Goodreads (a website to help digitally document your library) has a goal every member can participate in- set a reading goal for 2011. I’ve seen some members who have determined to read 2,011 books in 2011. I don’t even think I’ve read that many books in my lifetime, including textbooks, and I consider myself an avid reader. After examining my priorities and my time, I set a realistic goal of 24 books for 2011. That’s 2 books per month. Every year I read triple that amount, but since I’m slowing down to read one book at a time (i can tell it’s going to get antsy), I know can do it. I want to divulge in the quality of the book, rather than check off the number of books I’ve read for bragging rights (it’s the curse of the elitist academic).
I began my year with
Finny by Justin Kramon. It’s the new book for The Slow Readers Book Club (if you’re not familiar with the Slow Readers, read the information on
this page- it has nothing to do with your speed of reading, but rather indulging and spoiling yourself in the slow movement). I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, but it was a beautiful story. I read it in 4 days! I caught myself laughing at Finny, but there were times her tragedy dug a little deeper than I expected and caught myself in tears, too. I hope other members are almost finished with the book, I can’t wait to discuss it on the forum.
Emma Wallace sent me a fun book to read,
A Crooked Kind of Perfect. I thought I’d finish this book by then end of January, but it was so charming, I finished it in one day. The book was hilarious, and I was literally LOL’ing at the waiting room in the doctor’s office. It’s 200 pages, some of the chapters are literally one line long, so it makes reading go by quicker. It was an easy read with a hopeful ending. This is just what I needed to read after a stressful week- Thank you, Emma!
My next book-
The Neverending Story. Of course it’s going to be better than the movie. Did anyone read it?
I may be a quick reader, but I love reading one book at a time. It reminds me of reading when I was growing up, where you didn’t pay attention to anything else but the book that was in front of you. Although it wasn’t a book, it was a different world. The challenging goal has helped me appreciate my love for reading even more. Cheesy but true! How’s everyone’s reading goals for 2011?
I have no specific reading goals. I'm also trying to read books one at a time and so far it's going well. One thing I'd like to do this year is read one of the big Russians. We'll see….
this year is going to be a book year for me as well!
I used to read a lot, but since starting polka dot robot… I think I have read three books in over a year
This year I thought I would read 12 books. I love this little post 
I have set a goal to read 12 books in 2011. Fiction books. Hopefully I'll end up reading way more than that but I, sometimes for certain things, have to set my goal a little low as to not scare myself into not doing that goal at all. I'm going to definitely look into these books you've mentioned here! =)xo. kf.
Hello!
Great idea!! I signed up for Good reads, and I think 24 books for the year is an excellent goal! I'll join you in this challenge 
Have a great day, Samantha SmellyShoesVintage@BlogSpot.Com
I try not to set specific goals for reading because I love it so much…No goals for treats!
Have you read "Room: A Novel" by Emma Donoghue? It is so fab! Can't say too much without giving anything away, but definitely check it out!
Those books sound great!This may sound terrible, but I didn't even know The Neverending Story was a book. I have to read it now!!!I decided to read 20 books this year at least!Finished the hunger games and I'm now reading Harry Potter since I never have. Loving the humor in it so far!
The Neverending Story is one of my favorites – truly so much better than the movie. But everyone says that.
Hope you love it, and I'm so glad you are feeling better!XOXO,Ashley
These books all look great! Finny is now on my list to read, and The Never Ending Story has been for a while but I haven't got to it. Last year I started using Goodreads to keep track of the books I had read, and I'll probably continue this year.
I totally just signed up for Goodreads, I've been using Library Thing but realized that they cap you at 200 books unless you want to pay, which is pretty sucky. So we'll see how this goes.I just finished reading Flowers in the Attic which wasn't as horrible as people have told me, but I'm a big fan of young adult lit.
Those books look fabulous, and 24 books is very doable. I think I might join you in this little challenge…especially if I get a kindle for my birthday in March!
Oh I wish I had more time to read, I do read but not as much as I would like to but I will definately check out those two you have mentioned. Good luck with your 24 books, I hope the ones you choose are great!
I am so happy to see this! I look forward to reading the books that you recommend!I hadn't set myself a specific goal for the year until I read this post. I've done different challenges, from 50 or 52 a year, to specific genre challenges. Some years I don't do them because I resent the pressure.This year I've resolved to read 30. This is the first year I have not been in school, so perhaps I will end up reading more, but it seems like a comfortable number to me. I recently bought a lot of more than 200 advance reader copies, so I need to work through that pile!
my reading goal for 2011 is to read a book about how to meditate. I am otherwise a pretty impulsive or spontaneous reader (in terms of choice)
i set a reading goal on goodreads too! i'm loving finny so far. awesome choice.
I love this! I set my goal for 100 books.I've read the Neverending Story. I haven't seen the movie but I must say I wasn't a huge fan of the book… but I hope you like it anyway!I just got Finny at the library today, I can't wait to read
I love the idea of reading 24 in a year. I've been reading Jane Eyre for 8 weeks now and it's killing me! I'm 40 pages away but classics are such slow reads for me.
You're blog is so fun! I just tumbled upon it through links in this wonderful blogging community:)I've just started mine, and I'd love if you popped by!http://lcr-outsidevoice.blogspot.com/
I put 25 because apparently the simplicity of multiplying by 2 entirely escaped me. I have two done for January and right now I'm reading "Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States" – it's petty hefty though and will probably last me well into February!
I used to read a lot but as my ids have gotten older and so stay up later the time for reading has all but disappeared. Now I am lucky if I read a couple of books a year.
Ergh, Goodreads is blocked on my work computer.
Definitely will check it out later though. I used Shelfari for awhile, which I suspect is probably similar, but I haven't logged on to that in a long time.Anyway, no specific reading goals for me, though I usually read a book every week or two. Right now I'm on book 3 for the year, FINALLY reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. 
I didn't know The Neverending Story was a book! That's a must-read for me for sure, as I loved the movies as a kid. Thanks for the info!
I love Goodreads! And I think 24 books is a great goal… realistic, yet still just enough of a challenge
I made a few reading goals myself. Including: listening to audiobooks while I work, and reading one book at a time with the hope of reading 50 books in 52 weeks. It's fun so far!
24! that is a good goal! i am not sure i can do it. i just don't seem to have as much time as i would like for reading. must try harder! must!
That's a good goal! I haven't set any reading goals for the year, but I'm keeping track of how much and what I read because I think it will be interesting to look back at!The Neverending Story is PRETTY good. It goes way beyond the story line of the movie, and is much more epic. But it seriously feels like it will never end by the last quarter of the book.
It drags a little!If you're open for other suggestions, I just read and absolutely *loved* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It was sweet and funny and warm and not entirely sad (for a book about Nazi Germany!). Totally recommended!
My goal is 100 on good reads and that works out to about 8-9 books a month. 2011 books in a year means like five books a day. Unless they are children's books that is not possible.
This is awesome! At the rate I'm going and with school though… I think I will set my goal at 12 (read all the way through) for now.