Happy New Year 2012!
And so we begin another year. While mulling over resolutions for 2012, I realized that slight changes made in 2011 have added to my overall enjoyment of reading and blogging, so I will continue on this path for another year.
My top goal for 2012 is to keep pressure and stress out of blogging. I will not necessarily review every book I read. If I don't have much to say, a one paragraph book note with a few basic thoughts will suffice. I will participate in events and group reads, and continue to limit challenges and commitments.
Co-host a 2012 Group read. Interest in our Clarissa read-along project has been overwhelming! Terri and I will begin the year-long effort to read the 537 letters (1500 pages) roughly on the dates written. Our 'real time' read will last into December. My invitation post is here, but the page is still under construction.
I will return to my stacks in 2012. I loved the TBR Dare last year and plan to do it all again with the TBR Double Dare. Although it ends in April, reading my own books will continue to be a priority throughout the year.
Go back for seconds. Many of my 2011 favorites were written by known and trusted authors. I will read their work more deeply.Resume the short story habit. Sometime over the summer, short stories vanished from this blog. I will try to participate in Short Story Monday at least semi-regularly.
Finally, thank you to all who read and comment here. I appreciate your feedback and friendship, and look forward to another year of book talk.
I should put a bit more effort into short stories this year myself. I still read them but not like I used to. I've no formal resolutions this year for the first time in a long time.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about reviewing. My policy is if I don't have anything to say about a book, I won't review it. I'm so glad that the TBR Double Dare is going on again this year. I really need to make progress in my stacks. Good luck with your goals.
I've seen some people talk about reading essays and they're just like short stories for me. Like both of them, just don't make the time. Maybe I'll join you guys occasionally for Short Story Monday!
ReplyDeleteSo bummed about Clarissa! ;) But I will NOT buy it. Ha. I still have my giant copy of Bleak House from that readalong where I never read a page.
Hope 2012 is a wonderful year for you JoAnn!
I feel very much like you and hope to make 2012 a stress-free blogging year.... Hope 2012 is a wonderful year for you.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, JoAnn.
ReplyDeleteI must have missed your first Clarissa post - I'm interested!
Sounds like you have a busy reading year coming up!
ReplyDeleteOooh, love your beautiful header photo, JoAnn. Happy New Year! I think your goals are very suitable. Many bloggers seem to be simplifying and taking it back to an easier way of doing things this year. Seems like a really good thing.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I'm going to blog again, but with a new name and a new focus. And no more formal book reviews. Thank God! LOL
Can't think of a more sensible goal than your top one. Happy New Year, JoAnn!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year JoAnn!
ReplyDeleteWonderful goals, JoAnn! Stress free is the name of the game in 2012. Here's wishing you a fun year in reading and a happy, healthy new year all around.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I will be reading from my own shelves this year too - I am looking forward to getting to those books!
ReplyDeleteAll the best for 2012!
I agree - great first goal!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
C.B. James - Plenty of excuses for drifting away from short stories the second half of the year, but I'm hoping to find a way to schedule them into my week.
ReplyDeleteVasilly - Can't wait to see what books the TBR Double Dare leads me to this year. It was definitely a highlight of 2011.
Trish - Oh, that Bleak House was a struggle to get into. Maybe you'll get to it one of these years ;-)
Diane - Seems like many of us will take the stress-free approach this year :-)
Cat - I'm so happy you'll be reading with us!
Col - Lot's of big plans... we'll see how it goes.
Kay - Your comment made my day! I'm glad you're not leaving the blogging world.
Nymeth - Thank you, and Happy New Year.
Happy New Year to you, too, Jill!
Kaye - Thank you. I'm looking forward to a lower-stress year.
Booksnyc - We bought all those books for a reason. Glad the tbr double dare will give us an excuse to finally read them. Happy New Year, Colleen!
Rhapsodyinbooks - Thanks, Jill. Happy New Year to you, too.
Sounds like a good 2012 coming up. I wasn't happy with my 2011 reading year at all. To be honest, 2011 was disappointing on many fronts, so the master plan's to overcome that and have a good 2012.
ReplyDeleteThe *big* change for me next year, I think, will be reading more non-fiction. I already have three or four books on the shelf, so... let's see!
Happy New Year!
anothercookiecrumbles - Happy New Year to you, too! I enjoy nonfiction very much and look forward to following your new reading adventures in 2012.
ReplyDeleteYou are the voice of reason, you are. Stress in blogging is bad, and I get stress when I accept review copies or when I join challenges. GOD BLESS JAMES AND HIS TBR CHALLENGE!
ReplyDelete'I will not necessarily review every book I read. If I don't have much to say, a one paragraph book note with a few basic thoughts will suffice.'
ReplyDeleteCan I just say thank you, thank you, thank you, for turning my own (perceived) blogging weakness into a virtue??!! This is exactly, imho, how we should all do it.
Happy new year and happy reading, my friend!
Sandy - Exactly!! Loving the TBR Double Dare already.
ReplyDeleteAudrey - Thank you for the positive feedback! I'm finally ready to admit that I hate writing reviews. I'm more of a reader than a writer, and it's time to embrace that.
Happy new year, JoAnn! I think your goals are very reasonable. Your Clarissa project sounds exciting! Look forward to hearing more about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon. It's good to see you blogging again!
ReplyDeleteYes, take the pressure out of blogging and just enjoy it - that's what we all signed up to do originally. I found that once I started actively choosing to read the books I wanted to read and not just anything that came to my home, I was a lot happier and enjoyed the overall experience.
ReplyDeleteI am also hosting a challenge/project and am so excited! Can't wait to see how it all pans out.
Happy New Year, JoAnn!
Natalie - Your Stephen King project sounds like so much fun! Haven't read King since high school, but am tempted to read 11/22/63...
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to take the stress out of blogging this year too! No challenges for me. Good luck to both of us :)
ReplyDelete