The Sunday Salon – December 13, 2009 (the “Year of Reading Deliberately” edition
Posted By CarrieK on December 13, 2009
In the past couple of weeks, there have been some wonderful conversations going on on Twitter and Google Wave about the idea of reading more deliberately. These conversations prompted Jennifer at Literate Housewife to dub 2010 “The Year of Reading Deliberately.” The idea is to make a conscious effort in the New Year to be deliberate about our reading, to make deliberate, thoughtful choices as we join reading challenges and read-alongs, to discover what reading deliberately means to each one of us. The best thing about this idea is that it’s so individual – it will mean something different to everyone.
Here’s what reading more deliberately will mean to me in 2010:
~ I will severely limit my review obligations. I enjoy getting free books to review, and I really enjoy being on blog tours, but I don’t like the feeling of being “behind” in my reading. I currently have ten review copies on my stack, with maybe one or two more on the way that I’ve forgotten about. In the coming year, I will only accept ARCs or review copies of books that I would purposely seek out even if I wasn’t being sent a free copy. I have agreed to review books in the past year that are not books I would have read otherwise. Sometimes this works out wonderfully, and I discover a hidden gem. Other times, I end up having to force myself to read a book when I’d rather be spending time doing other things. It’s not usually the book’s fault, either; the problem is that I should never have agreed to read the book in the first place, because it’s not the type of book I enjoy.
~ I will read from the stacks of unread books I own. I am embarrassed to tell you how many books I own that I haven’t read – there’s over a hundred, at least. I don’t know the exact number because I’m too afraid to count – and because they’re spread out in so many different places in the house!
~ I will try to stick to a reading schedule. For my fiction reading, I plan to tentatively follow this schedule: one ARC or review copy, one from my unread stacks, one book from the library, which is where I get most of my impulse reads. When I have no review commitments, then I plan to read two from my unread stacks to every one from the library. This doesn’t count audiobooks or non-fiction reads.
~ I plan to read more books to enrich my spiritual life. I don’t talk about my faith very much here on my book blog, but I feel like that is one area of my reading that has suffered. I plan to have at least one book of spiritual enrichment in progress at a time. No pressure or time limit – just a goal to read from my Bible and one other spiritual book at least a few minutes a day.
~ I plan to read more poetry.
~ My biggest reading resolution, though is this: NO GUILT. If I fail a reading challenge, I will not feel guilty. If I deviate from my reading order because I just have to read the latest YA hit everyone is gushing about, I will do so without guilt. I will say “no” without guilt to publicists and authors who are offering review copies of books that I don’t want to read. If I get behind and don’t review every single book I read, I will not feel guilty. And if I do not like a book that I agreed to review, I will say so – in a kind way – without any guilt.
What does reading deliberately mean to you?
Check out these other bloggers joining in on The Year of Reading Deliberately: Vasilly and Carrie.
Other bookish posts this week:
~ Book Review: Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
~ Literary Road Trip: Author Martha Brockenbrough
~ Giveaway: Dragon House by John Shors
~ Book Review: Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak
~ Book Review: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
I love this! I forgot about the guilt part. Not feeling guilty about so many aspects of reading and blogging is so important. Often it’s guilt that get us to read books we really don’t want to read. I don’t know if I can stick to a strict reading schedule but I do have my list of buddy reads and read-alongs set for next year. I feel so much better after writing about this.
Vasilly´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: A Year of Reading Deliberately
Vasilly – I’m all for getting rid of guilt when it comes to reading and blogging – they are the two things in my life I do just for me, and I don’t ever want them to become obligations.
I always seem to miss the interesting conversations on Twitter (and haven’t a clue what Google Wave is). I think your goals sound reasonable, Carrie.
Other than a couple of challenges that are continuations from this past year, I’ve decided to just go with the flow this next year. I’m not setting any specific goals. I still have review commitments and I’m sure I’ll continue to host a tour now and then. But all that is flexible. So I guess my deliberate plan this next year is not to be so deliberate.
Literary Feline´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: This & That
Wendy – that’s what is so great about this idea – it is so individual! I love your deliberate plan to read less deliberately.
And Google Wave is a new thing that is in beta testing mode from Google – it’s kind of a forum, chat, twitter, instant messaging thing all at the same time – it’s hard to explain. You kind of just have to see it for yourself. Right now it’s by invitation only – and I have a few invites, so I’ll send you one and you can check it out.
Sounds like a wonderful idea to me.
Kathy´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday
Thanks, Kathy.
I missed the Twitter conversation, but I’d been thinking along these lines before I saw this popping up.
I love the way you expressed your guidelines for 2010.
Word Lily´s last blog ..A Victorian Christmas by Catherine Palmer
Word Lily – I think a lot of bloggers are thinking along these lines.
I am so glad so many of us had the same revelation for deliberate reading. I, too, plan to do more spiritual reading. I signed up for the Christy Challenge, and Christian fiction is a new genre for me. I’m looking forward to it, but I also want to read more spiritual and reflective nonfiction. I’m really looking forward to reading the books I’ve wanted to read for so long instead of focusing on the new and popular. Cheers to 2010 and a supportive book blogging community!
nomadreader´s last blog ..dinner and a movie: Invictus
Carrie – I’m going to do the Christy’s Challenge, too – as well as more non-fiction spiritual reading as well.
Sounds like you have some great plans for the upcoming year!
Stephanie´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday
Stephanie – thanks!
“I am embarrassed to tell you how many books I own that I haven’t read – there’s over a hundred, at least.”
Unfortunately, I was dumb enough to count mine. They came in at a grand total of 210 unread books. Gees…guess what I’ll be reading all next year?
Amanda (A Bookshelf Monstrosity)´s last blog ..Books By Theme: Travel the World from your couch
Amanda – I’m really scared to count mine! But I have a new bookshelf to put together tomorrow, and I may have to do an approximate count just to satisfy my curiosity.
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oh yea! POETRY. I keep forgetting about poetry. Probably because I find it so overwhelming.
Care´s last blog ..UnPlugged With a Few Upcoming Posts
Care – it doesn’t have to be overwhelming – not all poetry is obscure and hard to understand. You should try some Billy Collins – he’s brilliant and very accessible.
I love the title Year of Reading Deliberately and I think some of my concepts follow yours. I’m going to create a post about this! Great idea!
Rebecca Reid´s last blog ..Reading Journal (16 December): A Classics Circuit TBR List from Wilkie Collins to Harlem
Rebecca – Jennifer deserves all the credit – it was her wonderful idea!
Just say no to guilt! I actually have to get better about that honestly, I am good about using challenges as guidelines and not stressing about “winning” but other areas I tend to feel quite guilty about. I guess because I commit to something and if for whatever reason I can’t follow through I feel badly. Hopefully over 2010 I’ll get better about that.
Great post and good luck!
Michelle´s last blog ..For the Love of a Good Man
Michelle – I think a huge part of not feeling guilty about failing on commitments is not over-committing myself to begin with. I have a tendency to jump in to every good idea I hear, without thinking about everything else I have going on. I’m going to work on it this year.
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