New Year’s Resolutions

Drinking and eating less, getting more exercise – for me these are ongoing and always slightly elusive goals so it makes no sense to once a year list them as new year’s resolutions.  Instead, I’ve come up with reading resolutions which are more fun and more attainable!

#1 – Read more nonfiction  

When I was in high school and worked as a page at the local library, I came to know well people’s reading tastes as a large part of my job involved shelving books. By far, the most nonfiction books checked out were the how-to manuals for fixing cars, books about sex, textbook-like histories of WWI and WWII, and biographies.  All of that seemed like pretty dry stuff to me.  Nonfiction has come a long way since then as these writers have borrowed many of the techniques of the novelist – figurative language, descriptive detail, flashbacks and characterization – and the memoir now rivals the more traditional biography.  They are, in short, much more appealing reads. They’re also like kale, for which I have acquired a taste – good for you.  

This past year I read 4 works of nonfiction, three memoirs (two by David Sedaris and one by Cheryl Strayed) and James Comey’s book.  My modest goal this year is to double that number.

#2 – Read more on my Kindle

My friend Gail reads most of her books on her e-reader and she downloads many of those from the library free of charge, thus saving her the approximately $1,000. I spend on books a year.  The Kindle has many advantages – easy to carry around and travel with, as I mentioned before, the possibility of free books, I can still read after my husband has turned off the light, and fewer stacks around the house needing dusting. 

#3 – Reach my Goodreads challenge goal

For the past two years, I have set my goal at 75 books.  Last year I made it to 74 and thought for sure that I could squeeze in one more this year.  Nope. I was sitting at 68 on December 31. My family unhelpfully suggested picture books, graphic novels and YA titles to binge on this past week. Should I lower my goal for next year, particularly in light of goal #1?  No, I’m going for it!

#4 – Read more magazine articles

  My husband and I subscribe to some great magazines – National Geographic, Smithsonian, Time andThe Atlantic.  They sit on our living room coffee table, suggesting to guests how intellectual and erudite we are.  The truth is they are seldom actually read.  My goal is to read one article from each of these magazines each week.