Saturday, January 23, 2010

Reading Goals 2010

I've never done this before, actually set goals regarding reading. My approach is generally to pick up a book whenever I have a spare moment (and sometimes even when I don't) and just read. But, in an effort to be more directed, balanced, and organized in my reading, I thought I'd give it a shot. So these are my reading-related goals for 2010:
  1. Read/study scriptures every day - before reading anything else.
  2. Read at least 15 minutes every day.
  3. Read to each of my children every day.
  4. Post to this blog at least once a week.
  5. Learn a new word every day to expand my working vocabulary.
  6. Read and review 50 children's books (picture books and board books).
  7. Read and review 50 adult non-fiction books (including biography and self-help).
  8. Read and review 50 adult fiction books.
  9. Read and review 15 young adult fiction books.
  10. Read and review 10 "classics."
That's only a total of 175 books this year. According to my Goodreads account, I read and reviewed 134 in 2009 - and I didn't start adding children's books until September - so that shouldn't be too far off the mark.

I reserve the right to modify these goals as the year progresses or to drop them entirely if they make reading a chore instead of an enjoyable experience.

Build Enough Bookshelves: The Beginning

Because there aren't quite enough book blogs in the universe yet, I hereby present my meager offering.

The title comes from the Anna Quindlen quote: "I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." Growing up in houses with almost, but never quite enough bookshelves (there were always the orphan paperbacks piled on the floor or stacked sideways on top of the vertically standing books) has led to an automatic association for me. Full-to-overflowing bookshelves = home.

My husband and I built several bookshelves, which to my great sorrow had to remain behind when we sold our last home as they were actually built in to the wall. I would have taken them with me if I could have (along with my gorgeous, completely remodeled big, open, beautiful kitchen - but that's another story). While my present home is sadly lacking in the bookshelves department and so many of my books are languishing forlornly in the moving boxes stacked in the basement, someday we will build enough bookshelves and pass on Anna Quindlen's decorating tip to our three sons.

In the meantime, my still-somewhat-amorphous plan is to share my reflections, thoughts and musings on various books I read, particularly as they relate to women, life-long learning and education, children, cultural awareness, parenting, feminism, faith, social responsibility, politics, business, the arts, and life. Broad enough spectrum?

Here we go...