Confession Time: I’m a book hoarder. It’s been this way for a longtime. I thought making the big switch to eBooks would help, but in reality it’s only made it easier for me to continue and conceal this problem. See, you can’t argue a stack of books sitting in the corner collecting dust. But, you can easily forget about books that hide in the confines of your iPad. It has even reached the point where I have books both in iBooks and in the Kindle app so I can happily read from one app, completely ignoring the growing bookshelf in the other. It’s become a problem these virtual bookshelves of mine.
And I’m a reader! Or, at least I used to be. Okay…so far this year, I haven’t been much of one. I admit, it just hasn’t been my year for books. Maybe last year’s constant stream of autobiographies and memoirs left me whip-lashed. Or, perhaps I’ve developed an actual case of reader’s ADD because it’s hard for me to focus on reading just one book. No, I bounce around from book to book – which is the worst way to read! You never get enveloped in the story and sometimes totally mix up details. I also have been rereading books I’ve already read over finishing new stories. This doesn’t make me feel as guilty as at least it is still reading, but it’s worth mentioning as a problem.
Cut to my own personal intervention:
The other night I caught my finger hovering over The Maze Runner to dive into yet another alternate reality. But I stopped myself short when I thought of all the other books and all the other series I need to commit to finishing first. And of course all this happened when I was in the middle of compiling even MORE books to my ‘To Read’ list for summer. (Anyone else have a constant running list on iPhones, iPads, scribble pads and more of ‘Books to Read’?)
And it hit me. I need to scratch the summer reading list compiled of summer book launches and more that I don’t even have yet. Let’s wheel in the scope to something more at home: my own personL iPad. (AKA the place where eBooks come to die?) So I amend that this summer I’m on a mission: #MissionRead to work my way through the stories already at my fingers’ disposal.
Allow me to take inventory of every unread/unfinished eBook sitting on my iPad (not counting the free classics, because they’re freebies ;)):
The Dinner by Herman Koch (Finished 6/21)
Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Fiery Heart by Richelle Meade (Bloodlines series book 4) (Finished 6/22)
Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (Finished 6/19)
The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison
The Cuckoo’s Calling by JK Rowling
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Poirot and the Regatta Mystery by Agatha Christie (Finished 8/2)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Finished 7/5)
The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Angels (Books 3-7 of TMI series) by Cassandra Clare (Finished 8/1)
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
Insurgent & Allegiant (Book 2-3 Divergent series)
Endless Love by Scott Spencer (Finished 7/15)
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin
Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney
- *Note: Books that are striked have been completed.
And last but not least: The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This book is the light at the end of my tunnel. It’s the holy grail story that I strive to get to that’s so far off in the distance it seems basically impossible to get there. Oh, but I shall…no matter how many fictional characters I have to take out to get there! (Not to mention the very real Anne Boleyn and Coco Chanel biographies on this list.)
So here’s the Mission. There are 24 books standing between me and The Maze Runner, meaning: I have 25 books to read and I’m making it my personal mission to get through these books this summer! Some of them I’ve already started…but most of them have not one page turned. As another example of my backwards thinking…The Fiery Heart has a 5th book coming out in July titled Silver Shadows and I also really want to read that book. (Which is laughable considering I haven’t even read book 4.) But I’m not going to allow myself to even consider purchasing it until I’ve made some serious impact on this list.
How long do I have to do this? The film adaptation of The Maze Runner is released on September 19th, so that gives me just short of 4 months to get this done, including reading that book. Can I do it? *eek*
Oh to think Mockingjay and In Cold Blood photographed above are both books I’ve read before that topped my (now trashed) Summer Reading list. What sense does that make to prioritize books I’ve already read over the new ones I’ve been ignoring for months? It’s obviously time for an intervention of sorts, so no more! Kelly, this is your wake up call.
Along this journey I’ll keep you updated with my #MissionRead progress. I see this being a big challenge for myself and I’m actually excited to see if I can do it. So: as far as summer reading lists go, here’s mine. The pretty one I was going to share is going to have to wait! (Probably until next summer as I’m sure to snatch them up in the fall only to fall into bad habits again.)
Also, I’m not saying you have a digital hoarding issue on your hands…but feel free to jump on the bandwagon of #MISSIONREAD…because the point is really to read. To get our noses in a book and lose sight of reality for an hour or two. I’ll try to diligently keep everyone up-to-date on this mission via my Good Reads page. Be sure to friend me! I’ve never used my account before so I need friends!
Everyone keep me posted on your summer reading progress. And, BY ALL MEANS tell me I’m not the only one with this problem? Surely Amazon’s 1-click option has you getting trigger happy with eBooks too! Right? *begs*
Good luck to everyone…and most of all to me 😉
P.S. The Maze Runner better damn well be worth all of this! :p
