Let's get real -- I own thousands of books. Some have been on my shelf for 10+ years and I haven't read them yet. I decided it was high time I actually read what was on my shelves....so I could donate/trade them and make room for new books! I placed myself on a book diet....allowing very few purchases of new books (vowing to make use of my library more and my credit card less!) while reading (and re-visiting a few favorite) books off my shelves. I have found that between reviewing new releases for publishers and using my library card for physical and digital books/audio books, I really can survive without buying very many books. It didn't cramp my bibliophile lifestyle one little bit.
My main goal this year? Clear shelf space.
I love reviewing new releases. I'm going to continue. I love listening to audio books from the library. And I'm going to continue. BUT....I have to make reading my TBR stack a priority this year. So the goals in order of importance for 2019 look like this:
1. Read books off my shelves -- donate/trade -- and clear out shelf space so I can ease my restriction on new books just a bit in 2020. Lots of backlist books languishing unread on my bookshelves! I have floor to ceiling built-in shelves in my office....completely full. And five huge bookcases in my bedroom...also full. Even after two years of diligently reading, I still have too many books. 2019 -- clearing out space baby!
2. Read books that I have always wanted to read -- but never did. And re-read some favorite books and series from the past. I'm still working through the list off 100 books included in The Great American Read. I'm going to continue reading from that list. Plus there are other great books I have always wanted to read, but haven't yet.
3. Continue reviewing new releases in advance with the intention of getting my review TBR pile down to a 10 book limit by June and keeping it there. Then I have to read an ARC before I can request another one. 10 and ONLY 10. Right now I'm ending 2018 with a waiting eARC list of 33 books released from January - August And about 15 physical ARCs that I need to read off my shelf. I can easily pare that down to 10 books by June without reviewing anything past its release date.
Stats for 2018:
I read a total of 486 books in 2018. I reviewed each one. I think that makes up for me buying fewer books as reviews also help support authors and publishers. I used my local library and also joined the nearby larger Charlotte-Mecklenburg library so I could access their digital site. Best $45 I ever spent! I will definitely be renewing my card this year! The city library just has a lot more funding than my small town consortium does, giving me access to many, many more books and digital services like Hoopla.
The breakdown of the 486 books I read in 2018 is as follows:
112 audiobooks (mix of Audible and online offerings from the library)
37 kindle books (purchased and Kindle Unlimited)
29 physical books from the library
35 physical books off my own shelves
53 OOP books read from Openlibrary.org
220 ARC copies read for review (new releases)
At first look, it appears I didn't read many of my own books (35 out of 486.... eek!). But...many of the audio books I listened to were ones I also owned physical copies of. I listened to the books on audio so I could enjoy the story while working at home, driving, etc. Helped me clear a few more titles off my shelf. Easily 2/3 of the audio books I listened to were books I owned.....so I really read about 120 books off my own shelves this year. I was able to clear out 3 bookshelves. I donated the shelves and the books themselves to local charity and friends. Real progress!!! I want to see more progress in 2019! Listening to all those audio books also helped me learn to love listening to books! In the past, I really didn't like audio books. I would get busy and lose concentration and have to rewind all the time. I just didn't like it. But, I learned to listen in small snippets....a half an hour here and there, rather than trying to listen for long periods. I also learned to listen while working outdoors in my garden (or while painting the house this summer).....I could listen for longer periods of time while working. It made my work more enjoyable to have a story along! I find now I really enjoy audio books! In some cases (like horror or ghost stories) having the tale read to you really makes the story pop! Love it! I never thought I would say that....but I am truly a convert. Love audio!
I reviewed 220 new releases for review this year. That's more than I intended, but I'm happy with that number. Less than half of my total reading. But only by a bit. In my defense, a lot of great books came out this year! I do want to pare that number down just a bit in 2019 and focus more on reading backlist titles from my own shelves. I'm going to be more picky about the ARCs I request and review requests I receive. I'm tired of having five bookshelves filled to capacity in my bedroom! I need to read my own books!
In 2018, I also read 53 books on OpenLibrary.org, a digital library website. Most of the books were out-of-print older books and ones not available from my local library. This is a great way for me to be able to read books I have always wanted to read but that are now hard to find. I also revisited a lot of old favorites from childhood ..... old OOP scholastic books, the Trixie Belden series, etc. I love OpenLibrary! I got to read 53 books that would have been unavailable to me otherwise.
I read 37 books on kindle in 2018. I make use of Kindle Unlimited that offers thousands of books for free for a monthly fee. I want to make better use of this service in 2019. Not only do I have hundreds of books on my kindle, but I want to be able to justify the $10 a month I pay for KU. I also feel that reading more free books I've downloaded on Amazon and really utilizing KU then reviewing each book I read will help those indy authors who publish their work through Amazon. I'm considering setting aside an entire month in 2019 to read only indy authors whose books are awaiting me on my Kindle app. I have more waiting on a list on the Amazon site.....KU titles that I want to read. I just have to decide which month will be indy month! I want to whittle my review TBR down to 10 books first. So....in order to be sure I make good on my plans for an Indy Authors Month.....when I have my review pile down to 10 books, I will set the following month as KU/Indy Authors month and get that TBR stack down a few notches as well. :) Sounds like a plan!
All in all, 2018 was a great year for reading! I got to enjoy and review many, many books in a whole spectrum of genres. I only DNF'd three all year. And there were very few that I didn't enjoy. I am selective in what I read and review though....so I don't normally have a lot of low/bad ratings to give. But, I'm always honest and rate according to my real feelings when I finish a book.
On to 2019! I hope to have only one small bookshelf in my bedroom by the end of the year!! And less crowded shelves in my office! Maybe I can lift my book buying ban in 2020!
Happy New Year!!
No comments:
Post a Comment