This week's reading was not very productive. Despite the pleasure of having finished some projects, cleaning at home and typical job stuff, next week I'm going to have to see about crafting a better routine. Saving reading for before bed is fine for leisure, but isn't getting the (big) job done.
Barring any errors on the part of Amazon's page counting, I have pegged the total number of pages for my library at 55,328. When I was just viewing my goal by the count of books (126), then too it seemed completely unattainable, but in that way as I'd make a huge effort and though the actual result was fairly meager, my determination and heart would transform the moral victory into something uplifting and symbolic. You know, like in that movie Rudy? Except with books?
Hopefully some of the more embarrassing titles will be quick reads where they might not be literature. Between a generous employee discount and my general lack of standards or class, many books that should have been left well enough alone have followed me home from an impulsive evening at the bookstore. I am perfectly willing to spend fifty cents to read a dumb book; It is not beyond my station in life.
I'm looking forward to reading the Tripods Trilogy and prequel next week. I cannot remember having finished the series when I first read them years ago. I hope to also finish Hidden Empire (first of The Saga of Seven Suns), and if there's more time, I will continue my long trek through The Stand.
One book finished so far is a poor start. I'm not sure if this is actually a big goal or not, nor am I sure exactly what I'm going to define as acceptably completed. Next week I'm going to do better work.
1/09/2012
1/03/2012
The Books In My Room
Right off the bat I should let you know that my collection of books isn't varied, and it isn't sophisticated. It isn't even intentional so much as it is leftover.
A couple years ago I got into some legal trouble and, frustrated, made the decision that in a worst-case-scenario I was going to move and try to start over somewhere new. In an effort to be prepared, I set about reducing my holdings. I emptied my stored furniture into a co-worker's kitchen and living room. I sold DVDs. I got rid of clothes. I began the long and ongoing process of digitizing my collected papers.
Most painfully, I emptied my bookshelves and sold the majority of my books. What remained after the decimation was a stack of things I hadn't yet had a chance to read or was unwilling to part with for being just too darned good. I bought a Kindle, opting to build a digital library which could be easily transported in a quick-move situation.
Then things worked out (as well as they can when you're a jackass and you get into trouble) and I didn't end up moving. I estimate I had reduced my stock of books to somewhere between 30 and 40 physical volumes. That number is now 139 after another 2 years constantly picking up something else that seems desperately interesting to me.
Fair Warning? It's mostly Science Fiction/Fantasy. If you haven't yet checked out my LibraryThing listing, I have broken it down into an easily digested chart.
Now, I'm not a professional mathematician, but any time one wedge of your pie chart is clearly trying to devour the rest, I think it is safe to say that's significant.
The Horror category gets a boost because I can't help but love Stephen King and the general Fiction category is getting some padding from titles like 1984 and 2666, which just can't be called Sci-Fi because it isn't ladylike.*
If you were hoping that I might be undertaking this blog to enlighten my fellow man on works of great literature, I gotta believe that the pie chart is dousing your mood a bit. If, however, you were hoping to hear an idiot talk about Star Wars or Star Trek, you're in capable hands, Friend.
*Not a good explanation for why those books are not considered Sci-Fi.**
**Understatement
A couple years ago I got into some legal trouble and, frustrated, made the decision that in a worst-case-scenario I was going to move and try to start over somewhere new. In an effort to be prepared, I set about reducing my holdings. I emptied my stored furniture into a co-worker's kitchen and living room. I sold DVDs. I got rid of clothes. I began the long and ongoing process of digitizing my collected papers.
Most painfully, I emptied my bookshelves and sold the majority of my books. What remained after the decimation was a stack of things I hadn't yet had a chance to read or was unwilling to part with for being just too darned good. I bought a Kindle, opting to build a digital library which could be easily transported in a quick-move situation.
Then things worked out (as well as they can when you're a jackass and you get into trouble) and I didn't end up moving. I estimate I had reduced my stock of books to somewhere between 30 and 40 physical volumes. That number is now 139 after another 2 years constantly picking up something else that seems desperately interesting to me.
Fair Warning? It's mostly Science Fiction/Fantasy. If you haven't yet checked out my LibraryThing listing, I have broken it down into an easily digested chart.
Now, I'm not a professional mathematician, but any time one wedge of your pie chart is clearly trying to devour the rest, I think it is safe to say that's significant.
The Horror category gets a boost because I can't help but love Stephen King and the general Fiction category is getting some padding from titles like 1984 and 2666, which just can't be called Sci-Fi because it isn't ladylike.*
If you were hoping that I might be undertaking this blog to enlighten my fellow man on works of great literature, I gotta believe that the pie chart is dousing your mood a bit. If, however, you were hoping to hear an idiot talk about Star Wars or Star Trek, you're in capable hands, Friend.
*Not a good explanation for why those books are not considered Sci-Fi.**
**Understatement
Consequences
Because any good personal endeavor should carry some kind of penalty for non-completion, I propose this: I will donate a penny per page to charity for each page I don't read before the year is up.
To begin, I've created a LibraryThing collection of the books in my room, and I will work from there for the challenge. Any book that is up at that site, and doesn't earn the "Done" designation before 12/21/2012 will be subject to the donation rule, including partially finished reads.
Since I know I'm going to be unable, or unwilling, to read everything I've secreted away on my shelf, I've asked my good friend Blaster to be Magistrate of my undertaking. She will be allowed to swap books on my shelf for a different book (of her choosing), or to design a challenge that would remove the book from my list, without my having to read it.
These rules will be refined and clarified, but for now, it's time to read.
Books In My Room
My resolution for this year is simple and a cap to something I started a long time ago, but was sidetracked into leaving unfinished: Read, then part company with all of the books in my room.
The key stats: 100+ books, both physical and eThereal. 52 weeks. 1 avid reader. Ø impeding personal life.
Boom. (I make explosion noises aloud when I do something victorious or competent.)
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