Reading my way through a New Year's Resolution. Maybe.
I'm typically not one for making New Year's Resolutions. I'm all for living disciplined and intentionally, but they just don't seem effective from what I've seen. So I shy away.
But this year I got a new bookshelf for Christmas, and as I was finally unpacking my beloved books (which foolishly spent the Roach months in boxes in storage) I had an idea. An epiphany, even. What if I decided that I would not go out looking for any new books, at the store or library or friend's house, until I had read all the un-read books I currently own?
I'm easily distracted when it comes to books. I'm a great library user and don't often buy them until I've already read them; but when I get hooked on a topic and find a great steal by my favorite author (of the month) at an obscure used book store I just can't pass it by. The result is a lot of really long, potentially tedious, certainly fantastic books that didn't get read before some other topic or tome caught my eye.
You know how I love to read. My initial fear was that I hadn't read these books yet for a reason, and that this resolution would doom me to a year of boredom and unfulfillment. But the fact is that I'm almost certain to enjoy these books as much as I would enjoy whatever topic caught my eye tomorrow. The only difference is it caught my eye yesterday and was added to a pile I never weeded through.
So...we'll see. Happy reading to me. And Happy New Year to you!
5 comments:
Oh cousin-dude, that was exactly my resolution last year to a "T". It didn't happen, but I have GREAT hopes for you!
Word verification: tanish
Lost my way today in Barnes and Noble for a few hours today (Naperville). All I wanted to was buy black pepper across the street. I did, but then I was sucked into through the door, up the stairs and forced to read samples from Edgar Lee Masters, Rimbaud, Neruda and Sandburg. Left them all there. I even already own most I looked at.
Happy reading to you. Annotate as you do.
When I pulled out all the books I own but haven't read, they filled a whole shelf of my bookshelves. I meant to set a deadline for myself--"if it's not read by [X date]it goes to the donation box." Well, that was 2 years ago. Some I have donated, but let me encourage you--there was good reason I'd meant to read those books! I'd picked up some great titles and never gotten around to them! And I really like having a shelf that is my go-to place when I'm looking for something new to read. And since part of my reason for reading through these books is to see if they deserve space on my shelves or not, I don't feel too bad about quitting a book if it's not going to make the cut. (Or plow through to the end for the satisfaction of finishing and THEN pass it on.)
Anyway, speaking of good books, I just read one I really think you'd LOVE--just kidding! Happy reading, whether you read by plan or by inclination.
I like the idea of having a shelf dedicated to books I own but haven't read yet! (um, maybe 2 shelves??) I have that same problem of picking up things but not getting through them. Used book stores seem particularly bad for this habit--smaller investment I suppose.
I also need another shelf for books that seemed like I needed them at the time, and I started on them, but for one reason or another never got very far. There have been times I've picked up a book like this from my shelves and found that the time that had passed since my last attempt put me in a different place intellectually (or emotionally, or spiritually). A second attempt at a later date sometimes makes a huge difference in how a book "grabs" me.
Read on Catherine!
Been a while since I stopped by. Hi, and I'm excited to see #3 is in the way.
I tried this a couple New Years' resolutions.
Never managed to get past March. My problem was I was still allowed to buy "gifts" so I still was in the book store.
Now we are on a (non-essentials) spending freeze-- until our house sells-- and I keep myself out of the special stores. I've proven too many times I don't have the self-discipline for that.
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