The Book Jar (What to Read Next??)

You know that feeling when you have so many books but you always buy more, and don’t know what to read next? I’m with you on this one. Suffer no more. Make this Book Jar and you’ll always know what to read next.

I’m sure you already know that last year I decided to take a break from buying more books. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read that post here.

At first, it was hard because I was used to constantly buying new books, but after a few months, it was kinda a relief. I discovered books I already had in my house for so long. I rediscovered the library and I was amazed to see that they almost always had the books I was searching for. And it was also good financially. So win-win. At this point, I still haven’t read all the books from my personal collection.

If you haven’t ever done that, I really encourage you to try it. At first, it will be difficult, but then you’ll see the process of buying books in a whole new light. This happened to me too. Even though I finished that challenge, I am still kinda doing it, in the sense that I don’t buy anymore any book I want. I really buy only those books I will be glad to read again. Or some precious pieces that I want to own about subjects I’m really interested in.

Today I want to talk to you about the book jar. I’ve seen this on the internet. And because I have so many books on my TBR list, I really wanted to give it a try. If you have tons and tons of books and you still haven’t got a chance to read them, because you constantly buy new books, this book jar is for you.

Here’s how to make it.

Cut colored (because it looks pretty) pieces of paper and on one side write the book on your TBR list, and on the other, the author of that book.

Write as many books as you want. I wrote every book I have now on my reading list. When you don’t know what to read next, take one piece of paper out and read that book that’s written on the paper. Makes life easier no?  🙂

These are the books I have on my TBR list:

• SAVILLE – DAVID STOREY
• GRAY MATTER – DAVID I. LEVY
• A LOVE WORTH GIVING – MAX LUCADO
• AFTER YOU – JOJO MOYES
• THE MOON IN THE MANGO TREE – PAMELA EWEN
• FAMILYHOOD – PAUL REISER
• LOVE YOU FOREVER – ROBERT MUNSCH
• PETER PAN – J. M. BARRIE
• UNCLE TOM’S CABIN – HARRIET B. STOWE
• BLACK BEAUTY – ANNA SEWELL
• PILLANGO – ZSIGMOND MORICZ
• THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS – KENNETH GRAHAME
• THE SUMMER SEASIDE KITCHEN – JENNY COLGAN
• CHRISTMAS AT COLD COMFORT FARM – STELLA GIBBONS
• BRAVE NEW WORLD – ALDOUS HUXLEY
• THE LAST SIN EATER – FRANCINE RIVERS
• THE FAMILY – JACK O. BALSWICK
• THE NAME OF THE ROSE – UMBERTO ECO
• TO THE LIGHTHOUSE – VIRGINIA WOOLF
• THE VELVETEEN RABBIT – MARGERY WILLIAMS
• I CAPTURE THE CASTLE – DODIE SMITH
• WHERE THE WILD ROSE BLOOMS – LORI WICK
• THE ORPHAN’S TALE – PAM JENOFF
• THE SHELL SEEKERS – ROSAMUNDE PILCHER
• MAGYAR NEPMESEK – ARANY LASZLO
• A TOUCH OF WONDER – ARTHUR GORDON
• THE SNOW CHILD – EOWYN IVEY
• CHARLOTTE’S WEB – E. B. WHITE
• DR.ZHIVAGO – B. PASTERNAK
• THE PROBLEM OF PAIN – C. S. LEWIS
• LITTLE WOMEN – L. M. ALCOTT
• BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR HUSBAND – NORMAN H. WRIGHT
• HOUSE RULES – JODI PICOULT
• ALIVE – PIERS P. READ
• LA MAGIA DEL ORDEN – MARIE KONDO
• GOING ALL THE WAY – CRAIG GROESCHEL
• THE UGLY DUCKLING – HANS C. ANDERSEN
• LA BIBLIOTECARIA DE AUSCHWITZ – ANTONIO G. ITURBE
• FACING THE GIANTS – ERIC WILSON

• IN THE HEART OF THE WORLD – MOTHER THERESA
• A ROOM WITH A VIEW – E. M. FORSTER
• SCHINDLER’S LIST – DAVID JAMES
• BEAR’S FIRST CHRISTMAS – ROBERT KINERK
• UNBROKEN – L. HILLENBRAND
• CUENTOS DE NAVIDAD – BETTY NEELS
• KIM – RUDYARD KIPLING
• THE WONDER – EMMA DONOGHUE
• THE PIANIST – WLADYSLAW SZPILMAN
• ALL THE PLACES TO GO – JOHN ORTBERG
• FLORA AND GRACE – MAUREEN LEE
• ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE – GABRIEL G. MARQUEZ
• JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH – ROALD DAHL
• TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE – SOLOMON NORTHUP
• MEN WITHOUT WOMEN – ERNEST HEMINGWAY
• THE CHERRY ORCHARD – ANTON CHEKHOV
• UNCLE VANYA – ANTON CHEKHOV
• THE SEAGULL – ANTON CHEKHOV
• THE LITTLE MERMAID – HANS C. ANDERSEN
• DANA’S VALLEY – JANETTE OKE
• THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND – JOJO MOYES
• A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT – SEBASTIEN JAPRISOT
• DESMOND DOSS – FRANCES DOSS
• SILAS MARNER – GEORGE ELIOT
• GOOD WIVES – LOUISA M. ALCOTT

• THE GIVER – LOIS LOWRY
• DOWN IN THE WOODS AT SLEEPYTIME – CAROLE L. SCHAEFER
• THE GLASS CASTLE – JEANNETTE WALLS
• EAST OF EDEN – JOHN STEINBECK
• WHEN THE GAME IS OVER – JOHN ORTBERG
• WINTER IN MADRID – C. J. SANSOM
• IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK – JEFFERSON BETHKE
• POVESTI SI POVESTIRI – ION CREANGA
• LASSIE COME HOME – ERIC KNIGHT
• DIN LUMEA CELOR CARE NU CUVANTA – EMIL GARLEANU
• PLAYFUL PARENTING – LAWRENCE J.COHEN
• WATER FOR ELEPHANTS – SARA GRUEN
• THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD – ZORA N. HURSTON
• HARRY’S LAST STAND – HARRY L. SMITH
• A BEAUTIFUL MIND – SYLVIA NASAR
• WALKING WITH THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE – ELIZABETH GEORGE
• EVERYBODY’S NORMAL TILL YOU GET TO KNOW THEM – JOHN ORTBERG
• AUTUMN – ALI SMITH
• PETER RABBIT – BEATRIX POTTER
• WONDER – R. J. PALACIO
• OLIVER TWIST – CHARLES DICKENS
• LITTLE BEE – CHRIS CLEAVE
• THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN – JOHN FOWLES
• PACALA – ION CREANGA
• LOVE LETTERS – EBERHARD ARNOLD
• DEVIL AT MY HEELS – LOUIS ZAMPERINI

• DEAD POETS SOCIETY – N. H. KLEINBAUM
• NUMBER THE STARS – LOIS LOWRY
• STUART LITTLE – E. B. WHITE
• A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SMILING WOMAN – MARGARET DRABBLE
• THE LITTLE ENGLISH GIRL – UNKNOWN
• ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST – KEN KESEY
• HELP ME REMEMBER HELP ME FORGET – ROBERT SADLER
• ANGELA’S ASHES – FRANK McCOURT
• BAMBI – FELIX SALTEN
• HIS NEEDS, HER NEEDS – HARLEY WILLARD F. JR.
• THE PROBLEM OF PAIN – C. S. LEWIS

• SMALL WORLD – MARTIN SUTER
• MIDDLEMARCH – GEORGE ELIOT
• LONG WALK TO FREEDOM – NELSON MANDELA
• HUCKLEBERRY FINN – MARK TWAIN
• THE HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT OF THE WINDOW – JONAS JONASSON
• CATCH-22 – JOSEPH HELLER
• ACEA FATA FRUMOASA – RADU TUDORAN

I hope you give this fun DIY a try. To read more books and buy less.