On my shelving system I have a lot of books, a lot is probably an understatement:
Read (573) : Now to me this is nothing, tip of the iceberg crazy. In 21 years of life I have put as any books as I can remember reading throughout my life on this so far. I started GoodReads in 2009, and pretty much since then recorded a on-the-go record of my reading, so most of the detailed reviews come from the books that I have read since 2009. However, as I said, I have put a lot of childhood books on there, not to up my read pile, but more of a reminder of the books I used to read, books I may want to re-read, books I may want to share with my future children. So to me, this number is not crazy crazy... especially in the book world. However, I know some people will think it is.
Next...
Currently reading (8): As you can tell from the title of this post, it's about books I am currently reading, so I will come back to this one. And this is quite crazy as it is.
To Read (6852): Yes, you read that correctly 6852... that is six thousand, eight hundred and fifty two....
I am crazy. I will never read all those books. and I know it.... hell I don't own that many either... take away 6000 and you have a rough amount of the books I own (which is still a hell of a lot). My To Read is so high, for many reasons:
1. I like books.... I know, we already gathered that! But I will see a lot of books, and go 'hey, that looks good' and add it because hey... it looked good. I am not picky, I will try anything once and read a wide variety of genres.
2. I started GoodReads in 2009... I know I already said, but at that time I was 15? Here is where my maths fails me... but the point is my book taste has also changed, there are many books on there that I probably don't want to read anymore... you are probably thinking, why doesn't she take them off... Well I really see taking the time to go through almost 7000 books, not the best use of my time...
3. Free Books, okay this is probably not the best reason... GoodReads giveaways used to (nowhere near as much now) take up a few hours of my time a week. I used to scroll through to find any books that seem interesting and entered for a free copy. However, this meant that I ended up adding them all to me To Read list too... Now I used to add a lot of books that looked on moderately interesting because I couldn't resist freebies. Now, I don't add books unless I am really interested... space is an issue. However, I read some books I never thought I would enjoy through that method and found genres that I would have never found before.
4. Okay... basically old me, had a lot of spare time...
My shelves on GoodReads are BIG, so choosing what to read is always a challenge. The challenge does not start with my enormous To Read pile though. It starts with Currently Reading...
I have 8 books I am 'Currently Reading'... I have put it in inverted commas because I am not really reading them right now... I never used to have so many books I was currently reading until I started university. I used to stick to one book at a time and that was easy and simple. But university meant I had to be reading several books at the same time. It also meant that I had to put down books often to pick up a new one, only to put that one down unfinished and start another.... see the pattern? When I started uni back up in January, I was currently reading one book, but had to put it down for uni and ever since then uni reading has got in the way of picking it up, and each one of them I have had to put down for another book for uni... So my 'currently reading' looks a little bit like this:
How did I get into this mess?
Let's start by the one that has been on there for the longest amount of time:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
This book was added May last year, I was reading it ... for uni. Now the reason it is still up there is that it is all short stories. I have read all but three or four of them. For this reason I cannot see the point of taking it of the 'currently reading' shelve to To Read, as I have almost finished it... But I also cannot bring myself to say I have Read it... when I haven't... not cover to cover. Short stories are good, but I find a collection of them I never read all of them. Hence, quite often they sit in the middle ground of 'currently reading' until I feel like reading the last few stories...
Allegiant
Okay, I started reading this series over christmas break. In all honesty I am not enjoying as much as I hoped, it's okay... kind of overhyped. But that is for another day... This book I read probably only 20 pages until I thought, I really need to get on with uni reading before I go back for semester two. The book has sat there ever since.
Now That I've Found You
A Review copy I received. I tried to read this before it's release date but as with Allegiant.. Uni took over my life.
... And The Rest of the Books....
All the uni books, I have started and had to put down to start another one, or to start an essay, or to write a dissertation....
So I have Finished uni now, no more books to read. I am free to read my own books now! But this 'currently reading' shelve is interfering with my freedom. How do I choose which book to read when I have all this I have started, staring at me and judging me for putting them down barely read. So what do I do? Part of me just wants to wipe the slate clean, clear my 'currently reading' shelve and choose my next book with the freedom to know that there is no other book my time is committed to. But I feel like doing that I am committing myself to an endless cycle of books that I may not be 'currently reading' but in my head I know I am... I know that if I take them off, I will have to re-read all that I have already read... and hence, the book becomes not as enjoyable because I have to push myself through to get to the part I haven't read... in order to say that book is done. That makes me seem like I am not reading the books for enjoyment... but I am... all the books on my 'Currently Reading' pile are all books that look really good or interesting. But do I have the time to give them the attention a few years down the line, to the parts I have already read? So I am stuck... stuck between the books I have started, but not reading, and the huge pile of books To Read that is endless and feels like freedom right now. After university, I am yearning that freedom, that endless possibility of choice to what I pick up next.
So what do I do?
How far into a book are you, when you are actually 'reading it'. I have books that I have read 10 pages off, books that I have read 100 pages off and books that I am over half way through. If I am only 10 pages through though, have I really started the book?
So for peace of mind, do I clear all the books off that I haven't really started? If I am only a few pages in, will it make a difference to me re-reading just them few pages really.
In that case off comes The Devil Wears Prada, The Marlowe Papers, Allegiant...
But the Borrowers, won't take me long to read... I can read that in a day, even though I am only a few pages through... And A Thousand Acres, have I only just begun or am I halfway there... Do I include that I have actually started to re-read Uglies, even though it's not on my 'currently reading' shelve?
Welcome to the trials and tribulations of the 'currently reading' shelve, where your soul is tortured through books you have started and want to finish, but they are like tiny chains tying you down to them, even though you haven't read them in ages. When does reading turn from become a hobby, a thing you enjoy, to a indecisive battle between the millions of books that exist? I am just overwhelmed by the choices of books in the world, or am I lazy abandoner who doesn't like to finish what they have started? Or am I just reading too many books, because I using random household objects for bookmarks...
Maybe I am just making this more difficult than it actually is....
Sometimes you need to just pick up a book and start.... instead of contemplating over everything.
My advice to myself... Just Read!
Note: This post turned out completely different to how I expected. But I guess that is the joy in stream of consciousness really. Anyone else struggling with too many books, too many 'currently reading' ones that you relationship with is 'complicated'. Let me know if you are, also let me know what you do in these situations :) Hope you enjoyed this post :)
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