I know I already passed the half way mark of the year but I’ve been meaning to take a look at how I’m doing with my bookish New Year’s Resolutions and I figured I’d share it with you guys so you can cheer me on or crack the whip!
Resolution #1: I resolve to not be afraid of reading chunky books.
Status: WELLLL, I’m planning on reading Harry Potter (you saw my crazy teaser video yes?) and those are thick. So that counts, right? I’ve read a few chunky books I think but my main goal with this one was not to push thick books aside because of the pressure of reviewing. I think I’ve combated my “but I could read 3 books in this time instead of this one chunky book” mentality so that’s good. I’m going to try to tackle at least one more chunky book on my bookshelf before years end.
Resolution #2: I resolve to be a good commenter like I used to be.
Status: SIGH. I have my weeks but I got in a really long, weird blogging slump that was kind of different for me in WHY it started so I just kind of disappeared and stopped reading blogs and commenting. I SEEM to be out of this so hopefully I can continue to work on this one!
Resolution #3: I resolve to start reading classics again.
Status: FAIL FAIL FAIL. I’ve read ZERO. What’s your favorite classic? Maybe you can motivate me!
Resolution #4: I will get better at putting books down that I don’t like
Status: I think I’ve done ok with this but looking back over what I read this year I see that 1) I read a lot of books I really loved and 2) there were some I wasn’t enjoying that I see now I should have put down. You KNOW I have a hard time putting down books as per this confession but I did at least manage to do one Reconsider or Release post this year. Probably not impressive for some of you expert DNFers but I’m working on it.
Resolution #5: I resolve to cull my OWNED books.
Status: I have been doing a pretty good job at this one and have given a lot of books to book club friends or donated them! I also met a guy in my apartment complex who is a high school English teacher and I plan on loading him up with a few boxes to take to his classroom! I feel good about this resolution!
Resolution #6: I resolve to get back into adult fiction.
Status: FAIL. I’ve read one adult novel this year BUT BUT BUT I have a few out from the the library that I plan to read!
Resolution #7: I resolve to fix and update my review archive.
Status: HAHAHAH I’m so far behind I should just delete this tab. SIGH. One rainy day I will work on this!
Resolution # 8: Start a book club or get involved in one
Status: This is what I wrote on my initial post: “I’ve always wanted to be involved in a really fun book club that is super laid back and informal — preferably with cocktails or wine and FOOD.” and I am PLEASE to report that I have succeeded in this goal! I started the most awesome book club ever and these girls are so fun to hang out with and have become such good friends! Want some tips to start your own book club?
Resolution # 9: I resolve to read outside of my normal genres and dabble in territory I’ve ignored.
Status: I honestly have been OKAY about this one — sneaking in a few ignored genres in but not as much as I’d like. SO I recently, this week, started a new series in which I “court” the genres I am afraid to read. The first one is Courting the Adult Romance genre — some friends gave recommendations, you all will vote and then I will read! I still need other people to be Recommenders on certain genres so be sure to check that out!
Resolution #10: Fix all of the housekeeping, behind the scenes that I’ve neglected since my move to WordPress.
Status: HA. Yeah, maybe one day I started to do this and then I got bored. I MUST DO THIS. Someone cheer me on!
At the end of my post this was my OVER-ARCHING, most IMPORTANT resolution:
“Have fun. Read good books. Have good conversation about them. No stress. No pressure. Don’t worry about reading or blogging slumps.”
I think I’m doing a bang up job on this one! I’ve been reading good books, having good convos and most importantly this has been a pretty stress free blogging and reading year. WOO!
What about you guys? How are you doing on your bookish resolutions? Anybody want to cheer me on??
Ava says
Hi Jamie! Love your resolutions and the update! And I just wanted to let you know that there’s this AMAZING blogger named Ashley (NoseGraze.com) who created this WordPress plugin that automatically updates your review indexes! I think you may still have to fix it–add your back log yourself. But after that it’ll do it for you! Here’s the link: http://www.creativewhim.com/shop/ultimate-book-blogger-plugin/#description
LoveloveLOVE your blog and always will. Thanks, Jamie!
Love,
Ava
bookrockbetty says
HECK YEAH BOOK CLUB!!!! We know how to roll. Seriously doyke, where the hell have you been all my life? I can’t wait to dominate Harry Potter with you!
ashley says
*cheers you on* And my book TBR list is forever long. I’m ignoring it
Rinn says
If you want a good classic, read The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s fun and humorous =D
Alexia @ Adventures in Reading says
Thankfully I am pretty good at putting down books I don’t like/can’t get into. I have a record 11 DNF’s, however I have still struggled with this. Especially in cases where I love the first half of a book but hate the 2nd half. Ashley @NoseGraze knows EXACTLY what book I am mainly talking about because I ranted about it to her on Twitter a few days ago.
I am really trying HARD to go out of my comfort zone and read more books from genres that I don’t usually like. I’ve gotten better but I still can’t manage to read, or even pick up for that matter, a historical fiction book.
Fahima @ I Read, Ergo I Write says
I have a REALLY tough time giving away books. On the rare occasions that I do, I feel like I’m giving away my babies or something. This one time, when we were moving, our Mum made us sell the books we’d outgrown, and I had such a hard time! I actually told the kids who bought them to take care of them!
You’re having a hard time with classics? You should totally read L M Montgomery’s The Blue Castle. Actually any of her books will do the trick! They’re all awesome! 🙂
Ashley Farley says
I enjoyed this post so much. Hard to believe we will be working on new resolutions soon. I suggest The Great Gatsby or Rebecca or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for a classic. I wish I could NOT put so quick to put a book down I don’t like.
Savindi @ The Streetlight Reader says
I highly recommend The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. It’s a great book or The Picture of Dorian Gray. I admit I’m cheating a bit with The Picture of Dorian Gray because Ihaven’t finished it yet, but it’s really good so far and its a fairly quick read. Yay for starting HP! I hope you enjoy it :). I know that’s a lot of pressure lol, but I do hope you like the characters and the story!
Have a great weekend Jamie!
DeAnna @ Mommy's Reading Break says
The first 3 Harry Potter books aren’t chunky, but the last 4 absolutely are! Book 5 alone is 870 pages! But I loved these books so much that I read all 4100 pages in 4 weeks the first time I read them, so it’s totally do-able!
I can’t help you with classics because, try as I might, I just can’t get into them. They’re just not my thing. As far as adult books, well, I’ve read a couple this year that were just blah. I’m about to start Inferno by Dan Brown, though, and I’m really hopeful for it since I love his books!
I think I want to start a book club. I’m in one, but I haven’t gone in probably over a year because I’m just not into the books they’re reading. I’m thinking about a YA for Adults book club.
DeAnna @ Mommy's Reading Break says
I forgot to comment on DNF’ing books. I am SO unbelievably bad at that. I think I’ve DNF’d one book this year, and it was a non-fiction. However, I am very close to DNF’ing my current audio book, but people keep urging me to give it a little longer because it’s supposed to get better (the book in general), but I’m just bored with it. I don’t even care who did what or why, so I may still put it down. In general, though, this is something that I’m really bad at and need to work on. I have so many books I want to read that it really is’t worth my time to finish books I’m not enjoying.
Kristilyn (Reading In Winter) says
Good luck!! I’ve gotten really good at DNF-ing books, but I think I cull my collection way too often. I get sad when I realize I’ve given away a copy of something! I’ve decided to hoard for a while. 🙂
Stephanie B says
You should try Pride & Prejudice or Dracula. They’re my favorite classics and are just amazing. When I finished Pride & Prejudice, I wanted to flip back to the beginning and reread it immediately. And Dracula is just awesomely cool.
Lesley says
So many resolutions! I made zero this year myself.
I’d recommend “North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell because it’s brilliant. Also once you’ve read it you can watch the BBC dramatisation with the lovely Richard Armitage.
kelly says
The cool thing about chunky books is that if they are good (Harry Potter) you fall so headfirst into the book you forget that it’s chunky. If you get it on an e-reader you totally forget to look at the bottom to see how many pages are left. I actually read all of them as an adult so I feel that I can tell you from one adult to another that you will forget to cook because you want to know why things happen, etc… I can’t say that about all chunky books but the HP books are magical.
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader says
I really love the idea of making bookish New Years Resolutions – I think I’ll have to do that in 2014! I definitely suffer from some of the same issues that you do, particularly avoiding bigger books in lieu of smaller ones that I can work through more quickly. That’s the primarily reason I’ve yet to read Libba Bray’s The Diviners despite the fact that I’m dying to read it and I was a big fan of her Gemma Doyle series 🙁 *Sigh* I really need to become better at putting down books I’m not enjoying too, but I’ve always found it extremely difficult to do. It’s particularly hard when it’s a book I’ve paid for as I’m always determined to ‘get my money’s worth’ even if I hate every single second of it. I’ve always had a hard time quitting things, whether it be television series or books, but I would really like to learn how to let more things go. Life is too short to be suffering through books I’m not enjoying!
Laura@BunnyTales says
I started a book club called Pink Drinks on a Thursday Afternoon… we made it 4 books in then sorta stalled out.. (On The Christmas Box). Need to jumpstart this again!! It was fun! Especially the pink drinks part 🙂 You’ve inspired me!!
As far as Classics? I don’t know… what do you consider a classic per say? I have The Jungle by Upton Sinclair on my list next. Wanna read it with me?
Molli says
BOOK CLUB. I so want to start one….some day. Y’all always seem to have so much fun.
Thick books are intimidating. I started the first A Song of Ice and Fire book last month and read a few pages when I have time, so that’s my first small step.
I meant to have read SO many adult books by this point too, buuuuuut I haven’t read a single one. *sigh* *twitch* I need more time!
picturemereading says
That is a great list! I totally have many of those on my list as well!
Angelica @ Paperback Princess says
Jamie I really enjoyed your update on your resolutions. I didn’t actually read your 2013 reading resolutions so it was nice to see what you thought to have accomplished and how your doing 😀 I really should do one too 🙁
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Seriously, I love your book club!!! Love seeing all your updates from it and I’m so happy that you met this resolution! Don’t be afraid of chunky books… you just have to find the right one. Harry Potter = the right one.
As for classics… I tried challenging myself this year to read more and have hopelessly failed. But, like chunky books, I think you just have to find the right one. Like, Pride and Prejudice did nothing for me. Gone With the Wind? Even though I haven’t finished it, I was SO hooked! Right now I’m reading The Iliad and again… SO hooked!
Hope you can keep up with the progress you’ve made and continue to meet your goals! 🙂
Erin says
I’m doing pretty fail with my New Years Reading Resolutions. But, like you said, the point is to have fun 🙂