2013 Reading Resolutions

Happy New Year! It’s that time of year again. Where I make an intention (aka goal) for my reading for 2013.

This year I’m aiming for 100 books again. I ended 2012 with 80 books, so not bad. Last year I didn’t make a concentrated effort to read during the first couple of months and fell behind. Not so this year! I hope to sneak in at least 10-15 minutes a day reading. I want to create a bedtime routine so I’ll sleep better (and earlier) so I want to including reading in bed as part of it.

I’m using GoodReads again to keep track of my books. Again, I’m not including books that I read to my kids, unless it’s a book I would read on my own as well. I think once my daughter starts reading longer chapter books there will be some overlap.

Instead of just focusing on the number of books I want to read this year, I hope to focus on specific types of books as well:

  • Read more “literature” type books. The ones that receive award nominations and critical acclaim. I thought I’d start with Junot Diaz because I’ve seen his name a lot these days. On Twitter, Emily recommended that I start with The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Next time I head to the library, I’ll grab a copy.
  • Read more Asian-American and Asian-Canadian writers. As an Asian-American, I want to learn more about other Asian-Americans’ experiences living in the United States. How are they similar to my experiences as a first-generation versus someone whose family has been in the US much longer? I will probably avoid those that sound like coming of age experiences. I’m all ears for any recommendations.
  • Do more “popcorn” reading. By popcorn reading, I mean formula fictions like cozy mysteries, thrillers and maybe even some chick lit.
I think that’s about all I can manage. I read a wide variety of genres and don’t want to limit myself. It’s nice to take a break from serious literature for some popcorn reading and vice versa.
What about you? What reading resolutions are you making? If you wrote about it on your blog, please leave a link in the comments.

Reading While Sick

I hope you all had a great Christmas/holiday break. My break was spent in bed sick while trying to take care of sick kids. My husband is sick too but he returned to work yesterday.  Christmas evening we were all in bed by 9:30pm. Rare for our household. Needless to say, it’s been quite an interesting few days.

I’ve been slugging along towards my 2012 reading goal even though I know I won’t finish it.  I think I’ll be happy if I end the year with 80 books read. That means only 3 more books to read within 5 more days.

Since my cold makes it hard to concentrate, I’ve been taking the easy way out and reading some lighter fare. I’ve discovered a new culinary theme cozy mystery with Footprints in the Sand by Mary Jane Clark. Next on deck, when I my sinuses allow me to read, is another food based novel, Vanity Fare: A novel of lattes, literature, and love by Megan Caldwell.

Hopefully by the time I finish Vanity Fare, I will have recovered from this cold. I think I’ll try to tackle at least one book from my currently reading list on GoodReads. One of them have been on the list since April! Yikes.

I also hope to post a couple of more reviews by the end of the year.

How are you finishing out 2012?

2012 Reading Goal: 26 More Days

2012 Reading Challenge Stats

2012 Reading Challenge Stats

I’m really behind on my goal of reading 100 books for this year. I’m 22 books behind. That means I need to read about a book a day to catch up. That’s a screenshot of what GoodReads tells me.

I’m not panicking or stressing out about it. I set the goal to have fun and stretch myself a bit. Plus, it’s my first year tracking the books I’ve read. It’s fun to look at my stats on GoodReads to see how many pages I’ve read, how I’ve rated them, etc.

I’m going on a long trip soon. I’m loading up my tablet with ebooks and lugging a few print books with me. I’m not sure I can read a book a day. I’m a fast reader but I’m going on a cruise. I plan on doing other things besides reading by the pool or beach. Though that sounds pretty divine right? I should really pay attention to my family during our family trip.

I think if I finish off 2012 around 80-90 books, I’ll be happy.

How are you doing with your reading goals?

2012 Reading Goal Update

I’m not sure if I ever announced it here, but my goal for 2012 is to read 100 books. And books I read for my kids don’t count. At first I thought, why not aim for 52 books, one per week. One hundred is such a pretty, round number.

 

 
Thien-Kim’s bookshelf: read

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Simple Abundance:  A Daybook of Comfort and Joy
Ways of Seeing
Griffin and Sabine
The Diary of a Young Girl
Cleopatra: A Life

More of Thien-Kim’s books »

  Book recommendations, book reviews, quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists

 

So how am I doing? I’m a little behind. So far I’ve read 57 books. According to GoodReads, I’m 21 books behind schedule. I hope I can make it up quick!

Right now I’m reading One Good Deed: 365 Days of Trying to Be Just a Little Bit Better by Erin McHugh. I thought I would feel like an awful person for not trying to do one good deed everyday, as McHugh does in her book. Luckily, she does not try to make us feel like slackers. She’s very real and honest about her journey.

How’s your reading goal coming along?

Reading Goals for 2012

Books:Tea

In 2012, I’ve upped my goals for reading.  It’s something I want to spend more time doing; I like the peace I feel when I’m deep into a riveting read.  I’m thrilled that I managed about 55 books in 2011, but more than I’d like were fluff.  This year, I’m aiming for at least 75, and I have a few criteria.  Each month, I’m going to read (or reread) a classic novel.  January will have two classics, because I’m halfway through one of my all-time favorites, Wuthering Heights.  There are tons of classics I’ve never read (I have a whole other post planned about this!), so I’m open to suggestions about what to read next.

I’m also on a mission for at least half of my total number of books read to be non-fiction. I want to expand my horizons this year, and LEARN more things.  Thankfully, I really enjoy non-fiction books; I’ll read anything about history It works about to about 6.25 books a month; at least one will be a classic work and at least three will be non-fiction. I’m excited about this plan!  Goodreads helps me track what I’m reading and what I plan to read (if you use it too, we should be buddies!).

In the coming days I’m working on an outline for my weekly posts on this blog and on my two personal blogs, so that I can streamline what I share, and when. I want to enjoy more of what I do, and really be present for it.  I don’t want to feel like everything is a task, or just something to check off my to-do list.  Reading, and blogging, are such a pleasure – I love nothing more than losing myself in a book and then sharing that experience with others!

What are your goals for 2012?  Do you have anything already in your to-be-read stack?  I’d love to hear (or read) about it, so feel free to leave me a comment below!

NPR Publishes Top 10 Fiction Books of 2011

Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier

the submission by amy waldman

Yesterday,  Maureen Corrigan of NPR shared her top 10 fiction books for 2011. Sadly, I haven’t read any of the books on the list, though I have Tom Perrotta’s The Leftovers on my phone. I just keep forgetting it’s there so I can read it. I guess that’s a hazard of ebooks.

At least our assistant editor Taylor has read The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides , which made it on the list. You can read her review of The Marriage Plot to see if it’s your cup of tea.

Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier

After checking out NPR’s list, I’m adding The Submission by Amy Waldman and The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier to my to be read list. That’s the tricky thing about reading top ten book lists. My lists grows even longer. I hardly ever get to check something off.

Instead of beating myself up for not reading enough in 2011, I think I’ll take a fresh look at my to be read stacks and come up with a game plan for 2012.

What about you? Did you set reading goals for 2011? What are your goals for 2012?