Hermione’s 2020 Book Challenge
A few weeks ago, I discovered a problem. I own multiple bookshelves, but I am apparently out of space. This was discovered after Black Friday when I decided to buy the three illustrated Harry Potter books that I did not already have in my collection. I tried rearranging my books, but nothing I did made enough space for these three new books.
While rearranging my personal library, I came to the realization that I had not actually read many of the books on my shelves. When I moved out of my parents’ house, I brought only my favorite books. In the three years since then, I’ve apparently acquired about 200 more books, most of which I have not actually read. Every time I go to the store, I end up coming home with at least one new book.
I’ve been reading digital copies of books more due to my spending a lot more time out of my apartment and not wanting to carry a book around. My local library has a huge digital library, so I can basically read whatever I want without having to buy anything. Despite all of this, I keep buying physical copies of books. I love looking at them and being surrounded by words, but I also feel so overwhelmed because there are so many books on my shelves that I have not read. How do I choose a book to read when I have so many that I haven’t touched? There are so many options, and it is hard to narrow it down.
While looking at my new copies of the Harry Potter books, I started to think to myself, “What would Hermione do?” Obviously, she would read them. She would never let a book sit unread and unloved. She would read all of the books and absorb all of the knowledge that they hold. So that’s what I decided to do. In 2020, I plan to read the many unread books that I currently have on my shelves. I may not get to all of them, but I will try to read as many as I can. I’ll keep the books that I love and donate the rest so that someone else can enjoy them.
I’ll do my best to limit my book buying, but I have no self-control, which is really how we got here. So for every book I buy, I’ll put one in the donate pile, two if I can. I want to make sure that I’m surrounded by books that I truly love and that I’m not just overwhelmed by having so many things I need to read that I turn to something else.
I encourage all of you to do a challenge like this in 2020 whether it be with books, clothes, or even that box of unused pens hiding in a closet. Read them, wear them, and write with them. They are not doing you any good just sitting there. Just think to yourself, “What would Hermione do?” And then do it.
