The Unread Bookshelf

I first heard about The Unread Shelf Project from a post by Karen on Random Reflections. 

I was immediately taken with the concept and decided to implement it myself.  Thanks for the link Karen!  I'm not really following along with the monthly challenges, I'm just trying to whittle down my unread shelf throughout the year.  Either read or donate (or read, then donate) so that at the end of the year, these books are all on my "already read but want to keep" bookshelf or off to new homes.  Which would be easier if I would stop buying new books! Between books gifted to me and ones I've bought, I own a fairly complete reference section on job searching now!

Here's my Unread Shelf:

At the far left are Bella Grace magazines and several art books that are out for reference and aren't truly part of the challenge.  Starting with "God is At Eye Level" (a photography book) are the unread books culled from all over the house that I want to read or let go of this year. I've read The Gifts of Imperfection several times, but feel the need to read it again and choose one of these copies (both I've highlighted) to keep permanently.

Interestingly, not a single piece of fiction on that shelf! Most of the fiction I've "read" in the past several years has been Audible books.

The six books laying across the top are the ones I've already completed since January 1, 2020.  I also re-read Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt but that one is currently on loan to Sarah.

With the exception of Rising Strong by Brene Brown which I'm halfway through, I've FINISHED all of the unread books on my Audible subscription and cancelled the subscription. I learned that I can borrow audio books for free through the Philadelphia Library. 

Audible books completed this year include:
The Minimalist Way by Erica Layne
The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman
Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White (this one really helped when I tackled my craft space)
Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (second novel I've "read" by this author and I really like her style).

What are you reading???

Book Review

My book for April was "Find Your Happy" by Shannon Kaiser.  Rachel had purchased it as a Christmas gift off my Amazon wish list.

http://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Happy-Inspirational-Fullest/dp/1452555419/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430500502&sr=8-1&keywords=find+your+happy

I'd love to tell you that the book was fantastic, life changing, or really meaningful. Sadly, I can't say that. I rarely meet a book I don't like and I rarely give negative reviews. But this will be the exception. Find Your Happy was tediously repetitive and sorely in need of an editor to correct the poor grammar, mixed metaphors, and occasional lack of citations to references studies. I forced myself to finish it just to be fair about my review. If you have read any other self-help books about positivity or follow any uplifting blogs, you won't find anything new in this book. Not a single original thought. On the positive side - there are a lot of great quotes sprinkled throughout the book.