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Reading Goals for 2011
It’s that time of year again! Time to think about my reading goals for the year. Since reading is pretty much my favorite hobby, I don’t like to limit it too much, but I do like to encourage myself to broaden my horizons and be practical. To that end, let’s first take a glance at my goals from January 2010.
Successful:
- Read one book of poetry. I read Beowulf. Not quite modern poetry, but still counts as poetry. 🙂
- Read at least 3 graphic novels/manga. I wound up reading 8 and discovered a new format I love!
Unsuccessful:
- Read the books left over from undergraduate classes. Yes. Um. I only successfully read two of them. There’s still more left than I care to admit…..
- Read more nonfiction. There were only 7 out of 63, and all but one of those were memoirs.
- Control books owned by using Swaptree. Hah! I actually switched to PaperBackSwap, and my TBR pile has become…..daunting.
Goals for 2011:
- Frugality! This may be my favorite hobby, but I can be frugal about it. My TBR pile currently has 69 books on it, and that’s just the physical books. Let’s not even get into the eBooks awaiting me. So. My rule is to really think about my acquisitions before I acquire them and hopefully get the TBR pile back down so it fits on one shelf of my bookshelf.
- Read 100 books. Ok. I got to 70 this year. I think since I’m out of grad school now I should be able to do 100, yes?
- Travel the 7 continents. Since I can’t afford a real vacation, I want to take a virtual one around the world. For the inhabited continents, I want to read something set on that continent written by an inhabitant of the continent. So, no travelogues by old British dudes. Antarctica may be challenging…..but, hey, there are scientific expeditions there, yes? also, for North America, the US is not allowed. It has to be Canada or Mexico.
So, that’s it, but I think they’ll be challenging enough for me! Of course, I’ll also be reading books that count for the Mental Illness Advocacy challenge I’m hosting. 🙂
Any special plans for 2011 reading? Advice on keeping the TBR pile more controllable?
Categories: On Reading
2011 reading goals, blog, book, book blog, reading, reading goals
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Opinions of a Wolf 
i like the idea of the 7 continents challenge. i might “borrow” that one from you! would like to hear what you choose.
Awesome! I’ll be sure to tag the continent posts somehow so you all will know. 🙂
I am still thinking about my 2011 goals. My TBR pile made me panic before the holidays and I sent everything back to the library to start over! I am not sure if that is the way you want to go. 🙂
Lol! Considering that I actually own my TBR pile…..no. But I do want to stop acquiring books for a while!! 😉
Congratulations last year on completing two of your goals, and all the best in 2011! I love them all, especially the travel goal.
Thanks, Amy!
I like the idea of travelling the 7 continents. I really should read more non-fiction that isn’t related to history. Perhaps I shall post some reading goals of my own. I gave up on getting my books to fit on one shelf a long time ago or one bookcase for that matter. Good luck meeting that goal and all of them.
Hehe, thanks! Of course….the one shelf is just the tbr pile. I have….three bookshelves of books I’ve already read and am keeping forever and ever. 🙂
Just this morning I heard of a global reading challenge that covers you last goal! And maybe it’ll help you stay on track, too. Here it is: http://2011globalreadingchallenge.blogspot.com/
I’ve been working on the whole TBR pile too. It helps that I really just don’t have the money to let it keep growing, though I don’t advise poverty for you. The library has helped me though. My list still grows but at least my apartment isn’t overtaken by books. Also, if you purge the books you really won’t ever read again (book trader or donations or even try selling them to your college bookstore), you’ll at least make some space!
Oh that is so cool! I’ll have to sign up for it. Thanks, Jennifer!
Actually….trust me, as a recently graduated student….poverty plays into the whole frugality goal. I just have this intense, addict weakness when it comes to buying books. I like it….I want to own it! 😉
One of my goals this year is to read more poetry, seeing as previous I’ve read non at all I feel I could be in with a chance of topping that. Got a new feature on my blog planned for mondays to help me with that.
As for being more frugal, I think I’m pretty good. It started from uni what with the lack of money to buy books I got used to borrowing them from the library. If I REALLY love them then I consider getting my own copy which means not too much cluttering. Also gives me some deadlines as the library books will have a due date lol.
I definitely think you’re one of the more frugal book bloggers I follow!
I’ll be interested to see your new feature as well. 🙂
I love the Travel the 7 Continents idea. At the Mountains of Madness is set in Antarctica.
Sounds like sane goals. Have fun on your virtual travels.
Thank you!