Sunday, January 04, 2009

New Year's Resolution #4: Read More

I already read a lot, but it's mostly comics and graphic novels. And then, mostly new comics and graphic novels. I just counted, and I've got a stack of well over 50 (maybe closer to 75-100) graphic novels sitting on my bedside table/headboard bookshelf. Some of them have been there for two to three years, waiting to be read. With the flow of comp copies mercifully over, I'm not facing the Sisyphean task of reading while more keeps flowing in, so my goal this year, in addition to whatever other comics and graphic novel reading I've been doing, is to read one, preferably two, graphic novels off that stack each week.

In addition, I read only a few novels in 2008. Audacity of Hope, three of the George R.R. Martin Song of Ice & Fire novels, a few others. This year, my goal is to read at least one novel a month, preferably two. I've got a stack of about six sitting on my bedside table, ranging from Stephen Colbert's book to Obama's Dreams of My Father to Rucka's latest novel (Patriot Acts) to the second Harry Dresden book to the James Ellroy classic Black Dahlia. I'll definitely read the last available Martin book, Feast For Crows, in January. And then I'll try to tackle more.

I'd like to read some more non-fiction as well. There are three or four books from authors who have been on The Daily Show that I've put on my to-read list, but I haven't even bought them yet because I've got such a backlog.

I also started doing a little more on the site Goodreads beyond just signing up whenever a friend emailed me about it. I'm slowly entering the books I've read and hope to read, and once that's done I think I'll go, alphabetically and methodically, through the graphic novel collection and put that in. So there will probably be some graphic novel short reviews as I do that. What can I say, I'm an organizer by nature, and have just a touch of OCD in me.

3 comments:

NathanK said...

Last year, I looked at Amazon's "best of the year" picks and reserved the books that popped out at me at the local library. Most of them had long waits, so the process worked really well, providing me with books to read spaced throughout the year. It exposed me to authors I probably wouldn't have read otherwise, and it made me read the books (since a due date was always coming). I'm doing it again this year and am really excited about some of the books coming! Anyway, just an idea. Good luck with all your resolutions! (By the way, I'm on Dresden 4. Love the series. Left to my own devices, this is the kind of trash I'd read all the time.)

Nathan

Greg McElhatton said...

Yeah, I'm trying to get all of my various books into Goodreads as well -- tackled one shelf of books last night, hurrah! But so many more to go...

Randy Lander said...

Yeah, I'm trying to get all of my various books into Goodreads as well -- tackled one shelf of books last night, hurrah!

I know, I've been using your recommendations when they pop up on my feed the last couple days. I'll see it, go "Hey, I've read that!" and click on the link so I can fill in my collection as well. :)