Okay, this is the year I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to keep track of what I'm reading - right here on my blog. There's a link on my sidebar and I hope you'll check in from time to time to see what I'm reading. Inspired by Stacy's and Susie's lists, I think this is something I can do. I absolutely love when other bloggers keep book lists on their blogs and am hoping others find this helpful as well.
Along with this list making comes a few other resolutions and observations:
- No more B&N membership. I just can't see that's it's worth the $25 I spent this past year, when Amazon's prices are often better than B&N membership prices. Then there's the discrepancy between the store prices and the prices online - sometimes one is better, sometimes it's not. I'll still shop there and will most definitely enjoy a Starbucks coffee there from time to time; I'm just not renewing my membership. So there! (I feel much better now!)
- I will continue to borrow most of the fiction I read from my local library. I do believe in supporting authors though, so I'll probably splurge on a few fiction books.
- I hope to do more book reviews this year.
- I'm not in competition with anyone. For someone who's very competitive, this is important for me to decide right at the start! If I read 20-30 books, fine. If I read 50 books - great.
- I tend to read non-fiction books through several times - does that rereading count as another book? I know, I'm not counting - just curious. Often I borrow a book that turns out to be such a good read that I'll end up buying it so I can read it again and mark it up.
- I never used to be much for non-fiction. I'd say the ratio was something like 6-7 fiction titles to one non-fiction that would take me months to read, and I might not even finish it. Something happened to me over this past year that whetted my appetite for non-fiction, specifically Christian living books. I still read plenty of fiction but perhaps I'm becoming more balanced in that area.
- My semi-goal for reading this year is to have four books going at all times: one devotional, one non-fiction Christian living, one non-fiction on the craft of writing, and one fiction title. I think that's doable and I really need to get out of the habit of having seven or eight books going at once. That's a little crazy!
- Oh yeah - I almost forgot. My favorite Christmas gift this year was one I picked out for myself: a personalized book stamp! I got it a few days after Christmas and promptly set to marking some of my favorite books. I hope to organize and stamp all my books during the month of January! This is something I've wanted to do for years; now I have absolutely no excuse.
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6 comments:
Good lists! Stacy got me to keeping mine all listed as well. I LOVE your book stamp, might have to get one of those. On occasions we have loaned books out & not gotten them back. If they are Don's books, he hates losing all his notes in the margins so a stamp might really help the book find it's way back.
I enjoy the Miss Julia series and am working on the Mitford ones. What are the Aunt Dimity ones like? And is 84 Charing Cross Road good? I've wanted to read that one for a while or see the movie.
OH YEAH, I'm so glad! I love doing this myself and sooo love seeing books, book ideas, book reviews, book recommendations, reading lists, oh everything book-related on other blogs. Yippee!
Your list is a good one and I'm going to check out some of those. I've had the Aunt Dimity ones on my library list for a while but just haven't gotten to them yet. I've started so many series books by different authors and I am trying VERY hard to not start any new series until I complete one or two other sets.
As for the B&N membership, I totally agree. I do have a Borders Rewards card, but only b/c they are free and actually reward me and email/mail me coupons and things. I have some money there to spend soon, and they do have a coffee shop, so yeah for me :)
I mostly use the library as well. Of the 70 books I read in 06, probably 90% or more came from my library system.
I totally admire anyone who can read more than one book at a time. Of any type or genre. I just can't do it. Some weird OCD thing I have going on.
Lastly (yes, this was too long!), I LOVE and ADORE that book stamp. Oh my, I have some envy built up now. Maybe I can convince someone to splurge on that for Valentines Day!
Dianne, I was thinking of doing the same thing. This is a great book resolution list Love that you got yourself a book stamp!
There was a personalized book stamp waiting under the Christmas tree for me and I was SO very excited! I started stamping my books right away, too. :)
Also, love your idea of keeping the list. I may be a copycat and do the same thing...as soon as I get around to updating my template and making my list.
This is the coolest resolution list ever!! I have thought a lot about my reading lately, too, and also made some goals (and committed to keep reading in 2007). I will love keeping up with what you are reading. I also am working up my TBR list for 2007, and will try to keep a current list of what I've read as well. I hope to unveil my system later today or tomorrow!
I think that rereading a book should still go on a list, because you read it. Also, don't you think that books are living? Reading a book this year will mean different things than when you read it two years ago.
I have thought a lot about supporting authors by buying books instead of getting them from the library. I will still get most of my fiction from the library, like you, but I do want to make some conscious buying choices to support good art.
I usually have at least four books going at once, too, and very similar genres to those you listed. I do enjoy nonfiction, but it usually can't be the only thing I'm reading.
Thanks for sharing this. I love it.
I want to do that too!
Happy new year! :)
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