The Mount ToBeRead Project

I have too many books.  

This is something I realise periodically.  And I periodically go on Book Diets and vow that there will be no more until Mt TBR reaches manageable proportions.  Sometimes I [gasp] have a Book Cull.  This is not as drastic as it sounds - I'm a BookCrosser and have plenty of things to do with unwanted books.

None of these measures is long-lasting or effective.  Because I am an addict.

I've been decluttering and tidying and cleanng my home.  And have started putting all the boxes of Mt TBR in one place.  I've never done this before and I am, quite frankly, shocked.  Far from being a convenient way to store those books that won't fit on the shelves, the boxes are taking over the living room.  There are seven boxes in there now and I can no longer hide them behind the curtains.  And there are more to come.  And then there are the bookcases.  And the books that aren't contained but live on the study floor.  And, of course, this is only Mt TBR.  Never mind Permanent Collection or those for release or BookMooching or whatever.  Oh Lord.  I've just remembered another hidden stash.

I have too many books.

Now, I'm a BookCrosser and we've already established that this gives me an easy avenue by which to release unwanted books.  I have resolved to BookCross in a more active manner and get the random books which I don't want to read out of the house that way.  But what about Mt TBR?  I'm not about to release a book unread when I paid good money for it and still want to know the secrets hidden in its pages.  But reading and then releasing all these books will take years.  And if I keep adding to Mt TBR in the way I have been then it becomes of Forth Road Bridge project.  (For those who don't know, it takes so long to paint this bridge that the men start again as soon as they reach the end and will never be 'finished.')

So I would like to introduce you to:

The Mount ToBeRead Project.

The aim of the Project is to reduce the size of Mt TBR.  I'm not going to start counting the number of books on the Mountain.  I think it's pretty self-evident that the Mountain is huge and drastic action is needed.  Enough said.  To make the Project measurable, my goal is to fit Mt TBR into two shelves of the bookcase in the study (each measures about 1.5 meters).  I'm thinking two shelves so that I can have one for fiction and one for non-fiction.

In order to meet my goal, I'm going to enforce the following Rules for the duration of the Project:

1. No book acquisition.  This includes Rings, BookMooch, NSSs and shopping.  It does not include books required for studying.  It does not include instances where I have (say) No. 3 of a series.  I may acquire books 1 and 2 but not book 4.  The prohibition includes audiobooks.
   
2. No digital wishlists.  I may keep a Word.doc or something listing books I really want to read when the project is over (eg book 4 of a series where I've read 1-3) but no BM/BC/Amazon wishlists.
3. No eye candy.  I may not read reviews of books not currently on Mt TBR.
4. No magazines.
5. No knitting.  
6. No Sky+.

Reading is to be my primary focus.  I do not expect that I shall read a book a day for the next five years or anything like that but, given the choice of what to do, I shall read.  And I shall endeavour to avoid things that would distract me from my goal - like magazines (which don't count as reading).

I will be ruthless in the application of The Fifty Page Rule.  With this many books available, I can afford to be choosy.  DNFs will be released (either wild or through BookMooch).  Read books will be Ringed and then also released.

I will blog about my progress right here.

Let the Project commence!

Incoming Books

Mimi Wilson & Shelly Cook Volkhardt - Holy Habits
Anne Tyler - Digging to America
Erik Rees - SHAPE

59. Veronica Heley - Master of the Hall

Title:
Master of the Hall
Author:
Heley, Veronica
Publisher:
Zondervan
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5992499
No. of pages:
301
First sentence:
It was a bad decision.

I started reading this series last year. In fact, Eden Hall was the first Christian fiction book I actually finished. I was attracted by its billing as a 'modern-day Cinderella' story. I read the first three books in quick succession but found Secret of the Hall a bit sinister. Fearing that Master of the Hall was be more so I avoided reading until now.

I found that I did enjoy this book although perhaps not as much as Eden Hall. Minty and Patrick are the same flawed but loveable characters and we are party to their exploration of what marriage and parenthood mean. The themes of forgiveness and prayer also run strongly in this book. The sinister element I had feared was not much in evidence. Indeed, I think that the author may have missed an opportunity here. But, of course, I would likely have laid the book aside had she taken that road. I did find that some of the plotting was a bit confusing and I'm still asking, 'Why?' on a couple of points.

Heley has a very pleasant narrative voice and I do look forward to reading more of her work.

Eden Hall is endowed with a wide variety of characters. I think my favourite is (understandably) Minty as I know most about her. Choosing from the more minor characters, however, my favourite is Carol because she's so honest and forthright without being intimidating.

I would recommend this book to others who enjoy Christian fiction and, specifically, to people who have read the proceeding books. This one could be read alone but I think a lot of the magic would be lost. The cover is attractive. Indeed, it makes me long to step into the warm, fire-lit room Minty is looking at. The title is only specially meaningful in the light of the book's ending so I shall not write about that here.

7/10

Incoming Books!

Alexander Kent - Midshipman Bolitho
Charles Dickens - A Tale of Two Cities
Amy Tan - The Joy Luck Club
Peter Ho Davies - The Welsh Girl
Marina Lewycka - wo Caravans

58 - Joshua Harris - I Kissed Dating Goodbye

Title:
I Kissed Dating Goodbye
Author:
Harris, Joshua
Publisher:
Multnomah
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
Library
No. of pages:
235
First sentence:
Reading a book is a lot like a dating relationship.

I bought this book a number of years ago because I was looking for a different way to run my, very disastrous, love life. I passed it on to the Church library without reading it but saw it on the shelf a few weeks ago and decided to pick it up again as I've been reading other books on similar themes recently.

I think Harris has a fairly unique take on the relationships scene because he's a single young man. Most books on the subject seem to be written by one half or other of a married couple. I'm torn between finding Harris' account inspiring or irritating. Presumably this is because I measure up so poorly to the ideals he had set.

Harris begins by looking at the ways in which our culture tells us to run our love lives and then outlines his alternative proposal - courtship (although he doesn't use that name). He looks thoroughly at the obstacles to be overcome by the single person and at ways of developing a relationship when you are ready for marriage. I feel like I'll never be ready as I measure myself against Harris' ideals!

I would recommend this book to other singles or the parents of young people about to enter the romantic field and I will read more from the author. It will be interesting to watch him develop as an author and a Christian. I wonder how high those ideals will be in a few years?

Incoming Books!

Tony Buzan - The Speed Reading Book
Larry McMurtry - Lonesom Dove
Shari Anton - Lord of the Manor
John Galsworth - The Forsyte Saga
Bill Bryson - The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
William Stuart Long - The Exiles
Michel Quoist - Prayers of Life
Paul William Roberts - Journey of the Magi
James A Simpson, Angus T Stewart, Alan A S Reid - Keywords of Faith
W M Thackerey - Vanity Fair

100+ Reading Challenge

I came upon this challenge today. I've already challenged myself to read 100 books in 2008 over on 43 Things but I likes a good challenge, I does and a bit of extra motivation never goes amiss. I have 57 books read thus far so am on track for achieving my target.