According to a 2011 survey, the average Briton has 80 books on their shelves they have never read. Of those 80 titles, 70 percent have never been opened, with 40 percent of survey respondents admitting their copies of classics like Pride and Prejudice and The Hobbit are just for looks and will probably gather dust until the day they disintegrate. That is, unless that book jacket for Jane Eyre is cleverly concealing a copy of Confessions of a Shopaholic.
But Brits aren’t the only readers with confessions to make. I, too, have many unread titles on my shelves, some of which have made multiple moves with me. So, this fall, I’ve resolved to read only the books I already own, review them on Goodreads, and offer them up for exchange on book swapping websites. That means I’m not making any trips to the bookstore for new titles. I’m even taking the library card out of my wallet.
My reward for this virtuous act of word recycling will be a clear conscience and, hopefully, an even clearer set of shelves to fill with fresh fodder in the new year.
If you’d like to join me in this endeavour, send me a friend request through Goodreads. I’ll accept because, frankly, I need all the encouragement I can get.
Charlene Oldham 
You are totally right, good for you. But to be honest us Brits like to create our own classic libraries so we hold on to our books and do intend to read every single one……one day.
Same here!
GOOOOOOOD luck!!! LOL I have at least 1,000 books and I would say that most of them I have NOT read. Yet, any time I get spare money or Birthday, Christmas, etc. there I go off to the book store to buy more books! LOL
That is why I am making an effort before the holidays!
Good luck to you!!! I hope you succeed!! 😉
Good luck! I would do this and I wouldn’t have to much of an issue, but I never turn down free books so I’d end up breaking it at some point before the holidays. I only have around 90 – 100 unread on my shelves which is a lot to me, but I have well over 600 books so I guess it’s not too bad.
I haven’t even counted my total and compared it with my TBR. Percentages are a good way to look at it.
Yeah I find it helpful, because it will either scare you into action or make you feel a bit better about your book addiction lol.
Oh good luck! My problem is my TBR list on Goodreads. It’s so LONG and it keeps getting longer Especially with new releases coming out that I’ve pre-ordered. :-s
No pre-ordering for me until I get this under control!