So I'm kind of obsessing over my books right now

...and actually have been for the past few days.  It started, like a lot of my obsessions do, with not wanting to go to bed.  This past Saturday, Vince had to work all night on a big-deal computer project thingy at work and I really don't like going to bed without him.  So after falling asleep on the couch while watching tv, at 11:30 I decided to get up and go to bed.  Well, I did get up... however, I did not go to bed.  Not for a couple hours anyway.  Instead I decided to go through all my books and log and organize them in "Goodreads".

Because that was more important than sleeping at midnight.

Obviously.

Most of my books are real actual paper books (which is what I prefer). I also have several in my Nook app on my iPad.  Many of them I have read already, but I have about 20 or so that are on my "want to read" shelf. I keep telling myself I have to read them all before I can get any more. 

HAHAHAHA.  Right.

I love books!!  And I have a hard time letting them go once I am done with them.  I hi-light, write notes and smiley faces and exclamation points in the margins and fold over the corners of the pages I want to come back to.  I hang on to my favorites for just that purpose...so I can come back to them and read my hi-lights and notes which help me remember and digest the things I've read.  Otherwise it's too easy to forget the things God has taught me through them....and if I do that, then what's the point in reading them, really?

Most of my books fall into the spiritual growth category.  My favorite authors tend to be funny, like Sophie Hudson and Jen Hatmaker...

...and also make me think deeply and grow in my faith like Beth Moore, Angie Smith, and Max Lucado.

I have recently gotten interested in memoirs.  I am fascinated by people - how they think, how they have lived their lives and the experiences that have shaped who they are.  Especially when they can recognize the hand of God and how He has moved in their lives to bring victory...beauty from ashes. That's inspiring to me!!

And of course I have books on marriage...

parenting...

health...

...and all the devotionals I will ever, ever need.

So now, after a couple days and several hours of obsessing, I have a clean and relatively dust free bookshelf in our room...yay!

I also have a box of books to donate, including some from Mr. Wonderful's collection...

addendum:  I have already pulled out 4 books from the give-away box and put them back on my bookshelf because clearly I have a problem.  Someone needs to take this box to Good Will already.

And, now that I have my totally organized (and dust free) virtual bookshelves in Goodreads, I have a list of all my books with me wherever I go!  When I'm at my happy place (Barnes and Noble, hello!)  or Good Will, I will never have to worry about accidentally buying a book I already have.

Well...after I finish reading all the books that I already own, of course.

HAHAHAHA.  Right.