1. Read more books in translation - This one I'm choosing to blame on Bellezza and how she's always tantalizing me with her posts about reading excellent books in translation. I don't read very many but I know that I like them and have a bunch on my shelves.
2. Read more non-fiction - I've also got a ton of quality non-fiction on my shelves that I'd love to get to, but non-fiction books, like chunksters, are books that I've allowed myself to become afraid of in my book bloggerly life. Non-fiction can often take me extra time, and I've become afraid of taking extra time on anything since I've been blogging and measuring myself against an impossible standard of quantity of reading that so many of you are capable of and I am not. I want to become more well-read in history, in memoirs, in science and religion and current events, but that'll never happen if I don't kick my fear of investing some extra time in books that are worth it.
3. Keep reading those chunksters - This was the year that I started letting go of enough of my blogging neuroses and chunksters started to make it back onto the reading menu. I love them, and I missed them, and I definitely don't want to miss the opportunity to read some more this year.
4. Be ruthless with my DNFing - I was pretty ruthless this year, casting aside books within the first 50 pages if they weren't grabbing me or even later if I found myself not caring much either way about the outcome. As the absurd amount of books in my house grows even more absurd, there is less and less time to be forgiving of books that aren't worth my time.
5. Care about quality, not quantity. - Kind of all of the first four resolutions culminate in this one. I want to get away from having goals about reading a specific number of books and measuring myself against other readers and start just reading and enjoying really good books at my own pace.
6. Put down the iPhone - Do you know how much reading time this thing is stealing from me? I need to dedicate myself to putting some space between me and Facebook, Instagram, and stupid games and put much of that extra time into reading the really good books.
7. Keep up with reviews - There is an embarrassing amount of books stacked on my desk that I have read and enjoyed long ago and yet failed to share with you all in any meaningful way. It makes me crazy. In 2015, I have to keep up with my books read instead of allowing them to overshadow my computer with their stack of guilt.
8. Read the Bible - All of it. This one shows up on my list pretty often. I've read a lot of the Bible, but still not all of it. One of these years will for sure be the year that I actually read the whole Bible, in one year. Talk about chunksters, right? ;-)
9. Up my commenting game - There are days when I really try to respond back to all the comments you guys so generously leave me, and others where I at least try to visit you back when you've visited me, but all too often I fail at this whole commenting thing. I appreciate them so much, I want to give more to all of you, but I'm going to have to be a bit more purposeful and committed to achieve this one.
10. Stop buying so many books - Oh, you guys. I am the worst about the book buying, the worst. I read a stunningly few ebooks every year, but I buy them cheap with the reckless abandon that signifies a true addict. Okay, okay. I do the same thing with paper books, too. I have very loose plans to move in 2015, and packing up these books to go is going to be a maddening, back-breaking task. Also, they've escaped the "library" and are setting about overtaking my bedroom. Soon I will have to remove the bed and sleep on a pallet composed entirely of books. So yes, the book buying. It's gotta stop or at least slow significantly.
What are you resolving to do in your bookish life in 2015?
Oh yeah, I hear you on the iPhone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all your goals except buying fewer books. Can't be done I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteNumber six. Someone save me from my phone!
ReplyDeleteI've done Bible in a year reading plans before and they really help... there are even apps for it... I like that because (I'm ashamed to say) it's more likely to happen if it's on my phone.
ReplyDeletehttp://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/2014/12/top-ten-goalsresolutions-for-2015.html
I'm on day 308 of 365 of reading through the Bible in a year. It's the only time I've actually followed through with this resolve - obviously, I didn't start at the new year, and I don't get it done every day, but by the heavens I'm going to finish it. (YouVersion App - it's the best ever.) Also, #6? For. Real.
ReplyDelete