1. Read 100 books.
I read 127 books in 2011 and 142 books in 2012. While I considered setting this much higher to really challenge myself, I decided I wanted to get it at 100 so that I still felt like I could relax and enjoy what I'm reading. I've also noticed that I often avoid picking up thicker books because all I can think about is how long it will take me to read. I want to stop doing that in 2013!
2. Read books I own, and get TBR below 50 books.
This is modified from my resolution last year - I felt like I needed to be more specific so that I could have a measurable goal. As of this moment, and if I've updated Goodreads correctly, I own and have not read 98 books. Ideally, I'd love to get that number below 50 books, but I think that's a good number to aim for right now. I don't think it will be too hard if I'm focused and purposeful about my reading this year.
3. Don't buy a book unless I'll read it immediately.
I have a problem, and it's not just that I buy too many books. The truth of the matter is that I'll buy a book I just have to own right away and let it sit on my shelves or Kindle for months. I have seriously purchased so many books that I don't end up reading for a long time. In 2013, all that has to change. I can't keep this up.
Instead of buying books just because the fancy strikes, I'm going to challenge myself to not purchase anything that I don't intend to start immediately. No more Kindle one-click binges where I end up with five or six new books. This will possibly be the most difficult change for me to make this year, but I think it's necessary and will be a good thing in the long run.
4. Read one classic and two re-reads per month.
I love reading classics, but it requires a totally different frame of mind and reading focus than most of the stuff I read. I don't usually find myself reaching for a classic because I'll think, "I could read three or four books in the time it will take me to read that one." However, classics are usually so worth the time invested! That's why I want to read at least twelve classics in 2013.
Re-reading is one of my favorite things to do, but I've put it off recently because I've been buying way too many books or getting grabby hands in the library. Instead of just talking about wanting to re-read some favorites, I'm going to actually do it. Two re-reads a month is the goal, and I'm actually really excited about choosing two old favorites to revisit every month.
5. Take notes on finished book before starting new one.
For a period of time, I was doing really good about keeping a reading journal. All that changed when I took my blog hiatus, and I haven't really picked it back up since. I will finish a book intending to write the review for it right away, but then a few days go by and next thing I know I've read two other books since and haven't taken notes on any of them. It has to end! Plus, I know my reviews would be better if I took some more notes while I was reading.
6. Write more discussion-focused blog posts.
I mentioned this in my End of the Year Book Survey, and I actually think I've already figured out how I'm going to incorporate this into my blog on a regular basis. Some of my favorite posts by other bloggers aren't reviews - they are discussions, reading rants, conversations with their readers. I really hope to accomplish that this year.
7. Reply to all blog comments.
If you take the time to comment, I think it totally deserves a response. I make no promises on the time frame in which I want to respond to comments, just that I really do want to reply to all comments. I was doing really good at this for a while, but I've gotten slack lately. Time to get my head in the game and start responding!
8. Stay up-to-date and comment more on blogs I follow.
I think part of the problem is that I follow so many blogs, but I just can't bear to take any off my reader. There are so many good thoughts floating around out there, and I love seeing what other bloggers have to say. However, that often means I'll check my reader after a week or two and have 200+ blog posts that I haven't read. Ummm.... struggle. So, I'm going to make more of an effort to stay up-to-date on the blogs I follow (even if it means cutting back that number a bit), as well as commenting more. I love getting comments, and I can only imagine that other bloggers love getting comments, too.
