On 4th December 2022 I decided I wasn’t going to buy books for a year. 4th December 2023 came around and…yes, I had managed not to buy any books for a whole year. I was going to blog about it but it didn’t seem so important anymore. As of today I still haven’t bought myself any new books. It’s kind of easy now, I have got out of that reflexive habit and when I see a book I want to read I can wait. I have to wait because I still have a vast library of unread books and after a year of patience I don’t want to build that back up again.
However, I suppose a little celebration is in order. So…go me!
Ha ha! Yes it all feels rather anticlimatic, and that’s probably the best outcome. I don’t feel like I need to go off and fill my shelves. Instead I am learning to explore what I already have (and when desperate, to visit the library). It all feels a lot more balanced.
So, how much progress have I made? At the outset I had 278 unread books on my shelves. I thought there were less, but hadn’t counted everything (I suspect I still haven’t quite counted everything). As at today I have 215 unread books. My unread library has reduced by 63 books. Of those I have read 42, I DNF’d 1 and I decided to donate 20. A big portion of those donated are the Penguin Great Loves collection which, in the end, I just couldn’t face anymore. I read, I think, 5 of those and that was enough.
I have, of course, acquired a few books in December. My plan was always for my husband to take me to the local bookshop and buy me a book on my birthday. Then he bought me 2! It was a strange feeling to be able to freely browse the shelves, but also anticlimatic because I have got so strongly into the habit of not wanting to buy books that when it came to the day there wasn’t a great deal I was interested in. Perhaps now, having nixed my impulsive habit, I can build a more positive and nurturing relationship with book browsing and buying. Anyway, these were the books he bought me:
He also kindly bought me some books for Christmas, bringing my total acquisitions up to 5:
I am looking forward to reading these. I have already started on Super-Infinite and it deserves all of the plaudits. It is also making me want to read John Donne.
So what are my plans for 2024? In general I like to keep things a bit loose, I am pretty bad at sticking to plans and structures. However, I still have a lot of book series sitting on my shelves so I think I’d like to work through those. I also have a lot of poetry, none of which counted into my 278 (!) and I am thinking about picking a poet per month and getting to know them a bit better. I also want to maintain my book frugality until my unread collection is at least below 100, so whilst I may buy a book here and there, I think I want to limit it to no more than 1 per month, if I can, and where possible continue to partake of the pleasure that is the library. There are certain writers I’d like to get to know a bit better, so if the opportunity arises I will read more of those.
The only plan I have which isn’t exactly loose is the January chunkster. For the past few years I have picked a chunky, difficult book for my January reading, happy if it takes the full month for me to get through. There is something about the long, dark nights of January that seem to make it possible. It’s always a strange experience. At first, restless. Then, when I settle, nurturing. Like switching from those rich Christmassy foods to a diet of salads and soups. Eventually it’s all you want. At the moment I am not sure whether to attempt The Books of Jacob or Jon Fosse’s Septology, both seem to have the right aura for the chunky January read. Any recommendations?
One thing I’m not sure I will be doing much is blogging. Despite my good intentions I find it very hard now to put fingers to keys and express what I think about books and reading. I don’t know if it’s because I’m busy or scatty or just that this part of my life is no longer a thread that I should follow. I suspect I will pop up here and there, and I will still read other blogs when I can, I enjoy it. But writing? I don’t know. I think that bit of me is a bit broken and I don’t have the energy or the time to nurture it back to health. So I will see, but no pressure. There’s no point committing to something I am sure I will fail at.
So I wish you all a rich and enjoyable 2024, may your lives be filled with fascinating books. I look forward to reading about them.
Health and happiness to you all xxxxx
biisbooks 
Well first of all, congratulations – I’m so impressed! I think you *do* get out of the habit of impulsively buying – I hardly ever go into town now, since the pandemic, and when I do I don’t shop wildly and think I am more considered than I used to be. Your gift books are a lovely selection so well done your husband. I hope your 2024 reading is good and will look forward to hearing about it! 😀
Thanks! I wasn’t sure I’d achieve it but over time it just became normal. Now I’m going to have to train myself to buy books again. Luckily I have a nice batch which will keep me busy for a while.
Well I will read your posts, even if they are sporadic 🙂 Well done on your challenge! The John Donne book looks great.
Thanks! I feel I have been utterly terrible at keeping up with the blogs this year, hope to do better next year. The Donne book is magnificent, so joyous. I recommend.
Happy new year to you, Laura xxxxx
Merry Christmas, Bii, and I’m so impressed with the discipline you’ve shown in 2023. – it’s a great achievement. I really need to get myself out of a similar habit as my TBR has ballooned again over the last 2 or 3 years, possibly as a consequence of COVID when buying books felt like one of the few ways we could treat ourselves while in lockdown.
Your aims for 2024 sound ideal for where you are now in your reading (and writing). I’ll miss your posts going forward, especially as they’re always so thoughtful and considered, but hopefully you’ll feel the urge to share your thoughts again at various points. Wishing you all the very best in 2024!
Thanks Jacqui, Merry Christmas to you too x good luck with the TBR in 2024, it’s weirdly easier than it might seem to cut the book buying but there is so much pleasure in them it is hard to start!
Well done, and I hope we will see your posts here from time to time as I enjoy them, too. I am aiming to cut down a bit next year; I have got into the habit of putting things onto my wishlist rather than buying, but then the new local indie bookshop is there with its lovely author events … Anyway I’m concentrating on reading my TBR, so full of good books, this year, too. Happy reading!
Thanks Liz. It is hard to cut down and my reading pace has slowed a lot, life has changed and I am only slowly adapting to it. Turtle mode! Good look with your TBR challenge, I look forward to reading about how you get on. Happy New Year 🥳
What a wonderful goal, that I also support and happy you’ve accomplished. When I started blogging I was buying books monthly, but thankfully that is now behind me and I derive so much pleasure just browsing and reading books I’ve already got.