25 Books

(Three posts in one night? My my)

When I was in primary school I recall being shooed from out under a table at break time to go and play outside with the other kids. What was I doing under there? Reading a book. I also recall that we had these “readers” – books filled with short stories and articles of all different kinds and topics. Each set at a particular reading age. There was the main one for that age and a couple of others for the kids that needed/wanted more to read. They wouldn’t let me read any more of them when I’d read all the available books up to my age + 2. (There were other books however)

My point is I used to love to read. I read all the time. It’s only in the last few years that I haven’t read as much. I’ve discussed the reasons for this before. I discovered the other day that I only read 4 books in 2008. That’s pretty pitiful. I never was a fast reader but I always had a book on the go and would get through far more than that. So I’ve decided that in 2009 I will read 25 books. That’s a book every couple of weeks which should be doable if I read a little every day.

As with all these things we need a few rules. Here’s mine:

• of the 25 no more than 3 can be books I’ve previously read
• however a further 5 can be books I’ve previously started but never finished
• I should read at least 3 books by authors I’ve not read before
• this should be at least 2 new (to me) authors
• at least one book must have been published (for the first time) in 2009

Those are the rules, the “must”s. Here are a few “nice-to-have”s:

• a book from a genre I’ve never read before
• a book I wouldn’t have read if not for a recommendation
• a bestseller
• a classic
• a book that can only be purchased second hand

For each of these I will get 1 point. I also get 1 point for each book over the 25.  I get a point deducted for missing out any of my “must-have”s. At the end of the year I’ll see how many points I got. I may add some more types of books that score points if I think of them (but only in the next few days, I don’t want to keep changing the rules)

As I finish each book I’ll write a post with a review and tick off the rules it satisfies and any points it earns me.

Anyone want to join me?