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Blog: The Pile High Club--how NOT to become a member
 Your TBR Pile
Do you guys keep a TBR pile? You know, a pile of books "To Be Read". Most people I know (myself included) buy books they intend to read or have heard about and want to read, and subsequently start their TBR pile whether they realize it or not. Oftentimes, though, with life as busy as it is, it takes a little longer getting to those "must reads" than we'd like.
This week I challenge you to take stock of your own personal library and see how many of the books you own are books you've actually read cover to cover. Then take stock of how many books you own that you read 10 years ago (or longer). Why are you keeping those books? If they are reference books or picture books of some kind, I can understand that you may look at them again (travel, language, photography, how-tos, self help, business etc.). But what about the fiction books? If you've read them you know how they end. Will you really ever read them again?
I have learned in my profession that some people are just information junkies and they equate having the book (or newsletter or college notebook, etc.) to having the knowledge. It's as if, if they got rid of the book, the characters and story would be banished from their memory forever. Not so. One client even told me she was keeping all her books in case someone ever asked her about a title they were reading. She wanted to be able to intelligently converse with the person about the book if she had read it, and she was concerned that she wouldn't remember if she'd read it or not if she didn't have the book.
If you really want to know what books you've read just create a list of titles and authors who've inspired you (I love my lists, don't I?). You can even categorize your list by genre or ISBN# to get really fancy. Then you can safely get rid of the book.
I'm not suggesting you throw away the books you no longer need. There are TONS of good places to donate books. You can donate them to your local old folks home/assisted living facility library (especially if you have large print books) or even your local jail library (yes, even criminals like to read!). If you have children's books, those can be donated to your school or to pediatrician offices for waiting rooms. Share the wealth and make room for the books that will eventually, hopefully move from your TBR pile to a HRND pile (Have Read, Now Donate).
posted on: 10/27/2008 10:30:00 AM by Heather Lambie
category: Paper
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The Pile High Club--how NOT to become a member
by Heather Lambie
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About Heather:
My Husband - "Honey, how thin can you spread yourself before you're no longer there?" Me - "I don't know. But I'm in it to win it, so we may have to find out."
Heather's Website:
www.yourhomeeditor.com
Favorite Websites
- The Sartorialist
This site appeases my hunger for all things New York, reminds me of my time there, and gives me great ideas for unconventional looks.
- Toffee To Go
They are located in Tampa, very near me, but they deliver/ship nationally. They have THE BEST toffee EVER. It's buttery, salty, sweet--all my favorite things in one bite.
- The Container Store
I know this is a no-brainer for an organizer...but this place really turns me on!
- The Poetry Foundation
- Because I Said So (blog)
As a mom myself, this mom of 6 (!!!) has me in stitches.
- Michael Buble
If I wasn't happily married, I might be stalking him. Bar none, the best voice and best sense of humor!
Quotes That Move Me
- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"The truth of the matter is, you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."
- Ivern Ball
"Most of us ask for advice when we know the answer but we want a different one."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The secret of education is respecting the pupil."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."
- Abigail Van Buren
"The best index to a person's character is how he treats another person who can't do him good, and how he treats people who can't fight back."
- Dorothy Galyean
"Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
- Aristotle
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
- Mark Twain
"To be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth. As long as one sorely needs a certain additional amount, that man isn't rich."
- Jackie Kennedy
"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much."
Places I'm Dying to Visit
- Hawaii
Any how, any way, any time.
- Los Cabos, Mexico
- China
- Japan
- Alaska (via cruise ship)
- Marbella, Spain
Places I've Already Been
- Australia (Sydney)
- New Zealand
- Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora
- London
- Paris
Spent only one day here (took the Chunnel from London when I was there) but it was one amazing, beautiful day where I walked the flea markets, visited the Louvre, people-watched and used all 6 senses to experience it.
- Trinidad & Tobago
My husband is from here, so we go several times a year to visit family.
- Italy (Milan, Vicenza)
- Jamaica
Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die
- Run a leg with the Olympic torch before the games begin
- See the monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico
- Ride a horse on the beach (in the water)
- See a prize fight (boxing) in Las Vegas
- Run the NYC Marathon
I ran the Disney Marathon in 2000 (pre-kids). Would love to run another post-kids, to prove I can.
- Have washboard abs.
- Eliminate self doubt.
- Own an apartment in Manhattan.
- Watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
- Take an RV trip down the coast of California.
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