Saturday, December 31, 2005

2006 New Years Resolutions

I hate making resolutions. If I make them, I break them. So what's the point? Every year the top of the list is: Lose weight I gained over the holidays (since October really). That one's a given. Everybody makes that resolution. That one and: Exercise regulary. I do that. I became addicted to Jazzercise about three years ago, so I go at least twice a week. Well, I should really go 3 or 4 days a week but I've been walking in the evenings with hubby sometimes (in the pitch dark, drizzly rain, even) so I'm going to count that.

Instead I thought up some book resolutions I can break:

1) Read 5 books a month off the top of Mt. TBR (I read about 12 books a month so maybe this one is do-able).

2) Read 2 category books a month (of the 5 above). I have 97 category books in my TBR so that will only make a tiny dent. Maybe I should get rid of a bunch.

3) Stop end peaking. This is a tough one for me. I've been trying for years and I'm getting better but it's a serious compulsion that will be hard to break.

4) Stop feeling guilty for buying books. I don't understand why I feel guilty sometimes. I have a good paying job and we're saving money. My husband's hobbies are much more expensive (golf and buying tools). So why do I feel guilty? I probably need therapy.

5) Read more non-romance fiction. I read only 3 books this year that would be considered non-romance. There are some mystery books (with a hint of romance of course) that I've been meaning to read. Any fiction will have to have at least some element of romance. I could never go cold turkey on romance. My goal will be anything more than 3.

6) Don't read the next new Suzanne Brockmann (Troubleshooters) or Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum) book. Seek help if I find myself starting to cave to the temptation.

7) Visit more author web sites and sign up for contests so I can win some books. I'm so jealous of all of you who win free books ::sob, whine, sob:: If I have to gush and suck up, so be it.

8) Read one more Julie Garwood from the TBR. If I don't like that one, get rid of the other 5 in my TBR that are taking up space. I read The Bride and really didn't get her humor. And, man, I expect a little more historical accuracy than that.

9) Resist glomming an author's work until I have at least read one to see if she/he works for me. That would have prevented the need for #8.

10) Re-read some DIK favorites. I did very little re-reading this year and I have tons I've been meaning to dig out again.

That's enough resolutions to break for now. Anyone have any resolutions?

9 comments:

Kristie (J) said...

A lot of yours could be mine too!! #1 - yup, #3 oh yes!! I would love to stop doing that too. #4 another yup #5 Yup #7 Yup. I do enter a few but not that many. # 9 Definitely. I do the same thing. I'll get quite a few books by an author I've never tried before and continue buying new releases without having read the ones I already have. Why I do this I do not know. #10 I do do a lot of rereading but some of my good ones that I haven't reread I really need to brave the spiders in the basement and dig out.

Rosario said...

I have only one reading resolution for this year. I want to read at least 2 books a month that have been in my TBR for over 3 years, preferently books I have forgotten all about, books I don't remember why I bought. I'm hoping for some nice surprises!

ReneeW said...

Kristie - I don't have much hope of keeping these resolutions but it was fun to dream! I can relate about the spiders, yikes! My keepers are in the attic and there are lots of spiders there too.

Rosario - I've got lots of books in my TBR that have been there for over 3 years too. And I have no idea now why I bought them. That's a great resolution! I hope you keep it. ;)

CindyS said...

Yep, you're my twin!

Except for that whole Julie Garwood thing - I loved her historicals and uh, none of them are historically accurate. Ever. Do you have Honor's Splendor? If so, read that one and if you don't like it, get rid of the rest.

Oh and reading 12 books a month? Yowza!

CindyS

Tara Marie said...

I'm starting by saying Cindy's right read Honor Splendor and if you hate it ditch the rest. HS is my favorite Garwood.

Loved the resolutions, I thought I had finally broken myself of #3, but took a peak at the end of my current read--bad, very bad--LOL.

I gave up feeling guilty years ago, I read to much therefore I must buy books. I've also given up worrying about reading non-romance fiction. If I find something that interests me okay, but I refuse to feel guilty if I don't.

My Brockmann/Evanovich curse was broken this year, it was hard but somehow I resisted them. Though I have to admit, I'm really tempted by Hot Target.

Re-reading is how I get out of reading ruts, so I do this regularly throughout the year.

My only resolution is to keep trying new to me authors. I have a tendency to keep to favorites and autobuys and that causes reading ruts.

Tara Marie said...

Gee whiz, that was long, sorry about that--LOL.

ReneeW said...

Cindy - Ok, you & Tara have convinced me. I'll try Honor's Splendor. I think it was the humor that I just didn't get. But I'll try one more.

Tara - Feel free to post long comments. I love them. You have such a good attitude about not worrying or feeling guilty. You will be my inspiration! Hot Target was OK but I liked Breaking Point better because it had Molly and Jones's story.

CindyS said...

Damn, I was in the bookstore tonight and wandered over to the mystery section to see if a new Evanovich was out. Poor Bob was trying to find me a book so I would buy something. (He told me a Dr. Phil story that got me depressed - now I'm just angry) We may have to start an Evanovich/Brockmann Anonymous Club. Course, I'm not being all that anonymous about it. Oh, I have to put LKH in there.

Still looking over your list ;)

CindyS

Kristie (J) said...

I think I've said before I read Honor's Splendor years ago and loved it. Tried reading it this year and well let's just say the love affair ended badly

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