The Unread Shelf Project

As you probably know, you can follow hashtags on Instagram now. I didn't really care much until #theunreadshelfproject2018 started up. I am totally following that hashtag and loving it. Also, you should be following @theunreadshelf herself who started this cool project with a couple of other really cool people!

The really neat thing I started noticing even a couple days into it was that people had some pretty cool and (in my opinion) obscure reads on their shelves that I know I haven't seen on bookstagram before. Not only that, but I had some of these same books on my shelves too! 

Before bookstagram I only picked up books that interested me. I stuck mainly to the adult section, reading mostly mysteries, and occasionally the big talked about books that were on the shelves. I had some go to authors and often I only really broadened my horizons at the library or when family passed books my way. 

Since joining bookstagram, I've expanded what I read quite a bit. For one, I find myself visiting the young adult section a lot more than I ever did. (I'm going to write a whole post on that soon). 

Another thing I find myself doing is paying more attention to the new releases, and the popular books that everyone else is talking about online. 

Honestly if I see a book mentioned over 5 times randomly on bookstagram I will go find out more about it. About 6 times out of 10 I end up getting my hands on the book, either from the library, in a cheap or free e-book form, or on sale at the bookstore. 

Because of this I have quite a few book sitting around that were totally influenced by bookstagram that I still haven't gotten to, and quite a few I have read and totally loved. 

Still though, true to myself, I do still creep around in the areas of the bookstore and library that I love and I grab up older books, books that I haven't seen anyone talk about, books that are totally all of my own finding. 

If you've been following my reviews for some time you'll know that I review all different kinds of books, and I think that sometimes I might be reviewing a book that 95% of you won't have ever heard of or seen before but perhaps I might be more wrong about that then I thought!

Seeing some of the odd and little mentioned books on my shelves popping up in the unread shelf project hashtag is pretty darn cool! I'm so happy to see that we all have such different tastes!

Instead of abstaining totally from buying new books and only reading those on my shelf, I have made a couple new rules for myself because, let's be real, there's no way I could keep that up.

I've decided instead that there would be no more cover buys or picking up books on a whim because they are on sale. I am allowing myself to buy books that are new releases I can't live without, part of a series I already have/started reading, or books I've been wanting for quite a while.

I am being so much more mindful about the books I buy. I've gone to the bookstore recently and I actually had a hard time finding something. I had a gift card to spend and where I would have usually pounced on a couple things I came across, I didn't this time. I truly thought about books I have wanted or needed in a series and looked for those first.

I've got enough books now that I can almost treat my shelves like a library and come across books I've forgotten about and pick them up like new again to read. It's been quite enjoyable so far and I intend to keep reaching for my shelf! 

Looking Back & Looking Forward

Hello dear readers,

Once upon a time I did monthly wrap ups, and I had bigdreams about doing more than just reviews on this little corner of the internet. Things have been sporadic here but I haven't given up on these dreams. I am trying to do like the lovely Leigh Bardugo says and "begin as you mean to go on". Nothing like the new year to reflect back, and make bigger and better plans for the future!

Let's start with my review of 2017. It was one heck of a year, but it came and went faster than I thought possible. 

I set my Goodreads challenge to 60 books last year and I made my goal with still a couple days to spare! A couple years ago when I started doing the yearly challenge, I set myself a goal of 100 books because I was sure I read that much normally and it would be a super easy thing to do. It wasn't and the first year I only made it to 50 books. Last year I set it a little higher at 60 and I made it. 

This year, I am going for 75. 

The goal of 100 is still in my mind but I am allowing myself a little grace and I am aiming for what *should* be reasonably within my reach. Whatever number I reach is still just a number, and I don't think that it really matters whatever number I or anyone else reach as long as we are doing it for the right reasons. I am going into this challenge with a happy heart and a goal simply to read as much as I possibly can because it feeds my soul. 

I did the nanowrimo challenge as well and failed miserably. Writing is still where my heart lives, but for some reason (actually a whole host of reasons that I don't want to admit to) I have a hard time throwing myself fully into my writing. It's what I want to do, but instead I turn to scrolling through Instagram or journalling, dreaming about that life when I am a full time writer. 

A big thing for 2018 is to live my life more intentionally. I have a full time day job that isn't all that and I want to spend my free time doing things that make me happy, like reading, writing, blogging, and paper crafts. Instead I do the things that simply make me feel good in the moment, but actually make me feel terrible about wasting my precious time off after I've done them. (I'm looking at you scrolling, mindless daytime tv, games on my phone, and living on my couch in pj's). It's time for a change. 

I've been trying to think of a word for the year for days now and I couldn't really come up with something I liked beyond "intentional", which is probably the most perfect word of the year for me. I think I am feeling uneasy about it because it means I actually have to do something. It's not just a pretty word that can be applied to situations where I'm sitting on my butt and hiding away. It means I have to think, and I have to do things, and I have to do them with a purpose. 

Baby steps, of course. 

Speaking of being intentional, my plans for this little corner of the internet is to post different kinds of content along with reviews, catch up with my reviews, reach more people, and get involved more in the book loving community in any way I can! 

I enjoy nattering on about books which is the whole reason I started this blog and the bookstagram account (@pamela.reads) a couple years ago, and I want to see them both flourish...intentionally!

Here's to a new year and a new start! Thanks for reading!

Pamela