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  1. I am right there with you! For the past year I have not allowed myself to buy any new books or craft supplies until I read the books I have and complete the crafts I have already started. The only thing I am doing differently than you is I am allowing myself to “buy” free Kindle books. My priorities are magazines I have not gotten around to reading (I have already stopped all subscriptions), then books on my bookshelf (to pass along/declutter), then PDF ebooks on the computer (including your Simplify) and then I’ll work on the Kindle. I figure they take up no space and are not cluttering my hard drive. In order to make this happen, I have bumped my bedtime 30 minutes earlier to read every night. If it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t happen. Be strong fellow book lover, you can do it!

    1. It’s amazing how much time we have to read when we create time for it. Love that you are making it a priority to read for 30 minutes every night before bed!

  2. i was planning on doing a version of this too! i own 30 unread books – but none of them are fiction. So i plan on borrowing fiction from the library and reading from my unreads for nonfiction. Mostly i read nonfiction anyway but i wanted some breathing room 🙂 i also have a few books that i borrowed from friends that i still need to read. Oops!

    i like to go to goodreads.com to read other people’s reviews so i can pysch myself up for that book that is sitting on the shelf and currently loos unappealing. Once i do that i remember why i bought it in the first place and i want to dive in 🙂

    1. That’s a great compromise making sure you get to read both fiction and non-fiction. Most of my physical books are non-fiction but I have a ton of fiction books on my Kindle. I also love your idea about heading to GoodReads to check out other reviews. Sometimes I forget why a book was added to my collection so I need to do that!

  3. I love that I came across this today! I decided to do the same thing about a week ago. I have so many books I want to get through! It’s also a way to declutter my home. I have many books from my mom and others and I cannot get myself to return them until I have read them. It will be satisfying to read a few books this year and then get them out of my house.

    Good luck in this challenge! I’m with you. 🙂

    1. Along with not reading any new books until I read the books I already own, I also need to work on letting go of those books after I read them! Book clutter is probably my biggest area of clutter 😉

  4. What a great idea! I started keeping a list of books that I own but haven’t read and am slowly moving them to my “read this year” list. I probably have at least 30 on this list- more than enough to read this year. I’m with you.

    1. That’s a good idea to keep a list of books you own but need to read. My to-read list is a lot longer than 30 books 😉 so we shall see!

  5. Hmmm… I don’t know if I can do this 🙂 But I love the idea. I have a lot of books to read that are on my bookshelf but I think it is very possible to read them all this year. Maybe once I read them all then I will allow myself to buy more right away? 🙂 It’s a great challenge!!
    Rebekah
    http://www.moreradiance.com

    1. Yes, I realize this challenge isn’t for everyone but as you shared, it’s adaptable to fit your own rules. I knew for me I just had to draw a strong line for myself or else those books would keep sitting there not being read. 🙂

  6. I am DEFINITELY doing this challenge! I wish I could show you my list of books…it’s so bad. LOL

    1. Yeah Leah! So glad you are jumping on board. My bookshelves need some love, even though it’ll be so tempting! 😉 I’ll be posting updates and reports here monthly to help keep myself accountable and to encourage you all too!

  7. This is a great idea! I’m on board with this challenge. I have lots of books and ebooks to read. But it’s so hard not to download free books that seem interesting or are from favorite others! Maybe I’ll download free ones only and read them after I read the ebooks I’ve already downloaded. Looks like I’ll be moving the book shelf with junk on it into my room this weekend like I’ve been planning to do for months. 🙂

  8. Hi, I just found your blog from Intentional by Grace. I can relate to this post. I’ve “collected” a lot of books over the years that fill up 3 long shelves and a large container that slides under my bed. I’m also a fan of my local library. I like most of you here know my library card number by heart. It’s going to be tough to get through all of this but you’ve inspired my to show my own bookshelves some love. Thank you for making this blog! I’m obsessed!

    1. So glad to have you Erin! My library now has an app on my phone where I can check out and reserve books straight from the comfort of my comfortable chair and let’s just say while that is super convenient, it has defiently lead to this issue! LOL

  9. I love this idea and it’s exactly what I needed to see today! I literally have hundreds of books to read but recently was gifted a kindle and I rapidly sank down the rabbit hole of free books, getting sucked into series, and losing so much time on my Kindle! We’re moving soon and as I packed up my library (the fact that I have a room for books should tell you how bad my addiction is!) and fell in love with each one all over again and wondered why I hadn’t read any of them yet! Thank you for sharing this idea! Here’s to happy reading and loving our shelves!

    1. I think if I had to pack up all my books for a move too Claire, I would cry! LOL So many books! But I’m glad it was a reminder to go back and show those beloved books some much needed love again. Hopefully once you are settled in your new place you can read those again. And as for the Kindle…. it’s such a challenge! I mean who can turn down free books?!?!?! 🙂

  10. This is a great idea! I have gotten sick of looking at my filled shelves so I moved them into the walk in closet and attic. (Now it looks like an Amazon warehouse in both!) So I have started reading them halfway then listing them for sale before I am even done reading them. This forces me to finish them quicker because “Any day now they could be sold!” Tough reality check! lol.

  11. I had decided to do this for 2017 before I saw the link to this post. I’ve got no excuse for my book addiction, but I need to get it under control! (I have the Kindle App from Amazon to read books on my computer and I haven’t even touched it. There are probably a thousand freebies on there. Disgraceful.)

    I have one last order from Amazon that I need to put in before the end of the year–a copy of Women of the Word and two or three manuals for sewing, etc.–but I have stacks on my shelves in my bedroom ready to go for next year.

    Oh, and the rest of the ebooks from the last couple years’ Ultimate Bundles. Those things are killer!

  12. How are you doing? Have you run out of things to read? My goal for 2019 was to read all the books that I purchase/acquire in 2019. I have been keeping a list of purchase I acquire and then ticking them off when I read them. I just went on a book buying moratorium for 60 days hoping that I will be able to read what I have. This doesn’t include books from previous years. I might focus on that a bit in 2020.

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