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Dec
31
I've got ninety-nine problems, but a book ain't one.
2009 at 12pm Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Yeah, yeah. I’m bastardizing lyrics from a Jay-Z song. And no, I don’t condone referring to women as bitches, especially in the context of possession.
But what’s this all about? Well, let’s just say this post was almost titled “I’ve got ninety-nine books read, but a hundred ain’t done,” as in, it’s time for me to make peace with the fact that I’m going to miss my goal of reading 100 books this year by one book.
ONE MEASLY BOOK! DO YOU KNOW HOW MADDENING THAT IS?
And I blame it all on my mother-in-law. You see, I had it all figured out. I needed to read two books (Homer & Langley and In a Sunburned Country) on my Christmas vacation, listen to on audiobook on the drive from St. Louis to Aurora and back, then complete The Little Stranger just in time for New Year’s (and so I could potentially include it in my “best of 2009″ post, for which I’m already sure it’s a contender).
The plan was solid, and I was making good progress. But then I discovered, when it was already far too late (and far too early–we departed for the road trip at 6:30 in the a.m.) that my mother-in-law’s car DOESN’T HAVE A CD PLAYER! And this is a relatively new car, people! How was I supposed to know? I could have uploaded the audiobook on to my iPod if I’d known.
BUT NO!
It was like there some some book nazi in the sky shaking his fist at me and cackling, “NO AUDIOBOOK FOR YOU!”
So then I had a choice to make. I could put off The Little Stranger in favor of two quicker, shorter reads, or I could fall on my sword, stick with the book I really wanted to read, and figure that ninety-nine wasn’t such a bad number after all. As much as it makes me feel like I’m dying a little bit on the inside (and as much as I’ve had to endure my husband telling me it’s ridiculous to settle at ninety-nine when I had options that would have allowed me to read one hundred), that’s what I’ve decided to do. Why?
Because it provides the perfect transition to my reading philosophy for 2010!
By now, you’ve probably heard about this idea to make 2010 the year of “reading deliberately.” Several weeks ago, Vasilly and I were tweeting about how I wanted to re-focus my reading for 2010. Reading time is precious and limited, and I want to maximize its impact in my life. I set the goal to read 100 books this year because I just wanted to see if I could do it, but I feel like I’ve sacrificed quality a few times along the way, and when it comes down to it, I’d rather read fewer books and have them all be really fantastic than the other way around.
At some point in the conversation, Jennifer from The Literate Housewife jumped in and suggested “reading deliberately” as the way to sum up what I was trying to do, and now she and Vasilly (and some other bloggers whose posts I’ve read but have failed to keep track of) have beaten me to the punch with great posts about their 2010 reading goals.
So, what does “the year of reading deliberately” mean for The Book Lady?
- Classics: Because I like them, because they’re important, and because a familiarity with them makes one a better reader of contemporary novels, which often refer or allude to them.
- Chunksters: In my quest to read 100 books, I put a handful of big, meaty books on the back burner because I knew they’d slow me down. They’re time-consuming, and they need to be read carefully, and I knew I’d end up rushing through them and not doing myself any favors in the process. So it’s time to rescue them and get down to business!
- Tackling the TBR pile: I bought the books on the pile because I wanted to read them, but I allowed them to be preempted by ARCs, new releases, and books for which I imposed some arbitrary deadline far too often. I still want to read these books, so damnit, I’m going to read them!
- Getting picky about ARCs, review books, blog tours, etc. I love free books as much as anybody, and I’m always flattered when an author or publicist reaches out to me and thinks The Book Lady’s Blog is a good fit for their book, but I need to become even more selective about what I accept for review. I cracked down during the second part of this year, and it’s been rather nice to have more flexibility and freedom in my reading. Who wouldn’t want more of that?
- Balancing new releases with backlist titles: As a blogger, it’s fun to read new releases and be in on the conversations on blogs and Twitter, and when I was working as a bookseller, it was vitally important to be familiar with the hot new titles (because they’re hot and new and also because hardcovers have the highest profit margin), but I don’t want to read new releases to the exclusion of everything else, and I feel like I swung further in that direction than I intended to this year. After all, there are books on my TBR pile that have been there since they were new releases, and that’s just ridiculous.
These are the basic principles that will guide my reading in 2010, but the bottom line is that I want to be more mindful of how I select reading material. I read because I want to be a well-rounded, informed, intelligent citizen of the world. I read to have my boundaries stretched and to explore new ways of thinking and being and to see the world through someone else’s eyes. I read to learn and be challenged. And I want to keep these purposes in mind each and every time I walk to my shelves or into my favorite indie bookstore or click through an online retailer in 2010.
What will you be reading in the new year?
Related posts:
Oh, Rebecca, you make me laugh.
I didn’t write about my reading goals for 2010 yet, but they’re basically the same as yours. I want to delve into more literary fiction and more classics. I want to read deeper. Don’t get me wrong; in between classics and literary fiction I’ll read a crime thriller or something equally easy because only literary fiction can get a little heavy. But I’m going to start a challenge (I don’t know if anyone will join me) called the OATES challenge. I want to read more by Joyce Carol Oates, as well as Margaret Atwood and Ernest Hemingway. Basically the challenge will be to read classic/literary authors who’s (preferably, but not necessarily) last name starts with O, A, T, E, or S. Silly, I know, but it will help me focus on a few authors I really want to get to!
I think most of us who are writing posts about our reading philosophies have a lot of goals in common: reading classics, books from our TBR shelves. . . My first book in the new year will probably be Linda Gordon’s Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits. I read almost no chunksters this year and now I’m also hoping to read more of them in 2010. Happy reading and have a great new year.
I haven’t posted my goals yet, but I do have a list of books I’m going to try to read that have been lingering in the TBR pile or even just in the “I want to read that” column of my very cluttered mind.
Strangely enough, my goals center more on how I approach books and how I read than what I read. What I read I actually already think about a lot.
Great list of goals Rebecca…they sound just like you!
I was going to try to work reading deliberately into the Jay-Z lyrics for you, but ummm, well…he doesn’t use big words in his song. It’s hard to fit in deliberately when the original song is full of one and two syllable words.
It’s not that I don’t give thought to what I read, but currently, I’m much more deliberate in HOW I read (I guess we’re kind of opposites that way). As I read, I’m always thinking of themes and symbolism and narrative structure, and I take notes and underline….just need to be a bit pickier about what I read so I can get the most out of having these nerdy reading habits
Yeah, I thought about taking a page from your book and re-writing the song, but it didn’t look like it was going to work.
I was telling my daughter about you being one book short, and my 8-year-old, Josiah, said, “Mom, I could loan her one of my Littles books – I bet she could read it before midnight!”
I had to explain to him that you weren’t a friend that I saw in real life.
Thought it was so cute – had to share it with you.
Great goals. I am with you on all of them!!
Sounds like an excellent plan! Maybe I’ll jump in on this reading deliberately idea as well. I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m just not sure what my priorities are this year and it looks like my plans won’t be ready for the new year. Hilarious title, btw
I’m with you. I’m already bored with most ARC’s and haven’t accepted any in awhile. I want to be able to read books on my time frame, according to my mood and I can’t do that with blog tours or ARC’s. Since I’m a new blogger I won’t be offered ones that I really want so there will be very few for next year.
I want to read the books that I want to read regardless if they aren’t new.
I love JCO- her books always amaze me, she is so prolific. Good luck with your reading goals.
I saw Jennifer’s post about the year of reading deliberately and gave me much food for thought. Also going to concentrate on the books in my tbr pile, the classics we inherited but never read and not buying books for a while. The courtesy books from the publishers are awesome, but also need to be more selective as well. Sorry you didn’t make your 100 books. Sure there isn’t a novella you could quickly read and have your 100. That is if you want the 100 for 100′s sake. Otherwise congratulations on the 99 you thoughtfully and joyfully read!
Out of the mouth of babes comes the plain truth!
Great post (couldn’t comment until I was back on a “real” computer because my BlackBerry was having a leettle trouble with the comment box).
I should re-evaluate my reading as well – I’m so ADD with my reading that sometimes I don’t feel like I make much progress.
Definitely reading deliberately in 2010. I also read 97 books this year, only 3 shy of a hundred, too bad. Happy new year!
I’m proud of you, nonetheless! Happy new year! And here’s to great reading in 2010!
I love your posts like this. I’m glad that I was a buttinski to your conversation with Vasilly just so I could be mentioned in a post with such a great title. LOL!
We’re on the same wavelength. The part that will be the most difficult for me are new releases vs. older books. I often feel like my blog won’t be relevant if I don’t read the latest and greatest thing. BUT, I didn’t start my blog to be relevant (and it may even be a stretch to assume it is in the first place). I started it to record my thoughts on what I was reading.
I look forward to a year reading deliberately with you.
I consider 99 books a job well done! Good luck with your goals and have a Happy New Year!
I declared 2010 as the year of the classic… well for me anyway. I really enjoy the classics and I skipped a lot of them last year. My Moby Dick read-along got me going again so I have a stack of classics all ready to go. I will still read contemporary fiction but there will be more classics mixed in.
And honestly, if I counted EVERY book I read, I would have passed the 100 mark but I only counted the ones that I reviewed so I only hit 64. I’m okay with it.
I totally hear you on the concerns about relevance….but I think good writing about good books, be they old or new, is always relevant. So you’ve got nothing to worry about!
Good luck with all your reading resolutions! That is frustrating about the CD player though
I squeaked in my last book yesterday, but it wasn’t easy. And I had to rely on an audiobook for our Christmas travels, so I can feel your pain
Hope 2010 treats you well!
Fabulous post that focuses on what deliberatly means for you. I still have to write mine but suspect that much of what you have stated here will be reflected. I can’t wait to read what you have to say in 2010!
Sounds like a great plan!
Here’s the irony — I wanted to read 100 books in 2009 too. I made that and had time to listen to one extra book. Guess which one I listened to? YOu guessed it: In a Sunburned Country. How bizarre that that was my 101st book.
Happy new year!
That was very funny! I am sure it must be frustrating to miss your goal by 1 book but at least you have a fab set of goals for next year!
Great new philosophy. I’m sure you’ll have much more fun with your reading adventures in 2010.
Boy that would be frustrating! Did you read any children’s books during the year that you could count?
I guess that kind of leads into what you were talking about quality verses quantity though.
I agree with you about choosing quality. I know I am going to try to focus more on what I want to read this year, and that includes some books that are bound to take me more time to read.
Happy New Year! I hope your year is filled with time spent reading fabulous books!
I would have died a little inside getting to 99 and not 100 … but that is just me. I’m a sell out. Good for you for not opting for th easy way out.
And I love love love your reading goals. I was dazzled by all the free books I was offered when I was a new book blogger last year but realized that it ended up being more of a pain than a blesssing to me. I’m cutting way back in 2010 and reading more for me.
So glad I found your blog this year … it is one of my faves!
Just wanted you to know you have a new follower (me). I found out about your blog from the Sunday Salon on Bibliophile by the Sea
Welcome!
Well, I did read a ton of children’s books to my nieces this year, but since I don’t review them, I don’t count them. Looking forward to sharing another great year of reading with you!
So, can we pretend we set a goal to read 200 books together? We would have met that perfectly! (and yes, very ironic that we were both reading Bryson as our last!)
[...] was coined on Twitter after Jennifer from The Literate Housewife, Vassily from 1330v, Rebecca from The Book Lady’s Blog, and Michelle from Galleysmith were chatting on Twitter about this very topic. Here are some [...]
[...] seen a lot of posts about reading goals for 2010. For example, Rebecca at The Book Lady’s Blog writes about reading “deliberately” in 2010—reading classics, reading meatier books and mixing new [...]
[...] setting my own reading goal: I am going to read 100 books in 2011. Not coincidentally, Rebecca has already done this. I’m not doing it to copy her, I’ve taken her account of her experience to heart. She [...]
[...] [23:33] 99 Problems But a Book Ain’t One [...]
[...] reading The Book Lady’s blog and saw that she and some friends were going to spend the year reading deliberately. They were going to read books that they wanted to read, not just read books because they had to [...]