#ShelfLove 2016: Let’s do this!

#ShelfLove Challenge 2016

If you haven’t already heard, we’re hosting the #ShelfLove challenge again next year! Will you join us and read more the books you already bought?

Grow your TBR pile responsibly and read the books you already own. You have ‘em, now read ‘em! Any books purchased/collected before January 1, 2016 are fair game.

Guidelines:

• Read books that are in your personal library that were obtained before January 1, 2016.
• Responsibly obtain books for your personal library. (You may wish to abstain from purchasing books or set a book budget for yourself.)
• You decide the best way to get control of your TBR pile and read the books you already own.
• Library books (and textbooks) do not count for the challenge. (You may use your library to obtain different formats of books you already own and count those towards your goal.)
• Participate in the monthly discussion posts by linking up, visiting and commenting on the other participants’ blogs.

Goals for the #ShelfLove Challenge 2016

• 1-10 books: shake hands with your shelves
• 11-20 books: pat your shelves on the back
• 21-30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug
• 31-40 books: regular date night with your shelves
• 41-50 books: my shelves are now my bff
• 51+ books: my shelves and I are going steady

 

Julie’s Goals:

Our first time doing the challenge I ended up reading about 20 books. I want to up that next year, so I am picking the goal:

• 21-30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug

I’m not going on an all-out buying ban, but I am going to ask myself “am I going to read this book this month?” If the answer isn’t “OMG Yes I’m going to start reading it immediately” then I probably don’t need to be buying it. This is the responsible way I will be acquiring books.

I’m still keeping up with my audio subscriptions as they are really the only way I read these days. I will likely end up listening to audiobook versions of the books I previously purchased but will try not to use an audible.com credit on those books. I will instead look for them at the library as audio files on Overdrive or stream them through my audiobooks.com subscription.

I have a shelf on Goodreads called “Soon to Read” list. This is a list of books I own and, therefore, is my TBR. It is not a complete list because I haven’t been good at keeping up with it, but it already has over 200 books on it. I will try to update it with any new books I purchased in 2015 but have not read, and if I come across any physical books in my home library that are not already on this list, I will add them. That way I have a true list to pick books from.

Lynn’s Goals:

I’m succumbing to peer pressure and upping my goal as well to 21-30 books. Or more realistically, I’m hoping that at a minimum, half of the books I read will be ones I own. After realizing that I’ve read 50 books last year, and only 20 books that I own, I might need to stick my library card in the freezer to resist that temptation.

As for the buying ban, I’m sticking with no books as my goal. Sure, it was difficult to not buy any books last year. But I resisted most of the year. And I know myself. If I set out with a goal of no purchases, I’ll be better off than if I start out with a goal of allowing myself to buy books that I want. But Julie has the right idea of only buying books you are going to read right now. I’ll face the challenge of acquiring book club books as needed. And I’m sticking with my monthly audio subscription. Audio books tend to be my book club solution when I’m in a hurry and can’t wait for the 27 people in front of me at the library.

I have a Shelf Love shelf on my Goodreads that I’m using to track all of the books I own. It has 126 books on it currently. And I have a stack of free books sitting on the floor that I need to add. The amount of books to read on my shelves have increased from last year. But at least the books were free. I find it easier to read the books I own when I have a list of those books.

 

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Are you ready to join us?

Create a blog post saying you’re participating in this challenge and link up your post below. Share your TBR with us and your goals for the challenge. Share on social media using the hashtag #ShelfLove.

Link up your participation post:

Link to the challenge

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Monthly Challenge Discussion Post Topics:

• December 2015/January 2016: I’m joining in the #ShelfLove Challenge 2016! Tell us your goals for the challenge this year.  Will you be going on an all out book buying ban or are you setting a budget? Share pictures of your TBR piles or link up to your GoodReads Shelves.
• February 2016: Who is your book boyfriend or girlfriend or best friend? What qualities does this character have that makes him/her the best?
• March 2016: What is one book trope that gets on your nerves? What do you wish the publishing world would STOP doing?
• April 2016: The 2nd Week of April is Library Week. Tell us about your local library and what makes is special to you.
• May 2016: It’s almost time for summer vacation! Plan your dream literary trip. You can go some place real (Scotland, anyone?) or fictional (or Middle Earth, perhaps?).
• June 2016: Mid-year check in post. How are you doing with the challenge? Look back at your January post and let us know how you are doing.  Share an updated picture or list of your TBR pile.
• July 2016: Why do you read the books you read? Explore why you gravitate towards certain genres and/or authors. How do you pick the next book you will read?
• August 2016: What are your reading rituals? Do you have a reading nook? What snacks or drinks must you have handy? Share pictures and recipes!
• September 2016: It’s Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month! Write a thank you post to your favorite person (or people) in the publishing industry.
• October 2016: Christmas is two months away! What books or bookish gifts are on your wish list this year?
• November 2016: Name one bookish item that you are thankful. This could be your favorite book or gift or author. You decide. Share pictures if you can.
• December 2016/January 2017:  End of the Year Check in Post. Look back at your June and January posts and let us know how you did this year.  Share an updated picture or list of your TBR pile. Would you do the challenge again in 2017?

 

End of the Year Prize

Participation incentive? A $20 Amazon gift card from all of us hosting this lovely challenge 🙂 So, when you link up your participation and monthly posts, you can enter to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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