So exactly what am I reducing? Well ... this isn't a weight loss blog so I won't be talking about my waistline. Yes, I am still whittling away at my colossal mountain of books. I successfully reduced the number of books I own last year and want to continue reducing further this year.
I knew that I would need some kind of record to both "keep me honest" and to motivate me, so I created a simple "books in/books out" spreadsheet that let me see my progress (or lack thereof). This spreadsheet turned into a little bit of a game with myself to see just how many books I could part with in a years time.
The results? I was able to end the year with a net of books out. I reduced the total number of books owned by 89 even though I added to my book collection in some months. Not bad ... but I would like to do better this year.
I have only read books from my TBR pile so far this year and have not added to the collection. However, my husband has purchased 6 books just this month that will need to be counted in the "books in" column. He has already told me that he will be passing them along to our daughter as he finishes them, so hopefully they will go into the "books out" column soon.
TERRI vs. BOOK MOUNTAIN ... the game is on!
I know that I'm not alone in the struggle to find balance and peace with my book collection. Are you one of those who is trying to reduce the number of books you own or whittle down that TBR pile? Feel free to share your strategy in the comments!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Books Read in 2010
January 2010
1. Girl with Skirt of Stars by Jennifer Kitchell
2. Black by Ted Dekker
3. Sweet Revenge (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
4. Trial by Fire (Ali Reynolds) by J.A. Jance
February 2010
5. Fool Moon (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
6. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
7. Bitter Truth by William Lashner
8. Raven Black (Shetland Island Quartet) by Ann Cleeves
March 2010
9. Silk by Alessandro Baricco
10. Forest Born (Bayern) by Shannon Hale
11. Potshot (Spenser) by Robert B. Parker
12. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
13. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
14. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
15. Hostage by Robert Crais
16. Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
April 2010
17. Fatal Flaw by William Lashner
18. Flickering Pixels by Shane Hipps
19. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
20. Paper Towns by John Green
21. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
22. Monster by A. Lee Martinez
23. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
24. The Long Goodbye by Patti Davis
25. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier
May 2010
26. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
27. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie (play adapted as a novel by Charles Osborne)
28. Audition by Ryu Murakami
29. Mallory's Oracle (Mallory) by Carol O'Connell
30. Sailing to Sarantium (Book One of the Sarantine Mosaic) by Guy Gavriel Kay
31. Crime School (Mallory) by Carol O'Connell
June 2010
32. Like the Flowing River, Stories 1998-2005 by Paul Coelho
33. Lord of Emperors (Book Two of the Sarantine Mosaic) by Guy Gavriel Kay
34. Beautiful Maria of My Soul by Oscar Hijuelos
35. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
36. Soulless by Gail Carriger
July 2010
37. Elfland by Freda Warrington
38. Grandville by Bryan Talbot
39. Changeless by Gail Carriger
40. The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox
41. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
August 2010
42. Real World by Natsuo Kirino
43. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
44. Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
45. Catering to Nobody (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
46. Brave Story by Miyuke Miyabe
47. The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg
48. Fire & Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
September 2010
49. The Last Girls by Lee Smith
50. Tales of Mystery & the Macabre by Elizabeth Gaskell
"The Old Nurses Story"
51. Deja Dead (Temperance Brennan) by Kathy Reichs
52. Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
53. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange
54. Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
55. The Gates by John Connolly
56. The Black Tower by Louis Bayard
57. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
October 2010
58. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
59. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
60. The Monsters: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
61. Grave Peril (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
November 2010
62. The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig
63. Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
64. Dying for Chocolate (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
65. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig
66. The Overton Windown by Glenn Beck
67. Angel Time by Anne Rice
68. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
December 2010
69. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
70. Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis
71. Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth) by Carolyn Hart
72. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett
1. Girl with Skirt of Stars by Jennifer Kitchell
2. Black by Ted Dekker
3. Sweet Revenge (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
4. Trial by Fire (Ali Reynolds) by J.A. Jance
February 2010
5. Fool Moon (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
6. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
7. Bitter Truth by William Lashner
8. Raven Black (Shetland Island Quartet) by Ann Cleeves
March 2010
9. Silk by Alessandro Baricco
10. Forest Born (Bayern) by Shannon Hale
11. Potshot (Spenser) by Robert B. Parker
12. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
13. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
14. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
15. Hostage by Robert Crais
16. Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
April 2010
17. Fatal Flaw by William Lashner
18. Flickering Pixels by Shane Hipps
19. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
20. Paper Towns by John Green
21. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
22. Monster by A. Lee Martinez
23. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
24. The Long Goodbye by Patti Davis
25. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier
May 2010
26. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
27. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie (play adapted as a novel by Charles Osborne)
28. Audition by Ryu Murakami
29. Mallory's Oracle (Mallory) by Carol O'Connell
30. Sailing to Sarantium (Book One of the Sarantine Mosaic) by Guy Gavriel Kay
31. Crime School (Mallory) by Carol O'Connell
June 2010
32. Like the Flowing River, Stories 1998-2005 by Paul Coelho
33. Lord of Emperors (Book Two of the Sarantine Mosaic) by Guy Gavriel Kay
34. Beautiful Maria of My Soul by Oscar Hijuelos
35. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
36. Soulless by Gail Carriger
July 2010
37. Elfland by Freda Warrington
38. Grandville by Bryan Talbot
39. Changeless by Gail Carriger
40. The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox
41. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
August 2010
42. Real World by Natsuo Kirino
43. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
44. Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
45. Catering to Nobody (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
46. Brave Story by Miyuke Miyabe
47. The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg
48. Fire & Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
September 2010
49. The Last Girls by Lee Smith
50. Tales of Mystery & the Macabre by Elizabeth Gaskell
"The Old Nurses Story"
51. Deja Dead (Temperance Brennan) by Kathy Reichs
52. Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
53. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange
54. Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
55. The Gates by John Connolly
56. The Black Tower by Louis Bayard
57. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
October 2010
58. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
59. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
60. The Monsters: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
61. Grave Peril (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
November 2010
62. The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig
63. Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
64. Dying for Chocolate (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
65. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig
66. The Overton Windown by Glenn Beck
67. Angel Time by Anne Rice
68. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
December 2010
69. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
70. Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis
71. Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth) by Carolyn Hart
72. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)