The Sunday Salon (Jan.30)
This week, I stumbled across a post written by my friend Andi at Estella’s Revenge, and she was talking about a “book diet” ~ leaving on her bookshelves ONLY those books that she most wants to read this year… books that have been sitting there for a while, waiting to be read. And, she asked what you’d leave on your own shelves, were you to do the same thing.
I’ve often thought of doing just that… storing away everything but what I really want to get to. That way my focus would be on only those books, not on the whole collection. And, it would make things look a lot nicer (cleaner).
But, I just couldn’t ever bring myself to do that! Part of the joy of owning all of these books that I do is being able to see them, sitting on my shelves. Right now, because of a lack of space elsewhere, almost all of my bookshelves are in my bedroom. So, when I go in there, I’m surrounded by my books ~ my friends. 
And, I love that! In our next house, that won’t be the same (hubby has sworn that I am NOT putting my books in the bedroom next time, so I keep reiterating the fact that, if that’s true, then we have to find a house that has an extra room that can be my “library”. I will accept nothing less! LOL).
Just for fun, though, let’s try to think of what I’d really want to get to this year… what books would I leave on the shelves?
Well, there’s definitely the small collection of vampire books. I actually just moved them so that they have their own shelf, even! The books that were previously on this shelf were either read already, or ones that I don’t intend to get to any time soon. So, I put those on a different shelf, and filled this little space with just my new vampire books (and I say “new” because I’ve just purchased most of these within the last several months).
The shelf includes: “Bloodsucking Fiends” by Christopher Moore, “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick, “Halo” by Alexandra Adornetto, “Wuthering Bites” by Sarah Gray, “Fallen” by Lauren Kate, and “Blue Bloods” by Melissa de la Cruz (along with a few paperbacks I had nowhere else to store).
Then there are a bunch of Christian books that I’ve been longing to get to, but have put off due to review books or other titles that had to take precendence…
I won’t list off all of them, but a few… “All I Need is Jesus & a Good Pair of Jeans” by Susanna Foth Aughtmon, “Wild Goose Chase” by Mark Batterson, “Dug Down Deep” by Joshua Harris, “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, and “Plan B” by Pete Wilson.
On the same shelf are some other titles that I’ve been meaning to get to for quite some time: “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” by Michael Chabon, “Peace Like a River” by Leif Enger, “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett, “Biblioholism” by Tom Raabe, “Time Stops for No Mouse” by Michael Hoeye, and “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
And these are all just from the one shelf nearest my bed! It doesn’t even take into account the titles sitting on the other 6 shelves that I’ve been wishing to get to! Books like “A Moment of Weakness” by Karen Kingsbury, “In Search of Eden” by Linda Nichols, and “Informed Consent” by Sandra Glahn. But, oh, there are so many more!
I have over 1100 books in my collection, and most of them are TBR. So, that means we’d be here forever if I were to list off everything that I’ve been hoping to read sometime soon. LOL. 
I’m starting to resign myself to the fact that I will never, ever get everything read that I want to, in my lifetime. It’s just not gonna happen. But, that won’t stop me from adding to my collection, and giving it a good go.
Part of my problem is that I spend too much of the time I could be reading on the computer. Hence the title of my blog: Should Be Reading. LOL.
Anyway… That’s all for today. Kids and I are going to be making a trip to the local Chapters bookstore, today, as I have a Christmas gift to my daughter (“The Chronicles of Narnia” set) to exchange — we already have 2 copies of the entire set, so we don’t need a third — and because I want to spend some time seeking out new titles.
Chapters closed in our area…so sad…loved that place.
I organize my shelves by what I have read, what I probably won’t read for a while, and books I need to read.
I also keep a list in order of dates that I want to read them and check them off.
I think we all SHOULD BE READING more than we play on the computer, but they are both such fun aren’t they?
Wow, you’re way more organized than me! LOL
WOW…1100 books. I don’t have quite that many, maybe 300 or there about. A Book-diet? I would find it difficult to take any away from my bookshelves. As I read them they are put on the books I already read, or donated to the library. My books are all in my bedroom also, in My Reading Corner. Like you, I love having my books at my fingertips.
I laughed at the book diet idea. I’ve sort of done this in the last few months. I packed up almost all my 1,500+ books and put them in storage for our house renovation. I kept out the ones that I most wanted to read in one big storage container. That was in late October/November. I now have 4 big tubs of books. Sigh. It’s an addiction. Truly.
Glad to know I’m in good company.
wow! I like your books and how you organize them.