My husband is still on strike, and could be for months yet. (For more information on the Writers Guild on strike, read United Hollywood or My Second Strike, blogs on the subject) So this New Year, because he's got time when he's not picketing, we've actually made some headway on one of our perpetual resolutions, to clean out the garage.
And all this cleaning up made me realize I had to make another New Year's resolution--a personal ban on book-buying until I've read some of the books on my huge TBR stack.
I mean, I know we're in desperate need of some bookshelf space in this house, but I'm starting to have nightmares about being buried under piles of books. That can't be good.
And even when I'm not actually shelling out cash for books, new ones still end up on the stack--gifts, mooches, books borrowed from the library. You see? I just can't stop myself...
Here are a few of the books that have made their way to my stack recently, without my having broken my resolution...
Away, by Amy Bloom. A good friend had an extra copy...bonus for me!
Martha Quest, by Doris Lessing. A holiday gift from my sister-in-law.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon. Borrowed from a friend.
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story, by Diane Ackerman. Another gift.
Even without buying, I've already got so many great things to read in 2008. How 'bout you?
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16 comments:
I've vowed to put a $30 limit to the money I can spend on books per month. That's probably still too high, but it's better than how I was doing last year. Not only can't I really afford to spend so much money on books, but my TBR pile is daunting every time I look at it. I'm sure I've had a nightmare or two myself. :)
I keep making this vow, and then not five minutes ago, I bought a Marge Piercy novel online for 1p. I mean, how could I refuse? Still, I'm glad to know you're getting the garage sorted - there must be a feng shui payback from that!
j.s.--I think a monthly limit is actually a much better way of doing it than an out-and-out ban--baby steps, right?
litlove--I wouldn't have refused for 1p, either--obviously! And funny you should mention it, my husband keeps quoting feng shui things he's read on the internet as we clean, because he's hoping for some good to come of this project!
I'll be able to bypass bookstores after that luggage-full of books I brought back from Asia. But I've just started the Russian Reading Challenge with Leo Tolstoy's The Kreutzer Sonata. I'll also participate in the Chunkster Challenge, for which I have to produce a reading list.
I also have some translated Thai literature. This year will be a busy one with reading! :)
Heh, I've got enough books around here to read for 2008, 2009 and probably well on into 2015! I have somehow manage to to buy or mooch a single book so far this year. But looking at other people's recent stacks, I am wavering in my buy fewer books resolution!
yep, i have serious library issuesl. all the books i requested somehow became available at the same time :) sheesh.
i have a $30 limit per month also.
matt--sounds like a busy but exciting reading year!
stefanie--I always waver in these types of resolutions. I'm sure I'll be back to my old habits soon!
melanie--that's what happens to me at the library, too. They don't have anything I want, I put in some requests, and then they all come at once. I like the $30 limit idea, I'm putting myself on a book-buying diet!
I'm with you - I'm trying to control the book buying too but it's hard! As I joined a lot of challenges though I have told myself that most of the books have to come from my stacks. Hopefully that will help :)
iliana--maybe I should try to join some challenges with that in mind--specifically find some challenges I can do with books solely from my stacks! Good idea, I'm with you!
There's always too many books and not enough time to read them! I looked up the Zookeeper's Wife- that looks so good, I'm going to add it to my list without even waiting for your review!
I have made this resolution many times...my TBR books are on thier own book self!! Plus I have a 3 page typed list of other TBR lists! LOL! I also have a request list at the library! But I also have been known to pay anywhere from $10 - 20 at the library in fines!! :) There are just so many great books out there!!
I can totally identify with you.I wish I had friends like you.
jeane--that's the big problem--so many books, so little time...I first heard about The Zookeeper's Wife on the radio, so I was really happy to get it as a gift.
darcie--I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble with this resolution!
yolanda--I love that we all seem to have the same issues! That's the great thing about all my blogging friends :)
But as soon as I'm catching up the blog reading, I've got new ideas of books I wish to get. I guess this is going to be a work of progress. In the meantime, I'll have to weed out books I don't want from my collection to make room for new ones.
I've noticed several of us are on Book Diets, so to speak. Yeah, if you're having nightmares about being buried in books, the time has probably come. LOL
We're working on our garage, too. It's been scary since we were flooded and never got around to going through the stuff we hurriedly threw into bins and stashed in the garage. It's a big job, but somebody's gotta do it.
Your stack is beautiful. The Zookeeper's Wife is way up there on my wish list. Can't wait to see what you think of it.
matt--that's the neverending problem, I guess--I get such good ideas from my blogging friends, that my piles only get bigger, never smaller!
bookfool--I'm sorry you were flooded--that kind of clean-up sounds pretty awful. We had a small leak in our garage, so some of our stuff was water-damaged, too. But at least it was easy to decide what to do with that stuff--straight into the dumpster!
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