The book lover’s workout plan

October 10, 2024 by
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Every book collector faces the same dilemma, usually on multiple occasions: adding a new bookcase to house the ever-growing number of books that they have accumulated. Often this includes moving the bookcases, necessitating the removal and reinstallation of all the books. This should be marketed as a book lover’s workout plan, because I loathe exercise but have no issue with moving bulky furniture and toting hundreds of pounds of books. I had recently acquired a lovely used bookshelf and decided it was time for a major overhaul since this year’s cookbook accumulation was significant (I blame/thank Jenny). Three broken fingernails, one tumble over a stack of books, several hydration breaks, and a slightly sore back later, and I am mostly done.

(Updated to add – these are Jane’s bookshelves, not mine – mine were not ready for the camera at the time I posted this. )

Handling each book proved to be a good reminder to ensure I had added the book to my EYB Bookshelf and made me realize I needed to dive into some luscious-looking books I had not yet cracked open. It also provided an opportunity to reassess my classification method. In the EYB Forum, Members have shared their favorite organization method for books, such as by author, by geographic area, by subject matter, and so on. My collection is meager compared to many of our Members, so I opted for a straightforward author alphabetical system. Previously I had baking books separated from general cookbooks, but this meant some authors were split up and I didn’t love that. If I had a much larger collection, I would implement the Library of Congress classification system used by most public libraries, but I am not there yet.

Back to the workout idea – moving so many books also reminded me that there is a huge variance in the weight of cookbooks. Cookbook size does not always correlate to weight, and tomes with glossy, thick pages outweigh volumes containing thinner, coarser paper by a surprisingly large amount, even when the book dimensions are the same. I find it challenging to cook from books that have thinner paper because I am afraid the pages will tear more easily or suffer dire consequences from an ingredient falling from them. Do any of you have the same issue? And does anyone want to start a cookbook moving workout club?

Category: Antipasto

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7 Comments

  • Jane  on  October 10, 2024

    By coincidence I have been doing the same recently but moving books from my ground/1st floor office to my basement. So it feels like a double workout as it involved stairs. I’m also starting to donate books to friends and my local library as I have reached bookshelf capacity – as in they are all full and there is nowhere to put another bookshelf. So there is the weights exercise of carrying bags of books to my car. Phew, who needs the gym?

  • adelina  on  October 10, 2024

    First off – beautiful collection and yayy on cookbook workouts – I’m in! Of course, can relate on the workout… I also have books on my coffee table, couch, my bedside, in my tote bag. What has saved me is getting the kindle version if I wants to part away from the hard copy. To answer your question on the thin paper, I try taking a photo on my phone to avoid damaging the book further.

    • Jane  on  October 10, 2024

      Thanks adelina – that’s just one small section of my cookbook collection.

  • anya_sf  on  October 10, 2024

    My cookbooks are mostly stored in the basement family room, which also doubles as my workout room, and sometimes I actually read them while I’m working out (this usually works best during isometric moves). Anyway, it helps keep my mind off the pain 🙂

    Like Jane, I’m at shelf capacity and have had to donate books in order to acquire more. I often identify donation candidates during my workouts – but so often start leafing through them immediately afterwards and decide I’m not ready to part ways just yet…

  • KatieK1  on  October 10, 2024

    Have you considered putting up shelves over doorways? We also have them lining the hallway. I won’t be replacing books with ebooks, but I have been adding a lot of new e-cookbooks to my collection since I joined EYB. I got a kindle fire to read them with but its slowness drove me crazy, so I recently upgraded to an ipad which is faster and larger and I am much happier now.

  • JaniceKj  on  October 13, 2024

    About once a year I find myself in the same situation, moving books from one book library upstairs to another downstairs, adding more bookshelves and enjoying every moment. Yes, it may seem a bit overwhelming at times. It helps that we are empty nesters and I have the time. My favorite is dusting each one (more because I do have allergies), flipping through some oldies and just taking this time for a collection that has taken years to build. Mostly, living in northern Utah, it helps to do this at the beginning of the new year, with cold temps and snow. It just feels right. All books are listed on the EYB library, some that are not are added to my printout Excel sheet where it’s added later. And finally, finding a recipe to try that you’ve forgotten about. It’s all part of a workout for sure.

  • nvernon  on  October 14, 2024

    @KatieK1 : Yes, I just brought this up in my house, I want to do a shelf above the windows/doors in the main room (open floor plan.. only room). There is no more space for bookcases anywhere.

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