21 October 2012

Goals Update



GOAL #1: Read Books I Own
This is the big one. I have 400+ books on my shelves that are wasting away, unread, and I think this is a good time to focus on those books.

Sub-Goal: Read at least 12 books from my new Classics Reading Project
I compiled a list of classics I either have on the shelves or on my nook, and I am determined to start reading my way through them.


UPDATE:  I've only read 6 of the classics on my list, and only 16 of the 48 books I've read were sitting on the shelves waiting to be read. Bad Trisha.

GOAL #2: Manage My Series
I am in the middle of a crap ton of young adult, adult, and graphic series. And to top it off, I also have the first books in another crap ton of series. I have 74 series to manage right now, already on the shelves. Post detailing my adult and graphic series, Post detailing my YAL series,
UPDATE: I worked really hard at the beginning of the year on Managing My Series. I put together spreadsheets, listing all of my series and every book in the series, detailing which I had read, which I owned, which I need to buy, and when new ones were to be released. I'm a bit behind on those spreadsheets as I know for a fact that I have purchased or received new series books and totally forgot to log them on the spreadsheet. When I find time, I'll have to re-update....when I find time. Yeah...

GOAL #3: Organize My Bookshelves
Self-explanatory. But I still haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to organize the shelves.

Sub-Goal: Organize my Nook
Self-explanatory again, but also again, I still haven't quite figured out how to organize them as I am not a huge fan of genre classifications. Perhaps something a bit more simple: Classics, Contemporary, YAL, and Nonfiction? And where do I draw the line between classics and contemporary?

Sub-Goal: Remove at least 300 books from my shelves (modified from original goal of 100)
I have roughly 2000 books in my house, and I really need to cull. Books may be donated to the library, traded through a swap site, or used for giveaways on the blog.

UPDATE: I am quite proud to say that so far I have given away exactly 200 books. Most recently I donated almost 60 books to a nearby women's prison. The prison has a library, but only the male inmates are allowed in; I think this is due to the location of the library. One of my colleagues at the college brought it up in a division meeting, saying that she was trying to get a library going for the women, and I was inspired. Granted, I probably could have gone a bit further than 60, but little bits at a time: culling my shelves is like cutting off tiny bits of me. I have no clue why I am obsessed with hoarding collecting books, but...I am. So...100 books to go....

14 comments:

  1. Oh yes, yes, can you come be me for a while?!!! I want someone with energy and willpower and drive to organize me and my life. Someone who isn't me, since me obviously doesn't have those things! But, oh, oh, for series organization, Fictfact is the best! http://www.fictfact.com

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    1. Ooohhhh just went to fictfact, and I love it. Thanks!

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  2. Wow! Your level of organization is humbling. I'll be content to reorganize my shelves, which are a disaster. And maybe do some dusting while I'm at it. ;-) I'm off to see your classics list.

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    1. I love organizing my books with something bordering on crazy obsession...

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  3. How wonderful to get involved with the women's library - sounds like a fab idea. Good luck on your organization. May I tempt you with reading Bleak House in November with us?

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    1. I would absolutely love to read Bleak House with you guys. I just never know if I will be able to keep the commitment due to crazy nutter baby....

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  4. When it comes to organizing books on my Nook, I usually organize by HOW I received them: library books, galleys, my books. Then I divide my books by short stories, kids books, and everything else. I think you're doing pretty well. I made it a goal to get rid of 150 books this year. I have 75 books to go. Good luck!

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  5. I am in the middle of reading books I own too. I have my books organized by unread then buy genre. Godd luck on your goals! I need to organize my books on my nook also.

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  6. You would probably cry at my culling techniques. Jason and I are down to two bookshelves now, small ones, probably no more than 100 books owned. Actually, I'm not quite sure how I'm going to take my 100 lbs of books picture when I actually manage to lose the next 10 lbs...I'll probably have to check a bunch out from the library! I've culled down to only books I want to read over and over and over...

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  7. Wow! That is a lot of books! I wouldn't have the bookshelf space for that many. I'm trying to cull regularly, since we'll be moving again in the next couple years, but I tend to accumulate quickly :)

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  8. I have GOT to sit down at some point and record my series, especially the ones I own but haven't read yet. Then I'll have a better idea of which ones I want to start. Right now it's pretty random and I'll read two or three from one series in a row. I don't know how you find the time. :)

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  9. You are so organised! And book culling is the worst for me. I thought my recent move would cure me of my hoarding/collecting tendencies, but the books seem to be reproducing whenever I turn my back. I'm hopeless :S

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  10. Wow, I thought I was in the middle of a lot of series! You have me beat! Recently I picked up Becca Fitzpatrick's second novel in the Hush, Hush series and realized I had forgotten everything that happened in the first. I decided to wait until I have some other books/series down and then re-tackle that one at a later date. I also use FictFact and that has helped a lot.

    If you want to know how I categorize contemporary personally, I limit it to what has been written since I was born, which was 1979. I figure the last 30 years is a good chunk for contemporary lit. Anything before that is a classic. Of course, this is just my personal organization.

    I am on a personal book-buying ban right now so I am trying to read from my own shelves. That pesky library keeps hooking me in, though. ;)

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  11. Goal #6. Take care of the nutter.

    I do believe that trumps 1-5. :-D

    But you really should read Bleak House with us. Mostly because I'm scared and I need all the support I can get!

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Talk to me baby!