As a reader I think there is a tendency to want to gather books about you. They have an amazing ability to inspire awe, fear, horror, surprise, happiness... some of my fondest memories have come from books and it never surprises me just how much ink on a page can affect me so deeply. I collect fairy tales, I read science fiction like it's going out of fashion, I have a soft spot for Jane Austen and YA fiction.
But as usual, I bite off more than I can chew.
My book shelves expand, my reading list gets longer and I don't have any self control in books shops, frankly, I should not be allowed in them.
This year I set myself a few book related challenges and one of them was to keep a record of what I read, mostly because I'd like to know just how many books I read in a year but also as a way of being able to recommend books to friends. In setting up a blog not only do I have an organised record of what I read and when, but with the added benefit of being able to tag them by genre, make note of my first impressions and organise my thoughts upon completion in a way that others can read a review or receive a recommendation without pesky spoilers.
- Read a book recommended by a friend.
- Fine a Jane Austen novel you haven't read.
- Finish all the books you have on the go - current tally is at 8. (What?!)
- Keep a record of what you read.
- Read some classics you've been avoiding - Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Murder on the Orient Express.
- DON'T go into bookstores. You will buy more books.
- Only purchase books that finish a series you're in the middle of. For safety, do this online instead of violating the above rule.
- Take a friend into a book exchange and have them pick something they think you'd like - ban them from the fantasy section!
- Finish a series you're afraid to finish because there will be no more to read
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Yes, I actually haven't read this yet.)
Skulduggery Pleasant
The Demon Cycle by Peter V Brett
The Magicians by Lev Grossman