GIVE IT A TRY IN JULY -- The finale

The end of July is nearing. How did I do/what did I decide to do with the books on my GIVE IT A TRY IN JULY challenge?

This challenge gave me a chance to decide if I would keep and read on or discard and/or donate each book. As you see I kept going past the original ten books I thought I could manage in a month.

1. Secrets of the Vine by Wilkinson-- This small book is about the size of my palm, it was very popular in the 1980s. I read the author's first book, The Prayer of Jabez, when it was first published. When I recently acquired this one I thought it wouldn't take much to read and digest. I've added it to my devotional books pile which I read from every morning. When finished, I'll donate it to someone in my Bible Study.
2. The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea -- I was given this book as a gift. I want to read it but not in this format. I am reshelving it as a reminder to locate an audiobook version of it in the near future.
3. The Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggers-- I had this title in the biography section of my high school library, entranced by both the title and the back story -- a young adult suddenly becomes "parent" to a younger sibling when both parents die within a year. Now I know what it was never checked out. I had no idea that the book was written in stream-of-consciousness style. After 52 pages of struggle, I set it aside. If I'm curious enough to finish this one it will have to be in audiobook form. Let someone else grapple with the pages of long paragraphs while I listen. In the meantime, I've set this aside to donate to the library for its book sales.
4. The Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown by Amy Gary -- My sister recently loaned me this book after reading it with her book club. She said all the women, retired teachers, liked the backstory of the author of the children's book Goodnight Moon, but didn't care for the writing. My sister's advice to me, skim it. After reading less than a quarter of the book, I see what she means. The writing just isn't very tight -- expanding on some details and completely skipping others. I finished this one, reading quickly, now will pass it along to my younger sister (who teaches pre-school and is certainly familiar with Margaret Wise Brown books.)
5. Work Songs by Ivan Doig. I've owned both the print and audio version of this book by a favorite author for many years. When I started reading/listening to it I couldn't stop. Complete! This one is going in a box with other completed favorite books to keep.
6. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach. I've owned this book for years and never got past the excellent dedication: For Woody. Ha! The book was published in 2008. It is now 2023. Honestly, I have to admit, I don't want to read it. However, since I do like Mary Roach's other books: Stiff, Gulp, and Grunt, I will search around and see if the library has an audio version I can borrow. Maybe that format will work and I can finally free myself from this print version.
7. Tattoos on the Heart by Boyle. I picked this one up somewhere along the way thinking I would add it to my devotional readings. Though the account is one of deep faith and impressive service, I couldn't find my way in and abandoned the book before page 25. It felt dated. Donate or discard.
8. Letter from Dachau by Wilsey. I'd forgotten, until I looked inside, this book was given to my husband by the co-author, Bob Welch, in 2020. We'd gone to Dachau in 2019 and Welch had wanted to use a photo my husband took for the cover. I think the reason neither of us read it when we received our free copy was the timing. In 2020 we weren't interested in reading anything depressing due to the depressing nature of our lives, all our lives, at that time. I finished it, read portions aloud to my husband and secured his permission to pass it on.
9. 8 Minutes in the Morning by Cruse. Another book I purchased because I'd seen it on the shelf of my library and the title makes one think they'll be a new person if only they do a few certain things for only 8 minutes every morning. Upon closer inspection. it is just another dated exercise and diet book. Almost all the exercises need to be done on the floor. Since that is a problem, up and down to the floor, I immediately was turned off. This one will go into the library sale pile.
10. The Financial Lives of Poets by Jess Walter. I purchased a used library book copy. Every book I've read by Walter has been good. This one is getting moved to my bedside table. That way I will eventually start it some night when in want of reading material. It will then get passed on to my mother or back to the library so they can sell it again.
11. The Writing Diet by Cameron. I picked this book up at a library used book sale and I'll be giving it back to the library. I realized that I don't actually want to get up in the morning an hour early to write about eating. I want to lose weight but I don't to obsess about it. I read less than 25 pages and had a fairly visceral reaction to the idea of the book. Ba-bye!
12. Island Home: A Landscape Memoir by Winton. I was given this book by an Australian friend several years ago. It is about Australia. It is a quick read -- I read 25 pages in one short period of time -- and the pages have lots of white space on them. I will finish it as a nod to my friend and to learn more about Australia. The odd thing I learned is how many different words are specific to Australia, not used in the US. I often felt like I needed a dictionary. Skimmed but finished it.
13. Rereadings: Seventeen Writer Revisit Books They Love, edited by Anne Fadiman -- I don't know how long I have had this book. Long enough for the orange spine of the cover to discolor and fade. I purchased it used for $10, the pencil markings inside the cover say. I'm sure I bought it because I read and loved Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman sometime in the late 2000s. I don't think I examined it very good before I bought it because I only recognize the titles of three books and one of the featured writers. However now that I've read two of the essays I've decided to relegate this book as bathroom reading. The book currently holding that spot has been on the back of the toilet too long. I'll eventually finish it, but it may take years.
14. Bats Sing, Mice Giggle: The Surprising Science of Animals; Inner Lives by Shanor and Kanwal. Here is an example of why we, Don and I, are terrible people to give books to -- Don's cousin gave him this book in 2011 with a nice inscription, and it probably hasn't been touched since. It was a thoughtful gift that I'm sure he thought he would read someday, stuck it on the shelf, and forgot about it. I like reading books about animals, he doesn't. Shall I place this one in another bathroom, in hopes it will finally get read or toss it? I'll ask before I decide.
15. Civil Rights Lawyers in the South...The Untold Story: Klan defeated, Schools Integrated, Segregation Abolished, but the Battle Against Discrimination Goes On! by Aschenbrenner. My mom gave me this book, written by a friend or a relative of a friend. She asks me about it. Why haven't I read it yet? Time's up. I skimmed the textbook-sounding thing and now will return it to her. Phew. Off my list.
16. 52 Lessons from Les Miserables by Bob Welch. When my daughter moved out, I inherited some of her books. This is one of them. Bob Welch is a friend of my sister and since this is a signed copy I'm fairly sure my sister gave it to her niece as a gift. Now it is my book. Since I love the play and enjoyed the book by Victor Hugo, I will read through the 52 lessons. Then it will be offered to my other daughter, who is also a fan of the story.
17. Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book: Disgruntled Tips and Activities Designed To Put a Frown on Your Face. Ha-ha. I think this is another book my daughter left behind. I read 20 pages. 20 Pages!! and I didn't smile once. I guess the book works. I decided I don't want to be grumpy. Heave-ho to this one.
18. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart D. Ehrman. Back in 2004/05 I became very concerned about people who were using Christianity and the Bible as weapons to clobber people they didn't like over their heads. I bought this book because I thought it would give me insights and ammunition with which to conduct a counter-offensive. Like other nonfiction books I purchased when I was working, these books hold less interest to me now that I am retired. After reading 20+ pages I've decided I'm just not that interested in the scholarly information that likely will change no one's life, including my own. Out it goes. The question, however, is whether it would fit into our church library or not, or should I just toss it? 
19. Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery. I think I bought this book when Borders Bookstore was going out of business. It still has the bookstore tag on it. I loved the author's book The Elegance of the Hedgehog. So I assume I bought it to see if I loved everything the author wrote. I liked the book fine but didn't love it. Donation is in its future.

Color-coded legend:

• Read and finished during 'Try It In July' Challenge. Total : 6
• Read 25-50 pages, set aside to read later. Total: 4
• Touched book, looked through it, decided to listen to it on audiobooks later. Total: 2
• Read 25-50 pages (or less) and decided to not finish. Books donated to library for their book sale or taken to a used book store for resale. Total: 7!!!!!!

Success. I already feel lighter. The books I don't want have already been delivered to either the library or the book store, lightening my load by seven (plus others I found during the process.) I plan on distributing the books I did manage to read to friends, family, or the library. I have four books I am looking forward to reading soon, which will further lighten my load. I started with a goal to get through ten books and managed to cope with nineteen. Yay!

I should just carry on with my challenge, or do it again next July. Maybe in the future I won't need to do it at all. I'll only have books on my shelves that I want to keep. Wouldn't that be nice?

-Anne