Collections

Okay, I 'll admit it--I'm smitten. I've fallen in love with Africa, the Africa that is portrayed in Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the nation of Botswana. Today I ordered all six of the remaining books of the series I've yet to read from amazon marketplace sellers, plus the first book (which I had borrowed and need to complete my set). I spent between 1 cent and $8.99 per book (plus shipping, of course), with an average cost of $5 per book (including shipping), so I'm not upset about the cost. My book set will be mismatched: some new, some used (but in good condition), some paperback, some hardcover. Interestingly, the hardcovers were less expensive than the paperbacks! I'll house them together as a collection, in a pretty basket or crate of some sort, and will read them in proper order. I'll share these books with my daughters eventually, and vow to not watch the TV series until after I've read the books. I'm collecting these books not "for show" but because I 'll read and hopefully reread and encourage others to enjoy them.

In general, my books are not terribly organized but maybe it's time to change that. I keep books by the same author together, but there's a definite randomness to the shelves and stacks overall. (Don't ask about the kids' bookcases--they're a mess, overcrowded and haphazard!) Do you have any favorite collections of books? How do you keep them organized?