It's my Project and I can do it any way I like!
I'm really missing reading book blogs and reviews and keeping a wishlist. Now, I can't keep my list on BookCrossing or BookMooch because that's a sure-fire way to ensure that I end up acquiring the books (even if I don't buy them). But I'm going to allow myself a non-computer wishlist. I have a nice, new notebook and I shall write down what I would like to read when the Project is over.
The alternative to this softening would be my giving up in disgust 'cause 'I'm deprived' and that won't shrink Mt TBR!
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Monday, 7 July 2008
63. Roger Tabor - Understanding Cats
Title:
Understanding Cats
Author:
Tabor, Roger
Publisher:
David & Charles
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5920096
No. of pages:
144
First sentence:
They key to understanding cats is to look at the many aspects of the animal and to develop an integrated view.
I acquired this book as part of the Feline Behavioural Course I'm doing. I've read another book by Roger Tabor and have still more sitting on Mt TBR! I really enjoyed this volume. The information is clearly presented and the lavish illustrations made it a real pleasure to read. Tabor's writing is easy and informative. He has a clear passion for his subject and explains sometimes complex topics succinctly. I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cats.
10/10
Understanding Cats
Author:
Tabor, Roger
Publisher:
David & Charles
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5920096
No. of pages:
144
First sentence:
They key to understanding cats is to look at the many aspects of the animal and to develop an integrated view.
I acquired this book as part of the Feline Behavioural Course I'm doing. I've read another book by Roger Tabor and have still more sitting on Mt TBR! I really enjoyed this volume. The information is clearly presented and the lavish illustrations made it a real pleasure to read. Tabor's writing is easy and informative. He has a clear passion for his subject and explains sometimes complex topics succinctly. I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cats.
10/10
Sunday, 6 July 2008
62. Max Lucado - Cure for the Common Life
Title:
Cure for the Common Life
Author:
Lucado, Max
Publisher:
W Publishing Group
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5987470
No. of pages:
220
First sentence:
"Sweet spot."
The title of this book really appealed to me on a rainy day in Glasgow when life seemed incredibly common. This is the first Max Lucado book I've read and I was most impressed. Using People Managemet International's 'STORY' method, Lucado guides the reader to discover their sweet spot - the spot in which they are using their uniqueness to make a big deal out of God every day of their lives. The book is split into two parts. The first contains Max's analysis of the STORY while the second, written by a representative of PMI, tells the reader how to write their own STORY.
I really enjoyed Lucado's lyrical writing style while finding the content incredibly relevant and stimulating. I haven't worked through the second part of the book but intend to put this book into the 'for further study' box to do later. I am blow away by the idea that God doesn't want to take away my passions - instead he wants to use them for His glory!
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking purpose in their life and I will certainly be looking for more Lucado books in the future.
9/10
Thursday, 3 July 2008
61. Peter Ho Davies - The Welsh Girl
Title:
The Welsh Girl
Author:
Davies, Peter Ho
Publisher:
Sceptre
Format:
Paperback (BookRing)
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5795861
No. of pages:
343
First sentence:
Outside, the technicolor sunset is giving way to the silvery sweep of searchlights over distant Cardiff as a hand tugs the blackout curtain across the sky.
I read this book because I'm interested in the social history of the Second World War. I'm not sure that 'enjoy' is quite the right word to describe the reading experience. The book seemed dark and grey, sinister in parts. But the stories - of a German Jew, a German POW and a Welsh woman - all entwined in a captivating manner. I tend to enjoy female characters more than male and found that the case here - I wish the loose ends of Esther's story hadn't been gathered so swiftly at the end of the book.
Much of the book is written in the present tense (presumably to differentiate from the flash-back scenes) and I found this a little strange, perhaps the narrative is set so firmly in the 1940s and they are most certainly the past.
I would recommend the book to anyone with an interest in the Second World War whether they're interested in military or social history as both sides are covered.
7/10
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
60. Joyce Meyer - How to Hear from God
Title:
How to Hear from God
Author:
Meyer, Joyce
Publisher:
Faithwords
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5987486
No. of pages:
285
First sentence:
Learning to hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit is very exciting.
I read this book because I usually enjoy Joyce Meyer and the subject matter appealed to me. Unfortunately I was rather disappointed. Although the book does contain some good information, it lacks a coherent argument and tends to dot about from subject to subject. It is also repetitive and contains several power-trips for Meyer to enjoy. I think this is one of her earlier books as it lacks the sophistication of her latter works. I would, however, still recommend this book to others who are interested in Charismatic/Pentecostal Christianity.
6/10
Rings or Rays?
Katie1980 asked, very sensibly, why I'm Ringing books read for The Project rather than Raying them? I also realise that (maybe) someone might read this who isn't a BookCrosser so a word of explanation is needed.
BookRings and BookRays (Rings and Rays) are run via BookCrossing. In both cases, the book travels down a list of participants each of whom reads it and leaves a Journal Entry reviewing the book. In a Ring the book returns to the originator when it gets to the end of the list. In a Ray the book becomes the property of the last person on the list. So, if you're trying to get rid of books, a Ray is the way to go.
But I've chosen to Ring the books I read for The Project. Why? I suppose it's habit. I always Ring what I read and have done for a number of years. When the Ring's over and the book comes home I usually put it on BookMooch. And that's what I will continue to do. My books need to pay for themselves and, when The Project is over, I'll be Mooching for books again and will need points. If I end up with an enormous bank of points and am still on The Project and therefore not Mooching then I can send the points to Charity. I also Wild Release and OBCZ Release books that I've read and then Ringed so that's another outlet for books once they come home. I enjoy all these activities and I think if I were to eliminate them by doing Rays only then I'd feel like I'd lost my hobby and The Project would soon fall by the wayside. It'd be a bit like dieting and banning all the food you enjoy. It's not likely to work in the long-term. And, with this many books to deal with, long-term is the way it's going to be!
Oh - I should also say ... I really don't feel tempted to keep the books when they do come home from their Ring. I've already read the book and it's rare for me to desire a re-read. So there's very little chance of a read and Ringed book finding it's way back onto Mt TBR. Anything I thought was that good won't be getting Ringed anyway (books sometimes go astray on these things). It'd go into the 'Further Study' pile or straight into Permanent Collection. Further Study is currently looking rather full so I'll be choosier than usual and PC isn't a problem as it fits in its home (or would, if the space wasn't taken up by Mt TBR). I do need to knuckle down and do some of the studying I have planned and probably also weed out the books a bit but, compared to Mt TBR, FS and PC just don't even rate as problems.
And so I shall read ...!
BookRings and BookRays (Rings and Rays) are run via BookCrossing. In both cases, the book travels down a list of participants each of whom reads it and leaves a Journal Entry reviewing the book. In a Ring the book returns to the originator when it gets to the end of the list. In a Ray the book becomes the property of the last person on the list. So, if you're trying to get rid of books, a Ray is the way to go.
But I've chosen to Ring the books I read for The Project. Why? I suppose it's habit. I always Ring what I read and have done for a number of years. When the Ring's over and the book comes home I usually put it on BookMooch. And that's what I will continue to do. My books need to pay for themselves and, when The Project is over, I'll be Mooching for books again and will need points. If I end up with an enormous bank of points and am still on The Project and therefore not Mooching then I can send the points to Charity. I also Wild Release and OBCZ Release books that I've read and then Ringed so that's another outlet for books once they come home. I enjoy all these activities and I think if I were to eliminate them by doing Rays only then I'd feel like I'd lost my hobby and The Project would soon fall by the wayside. It'd be a bit like dieting and banning all the food you enjoy. It's not likely to work in the long-term. And, with this many books to deal with, long-term is the way it's going to be!
Oh - I should also say ... I really don't feel tempted to keep the books when they do come home from their Ring. I've already read the book and it's rare for me to desire a re-read. So there's very little chance of a read and Ringed book finding it's way back onto Mt TBR. Anything I thought was that good won't be getting Ringed anyway (books sometimes go astray on these things). It'd go into the 'Further Study' pile or straight into Permanent Collection. Further Study is currently looking rather full so I'll be choosier than usual and PC isn't a problem as it fits in its home (or would, if the space wasn't taken up by Mt TBR). I do need to knuckle down and do some of the studying I have planned and probably also weed out the books a bit but, compared to Mt TBR, FS and PC just don't even rate as problems.
And so I shall read ...!
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
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:
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!
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- No eye candy. I may not read reviews of books not currently on Mt TBR.
- No magazines.
- No knitting.
- No Sky+.
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!
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