Resolution Reflections
Now that the first quarter of 2009 has passed, this is a good time to evaluate "Book Challenge 2009." My resolution was to finish reading more books than I acquire. This challenge has been about as difficult as I expected, a series of regular gains wiped out by occasional shopping sprees. Unfortunately, I was behind by one book as of March 31st, although I've since begun to rebuild a positive balance.

In the process of trying to keep this resolution, I've discovered a few things:

1. I am learning that it will be almost as big a challenge to review every book I finish. I should have expected that since I have at least 30 books piled up around my computer from last year that I never got around to reviewing online (and probably never will). Although I could cop out with one-line reviews, I'll try to continue writing at least a paragraph about each book.
2. The public nature of my resolution has influenced my shopping. I have rejected several books because I really didn't want the world to know I had spent (wasted) money and time on them. I guess that's a positive thing since it kept me from buying books.
3. I've never tracked my reading statistics before. After finished 24 books in the first quarter, I've decided to shoot for 100 books for the year (and I hope to buy fewer than 100!).
4. Reviewing the back-and-forth of the finished/acquired counts, it has become clear to me that I will never come anywhere near "catching up." I'm not terribly surprised, but it is disheartening. I feel like Sisyphus.

Okay, enough navel-gazing -- I've got reading to do!

Labels: Book Challenge 2009

- posted by David Johnsen @ 10:32 PM