For the last three years, I've dedicated my reading lists to a certain genre. The first year was young adult lit, second year was the graphic novel, and this past year was authors I'd never read. I also challenged myself to read 52 books in 2009 - I got to 26 (or so - I'm pretty sure I missed some).
On this first day of 2010, I've decided to choose Business Titles as my genre of the year. My to-be-read (TBR) pile consists of 31 titles from authors such as Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, and Steven Levitt. When I started working at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in the fall of 2007, I realized I wanted to make the book world my permanent livelihood. I've become very hands-on with publisher orders, blurbing new releases, and displaying essential backlist titles. I think I have a pretty good handle on the books; now I want to be a better bookstore manager. I want to learn techniques to boost employee morale, increase customer satisfaction, and better advertise our unique position as a large independent bookstore. I've made sure to include titles such as Rebel Bookseller and The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop on my list in order to see how general business practices translate into my day-to-day world.
I also want to rechallenge myself to 52 books this year. I spent the early hours of December 31 purging my living room book stacks (I'm also making 2010 The Year of New Bookshelves). I've boxed up the titles I read and want to keep, moved the ones I want to donate into the other room, and separated the keepers by genre. I have a lot of sci-fi and mystery titles; although I prefer general fiction, those two genres will make up the 21 other titles to meet my goal.
Before I dive into the new challenges, I need to finish several books which I promised blurbs:
Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coonts
Meeting Your Half-Orange by Amy Spencer
Invisible by Hughes de Montalembert
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
The Girl With The Glass Feet by Ali Shaw
I've also decided to give myself permission to stop reading a selection if I just don't like it. I've always been a "maybe it will redeem itself at the end" type of reader...and I've wasted a lot of time reading titles that just aren't worth it after all. This year, I'll give it three chapters. If it's not me, if I'm bored, if it's not worth it, it's done.
So, what are your 2010 reading resolutions?
