Tag: reading

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2018 Reading Habits

It’s a new year and this year I am determined to read more books than I did in 2017.

My totals from last year were actually pretty good compared to previous years, but they still felt bleak. I had hoped to read 24 books and only ended up reading 11. This year I am setting my reading challenge total at 12, but I am also going to try to be more mindful of my reading habits in general.

First, I am going to try to keep up with the Read Harder Challenge, through Book Riot (details here!) and set a goal of reading one social science book per month. These lists may overlap at times, but if I keep up with both of them it will mean that I can meet (and even exceed) my goal of 12 books.

Second, I am going to try and be more active on Goodreads this year, not just through my book updates, but through groups and lists and commenting on my friend’s reviews. This will allow me to become more in tune with the various book releases of 2018 and be aware of the good things that people I trust are reading. You should join me there! It is great fun to share your reading habits with fellow bibliophiles.

Next, my youtube habits have been focused on booktubers for quite a while, but I have decided to streamline my viewing in 2018 and try to focus more on specific booktubers that I enjoy. And who knows – if I can really get back into the reading kick, perhaps I will try my hand at my own booktube channel.

Last, but certainly not least, I am going to look into volunteering in a library. Since I obtained my MLS (in May of 2016) I have been pretty much out of the world of library science and I need to get my foot in the door. The local library branches are always looking for volunteers and it would be a great opportunity for me to see what it is really like, from day to day, working in a library setting. This will greatly inform my path in the future. Do I want to continue into a library career or go another direction in academia? Do I want to go into public librarianship or try for a career in a university library? Will volunteering show me a side of libraries that makes me want to run screaming in another direction or will it make me love the library even more? All of these questions can only be answered with experience.

So, what are your reading goals for 2018? Do you want to expand your horizons or stay in the same genre that you have been reading for years? Do you have an aversion to reading that you hope to overcome in 2018? Tell me more about it in the comments!

 

Peace and happy reading!

Chantale (aka hippiegrrl)

 

Booktubers to look out for:

Books and LaLa
Francina Simone
Big Haired Bookworm
Bookish Realm
Katytastic
Little Book Owl
Brandi Janee’s Bookshelf
Kales Korner
aj & books

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2002.10.14 – sedaris in buffalo

Readings are often long, drawn out evenings, in which the audience is forced to sit and listen to a writer spout off about the tiniest details of writing and their own personal craft (or crap, as the case may be).

I tend to stray away from actually going to see the author in person, for fear that the greatness of their work will end up being crushed by the weight of their terribly huge egos. The exception to this rule is author David Sedaris. Having attended a reading of his, last week at University of Buffalo, I found that he was one of the most down to earth “celebrities” I have seen thus far. In fact, his demeanor is sheeplike and nervous and he rarely affords himself a compliment. Even during the question and answer session at the end of the evening, he seemed thrown when given praise about his work.

This gives him a buddy kind of feeling with the audience, which he most likely regrets in the long run. He is more of a David, then a Mr. Sedaris. Part of the reason for this is his style of writing. He writes mainly about his family, calling them each by name, but has the best spin on this style of anyone writing today.

David’s appearances on NPR (where he got his start) have been memorable and he currently lives and writes in France when he is not on his reading tour across the states.

The bulk of the reading last week was new material. David basically used the audience as guinea pigs, which we were happy to comply with. He hasn’t lost his touch and will hopefully be coming out with a new book of short stories soon.

Until then, click the links below to learn more about David. I also threw in one link on his sister Amy, who is equally talented and funny, concentrating her wit more on television and sketch comedy.

Peace –
Hippiegrrl