One of my goals in 2010 is to try to read more. I used to be a reading machine in college. I always was reading something for pleasure, even when I was balancing 19 credit hours and all the work that came along with them. But somewhere along the way, I lost that drive and I just don't read as much as I used to. I'm really envious of Heidi as she can sit down and read a book in a day whereas it can frequently take me 6 weeks to read something.I think a lot of the blame for my relative lack of reading can be placed squarely at the foot of the internet. I'll admit that my goal to read more is partially driven by my desire to walk away slowly from the computer. It's so easy for me to get sucked into the vortex of the shiny internet, surfing from place to place to place until I've sufficiently numbed myself to whatever it is that I'm trying to avoid. And I don't want to just quit - I know that I'll never be able to do that cold turkey and I do have to keep the dust from settling on this part of the internet. But more and more, this cartoon reflects my life more than I'd like it to.
So I think a shift in my focus might be in order, one that puts less emphasis on sitting at my desk and more on other activities, and upping the number of books I read feels like a step in the right direction. So here's the deal - I'm going to read 25 books this year - that's only an average of 2 a month. 20 of those books have to be new-to-me books (i.e. not re-reads). I will keep track here per the usual with what I'm currently reading by putting it in the sidebar. But I will also up the ante here and say that I'll blog about every book I read, even if they suck. Even if it's just 2 paragraphs. By doing this, I kill two birds with one stone - I read more AND I write more. Both things cut down on the mindless surfing of the internet that seems like it's becoming more and more of a problem with me these days.
First up, as you can see from the updated sidebar is Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I figure, let's start of with something I know I'll finish. Stay tuned for more updates throughout 2010.
(Update: My blogging friend P.Viktor is joining me on my quest to read and blog about 25 books in 2010 - anyone else who wants to join is more than welcome to do so. The more the merrier! Just leave a comment if you're in.)
(photo credit)
3 comments:
Wow - I feel like we are completely in sync at the moment in terms of our attitude towards the New Year. Reading more books is certainly on my list, and for exactly the same reasons (using the internet too much). So, I am going to strike a deal with you. I will attempt 25 books too and will also blog about them (though not in Jan, due to my 'hiatus' - I'll post them in Feb). I think if we have a partner pushing us on we are less likely to fail. Deal?
That sounds like a fantastic idea. I'll update the post to reflect your participation, and open it up to anyone else who wants to try as well.
I'm definitely in. I read 28 last year, I think, but I was shooting for 36. Great idea to blog about them all. I'll try to do the same.
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