Any challenge requiring reading a particular stack of books is a no-no for me. I have enough reading commitments in review copies and blog tours, without adding more. So I use a different way to pick my 20 books – it’s the ‘Bookcase plus’ scenario.
Next to my bed is a small bookcase absolutely crammed full of books, plus two piles in front of it and two and a bit piles of books to the side too. These books will be where the majority, if not all, of my twenty books come from – chosen at whim from about 120 books there.
I do set myself one rule though – to qualify for my twenty books target, I must have owned them before Jan 1 2025, so as you’ll see Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s new novel tops one pile – but being published this year, won’t count.
The last time I posted a picture of my bedside bookcase was in 2021, and it’s quite shocking how many books are still there four years later. So I will make more of an effort to clear a few this year and repopulate my bookcase from the piles, hopefully reducing them a little too.
So that’s my plan! What’s yours – do post a link to any planning post you do in the the Mr Linky on the sticky post for 20 Books….
Good plan! Last year I found I had much more success with this challenge when I didn’t have a list but did have some boundaries; I used categories, like “my Kindle TBR” (small at the time) and “books on the Guardian 1000 list with one-word titles” (random!) That worked incredibly well, and I’m planning something similar this year…
Boundaries is a good way of ensuring choice without burnout I think. Sounds good!
OMG I have stacks that look like this too! In my case, I’m only committing to books that are in my piles and books that have come out also before 1/1/25. Otherwise it gets way overwhelming. I DO like that the summer challenge has a classic on it because I’m trying to read at least one classic a year. Some of them are quite slogs though.
I find my boundary of not reading my newest books does help. Hope it works for you too.
You and your stacks; you are incorrigible! 😉 I’m not going to pick a theme this year, as I often end up finding that too restrictive. Instead it’ll just be any 20 books that I own, hopefully ticking off a few set-aside books and long-overdue review copies, and maybe a couple of rereads, but going for a variety including novellas and poetry collections so there are shorter options.
Your plan this year is just as nebulous as mine – ha ha!
Good plan and good luck!
It’s a good idea to pick from the stacks; I used to enjoy Roof Beam Reader’s TBR pile challenge where everything had to be more than a year old- so you’re combining two favourite challenges, good plan!
I’m the opposite. I like to have a list of specific books for the challenge and try to stick to it. Like you, however, they’ll be books I acquired years ago and still haven’t read. My one concession this year is to allow myself to DNF more quickly than I usually would if a book’s not working for me. Thanks (and to Emma) for taking over hosting the challenge.
Love seeing your stacks as I can think “At least I don’t have any piles on the FLOOR” while also knowing that the shelf is double-stacked and I’ve taken to stashing the newest books in on my desk until room for them on the shelf materialises … I have chosen the 20 oldest hardbacks on the shelves this year, as I noticed when trying to clear pre-2024 acquisitions that I tend to pick off the easy and short reads and leave those. So I should get through all the ones from 2 and a half shelves and make some space. However there are some enormous tomes in that pile so I’m really not sure I’ll do it this year!