I've never participated in Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and Bookish) before, although I have enjoyed reading other bloggers' posts of this meme. I've been wanting to write a few book blogging resolutions for this year, so I knew I had to participate in this week's Top Ten. I have many areas I would like to improve!1. Read 88 books this year. Ok, so 88 is kind of an arbitrary number. I know I can read more than 52 books, but I am not sure if I can quite make it to 100. When I received an email from GoodReads asking me to make a goal, I decided on 88 because 8 is my lucky number. Haha. But I do think it will be a good number for me - high enough to push me, but not impossible for me to complete.
2. Complete all my challenges. I was able to complete every challenge last year - but I only signed up for two! I began blogging around September, so this year is really the first that I am getting involved with challenges, and I am jumping right in. I am signed up for eight challenges right now and plan on signing up for two more this year (one will be a holiday challenge, and one hasn't been posted yet).
3. Don't worry about followers. Sometimes I get discouraged when I realize my followers number less than 10% of many blogs out there. I especially get discouraged when I lose followers. *Sniffle* However, the point of this blog for me was to have a place to write my thoughts about books - I never even thought people other than family and friends would want to read it, so I need to keep that in perspective now!
4. Post two reviews a week. I probably won't always read two books a week. However, I usually get in at least one and I have some weeks where I read more than two books (usually when the books are short!)
5. Spend more time reading than blogging. It is so easy to get sucked in to the internet and surf the blogosphere. Reading is what I really love and needs to be my first priority.
6. Write outlines of my posts. I have been doing this for the last 2 or 3 reviews and I think I have liked them much better than reviews that I just wrote "cold."
7. Carry post-its. When I am reading my own books, I like to highlight and annotate so I can find those favorite passages again. (I can just see some of you pristine-condition people shuddering... sorry!) However, with books that are not my own I often lose track of my favorite passages. I don't like to dog-ear others' books so I need to start carrying post-its.
8. Organize my TBRs. I have two TBRs - the definitely read it TBR, and the potential reading interest TBR. I read samples and summaries on my Kindle in the potential reading list, and if I like it, it gets moved to the definitely read. After every book I read, I want to read three samples or summaries so I know whether to keep it or throw it out!
9. Respond to comments more quickly.
10. Read The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. I need to read this specific book because it was on a list for a challenge last year and I ended up replacing it because it was so long and I was running out of time. However, I really do want to read this book, so I am going to make sure it gets read this year.
Now... let's see if I keep these goals!
Good luck with all your resolutions! I'd also like to read around 80-90 books this year - last year I did about 65.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about it being easy to get sucked into the blogosphere and amount of followers. But the amount of followers is not important, it's the quality that counts :P
I love #8 -- I'm determined to try to put order to my reading stacks too.
ReplyDeleteHave a great year...here are my goals:
http://www.gerberadaisydiaries.com/2011/01/top-ten-tuesdays-reading-resolutions.html
I think 88 is a great number! And I'm with you with the Post-It notes thing - with library books, I use a post-it as a bookmark so it's always there to write down a note or two :o)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your resolutions!
I agree that 88 is a great number!! I'm trying to get to 30 :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on both not worrying about followers (we seem to be building on about the same pace though so that's good) and spend more time reading than blogging!
Good luck and let us know how you are doing!
These are great resolutions. I had number 5 on my list as well. I'll go online for what I hope to be a half hour to look at blogs and I'm still there two hours later - losing precious reading time. This year I'll read more than I visit blogs.
ReplyDeleteGreat resultions!! I chose 75 books for my Goodreads challenge :) And boy oh boy, do I need to organize my TBR pile SO bad! Good luck with your resolutions!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals, I especially like #5 (to read more than blog). It is far too easy to get caught up in blogging and reading our RSS readers; this is definitely one of my issues as well.
ReplyDeleteA nice and varied list of goals you have! I like your logic for choosing 88 books...sounds good to me. As for marking up books, I don't mark my own, so I've gotten into the habit of using an index card or a bit of scrap paper for a bookmark. I make notes on that. It's a system that's worked very well for me so far.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your goals!
I won a Stylish Blogger Award and I'm passing it on to you! I love the books in your background :o)
ReplyDeletehttp://sarahthinksso.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-got-award.html
@Sam - Good luck with your reading! And quality - definitely. That needs to be my focus.
ReplyDelete@Gerbera - Thanks for stopping by!
@Sarah - That is a good idea - I need to go shopping and get some post-its tomorrow, maybe I'll get some big ones for bookmarks. And thank you for the award! I'll get a post up soon. :)
@Laura - Thanks! I saw you were reading The Help - hope you love it! One of my favorite reads for 2010.
@Brenna - Good luck to both of us! The worst thing about getting sucked in to blogs is that I add books to my TBR and do less reading - a vicious cycle.
@talesofabookaddict - Thank you! Good luck with your 75 books! I told my husband that I want to read 88 and he looked surprised and said "That's a lot of books" - now I am a little nervous, but still hoping to get them all in.
ReplyDelete@Helens Book Blog - Blogging is so fun and interactive, it is hard to stop! But reading is the reason for it all. I keep reminding myself. I have a Middle East challenge post going up soon, by the way. :)
@Erin - That is a very good idea. I think I might combine yours and Sarah's ideas and use big Post-its for my bookmarks. We will see if I actually hold to it or if I keep dogearing (*shudder*)
I am so proud of myself for answering my comments. :-D
What a great list!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE #3. I need to remind myself of this at times as well. When I start to obsess over followers, my site stats, or comments I just remind myself that the whole reason I started this was for my personal benefit and reading enhancement and not necessarily to gain subscribers - which are fantastic - but also a side benefit. That helps me to keep things in perspective.
I like the post it idea as well. A while back my mom gave me a set of highlighters with sticky-tab dispensers on the ends - which I loved. But when they dried out I went to the store to get more only to discover that they're rather expensive (at least for a highlighter). Post-its are a better idea anyway as you can make notes w/o having to clutter up the margins.
Your goal of 88 books is impressive! I'll be elated if I can manage 52!