Reading My Unread Shelf

How to pick a book

I am frequently indecisive when picking what book I will read next.  I find myself reading the first few chapters of several different novels before finally choosing what to read.  The problem seems to be that I simply have a lot to choose from and have a hard time prioritizing what to read next.  

I find myself buying and requesting more books, even though I feel guilty about not reading the ones I currently have.  I saw a post on Instagram from @theunreadshelf indicating that she is trying to tackle this very problem - she is trying to read all of the books on her unread shelf.  

Personally, I don't feel like I can truly commit to this, as I have SO MANY BOOKS from years of collecting scattered throughout my house.  But want I want to commit is that from now until the end of the year, I will attempt to read about 15 books that are currently in my home and sitting unread.  This means that I will concentrate my reading on the books I already have as opposed to the next one that comes in my door.

Do you have any advice for how to tackle this project?  Any advice on how to hold myself accountable to my current bookshelf without buying more?  I can't promise a book ban -- like dieting, total restriction is not something that works for me.  But what I can promise is that I will really consider each new book acquisition and my timeline for finishing it!

This post will be a sort of diary of my unread books - keeping me accountable for my progress between now and 2018.  I will update it as I get these books finished!

Current progress: 1/15 books

1. The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
• Won free copy via Instagram giveaway
• Started 10/26/17
• Finished 10/28/17
2. Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo
• Free copy provided by the publisher, Knopf
• Started 10/28/17