Let me tell you a sad story about a girl who has too many books and not enough place to put them all.

I call it The Story of My Life.

Despite the large percentage of my books that currently live in my parent’s basement in Michigan, I have recently reached capacity for my 3 sizable Boston bookshelves. I didn’t even ask for any books for Christmas this year because I knew I wouldn’t have anywhere to put them, and I wouldn’t have any time to read them.

I told you! This is a SAD story, don’t you think?

A year and a half ago, my pal Jules over at Pancakes & French Fries challenged herself to finishing what she calls The Unread Library that takes up shelf space in her own home. I found this project intriguing, but I’m not sure I could ever make the commitment she has made – to not buy a single book before finishing off those abandoned titles. First of all, I have so many unread books, it would probably take me over a year to complete this task. Being that I only buy 3-4 books a year anyway, I would consider the exercise somewhat masochistic – why torture myself when my input is so low anyway?  I think a more effective tactic would be for me to freeze my library card in a hunk of ice until I finish them all… but watching Jules make steady progress on her stack of books is motivating, nonetheless. I’d like to at least document my own Unread Library here, so in July when I am packing up my life into cardboard boxes, I will at least be aware of what books I’ve decided to take with me onto my next life-destination.

Also: please pity my poor, can’t-stand-upright, sway-shelved bookshelf.

1. Achatz, Grant & Nick Kokonas Life, On the Line
2. Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, vol 2: The Kingdom on the Waves
3. Atwood, Margaret Negotiating with the Dead
4. Betancourt, Ingrid Even Silence Has An End
5. Bowe, John Us: Americans Talk About Love
6. Brown, Renni & Dave King Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
7. Burnett, Frances Hodgson The Secret Garden
8. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
9. Dahl, Roald Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
10. DiCamillo The Magician’s Elephant
11. Donnelly, Jennifer Revolution
12. Eggers, Dave ed. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007
13. Friedman, Thomas L. The World is Flat
14. Gantos, Jack Dead End in Norvelt
15. Goldberg, Natalie Writing Down the Bones
16. Holloway, Kris Monique and the Mango Rains
17. Jarzab, Anna All Unquiet Things
18. Jewett, Sarah Orne A Country Doctor
19. Johnson, Marilyn This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians can save us all
20. Karr, Mary The Liar’s Club
21. Kipling, Rudyard The Jungle Books: Vol 1
22. Kipling, Rudyard The Jungle Books: Vol 2
23. Krauss, Nicole The History of Love
24. Levithan, David The Lover’s Dictionary
25. Meloy, Colin Wildwood
26. Miller, Sarah The Other Girl
27. Moriarty, Jaclyn The Spell Book of Listen Taylor
28. O’Brien, Caragh Birthmarked
29. Oliver, Lauren Delirium
30. Pessl, Marisha Special Topics in Calamity Physics
31. Phelan, Matt The Storm in the Barn
32. Riggs, Ransom Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
33. Robbins, Tom Still Life With Woodpecker
34. Scofield, Sandra The Scene Book
35. Setterfield, Diane The Thirteenth Tale
36. Skloot, Rebecca The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
37. Smiley, Jane 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel
38. Suma, Nova Ren Imaginary Girls
39. Tough, Paul Whatever It Takes
40. Troost, J. Maarten The Sex Lives of Cannibals
41. Turner, Nancy These Is My Words
42. Twain, Mark Autobiography of Mark Twain, vol. 1
43. Wallace, David Foster Brief Interviews With Hideous Men
44. Wallace, David Foster Infinite Jest

P.S. I am fairly sure than when Jules posted her list, I laughed at it’s dainty nature. However, now that I have compiled this list fully, I see that we are exactly evenly matched. Although I am willing to place bets that my own Book to Square Foot of Real Estate ratio is much, much higher. I can’t escape them. They are everywhere.