Over the past few weeks, I’ve taken a step back from blogging and focused more on my other interests. I had a fairly quiet Christmas with hubby’s mother and brother, and though I didn’t receive any books as gifts, I did receive some cash and I am deliberating over my potential acquisitions. It’s also almost my birthday, so I have more potential for bookish gifts. These days I try to only buy what I can’t get from the library as I really don’t have space for all the books I’d like to own and I’m finding that I actually don’t want to reread all that many books. So I’ve been spending time comparing lists and contemplating! My mother-in-law also gifted me with a knitting project, so I’ve been learning to knit. Although I’m not very good yet, I am excited by all the projects I can now contemplate, and it’s really not as hard as I remembered from when I was a little kid.
That, and my newly revived interest in video games (perhaps not the most worthwhile of hobbies, but I’ve been feeling low lately and it really helps), has shown me that I’ve maybe been spending a little too much time reading and blogging this year. I’ve enjoyed diversifying my activities and it’s much easier to spend time with someone doing something that isn’t sticking my nose in a book. I have no intentions to stop reading, but I think I want to read less, and to read more specific books. I mentioned some of this in my 2009 wrap-up post, but here is an outline of my goals:
- Read more classics. I love classics and I’m finding them so much easier to read these days, I think because I have 4 years of literary theory behind me. I want to get to more of the ones I own in particular.
- Read more non-fiction. I feel such a lack of learning in my life right now, and while I’m still unemployed and have the mental concentration, I should seize this opportunity to learn about other subjects, cultures, and people.
- Stick to a reading plan. I want to read 1/3 of my own books, 1/3 review copies until I can cut that number down, and 1/3 library books, so that I can diminish my TBR pile but also feel like I’m reading something new with the library and review books.
- Read one longer and/or more difficult book per month. I saw this on another blog and I love this idea. I want to read one huge chunkster or longer classic a month. I’ve had A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth sitting at me from the top of my immediate TBR pile for at least a month now. It’s my January project and I want to start it as soon as I’ve finished my current read.
- Don’t feel guilty. This is my most important goal. I don’t want to feel guilty for not reading every day, for not blogging every day, for doing something else with my time. I don’t want to beat 2009’s total of 283 books.
If I don’t achieve these goals, that’s okay too. They’re just outlines. And if all I want to do is read in my free time, that’s okay too, especially after I get a job and my time is more limited. I’ve seen a lot of similar posts to mine this week, and I wish everyone success with their 2010 goals.
I just made the exact same decision – not to buy a book I can get at the library. I rejoined the local library last year and it saved me both money and space. But, there are always books which you can’t get through the library, and sometimes they are on the expensive side – that’s when your Christmas and birthday cash might come in very useful!
I haven’t knitted anything for years – I could really only do scarves and it got boring – but I do have a petit point sampler I’ve been working on forever. I was working on it at Christmas and I want to do more on it this year.
.-= Miss Moppet´s last blog ..Lady Moppet’s post #4: Confrontation at Marlborough =-.
I love your goals, especially “Don’t feel guilty.” That’s one I really need to tackle too. Good luck!
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Our life in France – grocery shopping =-.
Good luck, Meghan! I like all your goals, but like Kathy the last one’s my favourite
.-= Nymeth´s last blog ..Happy New Year! =-.
I think your goals are very reasonable and I wish you the best of luck.
.-= Literary Feline´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: Christmas Loot, First and Last Books of the Year & A Blogging Break =-.
It’s always good to have goals, especially do-able goals. I’m reading The Happiness Project and I’m finding lots of wonderful ideas for being happier.
.-= debnance´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: Best of the Decade =-.
Good luck on all your reading goals friend!
.-= Amy @ My Friend Amy´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon: A Few Links =-.
I always mean to try more classics, but I have such a hard time with them in written form that I pretty much have to listen to the audiobooks, which gets very time consuming. I’m looking forward to seeing what non-fiction you pick – I’m always interested in broadening my horizons! (Of course, if you need suggestions, I’ve always got opinions, too.
.-= Fyrefly´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: 2009: A Year in Books =-.
Guilt free is a good plan! Though I won’t try to read more classics or non-fiction. haha
.-= Keira´s last blog ..10 Ways to Time Travel in Romance =-.
I hear ya about diversifying! I made my reading goal lower this year and I’ve now got a timer for time spent on Google Reader
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..The First Ladies of the United States, by Nicola Gillies =-.
Those are excellent goals! I am also going to take on one chunky/difficult book a month, too, and read it leisurely over time. This month, it is Team of Rivals. I’m happy with that decision as I was getting stressed about all those big books on my shelves but not REALLY wanting to spend all my time on such massive and dense books.
.-= Aarti´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: How many books do you read at a time? =-.
My plan is to read a little less this year, and to focus more on books that I’ve been wanting to read also.
.-= Alyce´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon – January 3 =-.
Don’t feel guilty is the best! Good luck with everything. I am looking forward to reading more deliberately as well.
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..The Demon of River Heights, by Stefan Petrucha & Sho Murase =-.
That’s a nice set of goals to have for the year
You’re at the best stage of your life for reading such chunksters. I had a not very small period of unemployment after my college, and it was amazing what new books and new hobbies I discovered. Now, when I look back, it was truly a “discovery” phase for me.
.-= Nish´s last blog ..Year End Book Meme =-.
Feeling guilty is definitely something I have to work on myself. Good luck with your goals!
.-= Chris@bookarama´s last blog ..Non-Book Challenge: 100 Mile Fitness Challenge =-.
Great goals! It really is important to have a life outside of blogging and Twitter.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Review: All Alone in the Universe by Lynne Rae Perkins =-.
I think you have some great goals for 2010! I have to focus on not being intimidated by sheer length/difficulty as well. I have been meaning to read Anna Karenina for years now and hopefully 2010 will be the year that happens!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Sunday Salon =-.
Yep, those are some good goals. I have gotten more and more into non-fiction over the past several years, and now I don’t read a whole lot of modern fiction. I really enjoy how much I learn about other people and places and things from all my non-fiction–I just finished a memoir about backpacking in Communist China and started a book by one of the Little Rock Nine, about his experiences at Central High.
Yay for non-fiction!
I want to read more classics too; I really love them when I read them, so I have no clue why I’m not constantly picking them up! lol
.-= Eva´s last blog ..Let the Lord of the Rings Read-a-Long Begin! =-.
I like your goal to read more deliberately (although it’s something I’ve never been able to pull off, heh).
I’m definitely the type to diversify my hobbies. Besides reading, I knit, play videogames, cook, and of course watch stuff. I don’t think your blog is going to suffer from less reading. You could even review a videogame if you wanted. I know there’s some medieval ones out there,
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Movie Review: Killer at Large Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat (2008) =-.
Uh-oh, diversifying activities. That’s how it starts! I used to read a book or two a day, too, until I started doing something besides reading.
Naw–actually I’m a lot happier now that I do other things. Good luck with all your reading goals. 
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Harry Potter and the Kid Who Cried Wolf =-.
I love it! I’m so glad so many people are reading deliberately this year. I tried to make attainable goals too, and I’m avoiding guilt. Reading is my favorite thing to do, but I want to love it always.
.-= nomadreader´s last blog ..book review: Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani =-.
Ahhh, love your goals. For me, my major goal is to read more books from my personal library and borrow fewer books from my library-or worse BUY MORE !!
Nice blog !! Keep up the good work !
Drop by my blog anytime !! Feel free to check it out !!
-Maphead
I tried my hand at knitting a couple of years ago. I actually made my husband read the book and learn it, and then teach me! I haven’t really practiced very much in the intervening years, but I hope to do something more this year too. I am glad to hear that you are going to be reading A Suitable Boy. I read it a few years ago and thought it was a pretty good book. Towards the end I started skipping the political sections, as they were not much to my liking. I hope you are able to enjoy the book fully, with not much skipping! I hope you have a great New Year and that you are able to complete all of your goals!
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone – 384 pgs =-.
My knitting project is sitting sad and neglected in a draw. I signed uo for this crazy knitting partwork last year (which still seems to be coming thought it should be over by now) and have not have chance to keep up with its central project so if you ever want free wool sending over let me know.
Some good goals there especially don’t feel guilty, it’s all fun and computer people will wait for your next review
.-= Jodie´s last blog ..Reading in Color and Holiday Swap =-.
I’m sorry you’ve been feeling low lately
I’m glad you have something to bring your spirits up though. I say have fun and relax however you enjoy doing so, video games are super fun so why not!
These are great goals, in fact I might have to adopt the last one about guilt myself.
Good luck for a successful year!
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Book Blogger Con is On! =-.
[…] Medieval Bookworm […]