More on books...TBR this time!

I've decided I'm going to participate in a TBR- To Be Read challenge.

The general idea of TBR challenge is to only read books you own.... for a period of time. I've read about a bunch of these so I'm making my own rules here. Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to have reading goals but this isn't really a goal but more of... cleaning my house, starting with the book cases.

I have about 30 boxes of books out in Daddy-O's garage and since I moved back here to Civilization I've filled an ENTIRE book case with books and have a couple piles on the floor. These are always my "back up books" like if the library runs out???? No, not that exactly. More like if I get stranded at home with nothing to read. And it could happen, right?

But I keep laying in bed and staring at that case, thinking of all the cool stuff on there I want to read. And I keep thinking if I read it, then I could donate books to my own school library or the community library or gift them on. And I would have more space for more books.

So, I've decided in 2012 I want to read some. And at the beginning of the year is as good a time as any. And for me right now is really good because I have home 2- count 'em TWO- library books only! Many of the challenges I've read about online encourage people to read from their TBR piles from January 1 until Tax Day- April 15. I think that sounds like a good range. I know I have enough there to carry me that far. I have enough there to carry me until July 15 if I wanted but I know I couldn't stand it that long.

So here are my own personal reading rules for TBR: I will read stuff on my shelves from January 1- April 15. There are a couple of exceptions I'm going to make from this, though and since it's my challenge I can do that:

• I belong to a book club so I will read the selections for the book club whether or not I own them already or not
• I have 2 books on hold at the library- one Patterson and one Grafton. The reserve list is really long (like 44 people waiting for the Grafton and 23 waiting for the Patterson) so if I get called for these books during this 3.5 months, I will read them rather than put my name BACK on the list for a few more months
  
• I will finish the books I currently have home from the library, even if it spills into 2012. I'm not leaving a book half unread for 3.5 months just because... duh!
• I have a book loaned to my by my SisIL and that counts as "on my shelf" because I want to read it NOW; it's number 18 of Steph Plum so it's a must!
• I've started a literary club for students at school and I will also read those selections
  

So, other than the aforementioned selections, I will only read from my personal shelves. I've photographed 4 of the shelves that have books on them that I will select from (the other 2 shelves have cookbooks. I am NOT committing to reading cookbooks!)

If you see any books here that you would like to read, please let me know and I can read those first and then mail them off to you! See, it's something for all of us! And each shelf is alphabetical, except One Day is out of order cuz I just tossed it in there for the picture. (and the holes on the shelves where a book obviously was are books I've already read but am keeping because I love them...)

I still plan on letting my "wish list" at Barnes & Noble grow and I still plan on reading reviews and adding to my "to read" list on Goodreads.com while I take this challenge. But it's a good time to clean off the shelves. And maybe I'll have fewer books to move, should I ever move from the attic...

If anyone would like to join the TBR challenge with me, please feel free! We could even start a joint blog, if we wanted...? Just a thought!

Happy Reading to me, and to you, next year!

Maggie