We’ve all been there: too many books, not enough space. All too often, we walk by our favorite bookshop, tell ourselves, “I’ll just have a peek,” and soon enough, our bookish hearts are writing checks our bookshelves just can’t cash. Now the TBR piles have colonized the floor and our mom’s threatening to send us to a hoarding support group. What’s a bookworm to do?
Fear not, dearest reader: We at the Schnookstr Think Tank have solutions. Whether you’re making more space or making your existing space work for you, you’ve got options. (And the best part is, none of them involve getting rid of your books.)
Think Outside the Bookshelf
Who says bookshelves are the only places we can store books? Channel the time-old wisdom of the housecat: If it fits, I sits. Following this principle opens up unlimited possibilities for book storage.
Clothing drawers are a good first option, but why stop there? Kitchens have tons of storage potential: pantries, cabinets, empty fridge space, even the slow cooker you never use. If you’re particularly tight on space, you can even store your books in the oven — as long as you never turn it on. Ever.
Keep a stash in the trunk of your car, in case you get bored. Place a few in your mailbox — it’s not like anyone sends anything important through the postal service anyway. Throw some in your dog’s travel kennel — just don’t forget to take them out before your next vacation. Hollow out the tree in your backyard, or heck, stick some in the vents for the dust bunnies to enjoy!
(A word to the wise: If you’re thinking of storing books in your bathroom, make sure you place them in a protective Ziploc — or two.)
Forced Proximity (Or, the Two-in-One Approach)
One book is a treasure, but two books in one? That’s a jackpot — and why waste valuable shelf space on two separate books when you can just combine them? Find two books, one with double the page count of the other. Tear the pages out of the larger book and staple the top of each torn-out page to its corresponding page. Voila: two books in one!
You can also staple pages from multiple smaller books into larger books to really maximize your space. Aw, roommates! (…Oh my god, they were roommates. You guys know where this is going.) Just don’t forget to include the cover and title page. You don’t want to start reading Pride and Prejudice only to get jumpscared by that copy of Cujo you’d stapled in there and forgotten about.
Midnight (or Midday) Soil
This option’s great for people with ridiculously long TBRs who want to improve their readerly self-discipline. Simply take all your books, throw them in a box, and bury them in your backyard (or someone else’s). Don’t even think about unearthing them until you’ve finished the current book on your list. Throw in that Barnes and Noble gift card too, for good measure — and also your Amazon login details. The last thing you need is temptation.
A(nother) Book in the Wall
If you truly don’t have options but can’t bear to throw any of your books away, look around — you’ll see that you’re actually surrounded by storage space! No, I haven’t magically conjured bookshelves out of thin air (…I think). I’m talking about your walls.
Channel your inner Martin Luther and nail those bad boys to the door — or invest in some really strong Command strips (sponsor us senpai). Love a DIY project? Add little nooks and crannies for your surplus books. Display them proudly or hide them behind your high school diploma, or that family Christmas photo. Tear out pages and use them as wallpaper — they’re sure to keep your guests occupied so you won’t have to. Maybe one of them will solve Cain’s Jawbone! (Or maybe they’ll just appreciate the fact that you transformed your copy of The Yellow Wallpaper into literal yellow wallpaper.)
If you’re really low on space and eager to dip your toes into home renovation, take a cue from Poe and go the extra mile: Open those walls up! Hollow them out! We all know walls hold plenty of secrets, so why not books? Heck, while you’re at it, tear up your stairs! Rip up the floorboards! Who needs book storage in the house when you can make the house itself book storage? No, even better: Rebuild the whole house using your books!
(Disclaimer: We are not trained construction professionals.)
Buy a Bigger House
Of course, we realize that tearing up your books is a huge commitment — one that’s not for everyone. If the thought of giving away or tearing up any of your books — or your walls — makes you tremble with anxiety, just buy a bigger house. (What, like it’s hard?)
Drowning in books you can’t bear to get rid of can make you feel hopeless. In situations like these, we at Schnookstr abide by the wise words of YouTube’s resident feng shui guru, Cliff Tan: “Don’t be a wiener. Fix it!” With these five organizational hacks, you can take back control of your life without having to sacrifice a great read.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go replace my roof tiles with the complete works of Shakespeare. (Yes, it’s my third set. No, you can’t have any.)
Tired of boring old bookmarks? Click here for our totally normal and not at all unhinged recommended alternatives.
Still can’t get enough books? Visit our Bookshop to find your next great wallpaper.
