at the moment) how you feel about her books?
3) If you feel “snubbed” by an author, do you still buy his/her books?
4) Do you feel there are some things you truly do not need to know and wish your favorite authors would just keep quiet?

Inquiring minds want to know…