Bookish Resolutions for 2013

1) Participate in a Reading Challenge or start one of my own - I'm thinking of either joining up a non-fiction challenge because I'm already part of a 5 year classics club challenge so I have fiction covered. Or start my own challenge. I have two ideas. "Read Your Own Library" challenge in which participants try to tackle the books that have been neglected in their own personal library. I know I bought way too many books in 2012 and my own library has too many unread books in it for my liking. Another is a "Classic Film Book Challenge" in which I ask participants to read one classic film related book a month and review it either on their blog or on social media.

2) Make a Dent in my Personal Library's Unread Book Pile - Tied in with the above Read Your Own Library challenge idea. I really need to do this one way or the other.

3) Buy Fewer Books & Swap - I just have too many and no space for more. If I do buy any new books, I need to get rid of older ones to make space for the new.

4) Read More - I had planned to read 75 books in 2012 but with wedding planning, illness and general stress I ended up reading less than 60 which is a woeful number. I'll set my Goodreads 2013 Challenge for 75 books. If by the 4th quarter I'm doing really well and have surpassed me goal, I'll bump it up to 100.

5) Schedule Times for Reading - I squeeze in reading whenever I can but I really need to plan dedicated reading times either in the evenings or on the weekends. Good blocks of time just for reading. I would get a lot more books read that way!

6) More Reviews - Now that I'll have some more free time in 2013 I want to get a lot more reviews up here on my book blog and on my movie and food blogs.

7) Read a Novel in Spanish - I have a couple at home and I think this would be really good for practicing my Spanish and improving my literacy in that language.

8) Purchase a Jose Saramago novel that is in the original Portuguese - The holy grail! Online and in stores I can only find his work translated into English or Spanish. The original Portuguese is impossible to find. I have family in Portugal and am seriously considering sending them money for Saramago books in Portuguese in return.

9) Read at least 10 Classics - I'm very behind on my Classics Club Challenge of 50 classics in 5 years. If I read at least 10 next year, and maybe more, I can catch up.

10) Putting Down the iPhone - My iPhone is quite an addictive device. I have it by my side constantly and I use it on a regular basis. I feel like this takes away from potential reading time. One of my personal goals for 2013 is to use it less. When I'm reading, it's nice to have it by my side if I want to look up something but I really should be leaving it another room so as to not distract me.


Other hopes for 2013 
Read a mid-twentieth century novel
Read a science and/or math book
Participate in the Science Book Club on Goodreads
Catch up on a lot of my classic film reading

What are your bookish resolutions for 2013?

Questionnaire on Reading & Books - September 2012

I saw this questionnaire on Boston Bibliophile as part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I thought I'd use the same questionnaire for here!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
I don't eat while I read. I make a point not to as I think eating and reading should be savored separately. Doing both at the same time you can't fully appreciate one or the other.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I hate marking books. I avoided it in college. One time I had to mark up a biography about the three Roosevelts. I used pencil but I hated the experience so much. That poor book! I am still traumatized by the experience. I'd rather make notes on separate pieces of paper with page #s and leave the papers inside the book for future reference.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
Bookmark. I'll use anything. Receipts, business cards, empty envelopes, etc. I would never dog-ear a book.

Laying the book flat open?
I live to preserve the spine so I don't do that. I used to work in a bookstore and had to talk to a customer. She spent the entire time opening the spine of a brand new book she didn't even buy. It was quite horrifying. I guess I'm particular about books. :-)

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Non-fiction and fiction is only classics now. I've been dealing with a lot of issues when it comes to Fiction. I just don't find the joy in it I used to. In fact, fiction just angers me right now. I'm not sure what to do about it.

Hard copy or audiobooks? or ebooks?
All of the above. I love hard copies the best but there is nothing quite like a well-narrated audio book. Ebooks are okay but I don't own a eReader. I do use one for work and that's how I read manuscripts and ARCs. Otherwise, I'm more of a hard copy or audio kind of gal.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I have to be able to put down a book at any point. I don't like it but I have to cram in reading whenever I can and sometimes that means only a page or two. I try to read during my lunch breaks at work and at that point I try to finish at least a whole chapter.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Yes. It becomes a bit cumbersome when reading classics. Especially Thomas Hardy!

What are you currently reading?
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Languages by Steven Pinker (I love linguistics)
The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Book #4 by Robert A. Caro(This book just fascinates me.)
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy (I love Mad Men and do some advertising for a living. Want to learn more about it)
Moby Dick by Herman Melville (for the Classics Club challenge)
Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home by Various(we are in the process of buying a new home)

What is the last book you bought?
The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Book #4 by Robert A. Caro - I saw it at a Barnes & Noble and I just had to have it.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I never read one book at a time. If I did, I'd go crazy. I need several books going at once. I try to read one book for fun, one book for learning and one book for work. But sometimes that doesn't happen. Right now, I'm trying to make sure that I always have one classic novel going so I can keep on track for my Classics Club challenge of reading 50 classics in 5 years.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
I like to read in my car during my lunch break. It's nice quiet time. It's tricky during the summer because my car gets hot!

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Stand-alone books. I'm almost never compelled to read books in a series. If it's a trilogy, maybe, but not a series.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Not really. I like to recommend books based on specific people and circumstances. One book I really loved might not be well received by a lot of people. I do have a talent of placing a particular book with the right person.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
As you can see above, I'm reading a book about buying a new home. We live in a small 2 bedroom condo and a lot of books are in storage. The books I do have out are organized by subject. I have 2 shelves of classic film books, 1 shelf of cookbooks, 1 shelf of literary fiction, 1 tiny shelf of children's books, etc. I have one shelf devoted to books I haven't read and want to read soon. My TBR shelf!