This month I tried something new – I started keeping track of different things related to my reading. I tracked the books I read, the books I read with Wyatt, the amount of money I saved using the library for the month, reviews I completed and ones that I need to do, and any type of challenge books read, so right now any nonfiction that fits with the nonfiction challenge I am participating in. So pretty simple stuff, and I kept track in an even easier way. A journal. I am a blank book fanatic so I have billions around the house, so I decided to use one just for this. It’s nothing fancy to look at, right now just little dot lists. Maybe as I get used to it I will get fancier but for now it is pretty straightforward.
So, looking back at my month, let’s look at books read.
Despite my reading slump, I managed to read six books! Not too shabby.
Out of these I reviewed Winterwood and The Secret Life of the Owl so far, in my post yesterday. I also read one challenge book, The Secret Life of the Owl!
Wyatt and I read 26 picture books together this month! Some of them more than once, I am not counting that! Lol. I did put together a post of our favorites the other day, if you are interested.
I am pretty excited about the money saved by using the library category. My library always puts it at the bottom of my receipt. I can’t really think of it exactly as money saved, since I wouldn’t actually be able to spend this money on books! But because of the library, we were able to read this many books and that is even more important. Without the library, our reading, especially for Wyatt since we go through so many, would be lower.
The total amount saved was…. $656.10. Isn’t that crazy!! On average our total for each visit was about $130.00. This number means so much to me, honestly. It shows just how important the library is to our lives. We would never be able to purchase this amount in books, especially in just one month; thank goodness the library exists! And for us, the library is such a part of Wyatt’s community. The librarians and clerks all know him, and if I stop in without him they want to know where he is. I went the other day to the library with my mom, and it brought back so many memories, of all the times the two of US went to that very same library, when I was Wyatt’s age. My mom has memories of going to that same library when she was a little girl, with her brother and sister. It’s a family tradition. One of the librarians has been there my entire life and has known me since I was a little girl. The clerk who checked us out has known me over 20 years. It is such a part of my history, and now Wyatt’s too. I love that I am continuing this tradition with Wyatt that began with my mom and me.
This was my first month collecting this information and it was pretty interesting! I am sort of excited to see where I end up next month!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
I’m going to have to use this example in my next book blog post! I was mostly using comments on the previous post but this is a really interesting idea!
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I’m glad you enjoyed it! And how cool!!! Thanks Jeannie!
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I don’t use my library a lot because they kept harassing me about this children’s book I misplaced – it was a little unnerving that they’d text and then immediately called and then sort of threatened to send me to the local judge for it. It was $12 and the day I went to pay them I found it. Now I’m afraid to borrow books there but we have three libraries in about a five mile radius so I’ll choose one of the others! Haha! Still, even with that hiccup, we treasure our libraries here too!
Good job on six books. I never read that many in a month – hmmm… maybe I’ll set a new goal 🙂
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Yikes! Yeah no one wants to be harassed by the library! That stinks. If you can use another one thought that is great!
Thanks! One was really short, but still..I’m counting it!
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Your book selection is interesting — quite a few different themes. I love owls too, especially seeing them.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
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My library has that too and I am always so proud of myself for saving money 🙂
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That’s a whopper of an amount saved.
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I like Jenny Colgan’s booiks, but haven’t read any for a while. The same with Barbara Michaels.
Enjoy your new month!
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Wow, that is a lot of money saved. All those picture books are expensive, I guess. I hope you have a great February.
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Pingback: My Sunday-Monday Post – Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs..
I came over from Jeanie’s blog. Nice way to keep tab of books you’ve read.
I don’t think our libraries tally up the cost of the books borrowed (money saved), at least my local library doesn’t. (in Perth, Australia).
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Thanks for popping over! I was so surprised by that monthly total honestly. So crazy.
One of my good friends from college moved to Perth about ten years ago!
Thanks again for stopping by!
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Looking at the money saved is amazing. I’m reading a lot of non-fiction history books for my University studies and I know I save a lot of money by borrowing books instead of reading them, hundreds of pounds each month.
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