I love the start of a new year. For what it seems to do with my attitude. I tried explaining it in a post last New Year's Day. And I feel the same again this year. I feel this way every new year. Carl's post today sums up my feelings almost to a tee.
Anyway, I've spent the past few days, writing up lists of goals for the new year. ("Resolutions" just sounds too harsh, almost punitive, whereas "goals" sounds much more positive.) Now, being the obsessive list-maker that I am, these lists are quite extensive. I have 12 separate categories, ranging from health to homeschooling and crafts to Christmas. And of course, there's reading goals. Now, I wouldn't dream of boring you with my lists for all of these categories, but I will bore you with my reading goals...
As I was filling up page after page after page with these goals, big and small, it dawned on me that maybe one reason that I'm so addicted to reading challenges is that it gives me a chance to make yet more lists. And look, now I can even make a list of this year's challenges:
*finishing up the Four-Legged Friends Challenge
*finishing up the Unread Authors Challenge
*finishing up the Book Awards Challenge
*the What's in a Name? Challenge
*the Sci-Fi Experience
*the Graphic Novels Challenge
*the Decades Challenge 2008
*the Young Adult Challenge
*the Reading Full Circle Challenge
*the Tolkien/Lewis Challenge
*the Austen/Masterpiece Theater Challenge
*the Celebrate the Author Challenge
*the 1st in a Series Challenge
*the Hometown Challenge
*the Numbers Challenge
*the Mythopoeic Challenge
*the A-Z Challenge
*the Short Story Challenge
You know what...I almost wish I hadn't made that particular list! That is beyond daunting.
Anyway, using all my challenge lists as a guide, I made up a list of what I'd like to read during the month of January:
*finish up Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot
*finish up The Cobra Event by Robert Preston
*Whittington by Alan Armstrong (Four-Legged Friends)
*The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (Unread Authors, Full Circle)
*Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (Unread Authors)
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Book Awards)
*The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison (1st in a Series, Sci-Fi)
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O'Brien (Celebrate the Author)
*a Jane Austen book (Jane Austen/Masterpiece Theater)
*The Giver by Lois Lowry (Decades, homeschool)
*Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Decades)
*Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (Numbers)
*Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA)
*The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman (Graphic Novels)
*War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells(Sci-Fi)
*start The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein (Tolkien/Lewis)
*Grimms Fairy Tales (homeschool)
*The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier (just because)
*Horns & Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson (just because)
*The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman (just because)
*Double Cross by James Patterson (just because)
I know, I know, absolutely ludicrous! I'll be lucky to get a quarter of that list read. So, I'll just call that my pool of books to choose from for January's reading. Yeah, that sounds better, huh?
Hmmm...just think how much I could have gotten read in the time I just spent rambling on here...
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14 comments:
Just thought I'd let you know, Debi, that you are not alone! For some reason that usually seems to help. :)
I have thought the last sentence of your post many, many times! But what fun would it be if we couldn't share our obsession!?!
Happy New Year! May this year bring you many new lists to compile. Oh wait, you've got that one covered. How about...May this year bring you peace, joy, and health. There, that's better.
Happy Reading, Debi! :)
um . . . is there a 12-step program for read-aholics? Actually, reading is not a bad thing at all, and you know I am just kidding with you anyway! I wish my list was even a quarter long as yours. ;-)
Not boring at all, in fact quite inspiring and fun!
Whoa! That is a lot of challenges! If you read half as fast as Annie does I don't think you'll have any problem. :)
Great list of books for January. Of course I'm thrilled to see Stainless Steel Rat on there.
That is the exact reason why I don't list all of my challenges in one place!! It's too scary to comprehend!!
January looks like a banner month of reading, even if you only hit a quarter of them!!
Happy New Year to you and yours!! I wish you many blessings in this shiny new year!!
I feel completely daunted for you! :P
I spent one day last week making a notebook/journal just for all my book-ish "adventures". I think as I fill it,I will feel like an uber geek who reads an insane amount :D
I just finished Alice in Sunderland...and my hubby has been reading The Stainless Steel Rat books...and is convinced he now needs to write a screen play based on the books. He has loftier goals than I LOL
Joy-
You're right...it does help! But I do wish I could manage to get half as much read as you do!
Melissa-
Well, we know you're going to get some reading in this year, right? Because you absolutely must join Annie's challenge ;-)
Carl-
You know, you're absolutely right...but unfortunately I don't read half as fast as her. Seriously.
And how could I not give The Stainless Steel Rat a try with endorsements from you, and then Chris.
Stephanie-
Well crap. I was actually hoping you would list all the challenges you've signed up for. As Joy said, it's always nice to know one is not alone. And I think you're definitely as challenge-addicted as I am.
Rebecca-
Whoa...your hubby has loftier goals than I've ever even dreamed of! But wouldn't that be awesomely cool if he did it?
So, did you like Alice in Sunderland? This is my first ever venture into the world of graphic novels, and I must admit I'm really enjoying it!
Reading challenges are fun....and they are sooooo addictive! Although I didn't complete some last year, but I'm signing up for another few this year, hehe.
I got tired just reading your lists!
I have The Mysterious Benedict Society in my TBR pile, I hope to get to it this year lol, I've also eyed Horns and Wrinkles a number of times.. I can't wait to read what you have to say about those books.
You are something else with all your challenges! My head is swimming and you're so organized with it!
I remember that I liked Witch of Blackbird Pond when I read it years ago, I should reread some of those. And I really should read the Tolkien books b/c my kids love them so much.
Like you said yourself, it's all about trying! And that's an excellent list of books, so no matter which or how many you manage to read, January will be a great reading month for you!
Oh my, oh my, oh my, how many books are on that list for January? I think I'm hyperventilating here :) I don't think I'm going to read quite as much this year and just looking at that list makes me twitch! LOL :)
Hope your January is totally awesome, Debi! Happy Reading!
Good luck with that! LOL.
Goodness, girl! At least your addiction is a healthy and mind expanding one!
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