New Year, New Goal

In 2008 I proved to myself that yes, I really can read fifty books in a year. I can even read more than that, if I push myself. It was a great feeling, but I felt a little let down when I didn’t make it to 75. “Oh, well,” I said. “I can try again next year.” Great idea, right?

Well, I’m not going to do it.

2009 is the Year of Big Books. Those books that I’ve been meaning to read, but keep putting off because of their size or difficulty? The books that I shoved off to the side because I was afraid of slowing down my “completed book count”?

This is the year for them.

I’m setting a goal of twenty books or more, though these books will include the following:

Infinite Jest
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Out (for the second time)

The Broom of the System

White Noise

Cloud Atlas
The House of Leaves
Snow Crash
The Vampire Chronicles Collection 1
Gravity’s Rainbow

Any book I’ve wanted to read that I put off because it would take a week or more to fit into my busy schedule is being read this year. I’m not paying much attention to numbers this time. I have so many different things, easy reads with long page counts and difficult reads with shorter ones, plus anything in between, that I haven’t given an opportunity because I was too busy trying to reach my book number goals.

This is also going to be the Year of Suggestions. Some books people just keep bringing up, mostly Snow Crash and House of Leaves. I bought copies and ended up not reading them immediately, and I’ve been pestered over and over about when I’m going to read them. I’m going to read them now, this year, possibly even before Spring arrives. Who knows.

But this year for sure I’m not reaching for fifty. It was helpful in clearing out my TBR of shorter books, but it’s time to dig in now.