The Picky Pledge 2016

On Monday, I shared my 2015 reading stats. On Tuesday, I reflected on what I’ve learned from participating in The Picky Pledge. And today, I’m here to tell you that The Picky Pledge is back again for 2016! This is a pact I’ve made with Hannah of So Obsessed With, inspired by a discussion in 2014 about how we wanted to be more intentional when it comes to our reading choices. We definitely feel encouraged by all the progress we’ve made since this project was first conceived, but also know that there's still room for improvement. I'm really excited to continue being intentional with my book acquisitions, and I'm so happy Hannah is still up for partnering with me on this!

We, Alexa and Hannah, hereby pledge to return to the reading days of old - to browse the backlist, to revisit old favorites and to remember that it’s not ALL about acquiring more books to read. With this pledge, we commit to reading a limited number of review books this year, to being more selective about what books we buy and to holding each other accountable when bright and shiny things tempt us to stray from this course. And now, by the power vested in us, we declare 2016: “The Year of The Picky Pledge.”

GOAL: 75 REVIEW BOOKS

1. Any review book published in 2016 counts in the overall total - no matter when or how it was acquired.
2. When given the opportunity to read something for review, we must consult with one another before:
• accepting a publicist/publisher review request.
• hitting the “Request” button.
• borrowing an ARC with the intention to read for review prior to the book’s publication.*
3. Review books procured at an event, such as BEA, will only count if you read the book.
4. If you do not finish a review book, you may remove it from your overall total.
5. Exceptions can be made for books in a series if we have already reached the review book limit.

* Exceptions may apply, and borrowed ARCs will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

GOAL: 5 BOOKS/MONTH = 60 BOOKS

1. Any books we personally purchased count towards our monthly book limit.
2. When faced with the urge to purchase books, we must consult one another. Alternatively, we may also consider the use of last year's handy book buying chart.
3. Books procured via gift cards do not count towards the overall total.
4. Exceptions can be made for books we've already read if we've already reached the monthly book limit.
5. If we exceed the monthly limit, we must cull the same number of books we went over off of our shelves.

I’m really excited to still have The Picky Pledge in place for 2016! I’m determined to continue striking a better balance between my own books and review books. And I certainly wouldn’t mind spending less money on acquiring new books! (I’m sure my wallet wouldn’t either.) I’m going to be keeping a page on the blog dedicated to keeping track of my progress, so feel free to drop by and see how I’m doing at any point of time this year. And feel free to make a Picky Pledge of your own, and join us in being more intentional in your reading life!