Buying books would be a good thing if one could also buy the time to read them in: but as a rule the purchase of books is mistaken for the appropriation of their contents.
- Arthur Schopenhauer, Parerga and Paralipomena

I have never been a big book acquirer.  The books I like to own are generally those I think I will not be able to find again, those out of print/odd finds I get in a dollar bin, and those I use for reference.  I personally can’t understand owning a copy of a novel that is in every bookstore or library in the country.  I am all for other people doing it, I just have never had that sort of attachment.

Despite this, and mainly due to Bookmooch and a friend who works for a publishing house, I have acquired A LOT of books recently.  My Bookmooch list is mainly things I have not been able to find in a library, and most of the books, due to my bizarre interests, hardly ever have a supplier.  So when someone has a book I want, whether I am going to read it immediately or not, I grab it.  Leading to too many awesome unread books.

And thus I am going to start on a fool’s errand, one I have tried many times.

The Read What You Have Challenge!

Basically as soon as I read something, I get rid of it generally, and as I currently own ZERO bookshelves, it would be a good thing to get rid of a few.  So other than

• books I might read for a book club
• audiobooks I dnld
• books I require to meet an immediate need

I am reading what I own.  That last one is a copout, at least for me it is.  I feel about reading non-fiction books the same way Johnny Five does.  I need a lot of it and I consume it addictively.  So I might bend my own rules.  I am going to try not to.

On the other hand the Readers’ Advisor in me is sort of against this.  I definitely believe in reading the right book for the right mood.  And sometimes that book is in the library.  But I have a coterie of awesome books around the house, so I don’t think it’ll be that hard to find some good stuff that excites me.

Anyone tried this before?  Success?