I made a goal this week to stop watching so much TV. It has become a jailer and I want to find time to read more, bake and organize my house. While avoiding TV on Thursday night I organized and culled my bookshelves. I found at least 50 books to donate to the library and feel so good about unloading books that I know I won’t ever read. I also discovered several duplicate titles that really shamed me. I admit that I spend far too much money on books, but when I realized that I own three copies of Mansfield Park, a book I have never even finished reading, I was greatly embarrassed. And that wasn’t the only instance. I found two copies of David Copperfield, Middlemarch and Some Tame Gazelle. How? I don’t even ever remember buying either copy of David Copperfield. This alarming revelation convinced me to cut down on my book purchases and actually read more of the books on my shelves. I have some lovely books and they are being neglected. Also, I want to take another trip to England next year and saving money is a priority for me – so, no more new books for the rest of the year except for a few Christmas presents to myself.
In reading news, it dismayed me to notice that I only finished one book in October, the Mollie Panter-Downes stories. This is really not acceptable. I start lots of novels, but am not finishing them for who knows what reason. Perhaps (and it is my hope) watching less TV will remedy this horrible situation. I am reading Old Filth and Elizabeth and her German Garden and am close to the end in both so next week I should have a report on either one or both of them.
I hope your Sunday is wonderful. I am working so mine won’t be leisurely, but I do enjoy the productive time in the stacks before the patrons arrive (we don’t open until 1).
A Certain Fondness 
Old Filth and Elizabeth and Her German Garden are both favourites of mine. They’re so wonderful that I’m sure they’ll make staying away from television completely painless!
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Haha! I think they have – I did finish Elizabeth yesterday and it was much better than Sunday night TV.
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I love Elizabeth and Her German Garden, and I really must read it again soon. And maybe re-read EVA chronologically …. I’d love to find a way of focusing on the unread books I own, but libraries, bookshops and so many other things distract me.
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I get easily distracted too, especially working in a library and seeing all the new books come in. I think I have fallen in love with EVA’s writing – she’s fantastic!
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Oh, I love seeing other people’s bookshelves, especially when I can read the titles, and recognize familiar ones 🙂 And I like clearing mine out too. I’ve given quite a few away this year, either to the library sales, or to trade on Paperback Swap. Mostly mysteries, which I won’t read again. Though I just took two out of the “going” bag and put them back on the shelves.
I hope you have a good week, with fewer complaints about the e-book system. The last couple of weeks, I’ve gotten at least one call every day that has tested me patience to the limits. I can’t imagine stacks of angry emails.
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Sorry the photo is blurry – I can’t ever seem to hold the camera still when photographing my shelves. I wanted to take a few out of my ‘going’ bag, but I made myself put them back. I hope the library makes some money off of my donations.
The angry emails were intimidating, but I just copied and pasted my answers since they all said pretty much the same thing – We hate it!
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Well done on culling your books! I love doing a cull, although at this point I’ve done so many culls I’m down to the bare bones of what I can get rid of. The next thing is to do a big TBR pile reading project and cull those books from my TBR pile that aren’t worth keeping. That’ll be nice. It’s SO satisfying to get rid of surplus stuff.
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It really is satisfying! I’ve never done a huge cull before because I was so reluctant to get rid of anything, but I’m glad I was ruthless. It’s better to pass the books along to someone who will read and enjoy them rather then have them gather dust on my bulging shelves.
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I’m trying to do the same with TV, I find I can waste many an hour with eyes glued to the screen.
I hate those phases where you’re just starting novels and never getting into them. I don’t know if this will work for you, but I find a light fiction or YA novel usually kicks me out of it. Something that doesn’t require too much thought, and leaves you hankering for more reading.
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I’ve wasted so much of my life in front of the screen! I’m embarrassed about that, but can always improve.
This week I’ve finished two books and am almost finished with a third – I knew TV was holding my reading back. I broke through with The Provincial Lady in Wartime so, yes, you are right about light fiction helping to ignite the rest of my reading!
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Yay, that’s great news. Glad you’ve broken through the slump.
I’ve wasted so much time in front of the TV as well, or the computer really. It’s weird how easy it is to do, it’s not even productive.
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Your bookshelf looks lovely. I hope less TV helps you to read, bake and organise your home more 🙂
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Thanks, Jessica – it already has!
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