Last year, I took part in the Empty Shelf Challenge. Not only did I keep track of what I read, but it also forced me to jot down some thoughts about each book. It helped me decide if I would recommend them to someone else or not, and why. At the risk of sounding hokey, it also helped me to process my year. I remember what I did better because of taking note of what I was reading. It sounds silly, but I think other readers will identify with this: as a reader, I often process life events through the lens of a book:
What was I feeling when I read it? Did that feeling mirror my surroundings? Did I choose that book based on what was going on around me, to mimic or to offset life events? Was it meant to comfort or challenge me, or to allow me to escape for a moment?
These are all thoughts that I’ve had as I looked back on my reading year in 2014. Sometimes the answers are simple: I chose that book because a friend lent it to me, or it was the book with the soonest due date at the library. Other times, reading a certain book at a certain time feels more like a divine appointment: what I needed, right when I needed it. Last year, books like Bread and Wine and Daring Greatly were those kinds of books. And still other times, I wanted comfort. To wrap myself up in a story that I already knew was familiar and pleasant and to lose myself in the words. Books like Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet do that for me.
This year I want to be a little more intentional about what I read. I want to balance reading for information and reading for pleasure. And I also want to balance reading other novels with writing my own. So I’m devising a plan and calling it The 2015 Book Project. I’ll read four books per month, each from a different category.
The 2015 Book Project
The Four Books:
1. A Classic – I’m going to choose one from this list compiled by The Classics Club.
2. A “New” Release – A novel published within the last ten years (2005 forward).
3. A Nonfiction Book – Pretty self-explanatory.
4. A Book for the Soul – This will be anything that deals with the self: Christian nonfiction, self-improvement books, books about making art, etc. Books meant for reflection.
The Rules:
1. I will try my best to read 1 book per week, for a total of 4 per month. I will try not to read more than that, and instead focus extra time on writing.
2. I will not pick books that I have read before. It is always tempting to re-read my favorites over and over again. (This means no picking Jane Austen as a classic each month, Abbigail.)
3. I will write a short review of each during the month – either as a separate blog post, or when I wrap up the month and introduce the next month.
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If you want to join in, please do! You don’t have to read the same books as me – you can pick your own – it’s completely up to you. You can choose to read less, read more, or whatever! Make The 2015 Book Project your own.
Here’s what I will be reading in January:
1. Classic: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (a recommendation from reading friends)
2. New Release: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (a recommendation from a coworker)
3. Nonfiction: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (a recommendation from everyone, everywhere in the creative world)
4: For The Soul: The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst (a recommendation from Michael Hyatt and a billion other people on the internet)
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Follow along and post your reads on social media using the hashtag #BookProj2015. I’ll be using it primarily on Instagram and Twitter. Maybe Tumblr, too.
Participating? Grab the button here, or borrow the full-size image at the top of the post:
What are you looking forward to reading in 2015? Do you have any suggestions for me? (as you can see, I take a lot of recommendations)
Theresa says
I read “Prep” a few years back, and remember that it was not what I had expected it to be. Not bad, just not what I had expected. Love your goals! I don’t think I could do a book each week, but I am enjoying having more time to read for fun, and less for school. :)
Also, I loved “The Night Circus” and finished it Christmas week. So good! Thank you for the recommendation.
Abbigail Kriebs says
Theresa – I sat down and binge-read “Prep” last night – I completely agree with you: it was not at all what I expected it to be. More brooding than I was expecting. I don’t think I felt much sympathy at all for any of the characters, even at the end. I’m still sorting out how I feel about it, but I can’t yet say that I thought it was good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed The Night Circus! It’s one of my favorites to recommend. :)
Tia Nowack says
The Poisonwood Bible is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s beautifully written (albeit dense at times), imaginatively conceived, and it challenged me both intellectually and spiritually. I lent it to a friend last year and loved remembering my favorite sections with him. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Abbigail Kriebs says
This is wonderful news, Tia! A friend keeps recommending it to me, so I picked up a used copy at that bookstore in Chicago last month. Can’t wait to start it! I’ll let you know how it goes.