By now you may believe you’re well on your way to making the “new” you for the New Year. You’ve resolved to save more money, to commit to community service, and to work harder for the achievement of liberal and progressive political goals. If that’s so, then congratulations! You’re a better person than I. I’ve made no New Year’s Resolutions this year. In fact, I’ve never made any in my entire life. I’m far too lazy to undertake even thinking about self-improvement.
Unless I’m riddled with guilt.
And that’s the condition I found myself in as I watched 2011 draw to a close but didn’t see any progress in my Books Owned by Me TBR pile. It was embarrassing to ring in 2012 realizing that I hadn’t read a single one of the twenty or so books I’d bought myself for birthday and Christmas gifts the previous 365 days. I was become in my own eyes a failed reader. I had let down my bibliofriends by not cracking their covers. No longer could I deny the reality, the obvious, the plain as the (smallish) nose on my face. I had become a Kindle addict, downloading this that and the other freebie, cheapie, or Lendle Me e-book to the detriment of my character. GAK!
Time for a change!
So, dear reader, I have resolved to re-engage my tactile flexing finger turning paper pages of books I own. I am resolved to cut my public library check-outs by 50% (except audible books for the car) and I have resolved to reduce my physical TBR pile by the same amount (or more) before the Earth returns to the place from whence it came on December 31, 2011. Election year or no.
With the month of January half gone, I should make a report of my progress thus far. To wit:
Man Walks into a Room by Nicole Krauss (Kindle MDPL– fiction) Uh-oh, an e-book checked out of my public library. 1 Demerit. It’s a great read. I’ve discovered a superb new writer, possibly Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood’s heir. Not ashamed of having gone there!
The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott (audio -- historical mystery) Not exactly improving my character with this one. 2 Demerits. But numerous cross-state trips require literary diversion beyond the Book station on the SiriusXM radio. It’s the only way I indulge in purely mindless “reading.” This one’s a mystery set during the immediate post-Napoleon period; the hero’s a medical student. So, I’m learning quite a lot of early 19th C. Esoterica centered in Paris.
The Secrets of Jin-Shei by Alma Alexander (own – historical fantasy) There! I’ve done it. -1 Demerit. It’s delightful to find you own an original kind of book about a speculative Medieval Chinese kingdom that boasts a feminist agenda. Jin-shei bao, or avowed sisterhood, is a powerful force in ruling the kingdom. The book follows several women linked by their secret language and vows of friendship that supersede all others and cross all walks of life and station who battle a plot to overthrow the empress (a sister). If you’re interested in the demands required of us to lead an ethical life when the choices are complicated, this is the book for you.
Two Rivers by T. Greenwood (Lendle fiction) Oh, dear. Fell off the wagon with this one. 1 Demerit But I don’t regret it – as it was a pleasant surprise: story about redemption and salvation that is distinctive and memorable and echoes To Kill a Mockingbird. Set in Vermont, too. Don’t know that I’ve read any novels set there. Turned out to be a gamble that paid off as it is a sensitive and heartwarming examination of racial and familial relationships with a surprise twist.
Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith (Kindle mystery) Okay. Cut me some slack on this one. 1/2 Demerit. It’s been on my Kindle almost a year and I just hadn’t got around to reading it because I’m un-fond of mysteries. But this one is British, it’s quirky – definitely quirky, and it’s humorous. So kill me.
The Gathering by Ann Enright (Man Booker Prize 2007) Hooray! A book I found in my TBR stack. The Hegartys are a large brood – 12 brothers and sisters – of Dublin Irish that could never be a functional family in reality, and delightfully never in fiction. It is a book about retreats from relationships, about the isolation and severances we create between us and the ones we love. In this family’s case, usually to protect them from themselves. It is a novel about gaps – the gaps that come into being as people, so close in childhood, drift apart due to discovering who they are, because of incidents of life, and because of family secrets and legacies. Sounds fabulous, doesn't it?
All right, all right. I confess. Yes, it was in my personally owned TBR pile. But I didn’t remember that. I actually read the book on my Kindle, having borrowed it from Lendle. Go ahead, laugh. I deserve it. -1/2 Demerit.
There you have it. Confession is supposed to be good for the soul but mine still writhes in agony because it knows the TBR stack remains grotesquely huge and the temptations beyond it in the virtual world as seductive as Homeric sirens. It’s times like these when a weak but willing book lover must turn to friends and ask for their help. I turn to you. Here is less than half of my TBR stack. I must read at least 10 books to approach my goal of 50% of my reads be my own unread books. Please choose which book I should read next from this list.
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
The Master by Clom Tóibín
The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
A Thousand Pieces of Gold by Adeline Yen Mah
The Immoralist by André Guide
Ravelstein by Saul Bellow
A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines by Janna Levin
The Next Step in the Dance by Tim Gautreaux
Aloft by Chan-Rae Lee
The Quiet Girl by Peter Høeg
That was the easy assignment. Your next mission, should you accept, is to tell us what your Reading Resolutions for 2012 are. I’ve only told you one of mine. I have another. But maybe that will make another diary. Are you going to endeavor to “discover” new authors? Are you going to emulate cfk, and set yourself a challenge list? Do you intend to teach others to read? Are you going to help shape the reading habits of your children and grand children? Are you going to read aloud to others and bring the pleasure of books to them in a shared way? Are you going to learn to read Braille? Shall you start a book club in your community? What about volunteering in a literacy program? What do you resolve to do this year to develop into a better book lover? Please tell us in your comment below. And don’t forget to help me determine which book I should tackle next in my own TBR pile!
Announcements
R&BLers is proud to announce the impending arrival of another monthly regular feature from Contributor, Chitown Kev, who will be writing book reviews for our reading pleasure. Look for him every 4th Saturday at 11AM (ET) beginning the 28th of this month. I hope everyone will make it over to his debut post and give him a warm R&BLers welcome. With your support, he’ll join Admiral Naismith (first FRI each month) in the ranks of monthly regulars and our latest weekly feature by Susan from 29, Monday Murder Mystery in the ranks of new fan favorites.
If you recognize an unmet need for book lovers and think that you have a fresh idea for a weekly regular feature, please message me and let’s make you a “Chronic Contributor,” aka, Editor. I’m open to lots of ideas. Frankly, I’d love to see My Favorite Books/Authors start back up again as a community feature. Are you an R&BLer who could oversee such a weekly entry?
Sadly, I will be unable to commit to more than one dairy a week because of changed circumstances in my real life beyond life here at Daily Kos. With regret, I am discontinuing the THU series, e-Readers & Book Lovers Club. However, that’s no reason for it to disappear entirely if you think you’d like to host the series. Again, I see no reason why it shouldn’t be a community series with various contributors and an overseeing Editor. I ask that you contact me if you’d like to assume the mantle of Editor. I will happily pass it on.
Finally, I have been the primary active manager of R&BLers for almost a year now. Admittedly, I have been away from that role this past month due to unforseen events in my life. However, I am proud to observe that R&BLers ran flawlessly under the momentum of its active Admins and Editors, which I was pleased to see. Your enthusiasm for writing, your devotion to reading, and your willingness to create a Group that continues to attract Followers at a steady pace is nothing short of spectacular. Therefore, beginning next month, I will no longer be as active an “influence” around here as I have been.
My intention is that the current crop of Admins, and perhaps one or two new additions take over the active management of the Group, finding new authors, creating new series ideas, scheduling and slotting posts, and granting membership to those who want to become fairly regular contributors. As of February 1st, I should be regarded as just another R&BLer around the place with a regular TUE 8PM series that may become irregular and perhaps fade to occasional. I look forward to becoming a Contributor who writes a dairy now and then about my reading life.
R&BLers is in the best of care and in the steadiest of hands – yours. There are not enough thanks in this world to say to all of you who lurk, comment, post and supervise within this ongoing endeavor. I love you all.
Readers & Book Lovers Series Schedule
DAY |
TIME (EST/EDT) |
Series Name |
Editor(s) |
SUN |
3:00 PM (intermittent) |
The Magic Theater |
ArkDem14 |
SUN |
6:00 PM |
Young Reader's Pavilion |
The Book Bear |
SUN |
9:30 PM |
SciFi/Fantasy Book Club |
quarkstomper |
MON |
8:00 PM |
Monday Murder Mystery |
Susan from 29 |
TUE |
8:00 PM |
Readers & Book Lovers Newsletter |
Limelite |
WED |
7:30 AM |
WAYR? |
plf515 |
WED |
8:00 PM |
Bookflurries: Bookchat |
cfk |
THU |
8:00 PM |
Write On! |
SensibleShoes |
FRI |
9:00 AM |
Books That Changed My Life |
etbnc, aravir |
FRI |
10:00 PM (first of month) |
Monthly Bookposts |
AdmiralNaismith |
SAT |
11:00 AM (fourth of month) |
Series Title TBA |
Chitown Kev |
Sat |
9:00 PM |
Books So Bad They're Good |
Ellid |
Other than that, nothing's happening.