Harlequin Presents Readers discussion

So I was just wondering how everyone else sets up their shelves? What do you consider is the goal of putting things on separate shelves?

I have a tendency to make my shelf titles things that I can search by later. For example I want to be able to think "What was that book? I remember that the heroine had a miscarriage or that the hero was an airline pilot." So I have a 'miscarriage' shelf and an 'airlines-pilot' shelf. I do notice that others have shelves like 'hero needs a bat upside the head' or other titles that seem to imply part of the review like 'snoozer' or 'loved it'.

What do you all think is the best way? What purpose should shelf titles fulfill?

My self-explanatory shelves are just for the heck of it, like, King dong, WTF did I just read, cougars, damaged h/h, crapola ending, etc.

I only started using my shelves as a way to "tag" books a few months ago because I was having a hard time remembering which story went with each book (especially those Harlequin books with generic titles -- like The Greek Magnate's Virgin or The Billionaire's Baby Bombshell).

After reading a book, I tag it the rating, heat level, location, tropes and series (if it's part of one). To group shelves together, I start each type with a specific word, so I have "rating-4-stars", "rating-4_5-stars", "location-usa", "location-england", "trope-inherited-baby", and "trope-fake-engagement".

I've also started using the 'Private Notes' section when I wrote a review to put things that will make the book standout when I'm trying to remember what it was about a few months from now (e.g., "hot scene on the hero's private island beach").

I've just recently decided to add shelves as well. It's a work in progress. I have well over 1000 books and it's rather daunting to think of adding shelf tags for all of them. I tag with author name and things like marriage-in-peril, older man, amnesia, mfm(yes I have some smutty titles), etc.

Melanie wrote: "I've just recently decided to add shelves as well. It's a work in progress. I have well over 1000 books and it's rather daunting to think of adding shelf tags for all of them. I tag with author ..."

I find the idea of backlogging read books daunting as well! I've done a couple of books that were memorable, but there are some that I think I'd have to at least have to skim to remember details. Especially when the cover blurb is generic (e.g., Hero and heroine were in love, but she ran when she thought he had an affair. Three years later, he runs into her and her two-year-old son who has very familiar eyes...).

Yeah I have added new shelf titles as I've gone along. Occasionally I will go back and add shelf tags to stuff I put in earlier but it's real hit or miss. The private notes idea is a good one. I might use that. :-)

I'm a theme reader, so a lot of my shelves are arranged according to specific themes. I might also have a shelf based on what kind of hero or heroine or my reaction to them. I also arrange books according to genre and sub-genre.

I haven't gone back and reshelved older reads. Too many. If I come across one, I might shelve it when I have it pulled up on goodreads.

Mine reflect themes I find appealing (starchy heroes, heroes who wear glasses, creative professions, etc.) and also offer commentary on how I felt about the book. It's an art rather than a science for me. :-) I've been trying to combine some of mine to cut the list down to a more managable size, but I'm always thinking up new ones I want to use.

Am still trying to find the perfect shelf name for one of my favorite tropes, the hero who thinks he can't marry the heroine. (Ex: )

willaful wrote: "Mine reflect themes I find appealing (starchy heroes, heroes who wear glasses, creative professions, etc.) and also offer commentary on how I felt about the book. It's an art rather than a science ..."

I love that you have a shelf for heroes that wear glasses! It makes me realize that there aren't enough glass-wearing heroes in Presents.

I only know of one:

I use Calibre to shelve older books...there is a plugin that allows you to send to Goodreads. So, when I have I often will sort by a tag and send them to a bookshelf. Nice way to do a larger quanity at once.

That's nice, Megan!

Just thought of a shelf I need...a 'love to re-read'!

Good one! I have a need to reread shelf.

Kate wrote: I love that you have a shelf for heroes that wear glasses!
Just wanted to share that I found another book where the hero wears glasses and he is shorter then the herione and a virgin!
The Mistress Deception

I totally blanked on him being a virgin. Don't remember that at all. Need to do a reread!

Oh, better mark him on your 'virgin-hero' shelf, Lady D!

Love willa's shelves... And V's crack me up. I'm going to have to check out Kate's and the rest of you. Just started using the private notes to add things that I don't even want to put under spoilers.

Who was it that had one called 'like-warm-hot-chocolate'?

Oh, Kate! I may steal some of your ideas. Okay? I want to put 'job' in front of my 'chef' 'artist' 'architect' 'man-w-a-badge-uniform' shelves.

I just recently started adding location b/c I'm in a couple different 50 state challenges, with the word 'setting' in front instead of 'location'.

And I love that you have your historical divided up within decades.

I'm tempted to add steam rating shelves... the only trouble is, I sometimes can't figure out the steam factor. I do have a 'one-foot-on-the-floor' shelf (which has some of my favs!).

The only original one I thought up was my 'mrs-robinson' shelf for older women/younger men.

I like Mrs Robinson, Lisa Kay. Tells you everything you need to know!

Steal away, Lisa Kay!

As far as heat level, I think it's really up to individual preference. To me, a PG-13 is when that doesn't let the reader into the bedroom with the hero and heroine; R means the reader is in the bedroom during sex but it's "conventional" sexual situations; NC-17 is for erotica or sexual situations that push the limits (like a Blaze I read involving a robotic dildo that the engineer/hero built).

Kate wrote: "...a Blaze I read involving a robotic dildo that the engineer/hero built)."

Thanks, Kate! LMAO! Leave it to an engineer to want to make something better.