A Book Challenge

I guess you could say that I have a tiny minor book problem.....Yeah, as I've mentioned before there are books  and bookshelves kinda nearly everywhere in my house, even in the hallways. 

Just for example, my dining room:

Have I read all of those books?  Well, shamefully, I must admit that I have not, although I have read many. 

A couple of weeks ago, I had to adapt a bookshelf so that I could shelve more books.....that's when I discovered another stack of books that I forgot that I had. 

And shortly after that I had to clear the back of my old PT Cruiser so I could pick up some donated packing material.....and, yes indeed, I had been driving around with boxes of books in the car.  (Very, very naughty:  extra cargo weight is bad for gas mileage and that means an unnecessary expense; minimal yes, but still unacceptable.)

Of course I'm careful with money but books are a temptation that I find hard very difficult to resist no matter how little leeway there is in the budget, and I love book shopping on eBay and Half.com and Bookfinder and.....well, you get the idea.  I have actually been known to do without grocery purchases in order to buy a book.  (Don't worry, I never go short on buying kibble for Daisy; if I don't feed her, she nags and bites me.  Keeping plenty of cat food on hand is an acceptable and very sensible form of self-defense.)

Anyway, I got an email from GoodReads about their 2017 Reading Challenge.  Now I've been a member of GoodReads for a couple of years and I have reviewed some books but I have been very, very lax in doing so recently.  Isn't it a good idea to start making an effort again?  I think so.  Commitment doesn't come easily to me because I balk, rebel, and generally throw a tantrum like a brat.  Still, I think I'm gonna try to take up the gauntlet on this one. 

So here's the deal I'm making with myself: 

• I will join the reading challenge at the rate of one book per week.  I may do more but I will try not to do less.
• I will review most of the books I read, even if it is only a matter of a few sentences.
• I will read only the books that are already on my shelves.  No book buying in 2017.  Oh my!  (However, so that I will be less likely to rebel, I am offering myself a leeway of 4 to 6 books during the course of the year--sometimes it's wise to plan ahead to avert bad behavior, kinda like with the cat kibble.)
• I will inventory my books so that I don't purchase the same books more than once.  (Yes, I have made unintentional repeat book-buys on several occasions.  How embarrassing.)

So, that's a Big Scary.  It is NOT a New Year's Resolution.  (I've already written about my Just One Word Resolution and that's something I have begun quietly working on; as you might recall, my Just One Word is a secret.)   The book stuff is a challenge I'm setting in front of myself.  I hope that I will be up to the task.

What about you?  Could you buy less books while still reading more?  Give it a try!

Life is good.