Whittling Down the Library Pile

I'm finding my new relaxed policy of reading to be very relaxing. I read a book until it gets stressful, at which point I put it down and read something else. No guilt allowed. I'm already have bookmarks in far more books than anyone would believe (26), so there is no pressure to ever finish anything!

I'm picking my books based mainly on their library due dates. I'd like to get my library stash down below ten books, and try to keep it there. That gives me room to have a few Cybils books, a few for other challenges, some stuff I want to read, and books I want my kids to read (or that they want to read, whichever). Currently I'm carrying about thirty three books out, so I have a ways to go towards this goal.


Clearly I'm still working had on the TBR dare, even if I haven't started addressing my personal piles of unread books. But those will be easier to see if I get these due dates out of my eyes.

This week I've mostly been finishing up the Cybils from last years, as well as reading some of the books I got to finish up the 50 States challenge. Reading them now should give me a leg on up that for 2015.

So, what did I spend my time on this week? Again I kept a diary, and noted when I started or finished something

What have I been reading? Funny I should ask that, because just this week I started keeping a reading diary!

Monday: Sex and Violence, The October Country, Not Quite a Husband, The American Heiress, Wide Open (completed), Reading and Learning To Read, The Shadow Throne
Tuesday: Sex and Violence (completed), The Jury, Reading and Learning To Read, Not Quite a Husband
Wednesday: Capture the Flag (completed), The Jury, Reading and Learning to Read, Rob Roy (started), Not Quite a Husband, 
Thursday: Rose Under Fire (completed)
Friday: NERDS, Reading and Learning to Read, Zero Day (started)
Saturday: Zero Day
Sunday: Zero Day (completed), NERDS, Reading and Learning to Read, Not Quite a Husband (completed)

So I started two books, and finished six.  That's progress on my currently reading tower!

I'm off to sign up to see what everyone else is reading lately at bookjourney's and Teach Mentor Texts lists.


The main theme that interested me this week was family -- Wide Open was about a soldier returning from Afghanistan to deal with her sister's death. Was it suicide? Was it murder? The ghosts and magic bad guys were foils to help define her grief at lost chances as well as now impossible future reconciliations.  Sex and Violence followed a boy trying to define his self-identity and respect without a family to base them on, as his dad waited until late high school to attempt to provide any sense of connection. And the main back story for the touch character Puller comes from his senile general father and his incarcerated genius brother, both of whom he feels the weight of responsibility for.

Rose Under Fire was a powerful WWII book about an American flyer who spends the last year of war in a concentration camp. Elizabeth Wein does a wonderful job with friendships among women, both before and after the crucible of torture and starvation. Capture the Flag was a much lighter romp as several middle schoolers solve a mystery that includes climbing around in the jungle gym of an airport's luggage system. And Not Quite a Husband has the annoying misunderstanding that the HEA couple deeply love each other, something they somehow felt should be concealed under rudeness and indifference during their marriage. Neither seemed particularly likable, and although he was a bit nicer, he had no reason whatsoever for concealing his affection, so it was hard to cheer when they got back together (SPOILER!). I really felt the best possible ending would have been for them both to move on.

2015 Challenge Progress:

1. Cybils 2014: 1/81. Got two from the library, but they aren't due yet.
2. Where Am I Reading?: 8/51
3. Alphabetically Inclined: E I J X Y Z still missing.
4. TBR Challenge: 2 books, 12 library books
5. Best of the Best 2012: 52/25.  I am stalled.
6. Reading My Library: Library temporarily closed, so on hiatus.

2014 Challenge Progress:

1. Cybils 2013: 76/77.  One more to go! I'm on it: Out of the Easy