Sounds easy, but how many books do you read that have been on your self for over 6 months?

It's crazy. I tell myself that I will not buy any more books, I am sure you have too, until I read more of what I have first.

If I continue buying more and ignoring the ones I have on my self, there won't be time for me to ever read them.

I feel I have some terrific books in my library. There is no reason why I don't read the ones I have first.

It seems I pick up more books than I read. That has to stop.

Hopefully, this thread will help me stay on track and may help others too. I want to know how many you have read off of your shelf and tell me how long you think it's been there.

With that said, I know there are books that will remain on my shelf forever. It's those books that I never want to get rid of. What books are your going to always keep in your library?

With all of us helping each other, we may be able to clear off our shelves in no time, right? Good luck to all.

This is not the best time to start this post, because I am reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett that I only purchased in August.

I consider my husband's shelf as my own. He usually reads off of mine more than I read off of his, but once in a while, I see something that he has read, and think, I may like that book.

I am almost sure that this book has been on his shelf for well over six months. I have read the forward and already feel that this is one of those books that will remain on my shelf.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

Seeing that my husband has recommended this book to me, I am sure I will like it.

I'm pretty sure the book I just started, Galveston by Sean Stewart, has been on my bookshelves for at least 10 years. It was published in 2000.

But I know what you mean!

Yep, I'm finally reading Jeff Noon's Falling Out of Cars - I bought it when it was first published ca 2003. I've just found a bus ticket and - ahem - a legal document of that vintage tucked in the back from when I carried it around for a week but never quite got round to reading it...

But yes - gems on the shelf - it's a pleasure to clear them.

Man's Search for Meaning - It's a powerful little book. You won't want to read this when you are looking for something light to read.

alco261 ... I must have worded it wrong. Any book that has been on your shelf for more than 6 months, so please share with us.

amysisson...What made you pick it up after so many years?

imyril...I hope that legal document wasn't too too important.

It is a pleasure clearing the books away, just to make room for more.

Caroller...I just finished a light read so I am ready for this one, I think. I have only read the first paragraph of the forward. So far, I am enjoying it.

^9, I have no idea what made me pick it up! Maybe I'm in a Texas state of mind, since we just returned from the World Science Fiction Convention in San Antonio. (We live in Houston.)

I do find that I like starting a book just before bedtime. If I have finished a book and don't start a new one before going to bed, I start to put off starting a new one. If I dive right into one before bed, then I wake up and am happy to already have a book in progress. (To be fair, I ditch books FAST these days if they don't hold my interest. I've stopped reading a LOT of books this year.)

12 amysisson...You sound just like me. I can't go to bed after finishing a book. Like you I need to start another one, no matter what time it is. I feel the need to always be in the process of reading a book. I just can't sleep. It bothers me so much. Strange but true.

I haven't come to the stage to ditch any books yet. I can only remember a few that were a waste of my time.

Uh...I've got 626 books in Your Library tagged "unread" that were acquired prior to March 10th. 376 of those are from before I started using LT to track acquisition date 5 years ago.

I've pretty much given up all hope.

14 saltmanz ...Never give up hope, because if you do I have to also. I have so many books that I haven't read. I am hoping that this thread will remind me to read what is on my shelf, in boxes, or just lying around.

Amateurs :) I currently have 1275 on the TBR list from 2012 and prior. BUT... I have read and purged 100 this year so progress is being made (I am ignoring the 96 newbies that followed me home this year).

Wow...I am impressed bucketyell that you have read 100 books this year and all off of your shelf. I need to hang around with you more often.

One day I tell myself that I will not buy books until I read more of what I already got. Only a week ago I bought 10 more. Will I ever be able to stop this nonsense?

18 alco...good for you. I don't think have any books on my shelf that go back as far as that.

I am 99.9% sure that I picked up Speaking of Success by Pamela Wallin was bought more than six months ago, only being because I had to dig it out amongst the recently bought books.

That is one gone since I started this post. Everyone has to start somewhere.

A Life Like Other People's by Alan Bennett was found at the bottom of a pile of book. I was looking for a small sized book that would fit inside of my purse and grabbed this one. It must have been in my library for about a year.

Alan Bennett is always a joy!

21 imyril... I had never heard of Alan Bennett. I did enjoy the book.

I am thrilled to say that I am reading another book off of my shelf that has been there a while. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker.

I am so happy I got Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker out of the way and off of my shelf. I couldn't read it fast enough. The plot was good but the in between stuff drove me crazy.

I am happy to say that I am now reading Tom Kipper's Schooldays Memories of an Irish Childhood in Liverpool by Peter Sale. Only on chapter 3 and loving it.

Another off my shelf. Tom Kipper's Schooldays Memories of an Irish Childhood in Liverpool by Peter Sale It's quite a big book and makes room for maybe three smaller books on my shelf.

The last book I read and the one I am currently reading were recently given to me. I don't think I will be ready any off of my shelf until I read the ones that were given to me.

My friend went and gave me a who series of books and I recently grabbed some more books from a cafe in town. That didn't help me wanting to read what is already on my shelf. If I can, I will make myself pick the next book from off of my shelf.

I just keep reading the books that I recently got.

It is so hard, isn't it. I often forget about the books that have been on my shelf for years. I swear the next one will be an oldie.

Well, you could always join in the TBR Challenge using older books! Personally, so long as I'm focusing a bit on what I own, it doesn't much matter whether I bough it a week ago, a year ago, or a decade ago. As long as I'm reading them, I'm good. I generally select what's next up by genre/subject rather than age, to me it's a better method and keeps my reading nice and varied.

Thank you for your suggestion PolymathicMonkey.

Last night, I went and did it. I picked a book off of my shelf that has been on there since January 21, 2011 and it's a good one too. Really enjoying it.

Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison

I enjoyed Another Place at the Table so much that I thought I would go to my shelf and pick up another book that has been collecting dust.

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. It's been on my shelf since the start of the year.

Secret Daughter by Shilipi somaya Gowda. I have picked it up and tossed it to the side a few times thinking that it would be a heavy read, waiting for the perfect time to sit down with it. It was the perfect time to read it but it was far better that I had expected it to be.

I think I may start to read Peter Mansbridge, One on One by Peter Mansbridge. I don't have a clue on when I bought this book but I am guessing it was at the beginning of this year.

I almost forgot about this thread.

I keep acquiring more books than I read. Soon there will not be any room in my office for me to sit.

Anyways...I am happy to say that I read Fatal Secrets by Allison Brennan that had been sitting on my shelf for over a year if not more.

I really need to do more of that.

Well done!

This week, I've managed to finish one book that's been in a box in the loft for so long that I can't remember, where, how, when or why I acquired it - Brethren by Robyn Young but let's estimate five years (and pretend that we don't know it's probably been even longer than that), one book that I acquired at some point last year - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and one that I picked up earlier this year The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams (borrowed the audio version from the library and listened/read along - well narrated by the author made it a nice experience). What's next I wonder?

I dropped off 4 books today at a cafe I visit. I was proud that I have cleared my office of these four books. Don't tell anyone, but I brought 3 back home with me. I could not resist.

Chapters AND Amazon visited my house today... sigh...

> 37 Oh dear! These book distributors really don't help matters do they ?

>36 callmejacx: - I'd still count that a win when there's more going out than coming in!

I've had one land on my doorstep this week from Book Depository, but I've added four to the outgoing pile. I'm only going to keep Hitchhiker's from the ones I've just finished. I've managed to keep busy enough this week not to make it into any of the charity shops so far and although I went to the library and came back with 4 audiobooks to add to the one I've still got some time on (I also returned 2 to them), I don't count these - even less so as 3 of them match books on my TBR pile and the other 2 are titles that I would have been tempted to add to my pile.

I must admit, I'm acquiring faster than I'm reading this year. Christmas and a February birthday always mean a lot inbound early in the year, but I'll admit I'm mostly to blame rather than kind gifting :)

Books are the best gift. I find no one can buy me the wrong book. I need to read more of what I have. Someone has to keep reminding me of that. I can't rely on myself reminding me.