Shelf Maintenance

You might consider me totally wasted if I tell you that my favourite pastime is to clean my bookshelf/ book-cupboard, and rearrange all of my books EVERY WEEK.

My Saturday morning ritual is fixed– I remove all the books to make sure none of them has been bent (being in a cramped space) or gotten wet (due to rains). I clean the cupboard with a wet cloth then with a dry cloth, and finally put all the books back. This sacred ceremony takes me almost two-three hours. 
(Yes, priorities.) 

Depending on my mood, every week I try different ways of arranging it- genre wise, author wise, alphabetically, etc.

You are free to call it an obsession or an addiction. I prefer to call it ‘maintenance’. Just like an engine which needs servicing and oiling every now and then, so does our bookshelf. It often requires love, care and grooming. Probably every week is a little too much, but I realised I am not the only one.

It is only a matter of time when every reader ultimately turns into a hoarder. And everyone have diverse ways or ritual of maintaining their shelves. 

I asked some of my friends to share their bookish routine and a few pictures of their bookshelves. 

I was happy not to find myself alone.

Zahra Gabuji

Zahra's Bookshelf

Being a literature student, most of the books that you see on her shelf are similar to those on mine. Despite being a messy person, she is very particular about her books. She tells me that, “My bookshelf represents who I am. I have lived several of these characters. These books have been like little houses, you go inside and stay there for a while…

My husband, who is not a reader, organises the bookshelf and takes good care of it as well. He knows what it means to me. 
[Every reader’s definition of true love.]

Zahra's Bookshelf (close up from the right side)

Zahra's Bookshelf (close up from the left side)

Except cleaning the bookshelf and books every fortnight, I prefer arranging them according to their nationality and genre. I love to write/ scribble inside my novels- notes on characters, plot or anything else that I may find interesting, and I encourage my friends to do the same.”

(Thank You, Jalal Mortezai, for taking out time to click these pictures and emailing them to me.)

Ashna Bahl

We both have been borrowing each other’s books since the time we became friends. It was she who got me hooked to G. David’s Shantaram. Ashna thinks of her bookshelf as the least fanciest part of her house. She likes something sturdy so she can hoard her books on it.

“I am such a hoarder that a part of my bookshelf actually broke and what you see are the remains of it. I clean my bookshelf every week, but more importantly I have a weird habit of changing every book’s position depending on which book I’m fond of at the moment.

Ashna's Bookshelf

Hence, you’ll find my favourites stacked at the top and least favourite ones at the bottom. 

Ashna's Bookshelf

Therefore any new book will find a place on the shelf depending on how much I liked it.” 

Minnati Zaveri

If you thought you had an obsession, you haven’t met Minnati. Her obsession with books is to another level.
(Psst...I am always too scared to borrow her books; she has like a million rules.)

“I'm very lucky to have my father agree to let me have a floor to ceiling (seriously) bookshelf in my room! I wanted a library ladder à la Beauty and the Beast, but never mind.

Minnati's floor to ceiling bookshelf

I have 4 compartments in my shelf, out of which the two smaller ones hold religious books and monthly glossies. The two bigger ones (of 8 shelves each) are where ALL my other books are kept. (Currently only 10 shelves out of the 16 are filled.)

I organize them largely height-wise, with some sets of books also organized author or genre wise (if their heights are the same, if not, then I rather prefer them height-wise). [This is where I tell you that she suffers from an obsessive-compulsive-disorder. She is a total neat-freak.]

The first of the larger book cases hold (in top to bottom order), one shelf of classic 18th century literature, followed by three shelves of literary fiction, followed by two shelves of chick lit.

Minnati's Bookshelf (close up)

Minnati's Bookshelf (close up)

The leather hardcover classics belonged to my paternal grandfather, who gave it to my father, who in turn gave them to me. They're an actual family heirloom, with some of the books dating back to over 60-70 years!

I clean and dust my bookshelf daily, and rearrange to accommodate new books on a monthly basis.”

Divyasha Jain

She is a lover of classics, who has a certain fixation with Russian classics. Her bookshelf/cupboard compliments mine.

Divyasha's Bookshelf

“I am way too attached with my bookshelf/ book-cupboard. It is my world. I can spend hours arranging and re-arranging these books or simply stare at them. Each book is a part of me and summarises my journey so far.

Divyasha's Bookshelf (close up)

Divyasha's Bookshelf (close up)

I clean my bookshelf every time I need to make space for new books. (That would be every month.)”

We are just 5 people among million other readers who share an unfathomable attachment with our respective books and bookshelves.

I will sum up with what Zahra and Divyasha told me. Our bookshelf represents us. We have lived several of these characters and stories. 

Each book summarises our journey so far.