Bedroom Cleanout of '09: Book Edition

So, maybe I'm the only one - but my bedroom is like the graveyard of unwanted/unplaced items in our house.

Company coming over? - throw the extra stuff in our room.
Suitcases? - Scoot them under the bed
Clothing that doesn't fit? - Make a thousand different size/season piles around the room
Kid's toys? - Randomly left in a trail from the door to the bathroom
Dirty clothes? Start out in the hamper, then begin flooding into the room
Duvet cover? - On the floor because the darn thing kept getting twisted around
Blankets? - On the floor because it goes from 50 degrees to NINETY in 24 hours
Pillows? - My body pillow from PREGNANCY is still hanging around the bed
Water bottles/cups? - Apparently I must think I'm really thirsty

And then there are the magazines and books...

Let's just say, I'm a reader. And now let's also say, I'm the mother of two children under 3. Hmmm... My reading time these days is limited, but my desire is HUGE!! There exists an insurmountable pile of books around my bed. Books that I have started reading, am reading, or want to read.

I pulled all of these books out tonight and started categorizing them...parenting, spiritual, homemaking, nutrition, etc. And then I got a grand idea. I still LOVE being able to read multiple books at once - I get easily bored with a subject. But having mountains of books drowning me in my bedroom is not working. So I chose one book from each of the categories I had stacked around me. This narrowed down my book pile to 6 books (from about 40). Then I put the rest of the books in my huge book trunk (what? you don't have a book trunk? you need one!) and made a new rule for myself. I can pull a new book out when I finish one from that category. No more insane book piles. And when I finish, I can either keep the book for reference/re-read if it's good, or sell it, give away, whatever. But I have to make a choice.

I might even start posting my finished books up here in case anyone wants to add to their reading list. I'm all for book borrowing, or even keeping if it's not one I want to keep.

The latest book finished was The Disappearance of God. Not typically a book I would pick out, but it was left here by my Mom when she visited. If anyone wants it, it's yours.

So that's one bedroom task down...only a million more to go.