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Ever felt like you have too many books and not enough time to read them? It seems like every month I’m constantly adding more books to my shelves though I’m rarely reading what I own. With review copies coming in, plus I’m constantly going to the library, and with the occasional book binge, lately I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with all the books I have. Amy over at My Friend Amy came up with a great plan to read the growing piles of books: a point-based game called B.L.O.B. also known as Biggest Loser of Books.
The rules of the game:
- Every person starts out with zero points. For each addition book (except gifts) that come into your home during the game, you add points. In this game, points aren’t good.
- Impulse buys: 10 pts
- Considered buys: 5 pts
- Books from a swap site: 5 pts
- Review copies that were pitched to us: 3 pts
- Review copies that were requested: 5 pts
- Unsolicited: 0 pts
- Library books: 3 pts
- Gifts: 0 pts
- Con someone into buying you a book = 10 pts
- For every book we give away, we can take 2 pts off our score.
- Books requested/bought in January that show up in February don’t count.
- Books placed on hold in January that show up in February do count.
- Points also apply to audios, ebooks, and digital downloads.
- The person with the least amount of points win.
Throughout the month of February six bloggers will be participating in the game: Dawn (She is Too Fond of Books), Nicole (Linus’s Blanket), Amy, Candace (Beth Fish Reads), Jen (Devourer of Books), and myself. Nicole and I think we might need this game more than everyone else, so we’re playing B.L.O.B. until the end of March.
One of the great things about this game besides reading from the ever-growing TBR pile is that we’ve all agreed that for each point we add to our score, $1 will go to a charity of our choice. My charity of choice is 826National.org.
My Thoughts
My goal is to read at least 20 of my own books. January has been a horrible month reading-wise. So horrible that I haven’t bothered to update my “books read” page. I’m hoping February is much better. I do think this game is going to be very challenging since I won’t be able to check out books from the library without adding points to my score. Still I’m cannot wait to start!
A few books I’m looking forward to reading:
- Big Machine by Victor LaValle
- The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman
- Gringolandia by Ly Miller-Lachman
- Satchel by Larry Tye
My first read for B.L.O.B. is Notes from No Man’s Land by Eula Biss. It’s a collection of essays I started reading Thursday. I’m really enjoying it so far. Don’t look for a review just yet. It’s a book I’m going to re-read before I review it.
So what are you reading today? Do you have any reading plans for February? Be sure to check out the other B.L.O.B. participants’ lists today and tomorrow.
Ah! The great BLOB is revealed! I am going to play along unofficially. I seriously need to
Good luck with the challenge. I have no willpower and it would cost me a fortune.
That’s a great idea – now if only you could get some minor celebrity to vlog about your final ‘weigh in’.
I like this idea! I think you should get to subtract points for books you read, though, if you own them.
I guess my concern is less about space and more about unread books. I look forward to seeing how you guys do and I might play along unofficially too.
Sounds interesting!
Here is my Sunday Salon post!
Kinda like a GameOn Diet challenge? What a clever idea! I wish you the best of luck with your goals, and great enjoyment with your reading
What a great idea! I don’t bring a lot of books into my home like other book bloggers, but it still makes me want to participate.
I think this is going to be both scary and fun. I hope it just simply changes my habits and makes me THINK before buying/acquiring.
Let’s have some fun.
*giggles* This sounds fun but it would never do for me – I’d rack up zillions of points every time I set foot in the library. Good luck to y’all! I will be following your efforts with interest.
I am going to have to steal the BLOB. I have more books to read on my shelves than I typically finish in two years. Seriously…it’s a problem. Soon there will be a television show on about it: book hoarders….
Good luck!
What fun! I can totally picture a big chart up in a viewable space in my house with the points being tallied. Visable reminders almost always work for me. This could turn into an every other month type of contest for the year. Hmmmm…I may have to unofficially play along too. Too many visits to the library this month has seriously put me behind on the RYOB challenge (as I stare at yet another library book I’m reading). I agree with Amanda, you should get points subtracted for your own books read but not given away. Sometimes you want to keep a really good book and not getting any points subtracted may cause you to avoid certain books. Good Luck with the game!
What a great game! Good luck with losing the most books
Good luck with your game! You have chosen many book I want to read, including Notes From No Man’s Land. It is on hold t my library.
Did I read correctly -that you earn points for books from the library? Girl, you are so going to go through library withdrawal!
This is a great idea! I’m just not sure I’m strong enough.
BLOB sound like Weight Watcher point put to better use! I hope you get to all you want to read in February.
This is wonderful! Hope you reach your goal. I was being very good about reading from my shelves last year but this year I seem to be relying on library copies a lot.
Oh this is so funny and fun. I wish you well in your read from your stacks goals!
LOL, what a great game. I love it, wish you luck, and can’t wait to see how everyone comes out!
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This comes at a very good time for me. I think this will work out well. Good luck!
You’re smart to list the books you want to get to, that’s good incentive. I’m so buried in review books and library books, I need to think what books I’ll be able to get to in March and April by not accepting anything in February…
Good luck! I just got Absolutely True Diary today and it sounds so good! Can’t wait to see your thoughts
This is a cool idea! Because I am behind in my blog reading I hadn’t even heard of it until now!
Best of luck!
I’ve been successful this year in terms of stopping myself from purchasing new books or adopting free ones, but the siren song of the library thwarts my shelf-clearing plans every time, haha. Looking forward to your thoughts about Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (which I loved!) and the Satchel Page bio. I heard an NPR segment with Larry Tye recently and it was really interesting!
(Also would just like to say you’re welcome for the award. You were one of the first people to contact me during Bloggiesta and I’ve really enjoyed following your blog since then!
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NICE. I need this challenge! I don’t have the patience for keeping track of points though! And I’d be embarrassed cause I’d come in last!
Crud! I totally missed this BLOB thing, and it sounds really fun.
You see what happens when I ignore my Google Reader for a while??
Gringolandia! Have you read it yet?