Unread Shelf Project January 2021

My UnRead Shelf, Jan 2021

I went through all my shelves in the last months of 2020 and identified 43 books as owned-but-not-read. I gathered most of these into a single bookcase. (Some are elsewhere because they are part of a project or collection that has its own home). During 2021 I am going to endeavor to read as many of these as I can. Or to decide I am not going to read some of these books and move them on to a new home. Most of these books have been in my house for many years and I have no idea exactly where they came from. As I get though these additional titles may be shifted to this collection so 43 is definitely not a firm number. 

  January challenge for the UnRead Shelf project is to read a book with high expectations. I considered several books for this designation: the 3rd and final volume of Blanche Weisen Cook's Eleanor Roosevelt biography (I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first 1300+ pages), an Anne LaMott book (Bird by Bird is an all-time favorite); The Moonstone (arguably the first mystery novel); and Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (so much hype, so many awards!) I decided to go with Let the Great World Spin. Will see how that goes.

The December 2020 UnRead Shelf challenge was to read the shortest book on your shelf which for me was Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively at 199 pages. At this point it is still in progress, but I am moving through it, and for the most part enjoying it.

Review: Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume One 1884-1933
Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume II: 1933 - 38
by Blanche Wiesen Cook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"In many ways Eleanor Roosevelt remains a bellwether for our belief system. A woman who insists on her right to self-identity, a woman who creates herself over and over again, a woman of consummate power and courageous vision continues to challenge our sense of what is acceptable and what is possible. To this day, there is no agreement as to who Ealeanoir Roosevelt was, what she represented, or how she lived her life. Her friends and her detractors have made extravagant claims of goodness and mercy, foolishness and naivete. She has acquired sainthood and been consigned to sinner status. Many of us, especially those of us born daughters in a world that encouraged daughters to sit along the sidelines of action, are drawn to her because of her vision and her commitment to an activit's life. She continues to haunt our memories and inspire our days, because she never gave up on life; she never stopped learning and changing. She worked to transform our world in behalf of greater dignity and more security for all people, for women and men in equal measure" (from the Introduction to vol. 1, p.3)

This two volume biography presents a sympathetic, but not entirely laudatory, view of a woman who struggled with many personal challenges yet accomplished a tremendous amount for the good of others. The men in her world, including her Uncle Teddy Roosevelt and her husband, FDR do not come out looking particularly good. And whatever your mother-in-law is like, she is a dream compared to Sarah Delano Roosevelt.

I was struck by how many of the things ER was fighting for (universal healthcare, equal pay for women, peace) are still ongoing battles. Many of the arguments ER made in columns and speeches could be made today and would be just as relevant. Weisen Cook uses many letters and other documents from ER's life to tell her story and then provides a context and a wider view to put those primary documents into perspective.
This biography is engaging and well written and the life it describes is inspiring. There is also a tremendous amount of good advice in this book. Including this offered by ER to women involved in the 1936 political campaign: "You must finish the day's work when the day's work is done. You cannot get discouraged too easily. You have to take defeat over and over again and pick up and go on. Be sure of your facts."

Challenge Update - October 2013

Since July 1st I have read 4 books for the Canadian Book Challenge 7, so I am on track with 1 per month. I need to read two books one month to hit the goal of 13, but mostly one book per month will suffice.  I have a good sized pile of Canadian books (thanks Lisa!) waiting to be read, plus there are 2 more books in the MaddAddam trilogy that I must read now that I finished Oryx and Crake. Also my friend Rob pointed out this cool list of Canadian authors.

Tea and Books Challenge: The book I am working on for this is 1,076 pages (not counting indices or the notes which I read as I go along). I have  484 pages to go which should be doable in 2 months. The book is a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt which is very well written and keeps my attention. The tough part is that the book is too heavy to carry around with me or to read in bed. It is a good thing I only signed on for 2 books.

For the colorful reading challenge I have 2 books left to read, so if I read 1 in November and 1 in December I will complete this challenge.

In my first year of Classics Club (Sept. to August) I finished 10 books from my list. My goal for that project is to read 10-12 titles from that list each year so I did fine for year 1. Since the beginning of September I have read Something Wicked This Way Comes, Agnes Grey, and To the Lighthouse, so I am a little bit ahead at this point for year 2.

I need to read one more book for What's in a Name. Something with a "party or celebration" in the title. Recommendations would be welcome.

I am a few books ahead of schedule (at 88%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013 and have read at least the minimum number of books committed to for my other 2013 challenges.

Challenge Update - August 2013

I haven't posted a challenge update since May, but I have been reading books that count toward my challenges.


I have read 9 Classics Club titles since September 2012, so I need to read at least one more before the end of August to stay on track. I am participating in Austen in August for which I plan to read books off my Classics Club list, so that should work out.


I have read 5/6 books in the What's in a Name Challenge. I thought I needed a "something you find in the kitchen" book until I realized that the Pie book I read in January totally counts. Pie is often found in my kitchen (though admittedly not as often as my husband would like). I still need to find a book with "a party or celebration" in the title. Suggestions would be welcome.


I need to read one more chunkster for the Tea & Books Challenge and have begun a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Weisen Cook. So far it is quite interesting, but a genealogical table would be really helpful.


I successfully completed the 6th Canadian Book Challenge which ended on July 1. I signed up for the 7th Canadian Book Challenge and haven't finished anything for it so far. I did start reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood which will be book 1 of 13 when I finish it.


I need to read 5 more books for the Colorful Reading Challenge, so a book per month will do it. I have read a book each for white, green, orange, and black and have books tentatively selected for blue, purple, yellow, scarlet (not too sure about this one), and grey.

I am a few books ahead of schedule (at 66%) with my Goodreads goal of 101 books in 2013 and have completed at least the minimum number of books committed to for the Vintage Mystery Challenge, the Foodies Read Challenge, and the Books About Books Challenge.

The Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge has disappeared from the blogosphere and I am therefore abandoning it.