BJ's 25 Books off my Bookshelf

I forgot to put this thread together in January, but here I am now! Here is my ticker:





I lowered my goal to 25 this year as my new job is taking a lot of my reading time away. I have read 4 books so far this year:

1. Death Note Volume 6: Give-and-Take by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. How can I explain why I find these stories of the death gods and the death notes so compelling?

2. Death Note Volume 7: Zero by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The story continues.

3. Death Note Volume 8: Target by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. This is the last volume that we have. I will have to purchase the rest, I am afraid, so that I can find out how this ends.

4. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. This story of the stray dog Winn-Dixie is truly heartwarming. I loved it!

All of these books were read in January.

For February, at least so far, I have read these:

5. Pocket Book of Catholic Devotions by Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, SVD. I read this book as part of my prayer time.

6. Yotsuba&! (Volume 10) by Kiyohiko Azuma. Loved this last book available in the series and hope that there will be more to come.

I think that I might not reach my goal this year, even though I lowered it. I got too many new books!

It looks to me that you might reach your goal in this challenge. We all feel for you. It is so hard to toss those new books aside to read the ones that are already on your shelf. Our library just get bigger and bigger.

Good luck

I always think that I will not get any new books to concentrate on the older ones, but I just love to get new books! So much promise in the new books!

I am reading a number of longer books off the shelf and I hope to finish at least some of them this year.

Thanks for stopping by!

I always enjoy stopping by your threads

And I like reading your reviews, Jacx. :)

7. Adjunct: an Undigest by Peter Manson. I have had this book for quite a while. I wanted to read it because it was on 2006 1001 List. On advice from Nickelini, I read this more like a collage and just let it flow over me. In the end it almost looked like experimental poetry to me. This book was interesting, but not for everyone. There is no plot here.

So, only 3 books for February, but I read 6 in March:

8. A Church in Transition: A Devotional Commentary on I Timothy through Hebrews edited by Leo Zanchettin. This might be my last Biblical commentary. I hope not, as I have been enjoying them quite a bit.

9. Scriptural Rosary Prayer Book by Bart Tesoriero. I used this to enhance my prayer time during Lent.

10. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov. I think I am the last person on the planet to read this terrific scifi triology.

11. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. This search for self was very thought-provoking. I plan to read this one again.

12. Four Paws from Heaven: Devotions for Dog Lovers by M. R. Wells, Kris Young, and Connie Fleishauer. My daughter gave me this terrific read, which was perfect for Lent.

13. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I read this in honor of the big movie release. It was action-packed and non-stop. I am trying to decide whether to read the other two. I am not sure that we have those books.

I am feeling better about my goal of 25 now, even with the busier schedule.

Catching up:

14.Lent and Easter Wisdom from G. K. Chesterton Compilation, prayers and actions by Thom Satterlee and Robert Moore-Jumonville. I read this for Lent and Easter week.

15. The Gold Dust Letters by Janet Taylor Lisle. This was covered with dust, but not gold dust. I thought this kid's book was ok, but not great.

16. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. I finally read this classic which I thought was a terrific read except for some annoying old stereotypes. I want to read more Dickens.

17. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis was a terrific read. Oops, I counted it for April but actually read it in May. Maybe I can read some of the other books in the series in May to make up for it. :)

You are doing amazing getting books off of your shelf this year.

Thank you for saying that! I thought that I might not make my goal this year, but now I have hope. Right now I am reading a really long book off the shelf, The Count of Monte Cristo, but I am making progress. I forgot that I needed another book for May, so I better find a short one. :)

Ok, I listed my only book for May with the April books, so no books for May.

For June, I read:

18. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This tale of revenge was a terrific read. It was long but not hard to read. I loved it and finished it fast once I devoted myself to it.

19. Treasury of Women Saints edited by Bart Tesoriero. Lots I did not know in this collection.

20. Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager. This fun juvenile book is the sequel to Half Magic. I am wondering if there is another of these books, but I think this might be all we have. I will have to look and see.

21. The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins. This exciting book is a thriller about a plot to kidnap Churchill. It was a great read and apparently based on actual events.

22. Stardust by Neil Gaiman. This fairy tale was written with adults in mind and was a delight. I am starting to enjoy Neil Gaiman.

For July I read:

23. Key of Heaven edited by Bart Tesoriero. I used this book of prayers as part of my prayer time.

24. The Warden by Anthony Trollope. This is my first time to read Trollope and I loved this quick read. It is just the sort of book that I like. I will read more in the series.

I was despairing that I would not read my goal, but I see that I only need one more book to get there. So I think I just might make it. I will update the main list now.

Yay, so close to your goal! Looks like you had a good batch of books, too. :)

Thank you so much! And I have started the 25th book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, so I think I will make it.

Here are my books for August:

25. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling. I am enjoying these books more and more as the series continues.

26. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. This book has been sitting around for about 20-25 years. I am glad that I finally read this first novel by Anne Bronte. I enjoyed this classic.

27. Treasury of Litanies edited by Bart Tesoriero. I used this prayer book for part of my prayertime.

I am happy that I passed my goal, because I was worried that I would not be able to reach it this year.

Terrific, you made it! Are you going to keep reading to see how many more you can add?

Congratulations on hitting your goal, BJ!

Are you going to be able to make it to Joplin this year?

I am definitely going to keep on reading to see how far I get.

I am hoping that I will be able to come to Joplin. It just depends on my work schedule. It is kind of unpredictable.

Updating for September:

28. Marian Devotions edited by Bart Tesoriero. More reading to add to my prayer time.

29. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. At times I did think that this book was infinite. I did not really feel like I knew what was going on for at least 200 pages. I am still thinking about this one. I almost started over and read it again, but I stopped myself! :)

30. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I quite enjoyed this book about books coming to life recommended by my girls.

I really enjoyed Inkhear. Are you planning on reading the sequel?

I don't have any of the sequels. I hear mixed reviews of them, so I am not sure. I would like to read at least the next one to see for myself.

Here are my books for October:
31. Storm Front by Jim Butcher This is the first book in the Dresden series and I plan to read more.

32. Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh. This book follows Decline and Fall which I checked out of the library in case of spoilers. Reading it first was not really necessary. Waugh satirizes about everyone.

33. Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. I am glad that I finally read a play by Marlowe!

34. The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2009 edited by Rich Horton. This was quite a diverse collection with lots of good choices.

35 The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston. Creepy nonfiction book about the eradication of small pox and the ensuing threat of biological warfare.

Mostly my October reading took a sort of Halloween slant, although no Stephen King. I never really thought I would hit 35 this year with my work schedule, so I am pretty happy.

Just to finish up, here are my books for November and December:

36.Poems of Nature edited by Gail Harvey

37. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

38. No, I Don't Want to Join a Bookclub! Diary of a 60th Year by Virginia Ironside

39. Love You, Daddy by Amy Hest

40. Night Bird: A Story of the Seminole Indians by Kathleen V. Kudlinski

41. Antarctic Journal: Four Months on the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Owings Dewey

42. Sable by Karen Hesse

43. You've Got to be Kidding, Snoopy! by Charles M. Schultz

44. The Junkyard Dog by Erika Tamar

45. Perceptions: Observations on Everyday Life Volume XI by Tom Harrison

46. Pocket Bible Guide (St. Joseph Edition): Essential Teachings About the Bible in Question and Answer Form by Catholic Book Publishing Corp.

47. Fifteen Minutes with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (Quince Minutos con Jesus Sacramentado) by The Society of Saint Paul.

48. 7 Secrets of the Eucharist by Vinny Flynn

49. The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

50. Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges

51. It Came From the Far Side by Gary Larson.

So I ended up reading 51, but some were quite small. I am looking for books to donate and wanted to read them first.