Having decided to take part in ACOB I determinedly ignored any temptation to do anything crazy like sweep all my tbr books to the floor and work my way through them looking for the first published date. Who, after all would ever need a spreadsheet of their tbr? Did I really need to know how many tbr books I actually had?
Then I saw other ACOB-ers posting pictures of books – books spread across the floor, stacked in piles, I felt the stirrings of inspiration. The following day I found myself surrounded by a few tottering piles of books, my laptop on, as I set about doing the very same thing. It took the best part of five hours (with a break to cook dinner) and I don’t have *that* many books – as I discovered.
So, let’s talk numbers. Before I began there was a stack of about 15 books on the floor – this worried me – I don’t allow a stack on the floor. However, after sifting through I discovered about 14 books for culling, and 2 pairs of duplicates – so when I had finished there were, pleasingly, no books to be piled on the floor. My tbr is housed on two deep, wide shelves, the books are doubled rowed with others stacked on top – meaning I only access about half of it at a time. Not the best way to arrange my tbr I grant you – but I insist on only have two shelves tbr. There were two re-counts – I discovered an uncounted book down the side of the chair (they get everywhere) and remembered two books ordered before New Year, that had yet to arrive – (they have now). So, the final, final numbers; I have 208 books on my tbr. I was absurdly pleased with that, I had thought it would be higher.
Oh, that doesn’t include my kindle books. My kindle tbr stands at 72, but I don’t currently feel compelled to add them to the spreadsheet. They don’t quite feel like real books in the same way. Still, mathematical genius that I am, I know that 208 and 72 comes to something like 280 books. Should I add them to the spreadsheet? Ooh now I’m thinking I should!
I was fascinated by the books I found, that I had forgotten all about, some I have had years. (Some of those kindle books have been there since I had my first kindle). I was surprised how many books by Beryl Bainbridge I had 5 – I choose to read one straight away. There are quite a lot of Golden Age crime, including 3 Margery Allingham who I haven’t read enough of, but now I’m not sure whether they are at the front or the back. Lots of Virago greens, including four Molly Keane’s and four Mrs Oliphants (she falls outside the dates of ACOB though). Edith Wharton, Olivia Manning, Margaret Laurence, E H Young, so many wonderful writers. Lots of things I am now looking forward to reading. I already have my first 2018 book on the pile, Three things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon arrived yesterday, I pre-ordered it a few months ago. I have three or four books for many of the years in ACOB but frustratingly there are a lot of missing years, which could lead to more book buying later in the year. If I added those kindle books to the spreadsheet then I might find I have some them.
*drums fingers* perhaps I better get on with it, though it’s probably a job for another day.
I am so, so tempted by ACOB but I already have a number of reading challenges on the go and I don’t think I would be able to match as many years as you. I love your two shelf rule. I’ve got a feeling mine might work out as a two bookcase rule.
My two shelf rule is in danger of breeching so I need to not buy anything for a few weeks. I’m not promising to stop buying this year, but I am going to try and massively reduce the amount I buy.
Less buying seems realistic…a NO buying policy would be torture. Imagine all the lovely books you’d miss out on…😀
I couldn’t do it. 😁
How many have you got in total?
I try to use the library as much as possible.
Not sure to be honest.
I was just about to start updating my spreadsheet of books with the ones we received for Christmas, when I read your blog. (Yes, I was easily diverted.) Well done to create a spreadsheet, but how long will 280 books take you to read? How will you intertwine them with bookclub reads?
Loved the two shelf rule & how you’d interpreted it.
OOOw, just seen it. How come “The Diary of a Bookseller” is in your TBR?
Well I read 114 in 2017 my lowest number for more than 10years. My totals have gone down every year for several years in a row. So well over years at that rate. My bookclub reads will get read, but I just won’t be able to check off the year it’s already ticked off.
Meant to say, yes I do have Diary of a bookseller tbr – looking forward to it. Though I have several books vying for that year. 😀
Good luck with ACOB – I’m sure it will be fun! You’re braver than me looking your TBR in the face, I have no idea how large mine is, I’m too scared to look…
Thank you, I felt like that. So when I finally counted I was pleasantly surprised.
What is ACOB?
A Century of books. I will attempt to read one book for each year 1919- 2018 by first year published date. I may do it over two years, but may attempt it in one – we’ll see.
Oh! I’ve heard of that challenge. Just never by its initials. I assumed it was some kind of TBR challenge, since you’re talking about your TBR. I just went through mine — I have 435 owned books to read! So I was curious. 🙂 Thanks!
I can only say that you’re on the right track here, ACOB-wise. The spreadsheet will be your friend! And yes, isn’t it ever so slightly annoying to see how many years have so many tempting choices while others are utterly devoid (at least at first glance) of anything one would actually *want* to read?
The first year I did my own ACOB, 2014, I planned well in advance, and yes, I bought quite a number of books for it, too. Most of which were rewarding to read, with the extra bonus that I would never have become aware of them if I hadn’t been actively researching their years of publication.
I tried again last year and decided to bail out once life got complicated and the project fell to the side – it’s not the reading which is so much the problem for me, it’s the writing about each in timely fashion. So this year I’m tackling it again, but a bit more “free form”, as it were. The gap years will need to be addressed at some point; booksellers of obscurities will find themselves enriched by me once again; but for now I am mining the shelves and finding lots of appropriate things. As I am sure you will, too!
Happy Century! Looking forward to your reviews, as ever.
PS: I have just read Catherine Carswell’s “The Camomile”, which I purchased several years ago on the strength of your review. It sat here waiting for that elusive “right time” to read it; the time was now. Greatly enjoyed it; thank you for pointing it out!
I am hoping ACOB means I read some things I might not otherwise have got to. I’m glad lots of my tbr fall nicely spaced out along the century.
It can’t have been me who recommended the Catherine Carswell, I have neither got it nor read it. Perhaps I need to add to my wish list.
Are you sure?! (Well, yes, I’m sure you’re sure.) Hmmm, I wonder who it was, then? Ah, well. Perhaps it will come to me. And yes, I think you might like it.
Ooooh, well done! Lovely to see all those piles of books being knocked into shape! I daren’t work out how many books I have unread (and because some of the books on my main shelves are unread, I’m not actually sure how big the TBR actually is.) However, I’m sorely tempted to start moving books around and tidying up a bit – one I’ve cleared the ‘death row’ pile off the landing and actually got it to the charity shop. Trouble is, I’ve rescued a couple off it already…
I read “The Camomile” pre-blog (if I remember correctly) (Yes, I did – I just checked and there *is* a review on my blog, but a guest post by Middle Child!) Anyway, it’s a great Virago title – highly recommended! 🙂
It was a lovely feeling when I had finished those shelves. Though I’m now thinking I should add in the kindle books to the spreadsheet, might put it off for a few days.
I’d love to make a book pile and start all over again reshelving them, I love how that process always changes the TBR pile and what I might read next. And especially as I limit myself to two bookshelves and many of them are now two deep, so many books hiding behind unseen, temporarily forgotten, calling to be read!
Yes, I enjoyed re-discovering things I had forgotten I had. It ended up being quite good fun.
I wish my TBR was like yours. I know, without counting, the number is far higher and that makes me feel ashamed. I have double rows and stacks on the floor.
I can relate to that moment when you think you have everything accounted for only to find a book or two in a place you never thought to look. Last year I did the spreadsheet exercise to help avoid buying duplicates. I meticulously tracked the downward trend as I read my way through them so I started this year a little smug. But then discovered my husband had helpfully moved a pile f books from some shelves in one room to the top of a wardrobe. So now my TBR has gone higher….
Oh no! Well at least the tbr has reduced, the wardrobe books were always there, you just didn’t know about them. 😀
I added the kindle books to the spreadsheet this afternoon and was able to cull about fourteen books I had either already read or no longer wanted to.
Good for you Ali. I snatched a few from the shelves this morning. All non fiction – I mean why do I need an annotated version of Cymbeline since I am not taking any courses or likely to do so in the near future??
Lol, amazing what books we manage to collect.
Now I want to know what’s on the TBR, and more importantly what was on the duplicate/culling pile 😊
Ha ha, too many tbr titles to name.
I culled duplicates from Christmas, How to Live alone and like it by Marjorie Hillis, and a Debrorah Devonshire book of letters. Others were books I won’t read. A couple of Canadian novels someone sent me ages ago with tiny print, an unsolicited review copy, a couple of impulse buys I later regretted an historical thing about Lady Jane Grey other reviews have put me off. I need to be selective.
Good work! I would count the Kindle ones, I have three Arnold Bennets on mine, the third of which is one of my ACOB books (I haven’t read the second one yet, of course) and have used various others on there. Also have you got a list public of which books you’re missing, as you can compare it to my LibraryThing list put in date order and borrow some, as we must have some complementary filled years, right (knowing us, we’ll have exactly the same gaps, instead).
I haven’t got a list of what I’m missing though I do have a page for ACOB I’m reading pretty much as I want to (keeping ACOB in mind) but I’m not saying I’ll definitely read such and such for a particular year – especially as for most years I have multiple possibilities.
The numbers of books I read from 1933 and 1934, and also 2010, are astounding! Yet I still have gaps where I didn’t think I’d have them (e.g. the 20s).
Your TBR seems so doable 😭😂 I don’t even want to put mine in a spreadsheet because the amount is too much hahaha 600+ physical and not counting about 5k ebooks. Good work though! 😊