A good Sunday to you! It has been a restful week around here. I was off from school for mid-winter break so spent time getting some cleaning done, sorting through papers and old files, and planning for my veggie garden.
The weather this week was cold for Seattle and we had brief snow showers. North and south of the city there was, for our area, some serious snow fall. On Friday Mr G and I took a day trip to Camano Island.
We were blessed with a beautiful day. The sun was out and the air was crystal clear, the mountains to the east and west just brilliant. I had my camera with me but the only photos I took were looking west over Puget Sound before we drove into the snow. We stopped for lunch in the town of Stanwood and discovered Snow Goose Books. When we travel we always try and visit independent bookshops, browse their shelves and, disregarding our “book buying ban”, sometimes purchase a book or two.
As for reading this week, I managed to stay with the TBR Dare right through Saturday. Then I went by the library and picked up Karen Russell’s Swamplandia!. I knew that book would be the one that had me break the Dare, I am fine with that and when I finish it I will continue to read from my own piles right through the end of March.
Again, I want to thank James for coming up with the brilliant TBR Dare idea. It has made a change in the way I add books to my TBR list, how I plan to borrow books from the library and how I plan to purchase books in the future. I have made myself a promise that I will read one of my own TBR books for every library book I read.
How about you? Did you take the Dare, and if so, how are you doing?
Page247 
You did great during the TBR Dare! I just started and so far I’m doing okay. I love the picture. It looks so relaxing. Have a great Sunday and happy reading!
Thanks, Vasilly. I feel really good about the dare and hope to stick to my reading plan when it is over!
I’ve not been having much trouble sticking to the dare, but I’m afraid I’ve mostly been reading books I got right near the end of 2010, so I’m not doing much to reduce the stacks. Your promise to yourself is a good one. I’ve held to that same guideline pretty well this past year, but I haven’t done much to slow down the incoming torrent. But, as I mentioned in my post today, I’m taking steps on that front, too. Next step, big TBR cull.
I think your idea of “shutting off the fire hose” is a great one. I also have many TBR books tucked away in places. I am creating a list on Goodreads to help me with that problem:)
Wow, gorgeous photo!!! What a lovely day you had … and I can understand why you caved on Swamplandia – I just picked that one up not long ago too and I am looking forward to reading it (the cover completely sucked me in!).
Thank you, I live in a pretty beautiful place (except when it is gray and raining for weeks at a time). Isn’t the “Swamplandia!” cover amazing?
Argh! Well if you were going to break the dare, Swamplandia would be the right one to do it. I so want to read that book…love the whole atmosphere of Southern Florida. I’m solid with The Dare, and fully intend to make it through to April 1st. My book clubs keep my need for non-shelf books appeased!
I’ve never been to Florida but Russell’s writing creates some amazingly swampy pictures in my head. I think I can sneak”Swamplandia!” into the Dare, it’s been on my TBR list since I first heard about it! Or is that cheating?
Excellent decision. If only I could do so. One library book, one TBR. It sounds so doable….
Here’s my post: http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2011/02/sunday-salon-ten-tiny-book-reviews.html
After the Dare I will see how long the one book to one book ratio lasts!
Ooh Swamplandia, you have a copy already! I can hardly wait for your review.
I love your picture of Puget Sound. I’ve been there, and having lived in Victoria, this brings back many memories and a tinge of homesickness. Gorgeous photo!
I really like how you visit the independent book stores you find, I try to do that too in the places I visit.
Have a good week, Gavin!
Oh, I love visiting Victoria and Vancouver. I’d love to spend more time on Vancouver Island some day. I got Swamplandia! from the library and am tearing through it. You have a great week too, Susan!
I loved how the Dare motivated me to read all those languishing books. I managed to clear off half a shelf already, which is a lot for me!
The Dare has planning to read all the books I have tucked away and haven’t read for one reason or another. It has been a great motivator.
That bookstore looks like my kind of place :)
The Snow Goose is a lovely bookstore and the people who run it are wonderful!
I’ve been doing pretty well with the TBR Dare. I’ve only made two exceptions so far, which I think is really good. I’m hoping to keep up with it through the end of the month, and then maybe a lighter version going forward.
That’s great, Kim! I’m definitely going to keep reading my own books after the Dare is finished. I need to get a handle on the piles of books scattered around my house!