James Patterson gives $500 bonuses to book store employees
James Patterson joins 'Fox & Friends' to share how he gave 600 independent book store employees $500 bonuses, as well as discuss his brand new book.
If you are a frequent reader, you likely have a lot of books, probably sitting in an attic or a basement somewhere, that you don't know what to do with.
The truth is, buying books is an experience for many.
Strolling into a bookstore on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, grabbing a coffee and tracing through the maze of books and shelves is a hobby for a number of people.
However, once taken home and read, books are often stuffed in a box or on a shelf, never to be seen again by even the most fervent reader.
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If you consistently read books, own a lot of them and don't display them aesthetically in a library of sorts, you might want to sort through them and rid your place of hundreds of thousands of pages.
The first step you should take to sort through your giant book collection is to separate them into "keep" and "toss" piles. Books from your childhood, novels you resonated with or books with an eye-catching cover may be a few you hope to keep.
Books can be displayed around the home in discrete, decorative ways. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Books you've forgotten you own, haven't read in years and don't plan on reading again can be added to the "toss" pile and donated to your local library or Goodwill.
If your collection of books is mountainous, here are a few things you can do to slim it down.
Design your own library
If you have a room in your house that is used as an office, bookshelves can make a great addition to the room in an organized and decorative manner.
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You can build a customized shelf yourself, or order one online and piece it together. Organize your books by genre, alphabetically or even by color for a visually pleasing look.
Larger bookshelves can add a great addition to a home when kept organized. (Tom Lee/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)
Create a book wall
A unique twist on a bookshelf is a book wall. A book wall can be created with floating shelves organized throughout a large space.
Arrange some of your books so that the front cover is facing outwards instead of the spine to add dimension. This method will take up more space, so pull out your favorites to display, and keep the rest packed away.
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Individual floating shelves make for an eye-catching display, especially when the books are organized by color.
Combine your books being placed with the spine out and the cover for a unique look. (Quick Image/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)
Swap with friends
If you have friends or family members that share your passion for reading, you can exchange books with one another. This will save you money as you won't have to buy every single book you intend to read.
Or, if you know a bunch of book lovers, start a book club. Book clubs don't need to include a large group of people and social events.
Book clubs should be a low-pressure environment where you can have fun with friends and discuss great books, maybe while enjoying delicious snacks, or maybe via FaceTime.
Make use of coffee table books
If you have any books in your collection that qualify as coffee table books, use them as such.
Adding a couple of neutral-colored books can give a sophisticated look to a space. (James Brittain/View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Coffee table books are traditionally neutral with a simple design, but any book can be a coffee table book, depending on the aesthetic of your home.
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Add a couple of books to your coffee table for a simple design aspect to a room. You can always switch up your coffee table books if you've switched up your color scheme.
Read again
One pro to buying and keeping your books is that you have instant access to them.
When it comes to educational books in particular, they can be really useful to read more than once.
Book series such as the "Harry Potter" series can act as a piece of home decor in any house. (Pathik Oza/O3 Books)
A good habit to get into it for educational books is to read through it once to get an overview of the information, and then read through it a second time with a closer eye by highlighting and taking notes of important sections.
Spread them out
Avid readers typically have books in a lot of different locations throughout their home.
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Use all different types of furniture to store books.
As long as you keep it clean and organized, books can serve as ideal decor without spending more money.
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