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…

I gave it two attempts but just couldn't get on with it.

I just pick a number or a place , I will randomly say 5th row 3rd one , or book 47 or something like that .
I'm also working myself through my long owned kindle titles .

@ourmavisI didn’t get on with Eleanor Oliphant either.

As I’ve got older, I have found it easier to DNF books. That and a massive kindle TBR pile 😆

That’s a good idea - random selection, because I definitely spend too long thinking which to choose next!

Just finished another : Nomadland by Jessica Bruder. Took me a long time as it was so depressing

Finished “Conclave” by Robert Harris (library)

Congratulations to everyone who's managed to read some of the books they own. I'm lagging behind in this challenge as I've had library books on reserve become available but I plan to start on one of my own books today or tomorrow when I finish my current read.

Finished Murder by Fire by Faith Martin

@KrankySchwesterwhat did you think to Conclave? Have seen a few recommendations for Robert Harris books, but haven’t read any yet.

@SilverShadowNight I thoroughly enjoyed Conclave. It was well paced & gripping. Had only read Fatherland before (years ago) and didn’t really like it, but a reader recommended Conclave and it’s a library book, so free! Another reader recommended his latest - Precipice - a few days ago so maybe when I get closer to the end of my tbr piles I’ll reserve it.

DNF Kaizen - Sarah Harvey

I have one softDNf ( love this phrase!) and finished Homecoming by Kate Morton. Just debating my next book to start this evening. It's either a Maggie O'Farrell or the last of the Troy tellings by Pat Barker.
In less successful news, I have added two new books to the pile, but they were birthday books so do they count?! I have also been given a lot of book tokens, which I am looking forward to spending, so not sure how well I'll do on this challenge now.....

Got a few pages into 2020 buy Twisted by Lynda La Plante and it’s a hard DNF - the prose is so mundane.

Some of you are doing so well. I am definitely not reading enough. Was determined to finish my current book yesterday but got sidetracked.

I haven’t bought anything though so that helps a bit!

The Cipher - Isabella Maldonado - another 2020 purchase, this was a really good FBI thriller and glad I dug it out of the Kindle pile!

Finally finished a book! Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson. I enjoyed it although felt the end was a bit rushed.

Now to pick something else……

Yay! Congrats @Peridot1 !
@ProfessionalTeaDrinker the Kate Morton is on my list. Any good?
I finished another - In Search of Lost Time Volume 4- I’ve been reading 2 of these per year for the last couple of years so glad to get this one finished as I’ve been reading it but by bit all month. I do enjoy these but they are work to read.

I've stated Outlander book one as I recently enjoyed some time travel fiction. DS recommended it to me but I had been avoiding it. Seems like a good plot, not brilliant writing but enjoying it so far.
@SheilaFentiman I have a Linda La Plant on the TBR pile. Might be a quick win if I feel the same. I used to like Trial and Retribution on Tv but never read any of hers.

@OurMavis I remember plodding through the original Prime Suspect novel years ago and not thinking it was great, given it was the basis for a major series.

IMO the first Outlander is the best, as the later ones she gets too successful (see also Harry Potter) for an editor to trim down her mighty bricks! I do love Claire as a character.

I really struggled with Outlander @OurMavis it was very long and the sex was cringe

I'm an Outlander fan (notwithstanding the cringy sex) but they are very long....

@ÚlldemoShúl I enjoyed it. Good story and mystery, the dual time line works well. Did feel a bit long winded in places though and I think could have lost a chunk of pages without losing much of the plot. Overall I really liked it though.

I've finished The Voyage Home by Pat Barker today and now I'm starting After you'd gone by Maggie O'Farrell - which I don't even remember getting so no idea how long I've had this one 🙈

Another Outlander fan here. But yes they are way too long!

It’s weird, I had a perception that Outlander wasn’t that long but the paperback version is 880 pages… by contrast, though, book 9 (Bees) is 1376 pages, so I suppose it’s relative 😀

(I only have them on kindle)

ETA dear goddess, I used to reread the series each time ahead of the publication of a new one, no wonder I have so many TBRs if I was using my time like that!

The Worst Bestsellers podcast has a fun episode on Outlander.

I have a non-buying victory to boast of: I went to Barter Books in Alnwick over the weekend and didn't buy anything. I did hesitate over two books and would have taken a punt if they were cheaper, but wasn't prepared to fork out over a fiver each. I do feel more engaged with my existing tbr shelf (literal and on kindle) which is making me less keen to acquire new books.

Oh Biblio what an achievement!