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Happy New Year!

Jan 1st, 2010
by gav.

I know I’ve said it before but it’s saying again as it is a start of the decade as well as a New Year.

So Happy 2010 everyone!

It’s traditional to make some sort of New Year resolutions.

The only public goal I’ve made is with Harry as we’re both going to try and read/review 6 books a month to beat the pile-o-shame into some sort of submission.

I’m taking on board some of what James, Mark and Jeff Vandermeer and their commenters have said on blogging and reviewing in the vague hope of getting on Aiden’s Favourite Blogs of 2009 list or Mark’s list for that matter (you see my tongue in my cheek, can’t you??).

This is will my third year blogging as NextRead and my fourth blogging about books and it’s always good to question and challenge yourself. So I’m planning on little changes to the way I do things – some background stuff and some more obvious.

2009 was a great year for me. I read over 52 book in full. I read more in part. So as per Harry’s challenge I’m hoping to get 72 books reviewed this year. That’s close to being overwhelming in both in terms of time and choices to me and you but probably a fraction of what I could be reading.

The one problem I have and I don’t know how to address it really is that of balance. My book choices and reviews in 2009 were overwhelmingly positive. Should I post about all the books that I leave half-read? Or books that make me cringe? That’s not be negative on purpose but to show a more balanced and rounded view of my reading.

I think I’ll have to work on that one…

A couple of other things that I want to work on is reading one book at a time and and reading books in the month they are published. That might not be the case for the first few reviews of January as I have five books that I’ve read over the last few weeks that I’d like to turn into reviews.

I’d also like to tackle some big books this year that I’ve been shying away from. I’ve read Under the Dome. I’m ready. I think….

Another goes back to the name of the blog, NextRead, and my motivation for choosing it. A blog should be a web log. And the idea behind it was simply log my reads and help me choose my next one.

That’s where I want my focus is going to be in 2010 though I know going from one book and then to the next is not as simple as it sounds. But if I read one book at a time that has got to help? Hasn’t it?

Here is to a fabulous 2010! Cheers!


Posted in: goals.
Tagged: ·

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  • Thanks for summarizing all this: I've added several of these to my wish list. I blogged my own Top 10 favourites of the year at: http://pansentient.com/2009/12/my-top-10-favour...

    Cheers!
  • I posted the following text over at Harry's blog.

    I especially like goal six. To read six books per month is a worth goal. I tried this last year.Sometimes I failed sometimes I reached the goal. It always depends on the choice of books.
    Example:
    This month I want to read the following books:
    - Drood by Dan Simmons, paperback 816 pages
    - Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, hardcover 526 pages
    - The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams,paperback 912 pages
    -A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham, paperback 384 pages
    - The Belly and the Bow by K. J. Parker, paperback 521 pages
    -The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar, paperback 416 pages
    Six books with in sum 3565 pages.
    January = 31 days
    That means 115 pages per day.
    My reading speed = 35 pages per hour.
    That means 3 and 1/2 hours per day.

    One day = 24 hours
    Sleep = 6 hours
    Work = 10 hours
    Read = 3,5 hours
    that means 4,5 hours left for all not mentioned here (e.g. family,reviews, blog)!!

    I think the only possibility I have is to increase my reading speed.

    I'm curious whether you, Gavin and I will hit the goal: 72 books in 2010!!
    GOOD LUCK and fingers crossed.
  • katecollings
    HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

    I think it is more fulfilling to the author and potential reader to offer a wide variety of reviews. Differring views on books you may not have enjoyed may spur another to read.

    Just a thought.

    My 10 things to do in 2010 are up on my blog: www.katecollings.blogspot.com
  • Harry Markov
    And here is to a fabulous 2010. I also plan to tackle big books this year, when time is generous towards me and that time is when university is out [my big ambition is to tackle King's bibliography and Wheel of Time], but I will see how well that goes.

    As far as your dilemma goes about whether or not you are too positive about books I have to say that as readers we have a sense of what we like and what we don't and it's natural that we will pick books that will rock our world. If we were paid to do reviews, then we will be forced into new territories.

    You should mention in the review that you are trying something new for the sake of expanding the horizons. Something as a foreword here and there. I do it sometimes.
  • stefanfergus
    On the subject of positive-bias in reviews: It depends what you want your website to be. I hope mine to be somewhere to promote books I think are good. I don't consider myself a "critic", rather someone who loves books. I also tend to review and read books I want to read. If I don't like a book, I don't review it (or, usually, finish it). Generally speaking, my rule of thumb is - if I finish it, I review it. If I don't finish it, then it usually just disappears from the "Currently Reading" list on the left of the site.

    In the rare event I post a negative (or negatively-leaning) review, it's usually of a book that is high-profile; just something that was good but didn't live up to expectations; or something by an author I usually like that fell flat.

    Happy New Year.
  • hagelrat
    my reviews are generally positive too because I still buy most of my books and review everything I read. Since I don't go and seek out books I know i'll hate that skews my reviewing but I leave it to my readers to work out where their tastes overlap mine and what books they are likely to enjoy. I don't see a problem with the imbalance. If I was paid to review i'd force myself through books I hate and explain why, but i'm not and my free time is too precious. I'm a bit of a chatterbox tonight. ;)
  • nextread
    You are chatty!

    I go in for the blog everything you finish - only because that's kinda the point. But I think it's because I want to try some heavy weights that I haven't yet tried and I have a feeling that they aren't for me and if they aren't how best to mention that.
  • hagelrat
    I just to unreview's and explain why I was unable to finish it, but only if I get more than 30 pages in.
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