Year Book Buying Ban - January Update

Progress – Pushing past the habit

This month has been crazy hard. I have not brought any books. I have not even requested any from Net-Galley. I haven't bargained someone into buying me books, and no one has gifted me with any. I haven't even looked online for books. I did catch myself once or twice almost in automatic response to a link here, a special there, or just to find out what I could learn about a new release.

It has been 31 days. Yes I am going insane with wanting to buy all the books, but I am also learning a lot during this process. The most important is that I have plenty on hand to read. I have been going to the library, borrowing books from friends, looking through my shelves and finishing of books I started and never finished from last year. I have plenty to keep me excited.

Why Blair – Why are you doing this to yourself?

I decided this Year long book buying ban challenge a few months before the New Year of 2014. I have long since been inspired by Susan Hill who took up her own challenge to only read the books that she owned and revisit her favourites as well as read ones she had been wanting to for a long time. I found I was lacking the motivation in this area of my reading life. With the pressure of wanting to read not only all the new books that were coming out, but my old ones, and library ones. Not to mention finish some series, start new ones and find some series and authors to delight in for the long haul, I found myself avoiding re-reads. Avoiding the finishing of series because of the long commitment they take to read through and being a series jumper and not a marathoner I wanted to take it upon myself to challenge myself to try.

I wanted to make a change, and in doing so make a difference somehow. Not only in my bank balance [ because sure, so far that has failed since I have so many different hobbies], but also in someone else's life by directing my passion for reading, my need to change a habit and a love for helping people into a series of events that will raise money for different charities. What better way to have an even stronger direction, a sense of purpose and a reason to get others involved in reading what they own and possibly trying something new themselves.

These events are in the process of planning. I hope by mid-year to be able to say I am 6 months free from my addictive book buying habit and begin to host the events. I would love to see my collection of unread books slimming down, to donate any books to my book sale that I didn't enjoy to someone who might and remember what it was like to have very little, but love a lot.

I am looking forward to documenting this journey as well. With the books I have read, articles I find, photo's of the books I am reading. Anything bookish related that is not a haul – think reviews, discussions [if I see fit] quotes...anything and everything to document the experience and maybe even offer hope to someone out there like me who owns enough books to last two life times, but wants to really get a crack on in getting that pile down and having those adventures.

Epic Fail

There is always the possibility of an epic fail where I cave in.

But I am a dreamer as well as a part time realist.

I believe in manifestation and working hard on the goals I set for myself.

One day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time

I can do this.