New Year's Resolution

I know what you're all thinking::

"It's too early for resolutions."

"No one ever keeps their resolutions."

"Why do something for an entire year?"

"What in the world would make you want to do that?"

Well, the fact is that for the past 4 years of my life, I have devised, promised, and kept to my New Year's Resolutions. I find a great sense of accomplishment on January 1st, after an entire year of "No chocolate" or "No fried foods", to know that I set a goal for myself and achieved whatever it was that I told myself I could do.

This year, my resolution focuses more on my liberal arts education and expansion of literary knowledge. There is a list floating around Facebook of "BBC Books". BBC expects that the average person will have read 6 books on the list. I admit, a bit ashamedly, that I have read only a few more than that. Pieces and parts, and "oh I started that"s and "I really need to finish that one"s, but I have not read many more than 6 books on that list. My grand total, I'm embarrassed to say is 11.

11 books out of 100.

When I started college, I started reading less. A disappointment to myself, as reading was once one of my very favorite pastimes. I devoured new books. I begged for new books. My Christmas List was 70% books, and I read them all. As I grew older, I lost the love for it. That magical feeling that you get when you turn the page almost automatically because you forget you're reading a book. I miss that. I miss loving books. I miss that cheesy wonderful "escapism" and the "world" that the written word can create.

I've been in Vienna for 4 months and have read 4 (awesome) books--more than I've read in the past year, probably!

So, my New Years Resolution for 2011:

Read 100 Books.

And there you have it. I am going to read 100 books. I'm not sure what they will be yet. I'm searching and compiling from tons of different lists and personal thoughts.

Suggestions welcome.

Bring it on, 2011!!