‘New year, new me,’ and this time I promise I mean it, as I aim to keep my home tidier and more organised in 2026. And one way I plan on keeping my bookshelves in order is by investing in Amazon’s metal bookends (£15.19) and spirit level (£20.77).
As a writer, naturally, I love books and reading. And as a messy person, you can imagine the state of my bookshelves. While I’d argue that the shelves and books are clearly well-loved and read regularly, I can appreciate that it looks very untidy to an outsider. While I can’t quite bring myself to declutter my bookshelves, I have vowed to make an effort to keep them tidy in 2026.
Using the metal book tends to hold my favourite reads in one place, and the spirit level to ensure everything lines up on my shelf neatly. Here’s how I plan to keep my books in order, without needing to defer to one of the best decluttering methods this year.
The metal book ends hold your books together, keeping them neatly together and organised. The adjustable spine runs along the back of the books, too, so nothing is on show.
GYOFFULL
Gyoffull Bookshelf Organizer Tool
This clever spirit level helps align books and items on your shelf so they are all the same distance from the edge. This helps reduce visual clutter and makes everything look neater.
I’ve come to accept that I am never going to stop buying books. In fact, if I dare step foot in a charity shop or book shop, it’s unlikely I’ll leave without having selected a new read from the shelves. And as my personal library grows (and so does my dream of a reading nook or room), the need for organising them gets stronger.
Right now, I have piles of books stacked all over my flat. But given that I am partial to some shelf faffery, I am actually looking forward to this task, especially given that these two Amazon buys will make the job so much easier.
The first book organiser I’m adding to my cart is some metal bookends from Amazon (£15.19). Available in black, green, blue or white, this one-piece structure adjusts the length and thickness of your books to hold them neatly in one place. It has a maximum length of 50cm and a minimum of 15cm, making it suitable for storing everything from your favourite novels to chunky encyclopedias.
Using bookends also makes it easier to organise your reads. I plan to use mine to help organise fiction and non-fiction reads, before breaking them down into more specific categories. Not only is this bookend suitable for your bookshelves, but it can also be used to help organise your home office desk, bedside tables and cookbooks, making it a versatile organisation solution.
‘These bookends are sturdy and do a great job of keeping books upright without sliding around. The adjustable feature is handy, especially if you want to secure just a few books or fill a longer shelf. The black metal design is simple and looks neat in both home and office setups,’ said one review.
Once my books are organised in their bookends, I plan to use the Bookshelf Organiser Tool (£20.77), which is essentially a spirit level for books, to ensure everything is neatly lined up.
The tool helps you line up your books so that they are all the same distance from the edge of the bookshelf. This is a particularly good idea if, like me, you have a lot of books. Keeping them neatly lined up can help reduce the amount of visual clutter, making your bookshelf look more curated, rather than a dumping ground.
‘I’m a librarian, and we use these all the time to straighten our shelves. Nice and sturdy, super easy to use. The only thing that could make it better is for it to be a few inches longer to make fixing all our shelves go faster,’ said one review.
‘Bought one for my bookshelves. Easy to use. Keeps books lined up. Small enough for easy storage but big enough to do a quick job if you have a lot of books like me!’ said another.
I’m actually feeling pretty excited about organising my bookshelves. It’s all good practice for my dream home library in the future…
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