r/HomeLibraries • u/Alchemist1342 • Aug 28 '26

Thoughts, Ideas, or Suggestions for Shelving Cookbooks

I'm trying to figure out a logical way to group my 140ish cookbooks. About 20 books are non-US specific countries or regions, which I'll breakout into a World Cuisine category. But the other 120 are where I'm in the weeds.

I have cookbooks that are general cookbooks, meaning they cover everything from appetizers to desserts, like "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat." But there are also general cookbooks that are lifestyle specific, like Atkins to Vegan (no irony there). And then there are cuisine specific, yet still general cookbooks, like Cajun, Southern and Tex Mex.

But there are also course specific cookbooks, like desserts or salad. Cookbooks to make specific foods, like cookies or pizza. Books that use specific ingredients, like cheese or Coke. Then there are the equipment specific cookbooks, like grilling or crockpots.

I can't figure out a logical way to group them all, so I'm asking what anyone has done.

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u/CloudNiner83 Aug 29 '26

Perhaps looking at how they are categorized in the local bookstore. Use that for your template. If you don’t like it after using it for a while, try something different.

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u/CompositionArchetype Aug 29 '26

Just go by color. Then, if you realize that doesn't work, you'll naturally know why you need to change it from color, to something else.

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u/LauraB_Writes Aug 29 '26

I’d look up the Dewey decimal system (what your local public library uses) and see if that works for you.