I read all the books in my bookshelf in 3 months
Giving myself a little challenge to keep things spicy
On this issue:
A challenge of not buying new books
All the titles I read in Q1 (January to March). Only books I already owned!
Things to do with all the books you have read
I’ve realized I have the a habit of buying books and never reading them. I have always been a reader, and I try to keep a book by my side, but it was becoming harder to keep up with the habit because I was consuming shorter pieces of content online. So I stopped reading as much, but I never stopped *buying* books, with the hope of finally making the time in my life to read them.
I was about to buy a couple of books this week at the thrift store in front of my apartment, one of them was Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, which I read last year and loved. I mean, this was such a score because this thrift store in particular never carries any decent books. And since I loved this title so much, I could totally re-read it. Of course that is the lie I always tell myself, and end up just piling books and never reading them. I started doing an inventory of all the books in my dusty bookshelf.
The challenge
It turns out I had more than 50 unread books in total, scattered around random places in my apartament. Some I bought impulsively because they were cheap at the thrift store, some I was gifted on previous birthdays, and others I saw on TikTok and bought because they seemed like they could change my life.
I decided to not buy new until I finished reading all the ones I already have in my house.
I kept around 20 books with the goal of reading them all before springtime. I gifted and donated the rest. See below my list of places to donate.
Reading 20 books in 3-4 months might be an easy endeavor for some of you, and not so easy for others. One of my favorite Substack writers , Petya K. Grady, reads 10-11 books per month (goals).
Like any other habit, reading is something you have to practice every day. It takes time to get to a point where you can grab a book and read enough pages without getting distracted.
My biggest advice if you want to pick up the reading habit is to find a short book on a topic you are very curious or passionate about. This will make it easier for you to finish it and can propel you to keep reading and continue exploring other genres.
This is everything I read
Below is the mix of all fiction, novels, memoirs, poetry, and children’s books that I have read since January. I am not doing an in-depth review of each book but rather briefly commenting on my experience reading them and some things I learned from my favorite titles. I hope you enjoy and this inspires you to read more this year!
Pure Colour by Sheila Heti
This book it’s like nothing I have read before, in the best way possible. A whimsical, strange story about a girl coming of age named Mira, and her story as she leaves her father to go and experience the world on her own (go to college, then find work, and fall in love). Far away from her dad, where no one can protect her, she starts experiencing a painful heartbreak, and a lot of guilt about leaving her family. Sounds like any other book about a girl coming of age? Well, there is a fantastical twist that you really don’t expect. I added this book in the novel category but it might as well be the best poetry book I have read this year. It was such a joy to read.
Some lines that made me feel things
Normal People by Solly Rooney
This is the second Sally Rooney book I read, and I have mixed feelings about it. First of all, I dislike Sally’s writing style in general. In my humble opinion, her dialogues never feel natural and her characters are insufferable. I stopped watching the show (the adaption of this book) for the same reason: I wanted to slap Marianne and Connell every single episode. Overall, I would say this book was actually way more enjoyable than Intermezzo and there are some parts that I did enjoy. For instance, that epic moment when Connell finds Marianne months later in college, thriving and looking hotter than ever.
The Vulnerables Sigrid Nunez
This is part comic novel, part memoir.
You know when you have zero expectations for something, so you approach it with an open mind and it turns out to be a great experience? This is what happened to me with this book. I didn’t read any reviews prior and I didn’t know anything about the author. I recommend it if you are looking for a fun, light read.
Intermezzo by Solly Rooney
This is a book that I had very high expectations about but I am afraid to say that I didn’t love it. The book is 500 pages, and the story starts to get interesting until page 450. I also was pissed about the reason behind Sylvia and Peter not being together, it felt like a very outdated idea of love, which sometimes you can grasp or justify but in this case the whole situation was just absurd.
The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
I was craving some romance and spiciness and this novel delivered it. I read it all in one go because I was hooked on the story and the surprising complexity of all the characters. I highly recommend it if you are craving a good romantic drama.
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennet
Another great, great novel that follows the lives of twin siblings, Stella and Desiree. This book broke my heart but also expanded my capacity to feel compassion. I highly recommend this book.
Pageboy by Elliot Page
You never know what you are signing up for when you start a celebrity memoir but in this case, I enjoyed it. I was feeling very inspired by Elliot’s journey and their continuous fight to find their place in the world, as well as motivated to educate myself and advocate for the rights of transgender folks.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
A must-read book on creativity. A great reminder to never stop being curious.
These books inspired me during the past few months and are titles I go back and re-read when I am feeling creatively blocked. Invisible Things it’s my favorite children’s book and I am always recommending it. Impressionist Picnics it’s a book about art and food that I found at a second-hand bookstore and I love. Nara is a compilation of drawings by artist Yoshimoto Nara that takes you through the artist’s humble beginnings in the art of drawing to modern times where he is a popular multidisciplinary artist. It reminded me that we always have to start somewhere and that not even people we admire were are always great at their craft.
I also read a couple of poetry books, The Sun and Her Flowers and A Bit Much but I didn’t love them. If you have any poetry titles that can recommend me I would very much appreciate it.
I read only one book in Spanish during this challenge (one esoteric book that my mom gifted me about angelic entities) but this is something I am looking to change in the next few months. I want to decolonize my brain!
What to do with all the books you read
Books to Prisoners is a non-profit that provides imprisoned people with reading materials. The organization linked is based in British Columbia but I am sure there are similar organizations where you live. You can drop your materials at a specific location and they do the work of distributing the books for you.
Donate them to a Free Little Library in your neighborhood.
Local libraries: Some libraries accept used books in good condition.
Selling/trading: Bookstores buy used books or give you credits when you trade. Pulp Fiction Books in Vancouver it’s a great option for this. They have been in business since 2000!
Please let me know if you have other ideas to keep books circulating!
Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this piece, share it with a friend who might like it :)
I didn’t know the Books to Prisoners program existed, so thank you for sharing! This is inspiring me to read all my unread books and cull through our personal library.
The vanishing half was one of my favourites too! I just recommended how to say babylon and their eyes were watching god! Although I know you’re trying to be good 😅