Goals—Read 52

I guess it's pretty obvious by now that we are book lovers, and I guess it doesn't necessarily follow that we love to read, but we do. There are times when I have to force one or more of us to put a book down in order to get outside and experience the world, run some errands, or do some chores. Everything with at least some moderation. There are several things from which I derive great pleasure, like sewing, cooking, and running, but nothing gives me so great a feeling of relaxation and fulfillment as reading a good book. I'm mostly a fiction reader, usually not so much pop-fiction as literature or classic fiction.

At any given moment I am "reading" at least two books, because I'll have one going on my iPod, which I listen to if I'm by myself doing any of those other things I mentioned above, and one actual, physical book as well. I love listening to books when my hands are otherwise busy, but if I'm sitting and reading I need the full tactile experience of running my fingers down the words, fingering pages, turning from one to the next, measuring my progress, and I love the smell of a book. You don't get that from an iPod.

I bring this up because when I read a book I want to share the experience with someone. Jon is used to my book antics, my verbal abuse of books I don't like, or passionate adoration of those I do. He has known me to get tense at the very best, or worst, parts of a story, and have to exercise that tension physically in a jump, a bounce, or a wave of the arms. I have been known to squee on occasion.

So begins Read 52. I have set a goal for myself. It's good to have goals, and I have been so busy between the blog, photo editing, planning stuff, other stuff, that I haven't taken as much time to read as I've wanted to, so that goal is to read 52 books in as many weeks. That's 52 books in a year. And I want to share my reading experiences, and was thinking that this section of the blog would be a fine place to do it. I am, after all, living and learning every day just like my son. I will count down to my goal here with posts about the books I read, after I've read them. My year, since i started counting late, will be from March to March (plus one book from February), and that means I'm now seven books in. Look back to see their posts if you're interested, or find them by the "Read 52 (2011)" tag or the "book reviews" category. Now on to book number eight.