Author.java

@Entity
public class Author implements Comparable<Author> {

	@Id
	@GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.AUTO)
	@Column(name = "id", updatable = false, nullable = false)
	private Long id;

	@Version
	private int version;

	private String name;

	@ManyToMany(mappedBy = "authors")
	// requires sorting or ordering
	private SortedSet<Book> books = new TreeSet<Book>();

	...

	@Override
	public int compareTo(Author o) {
		log.info("compare");
		return name.compareTo(o.getName());
	}
}

AuthorOrderBooksByTitle.java

@Entity
public class Author {
	...

	@ManyToMany(mappedBy = "authors")
	@OrderBy("title ASC")
	private List<Book> books = new ArrayList<Book>();

	...
}LoadOrderByTitle.log

AuthorSortComparator.java

@Entity
public class Author implements Comparable<Author> {
	...

	@ManyToMany(mappedBy = "authors")
	@SortComparator(SortById.class)
	private SortedSet<Book> books = new TreeSet<Book>();

	...
}

AuthorSortNatural.java

@Entity
public class Author implements Comparable<Author> {
	...

	@ManyToMany(mappedBy = "authors")
	@SortNatural
	private SortedSet<Book> books = new TreeSet<Book>();

	...
}

Book.java

@Entity
public class Book implements Comparable<Book> {

	@Id
	@GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.AUTO)
	@Column(name = "id", updatable = false, nullable = false)
	private Long id;

	@Version
	private int version;

	private String title;

	@ManyToMany
	@JoinTable(name = "book_author", 
		   joinColumns = { @JoinColumn(name = "fk_book") }, 
		   inverseJoinColumns = { @JoinColumn(name = "fk_author") })
	// requires sorting or ordering
	private SortedSet<Author> authors = new TreeSet<Author>();

	...

	@Override
	public int compareTo(Book o) {
		log.info("compare");
		return title.compareTo(o.getTitle());
	}
}

LoadAndLogAuthor.java

TypedQuery<Author> q = em.createQuery("SELECT a FROM Author a JOIN FETCH a.books b WHERE a.id = :id", Author.class);
q.setParameter("id", 1L);
Author a = q.getSingleResult();

log.info(a);
for (Book b : a.getBooks()) {
	log.info(b);
}

LoadOrderByTitle.log

08:58:26,871 DEBUG SQL:92 - select author0_.id as id1_0_0_, book2_.id as id1_1_1_, author0_.name as name2_0_0_, author0_.version as version3_0_0_, book2_.title as title2_1_1_, book2_.version as version3_1_1_, books1_.fk_author as fk_autho2_2_0__, books1_.fk_book as fk_book1_2_0__ from Author author0_ inner join book_author books1_ on author0_.id=books1_.fk_author inner join Book book2_ on books1_.fk_book=book2_.id where author0_.id=? order by book2_.title asc
08:58:27,022  INFO TestSortVsOrder:46 - Author [id=1, name=B Author]
08:58:27,024  INFO TestSortVsOrder:48 - Book [id=3, title=A Book]
08:58:27,024  INFO TestSortVsOrder:48 - Book [id=1, title=B Book]
08:58:27,024  INFO TestSortVsOrder:48 - Book [id=2, title=C Book]

LoadSortComparator.log

18:21:30,966 DEBUG SQL:92 - select author0_.id as id1_0_0_, book2_.id as id1_1_1_, author0_.name as name2_0_0_, author0_.version as version3_0_0_, book2_.title as title2_1_1_, book2_.version as version3_1_1_, books1_.fk_author as fk_autho2_2_0__, books1_.fk_book as fk_book1_2_0__ from Author author0_ inner join book_author books1_ on author0_.id=books1_.fk_author inner join Book book2_ on books1_.fk_book=book2_.id where author0_.id=?
18:21:31,097  INFO SortById:13 - SortById.compare
18:21:31,098  INFO SortById:13 - SortById.compare
18:21:31,098  INFO SortById:13 - SortById.compare
18:21:31,098  INFO SortById:13 - SortById.compare
18:21:31,105  INFO TestSortVsOrder:43 - Author [id=1, name=B Author]
18:21:31,118  INFO TestSortVsOrder:45 - Book [id=1, title=B Book]
18:21:31,118  INFO TestSortVsOrder:45 - Book [id=2, title=C Book]
18:21:31,119  INFO TestSortVsOrder:45 - Book [id=3, title=A Book]

LoadSortNatural.log

18:10:22,018 DEBUG SQL:92 - select author0_.id as id1_0_0_, book2_.id as id1_1_1_, author0_.name as name2_0_0_, author0_.version as version3_0_0_, book2_.title as title2_1_1_, book2_.version as version3_1_1_, books1_.fk_author as fk_autho2_2_0__, books1_.fk_book as fk_book1_2_0__ from Author author0_ inner join book_author books1_ on author0_.id=books1_.fk_author inner join Book book2_ on books1_.fk_book=book2_.id where author0_.id=?
18:10:22,085  INFO Book:107 - compare
18:10:22,085  INFO Book:107 - compare
18:10:22,085  INFO Book:107 - compare
18:10:22,087  INFO TestSortVsOrder:43 - Author [id=1, name=B Author]
18:10:22,088  INFO TestSortVsOrder:45 - Book [id=3, title=A Book]
18:10:22,089  INFO TestSortVsOrder:45 - Book [id=1, title=B Book]
18:10:22,089  INFO TestSortVsOrder:45 - Book [id=2, title=C Book]

SortById.java

public class SortById implements Comparator<Book> {

	Logger log = Logger.getLogger(SortById.class.getSimpleName());
	
	@Override
	public int compare(Book o1, Book o2) {
		log.info("SortById.compare");
		return o1.getId().compareTo(o2.getId());
	}

}