116

I think I own somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 books.  More, if you count all the Caldecott Medal winners I got for Christmas.  But the cruddy phone photo you see before you represents a sad, 116 volume group:  the unread.

Granted, I've begun at least half of these books.  If you notice, anywhere a large break in the orientation of the organization takes place (for instance, the books suddenly go from vertical to stacked), all the books on the right are ones I trifled with at some point.
However, just because I've begun all those books doesn't mean I am somehow less pathetic.  That is far too many books to leave unfinished.

Also, this proves a point I often make when people exclaim over my books.  I always stammer something silly like, "the shelves are better read than I am!" because nearly all of the "classics" are on that left hand shelf.  I buy Tristram Shandy and D.H. Lawrence and stuff like that in bulk at used book sales because I know I ought to read them.  Then I just never do.

So! I'm considering making my goal next year to read ALL of these books.

It's not nearly as boneheaded as trying to read a book a day, but it's still a daunting task.  Even with some help before New Years, I'll have to read at least two books a week, which won't be anything easy when it's time to tackle Anna Karenina or that three inch volume of somebody or other's short works.
I gave myself permission to cram as many in before the first of the year as possible, so that ought to help. It also sounds exhausting, because I plan to read some Kurt Vonnegut (too many things in my life are telling me I need to) and more Orson Scott Card over the Christmas holiday as well.  My life is so hard. So much reading.

However, I think the idea is sound.  If nothing else I'll be better read, I guess.