My name is Jae Halam and I'm a book-a-holic.

Seriously, I have a problem...  I collect books.  I can't resist.  I buy more than I can read.  I swear, promise, determine that I'll NOT buy another until I plow thru what I already have but that lasts as long as my next reading craving, which is pretty much a constant craving...  Yes, I actually get a craving to go to the bookstore!  Or to Goodwill where I peruse EVERY title along 3 rows of 4 5-tiered shelves filling up a cart to add to my ever-growing to-read pile (but at a mere $1.50 - $2.00 a pop so it is soooo worth it!).

Heaven.

~sigh~

I had decided my mantra this year would be "not again in 2010" and although I didn't specifically say "no more books," that was technically part of it because "curb frivolous spending" was actually part of it, and unfortunately, in my situation, "buying books" definitely qualifies as "frivolous spending."

~double sigh~

So.  As is true to my annual norm, December is my month of reflection upon the passing year and contemplation of the coming one.  And this day, December 1st, I am contemplating my out-of-control book collection, which has filled up the bookcase...

and spilled over onto the floor...

So I started to organize the masses...

And root out the "already reads"...

And organize the collections...

Then rearranged the bookcase...

But they didn't all fit so I took the leftovers to the other bookcase in the study...

And realized I had quite a mess on my hands.  Especially when it occured to me that this wasn't everything - I have more books upstairs and in boxes in the basement. 

~triple sigh~

But a thought began to form...  a project... a plan...  a plan to read these books, really read them.  Not just "think" about reading them, but actually pick them up, crack their spine, read their words, close them up then  blog about them.

So I started by making a list of all the books lying about that I intend to read (intend being a key word here).  Intend to read.  Someday.  Books on religion, health, finance, business, not just my favorite leisure read genre, the who-dun-it-murder-mystery-suspense-cops-and-robbers-good-vs-evil-legal-thriller...

By the time I finished, with just the 2 rooms noted here (saving the upstairs & the basement for another day - ~quadruple sigh~!), I came up with 161 titles.

Holy Moly Cheese & Baloney!  If I stay consistent with my average of 10 books a year, I'll get thru this pile in 16 years, so in 2027 when I'm 62 freakin' years old. 

Harrumpth.

I don't like that plan!

But I'm moving forward with it anyway...  To ensure I read a variety, not just my favorite genre (already noted above), I'm going to have each title identified on a card, placed in a box and when it's time to read a new book, I'm going to reach in the box and whatever title comes out is the one that is next on the list.

I'll document my progress under the "161 Project" tab. 

Ugh.  I've got alot of work to do...