2018: The year of books

Every year, I make an entire list of things I’m planning to change in my life for the new year. Many times, I’ve completed my goals. However, over the past couple of years, I’ve struggled to finish many of them. Perhaps, it’s because I haven’t posted them here on the blog.

Ultimately, I’m only accountable to myself. However, making my goals public has always helped me stay on track. For 2018, I’m back to making my New Year’s resolution known to the world.

While I have several goals this year, I wanted to make a primary goal — one that I could track and keep updated here on the blog without getting overwhelmed.

100 books

This year’s primary goal is to read 100 books.

I love reading. I usually knock out 20 books or so every year, but that’s not much reading at all. I want to change that, and it’s simply about making a conscious effort to do better. There’s so many great books I’m missing out on because I’m not taking the time to read more of them.

I started reading Descendant (Princess of the Gods Book 1) yesterday to bring myself into the new year. It was a freebie, short, and something I could read on my phone. I thought it best not to kick the year off with something as long as War and Peace and set myself up for failure.

I’m not setting any limits on the kinds of books I’m going to read. I’ll do some fiction and non-fiction. I’ll read some young adult. I might even throw in a graphic novel or two. Other than cheap romance novels, I’m open to most anything.

Recommendations are welcome.

Hoping for a Kindle

Right now, I have two different Kindles on my Amazon Wish List. I’d like to get one at some point, but I have to wait until I save up a few dollars after Christmas and first-of-the-year taxes. Until then, I’m stuck reading on my phone or hard copies of books I already own but haven’t read yet.

The tech-geek in me really wants the Kindle Oasis but the practical side of me wants to stick with the Kindle Paperwhite.

Donating old books

This brings me to an add-on goal for “the year of books.” I have a fairly large collection of physical books at the moment. They are doing nothing more than gathering dust. I’ll never read most of them again.

What I’d like to do this year is find a place to donate these. They’ll do a lot more good for someone else than they will for me just sitting on a shelf.

Books are meant to be read.

Over the past few years I’ve focused on minimalism and getting rid of things that take up space at home. Getting a Kindle and getting rid of my physical books would help me push more toward that goal while passing on the gift of literature to someone else. Also, many of my books are available via Amazon’s Matchbook program where I can get the digital version for $2.99 or less if I really want to keep a copy for myself.

I’ll keep some of my physical books. Useful recipe and gardening books are essentials in my house and actually get used. I’ll keep some of the hardback classics and other books that have sentimental value attached to them. But, there are others that I have no good reason to keep.

At the moment, I’m thinking of donating them to my old high school, which had a sorely-lacking selection of books when I was there (not sure what it’s like now). I may also simply let friends and family pick the ones they want. I’m not sure yet. I’ll take some time to consider my options.