Reading Resolution: 2016

First off, no, I'm not copying Steve. His Thursday column was about reading more in 2016. Turns out, that's my resolution as well. I used to make writing goals, but I've discovered my groove with writing, so I no longer have to do that. Now, I just need to read more.

On the recent podcast from Kobo Writing Life, they interview Michael Connelly. He mentions that he would like to read more. Because, let's face it: when we writers are actively writing, we can sometimes let the reading half of our lives lapse. I know I do.

Up to now, when I write a new tale, I tend to read something similar. That's not to get 'ideas' but to stay in a certain type of mindset. When I write a western, I want to read a western. It would be a tad difficult to read a modern technical thriller while writing a novel about the Old West. I suppose some writers can do that, but I choose not to.

Having said that, it's nice that my upcoming writing schedule should enable me to read westerns, modern mysteries, and World War II thrillers. (That's what is called a hint at what Quadrant Fiction Studio will be publishing this year.)

But I want to read more broadly as well. Again, I tend to find those genres and authors I like and just stay there. I'd like to discover a new-to-me author this year. I'd also like to keep more up-to-date with the modern mystery and crime fiction field. My eyes see so many books in all the various sources from which I consume content that it all becomes a blur. Then it becomes overwhelming and I don't know where to start.

Well, thanks to my Kindle Paperwhite, I have one place to start. "Kindle First" is a program for Prime members where you can download one free new book per month. Now, it's not *any* book, but one of 6 the editors have selected. Fine by me considering I know where to find the books and authors I already know. This way, I will have 6 likely new-to-me books/authors from which to choose. Here's January's list.

I'm not going to pledge anything. Reading isn't like NaNoWriMo. I can't read faster than my already moderate pace. Plus, I don't have a lot of time for reading. But I will certainly read more books. And I'll keep track of them, likely on my author website. More details on that forthcoming. But I don't want to just add books to the To Be Read pile. I plan on actually reading them. I know I won't end 2016 having read all that I want to read, but I aim to keep the pile manageable.

So, surely Steve and I aren't the only ones who want to read more. What are y'all doing to read more books in 2016?

What do you do with your books?

by: Joelle Charbonneau

No.  This isn’t a trick question.  Yes.  When you buy a book, you read it.  (Although if you are fighting schedule crunches like me, you buy a book and it sits on the nightstand for quite a while before I finally eek out the time to read it.)  Sometimes you’ll love the book.  Other times you’ll wonder what the heck all the hype was about.  Then you sit the book to the side and…

What?

What do you do with your books that you have read?

For me, I admit I keep LOTS and LOTS of books in my house.  My shelves and drawers are a testament to the number of books that I purchase.  And as many of you know, I am a fan of printed books.  We own an e-reader, but I seem to be a traitor to my generation and can’t seem to relax when I read off a screen.  I’m odd that way.

While my dream is to have a house big enough to convert a room into my own personal library with one of those ladders you push around the walls….the house I live in now can’t hold all the books that I buy.  Which means if I don’t plan on rereading a book, I have to find it a new home.

So, what do I do with my books?  A few I give to friends who I think will enjoy the.  The rest I box up and take to my local library.

Ok, to some of you that might sound funny.  I mean, the library is already full of books.  They probably don’t need mine to keep the shelves full.  And while that is often true, they do need my books.  And they need yours.  Most library districts are fighting huge budget crunches.  Not a surprise, right?  Which means they need funds from other sources.  One of the biggest sources of extra income is book sales.  My local library has a great room where all paperbacks are $.50 and hardcovers are $1.00.  (Except for some of the newer hardcovers that they charge a bit more for.)  While those prices don’t seem like a lot, the money adds up.  In fact, some libraries earn over $50,000 a year in book sales.  Which means more story times for our kids, more books and DVDs for us to check out and more services for the community.

A win-win.

So, if you have books sitting around the house that you never plan on reading again…please consider supporting your local library and making a donation.  They’ll even give you a great form that allows you to write the donation off you’re your taxes next year.  You’ll get the deduction and the benefit of thriving libraries which are so very necessary to us all.