The Great Bookcase Crusade

It is the general habit of bookworms to gather up as many beloved tomes as we can and then hoard them forever and ever. They’re pretty, and we’ll always read them again… right?

I’ll admit that as a kid, I was really good about this. I have a well worn copy of Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander that I still break out every couple years for nostalgia reasons. As I’ve gotten older, and especially in the last five years… I tend to gather more than I can read. Between snagging great deals on used books and the influx of book boxes and physical ARCs, I feel like I’m constantly adding books, but rarely reading them. And that’s something I want to change.

The Great Bookcase Crusade was created in early 2017 as a way to keep myself accountable for reading the physical copies I own. It’s also served as a way for me to curate my personal library a little better – culling out volumes that I don’t enjoy as much as I once did in an attempt to maintain a large but manageable personal library.

I set myself up guidelines and rules in order to make sure I am both reading and getting rid of books. As of today (8/19/2019) I’ve been working on this project for two and a half years, and I’ve read less than 100 books from my personal collection. I’ve maintained a 65% Keep / 35% Donate ratio. Over the next few years, I want to hold myself responsible for the following, additional goals:

Read at least 4 hardcopy books / month.
Do not buy more books in a month than I have read off my shelf.
Cut down (or completely stop) book boxes.
Check in on my blog with this project every 3 months so YOU can keep me accountable (starting January 2020).

I’m hoping this will help me curate a higher quality personal library, and help me break the bad habit of buying books I don’t love. After all, I am fortunate enough to have library access and should use it!

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The qualifiers

Books rated a 4+ are kept.
Books rated a 3 or 3.5 are usually goners unless the are good reasons.
Books rated a 2.5 or below are gone.
Childhood favorites or books I want to keep in my collection for specific reasons may break all the rules and run rampant.

Books that I keep after reading them get stamped and rated! It’s like my own personal library card system (but without the cards – that’s a little too much for me).

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Winter 2019/2020

104+/830+

This season, I read ? books. Of these, I kept ? books and donated ? books. I have read a total of 104+ books and unhauled a total of 43+ books. Additionally, I hauled ? books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 444+ books. I am currently 13% of the way to completing my goal.

December / January / February

13 books found

October 1, 2010

February 4, 2020

January 7, 2020

★★★★

July 8, 2014

November 5, 2019

★★★★

February 1, 2015

★★★★

August 28, 1999

★★★★

September 1, 2002

September 25, 2013

March 4, 2014

September 10, 2013

★★½

November 1, 1972

★★★★

May 1, 2008

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Autumn 2019

104/830

This season, I read 11 books. Of these, I kept 4 books and donated 7 books. I have read a total of 104 books and unhauled a total of 43 books. Additionally, I hauled 17 books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 444 books. I am currently 13% of the way to completing my goal.

September / October / November

46 books found

★★★★

May 1, 2010

★★★★

October 1, 2011

★★★★★

September 14, 2008

★★★★

June 1, 2002

★★★★

January 1, 1901

★★★★

September 24, 2019

★★★

October 1, 2019

★★½

October 29, 2019

★★★★

September 17, 2019

★★★★★

October 1, 2019

★★★½

October 15, 2019

★★

September 24, 2019

★★★½

October 8, 2019

★★★

October 8, 2019

★★★★★

October 1, 2019

★★★★

August 20, 2013

★★★★½

October 20, 2015

★★★★½

September 24, 2019

★★★½

October 15, 2019

★★★★½

May 24, 2011

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Summer 2019

93/813

This season, I read 14 books. 3 of these were hardcopy re-reads. Of these, I kept 10 books and donated 4 books. I have read a total of 93 books and unhauled a total of 36 books. Additionally, I hauled 73 books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 426 books. I am currently 11% of the way to completing my goal.

June / July / August

49 books found

★★★★★

February 27, 2018

★★★★½

July 25, 2017

★★★★½

April 2, 2015

★★★

April 12, 2011

★★

November 27, 2018

★★★★★

July 30, 2019

★★★

August 1, 2019

★★★★★

August 6, 2019

★★★★

October 23, 2018

★★★

June 18, 2019

★★★★

June 25, 2019

★★½

July 9, 2019

★★★★★

September 10, 2019

★★★½

September 10, 2019

★★★½

September 3, 2019

★★★★★

April 5, 2011

★★★½

April 3, 2007

★★★★★

July 9, 2019

★★★★

October 1, 2009

★

October 4, 2016

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Spring 2019

82/740

This season, I read 5 books. Of these, I kept 3 books and donated 2 books. I have read a total of 82 books and unhauled a total of 32 books. Additionally, I hauled 29 books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 353 books. I am currently 11% of the way to completing my goal.

March / April / May

39 books found

★★★

July 29, 1954

★★★★

January 5, 2016

★★★★

April 2, 2019

★★★★★

May 7, 2019

★★½

April 2, 2019

★★★

May 7, 2019

★★★★★

April 16, 2019

★★★★

June 4, 2019

★★★

April 30, 2019

★★★

April 16, 2019

★★★½

April 1, 2019

★★★

June 11, 2019

★★★★

March 3, 2015

★★★★

January 13, 2015

★★★★

March 1, 2002

★★★★★

November 15, 2016

★★★★

May 14, 2019

★★★★★

November 26, 1865

★★★★

June 11, 2008

★★★★½

May 28, 2019

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Winter 2018/2019

77/711

This season, I read 11 books. Of these, I kept 7 books and donated 4 books. I have read a total of 77 books and unhauled a total of 30 books. Additionally, I hauled 74 books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 324 books. I am currently 11% of the way to completing my goal.

December / January / February

42 books found

★★★★

April 5, 2016

★★★★★

March 28, 2017

★★★★

January 15, 2019

★★★½

September 17, 2013

★★★★

September 25, 2018

★★★★½

February 5, 2019

★★★★

September 15, 2006

★★★★★

June 8, 1987

★

February 6, 2018

★★★★

November 8, 2016

★★

April 10, 1925

★★★★

February 19, 2019

★★★★

September 9, 2014

★★★

May 22, 2017

February 23, 2016

★★★★

June 20, 2017

★★★★★

July 5, 2008

★★★★

January 11, 2011

★★★★

October 4, 2016

★★½

January 1, 1998

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Autumn 2018

66/646

This season, I read 14 books. Of these, I kept 8 books and donated 6 books. I have read a total of 66 books and unhauled a total of 26 books. Additionally, I hauled 43 books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 250 books. I am currently 10% of the way to completing my goal.

September / October / November

44 books found

★★★★

October 1, 1820

★★★★★

October 9, 2018

★★★★½

September 24, 2013

★★★★

March 4, 2014

★★★★½

May 3, 2001

★★½

September 18, 2018

★★★

May 15, 2018

★★½

October 1, 1990

★★★★★

October 27, 2015

★★★★

September 18, 1990

★★

February 20, 2018

★★★½

June 3, 2014

★★★★★

September 18, 2018

★★★

September 25, 2018

★★★★

August 7, 2018

★★★★

January 9, 2018

★★★½

May 1, 2002

★★

February 2, 2016

★★★★★

April 26, 2016

★★★★★

September 29, 2015

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Summer 2018

52/603

This season, I read 12 books. Of these, I kept 6 books and donated 6 books. I have read a total of 52 books and unhauled a total of 20 books. Additionally, I hauled 23 books. Since this project began, I have hauled a total of 224 books. I am currently 8% of the way to completing my goal.

June / July / August

40 books found

September 6, 2011

October 28, 2014

★★★★

November 6, 2012

★★★★

March 6, 2018

★★★★

May 1, 2003

★★★★

September 16, 2004

★★★★★

October 1, 2008

★★★½

February 8, 2011

★★★★

April 24, 2018

★★★★★

June 7, 2018

★★★★★

June 16, 2016

★★★★★

June 19, 2018

★★★★

December 9, 2003

★★★½

May 1, 2003

★★★★

August 4, 2002

★★★

February 1, 1999

★★★½

November 4, 2003

★★★

February 5, 2018

★★★★

June 8, 2004

March 27, 2018

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Spring 2018

40/580

This season, I read 9 books. Of these, I kept 7 books and donated 2 books. I have read a total of 40 books and unhauled a total of 14 books. Additionally, I hauled 39 books. I am currently 6% of the way to completing my goal.

March / April / May

33 books found

★★★★

March 3, 2005

★★★★½

April 10, 2018

★★★★★

January 1, 1915

★★

March 6, 2018

★★★★★

September 26, 1985

★★★

February 3, 2009

★★★★½

October 1, 1993

January 1, 1978

★★★★★

January 2, 2018

★★★★★

March 6, 2018

★★★★

April 3, 2018

★★★★★

April 3, 2018

★★★

April 3, 2018

★★★★½

May 12, 2015

★★★★★

June 30, 1936

★★★★½

August 11, 2009

★★★★★

November 4, 1997

★★★★½

March 13, 2018

★★★

January 1, 2005

★★★★★

August 16, 2011

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Winter 2017/2018

31/541

This season, I read 6 books. Of these, I kept 3 books and donated 3 books. I have read a total of 31 books and unhauled a total of 12 books. Additionally, I hauled 35 books. I am currently 5% of the way to completing my goal.

December / January / February

50 books found

★★½

May 22, 2007

★★★★

February 6, 2018

★

September 2, 2014

★★

February 6, 2014

★★★

February 6, 2018

★★★★

January 9, 2018

★★★★

December 5, 2017

★★★★

January 16, 2018

★★★★

December 7, 2010

★★★

January 1, 1967

★★★★★

January 23, 2018

★★★

October 10, 2010

★★★★½

August 1, 1991

★★½

September 29, 2009

★★★★½

January 1, 1962

★★★★★

February 7, 2017

★★★

June 1, 1985

October 16, 2012

★★★★★

October 1, 2013

★★★½

January 1, 2013

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Autumn 2017

25/506

This season, I read 11 books. Of these, I kept 9 books and donated 2 books. I have read a total of 25 books and unhauled a total of 9 books. Additionally, I hauled 82 books. I am currently 4% of the way to completing my goal.

September / October / November

36 books found

★★★★½

February 17, 1986

★★

March 3, 2008

★★★★★

July 16, 2005

★★★★★

March 1, 2011

★★★★½

January 17, 2012

★★★★½

April 2, 2015

★★★

April 8, 2008

★★★

February 22, 2011

★★★★

October 10, 2017

★★★★

August 18, 2004

★★★★★

October 10, 2017

★★★★½

October 25, 2016

★★★★

October 1, 1820

★★★★

October 10, 2017

★★★½

October 24, 2017

★★★★

June 1, 2001

★★★

September 12, 2017

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

★★★★½

July 21, 2007

★★★★

December 1, 2009

★★★

September 13, 2012

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Summer 2017

14/424

This season, I read 8 books. Of these, I kept 3 books and donated 5 books. I have read a total of 14 books and unhauled a total of 7 books. Additionally, I hauled 36 books. I am currently 3% of the way to completing my goal.

June / July / August

25 books found

July 9, 2017

★★★

October 17, 2011

★★★★

June 21, 2003

★★★★½

September 13, 2011

★★★★

February 28, 2017

★★

January 5, 1886

October 1, 2010

★★★★½

May 13, 2003

September 1, 1979

★★★★★

January 1, 2010

★★★★

October 18, 2011

★★★

August 23, 2011

February 1, 2011

★★★★½

July 25, 2017

★★★★★

March 1, 2006

★★★★½

September 30, 2008

★★★½

January 31, 2017

★★★★

★★★★

August 1, 2017

★★

December 1, 2016

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Spring 2017

6/388

This season, I read 2 books. Of these, I kept 1 book and donated 1 book. I have read a total of 6 books and unhauled a total of 2 books. I am currently 1% of the way to completing my goal.

March / April / May

5 books found

★★★★★

June 1, 1908

Drawn Away by Holly Bennett

★★

January 17, 2017

★★★★

September 16, 2004

★★★★

December 18, 2012

★★★★★

July 8, 2000

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Winter 2016/2017

4/388

This season, I read 4 books. Of these, I kept 3 books and donated 1 book. I have read a total of 4 books and unhauled a total of 1 book. Additionally, I hauled 7 books. I am currently 1% of the way to completing my goal.

December / January / February

14 books found

★★★

July 1, 1950

★★★★★

September 3, 2015

★½

December 1, 1844

★★★★

December 9, 2014

★★★★

November 29, 2016

★★★★★

July 2, 1998

★★★★★

March 27, 2007

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers

★★

May 5, 2008

★★★★

March 26, 2013

★★★½

June 18, 2013

★★★★★

July 8, 1999

★★★

July 29, 1954

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

★★★★½

June 5, 2012

★★★★★

July 8, 2000

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