Read What You Own Challenge

[ÚlldemoShúl]

I’m going to start a Read What You Own Challenge on the 1st of July to try and reduce down my ridiculously huge TBR both physical and kindle.
My rules for me are-

• No buying any new books after midday on July 1st
• Unsubscribe from the kindle daily deals email
• I am allowed to break it for the Booker Prize longlist when it’s announced, but must check my library for the books first.
• Keep going until August 21st as my first goal. (Maybe until 2026 in total)

These rules are specific to me and anyone who wants to join me is free to make their own set of rules for their challenge. I’m going to log each book I read here to keep me accountable. Anyone else up for it? I know some 50 Bookers are considering it…

• The Wise Woman - Philippa Gregory

On my kindle since 2017! I found this gripping. See 50B thread for review :-)

I’ve enjoyed this thread and would like it to continue in some way.

Just finished One More Christmas at the Castle by Trisha Ashley. I DNF a Fredrik Blackman - just not for me.

I've enjoyed this thread. It's less intimidating than the 50 books one.
I've exceeded my target of 30 read and I didn't set a RWYO target but I will do next year.
I just finished a Beth Moran which is my equivalent of hot chocolate by the fire. Warm, witty and always enjoyable.

I’d like to continue the thread @ÚlldemoShúl. It’s definitely prompted me to read a bit more and read what I have. Although I have bought more.

I do a reading challenge with my sister although am way behind this yet. I usually challenge myself 52 books for the year.

I don’t tend to post on the 50 books threads on here as I found I figured I’d spend more time reading the threads and buying new books than reading what I already have!

lol that is definitely a danger of the 50 bookers- I’m constantly adding to my wishlist from the lovely reviewers over there 😊

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Looks like we should keep going. I’ll start a new thread for 2026 and link it on here when the time comes. That way anyone who wants to count up their RWYO total can start fresh.

I would love to join you as I've got a ridiculous amount of books hanging around that need to be read. A great idea

I like the idea of a new thread @ÚlldemoShúl(& will definitely be counting my RWYO next year).

The New Year just feels like such a natural breakpoint to keep track of what is RWYO & what isn’t (the book equivalent of spring-cleaning).

Finished Snowdrift and Other Stories - Georgette Heyer which I bought last December.

I would like another thread for 2026 as this thread has definitely helped me cut back on book purchases and work through my existing books.

DNFd a few very, very old ones . I used to do Amazon family sharing with my mum who died nearly six years ago. I kept all her books on my Kindle as our tastes overlapped a little. However I didn't get into the Rosamund Pilcher books. Also DNFd a Fiona Gibson who I normally like.
I'm in a bit of a meh reading mood at the moment. It has to be great from the start for me to persevere.

Finished The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan- hard but good and War and Peace (one chapter a day this year) - liked the peace, not so much the war.

I have finally finished a couple of books! There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, Dombey & Son by Charles Dickens and Breaking Through by Katalin Kariko. Three very good books.

I’m coming late to this thread hoping to catch the start of the next one.

I’d really like to impose a book buying ban on myself next year but it’s quite a thought. My browsing charity shops for books hobby is almost more important to me than my reading!!

I’ll allow myself to buy book club books but other than that I will really try not to. It’s so easy particularly with 99p deals to just stuff your kindle full and never get through them so I’d really like to try.

Well done to you all for this year!

I'm up for continuing next year, and I hope to read and contribute more 📖

I have just finished The White Robin by Miss Read. It was a nice gentle old fashioned story from the Fairacre series.
I am going to add up all my unread books and shock myself, so I hope this thread will continue either as it is or a 2026 version.

Oh I love the old Miss Read books @IlovetoKnitandRead!

Finished American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

I have finished a book. The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. It was a re-read. Don’t know why as I only rated it a 2 on Good Reads last time!

I am also half way through Christmas Days by Jennette Winterson. Short stories and recipes. That might get put away till next year now.

My TBR pile has grown. I bought two books and DS got me three for Christmas. And I’ve bought a few on Kindle.

NY resolution is to read more.

Finished Christmas With The East End Angels. It was historically accurate I think, and a very moving. A novel based on the civilian ambulance service during WW2.

I have acquired a box of books from my mother's house to add to my tbr pile.

I'm wondering how many books I will manage to read next year. Same resolution as you @Peridot1

I hope this link to the new thread for 2026 works!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/5467592-read-what-you-own-2026

Thanks @ÚlldemoShúl- will mark my place.

Am getting through some books the last few days though.

Have read four although one was a ‘novella’.

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer by Fredrik Backman
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Stroutt
Sandwich by Catherine Newman

All recent purchases so not really making a dent in the TBR pile.

Just finishing off 2025. I have finished three short ones that I own this week - Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan, Jamila by Chingiz Aitmatov and We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I have also deleted five books from my kindle - 2 because they are translations of books that I would like to read but probably not in that translation, 3 because they are Prime reading and I won't get to them anytime soon so will borrow them again when I actually want to read them and one I just don't fancy. I also have four books currently "on the go" but would be surprised if I finish them before tomorrow.

This year I have read 98 books and reduced my net TBR pile from 264 in January 2025 to 198 currently. Definitely need to continue to RWYO next year! Thanks so much for the thread.

Final RWYO of this year - Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross. This has been a DNF for a while, but decided to read it to help my numbers for the 50 books thread & to tidy up my Kindle. There are quite a few other books on my Kindle that need the same treatment, but that can be a project for next year!

Yes I have a final DNF with The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne.