Resolution

My new year's resolution is to read 100 books in 2011. I vacillate between thinking this is completely doable and thinking I'm insane for thinking I can do it. I mean, some of my reading choices are 1000-page monstrosities. Then again, sometimes I read graphic novels. I waffled over whether or not those should count and polled the audience on facebook, and the overwhelming response was that they should. (It occurs to me that maybe my resolution should have been to stop vacillating, waffling, and relying on facebook for help in decision-making, but that can always be my 2012 resolution... I mean, if people think it should. ;) )

So anyway, I decided not to count the book that I am finishing up right now that I read about 90% of in 2010, but I am counting trade paperbacks and graphic novels. I think that my new Kindle (thank you, Thomas!) will help me immensely in this undertaking, as the things that slow me down the most with bigger books are hand cramps from holding the book open, and finding a comfortable position in which to read for long periods of time. The Kindle is portable and light and I will be able to go from one book right to the next without having to carry multiple books around. There is also the option to download recorded books from Audible.com (though they are pretty pricy) and there's a text-to-speech option on most books, too. (I wonder if that's like being read to by Stephen Hawking.) I also read a tip from someone who suggested setting the TTS speed for about as fast as you can read visually and turn the sound off, and then you have an automatic page-turner for hands-free reading.

I've been building a list of suggested reads, and I can download first chapters to decide if I want to buy them. I have been adding Kindle versions of books to an Amazon wishlist. I also have a bunch of books on a watch list at eReaderIQ.com, where I can be notified when the prices drop on my listed titles.

I'm pretty excited about this. I'll try to find time enough between reads to post some updates about it. :)