My insane challenge....

So....I just updated my book list, and it appears that I had drastically underestimated how many books that I own (especially the unread ones). The actual number of unread books is....103. 

ONE HUNDRED AND THREE!!!!!

Did someone sneak books into my apartment while I was sleeping???? Also, I am unsure of why I have so many books about Chinese politics.

Well, here goes nothing. I'll either know a whole lot about Chinese communism, Middle Earth, the inner workings of Poe's twisted mind, and multiple world religions by the end of this challenge, or I will go mentally insane. Please visit me with flowers and chocolate at the local nut house when I am dragged in, kicking and screaming, wondering why they won't haul my book collection along with me.....

By the way, some people (mainly my good friend Kelley B.) have asked me in what order I plan on reading my books. In case anyone wants to read along, or finds any of them interesting and would like to engage in an electronic conversation about them on my blog, I have selected the first ten books of the challenge. On the "Book List" link you will see that some of them now have a bold, red number next to them listed 1-10 (I tried to mix up the genres a little bit to keep it interesting).

At any rate, back to your regularly scheduled program. I am now in chapter 4 of The Fellowship of the Ring and to be perfectly honest, it is giving me anxiety. The Black Riders are giving me the heebie-jeebies  so badly that while walking home late at night I half expect them to jump out from behind a dumpster.

One of my favorite quotes so far is the following poem (first recited by Bilbo in chapter 1, later by Frodo in chapter 3):

The road goes ever on and on

     Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

     And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with weary feet,

     Until it joins some larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

     And whither then? I cannot say.

This is sort of how I feel about the path of my life thus far. I moved to San Diego, only knowing the few friends that I moved here with and without a definite plan for the future. All along the way my path has grown wider as I am connecting the trails of my past. At times, I felt so exhausted in trying to find myself that I thought I never would. I do now know what trail I will follow for the immediate future, but what lies for me long term is likely to change at a moment's notice.

Maybe I am reading into this too much.