The Unread Shelf Project, 2018

Dear readers, I have saved the best for last this week. We’re talking about The Unread Shelf Project and I couldn’t be more excited about this one.

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I am someone who dreams of living in Belle’s library. To be surrounded by walls and walls of books (and oh, that rolling ladder), and have the accompanying time to pore over them, is pretty much my idea of heaven. Well, that plus a giant cup of coffee, or a glass of champagne, depending on the time of day.

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That burning desire has turned me into something of a book hoarder. There are scores of books on my shelves I haven’t read.

Actually there are 183 books on my shelves that I haven’t read.

I know that because I counted them. It was the first part of The Unread Shelf Project 2018. Started by one of my favorite bookstagrammers, Whitney, this is a project with quite an enthusiastic following as of late December. The best place to follow along with me on this endeavor is on my Bookstagram account, but you know I’ll still pop over here with updates from time to time.

What I love so much about Whitney’s challenge is that she’s encouraging fellow readers by creating challenges, but not burdening them with too many rules. The challenge is what you make it. I posted my total number of unread books (183!) and can’t wait to see what else she asks us to do.

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Here are some of the guidelines I’ll create for myself as I play along, because who doesn’t love rules?

My goal is to have fewer unread books in my possession at the end of the year. I will count it as a win if I read a bunch, but also feel comfortable getting rid of some. I found a couple of duplicate titles that can go (an old, ugly cover of Jane Austen, when I have since gottenthese), and a few others that I used to be dying to read, but now feel simply “meh” about.

I still plan to check out anything I darn well feel like from the library.

I am not going to buy any new books in 2018. None! I will either wait for them to come in for me at the library, or I will wait till 2019 to see if I really want to make the investment. One of my general goals for the year is to work on being happy with what I already have around me, and that simply won’t be possible if my collection is ever-growing.

I will still absolutely by used books off the library’s shelf. More often than not, I purchase books I’ve already read and loved and wish I owned, and besides, the money goes to a good cause.

And lastly, I reserve the right to add or take away rules as the challenge evolves.

I’ve loved posting an unread book each day so far this week in my feed or stories, and I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what Whitney challenges us to do next.