2013 Book Resolution

*Editor's Note: this post is utterly useless except to showcase how depressing and OCD my reading behavior is. I will hopefully get back to posting somwhat informative pieces next week.*

My reading goal for 2012 was to read 10,000 pages and I certainly made it. For 2013 my only goal is to read all the books I own that are as of yet unread. I got into a really bad habit of getting books and adding them to the pile and it got quite out of hand. I got rid of two big boxes before I moved and another after. Luckily I got most of the books for $2.00 or less (often free because I'd go through other people's giveaway boxes). Now I'm down to a manageable 35-ish books. Since I read 32 books in 2012, this is my next year's goal. I want to get into the habit of buying books saying "I will read this next" rather than "I will read this after I read those other 40 books I have to read."

I keep all the books I read, even if I don't like them. I enjoy having my own library and lending the books out to people that want to read them. Plus, a lot of the books are non-fiction that I keep for reference. So, my whole library mentality meant I wanted to add to my collection, even if I knew I wouldn't get around to reading the books for years. Well, I don't have room for that, I'm wasting money if I keep it up, and it made me lax on actually finishing books because I had so many in line to read. So, I'm making a real effort to read the books I have and NOT buy books I know I won't read. I don't think I could go a whole year and not buy any books. I mean, if a book I have on my wish list comes into the library donation bin that I can buy for $1.00, of course I'm buying it. It does happen, but it doesn't happen every week. And while I've only been spending $10-$20 every month or two on books, it's added up to too many books. I've weeded my library. Now I need to get to reading.


AJ's 2013 Book Resolution


Beginning January 1st, 2013 my goal is to read all the books in my "to-read" pile that I own and to restrict my book buying to a set list of guidelines.

A. The Books I Will Be Reading

1. The books I intend to read in 2013 will be written on a list and I will not be able to re-evaluate the "Books I Can Buy" section until I have completed reading all the books on the list.
2. There are some books I own and haven't read that will not be put on the list such as how-to books like that one I have about constructing and operating small-scale greenhouses.
3. Some books are a series and I will only obligate myself to reading the first book in the series before I buy more books.
4. I may add to the list for 2013, keeping a small "overflow" section that I can move books to should I buy more books under the set guidelines that I want to read in 2013.
5. The list shall not exceed 40 books, the overflow 10 books, for a total of no more than 50 books.

B. Books I Can Buy

1. Books shall only be bought if they are on my wish list. I may add to the wish list, but may only buy if I find at one of the locations listed under #3.
2. Exception to#1. Because my research is ongoing and I have stumbled upon many books that have been very valuable, I can buy books not on my wish list only from the library/used books and only if they fall into one of the following categories:
a. Fiction -- a main character with a physical disability.
b. Non-fiction -- a book that centers on disability studies, gender studies, human sexuality, psychology of physical attraction, or body image.
c. memoir with disability or body image as central theme.
3. Books may only be bought in real life from one of the following:
a. library discard table
b. library used book sale
c. library used book donation bin
d. thrift store
e. planned excursion that includes a bookstore or discounted book store
4. Even though I love stocking up at library used book sales, I have a limit of THREE books for these in 2013, the only exception being if I actually find more than three books on my wish list at the sale.
5. Buying online is completely VERBODEN unless it is to buy a book by an author I know who has published a book and I cannot get it any other way.


In short, I have 39 books on my to-read list (including some new ones I got for Christmas!) so my 2013 reading goal is 40 books, and I should just limit buying books used that are on my wish list. The end.

To everyone who made it down this far, have a great new year. May it be filled with books ;)

Just a little encouragement from Grumpy Cat

Sexiness and book...iness.

Time for too-much-info confession of the day! I secretly try to vamp up my subtle-but-sexy librarian skills when shelving. Even if I am but a lowly clerk and my skirts brush past my knees, damnit, I am a sexy librarian!

The topic I’m attempting to segue into here is a literary pinup calendar in association with artist Lee Moyer that goes to help Worldbuilders.

There’s a bit of a hubbub surrounding the work (as much of a hub or bub that can be generated in the literary world…) about whether the calendar is great or terrible. Thus far the arguments have been pretty balanced: half of the input says the calendar is cute, sexy, fun, and interesting and half say it is offensive, cheapens literature and no one should enjoy looking at pin up images.

Well, this is my blog, so this is my opinion.

If you are turned off by any part of the pin-up girl concept, then you won’t like the calendar. And trust me, I’ve been in enough male-occupied garages to develop a strong distaste for a lot of stuff that the modern pin-up has evolved into.
I can also tell you that this calendar is nothing like that.

First off, I think these are really tastefully done. Even the Twain one, set to be more provocative is very cute in my opinion. No gratuitous side-boob, and she’s not set in a position where you can see both cleavage and a full view of her derrier somehow simultaneously. (I don’t know how a model ever gets into this pose ever, but it’s pretty popular from images I’ve seen.) The outfits are beautiful in themselves and honestly are not that revealing for being pinned as pin-up (See what I did there.) I saw much more the last Halloween party I went to, and there was no intelligent irony to be found. And the women look fairly normal. I mean, yeah they are mostly thin and done up, but they still look real.

Second of all, these images contain a lot of details. I haven’t seen the full calendar, but some are very subtle and you have to look for clues about the books. Which brings me to point three: this wouldn’t work if you didn’t know about literature. Certainly you don’t have to have read the complete works of the authors presented to get it, but the cleverness emerges with the interpretation of the literature.

So, I mean, really, why can’t literature be sexy? Or intelligence, or love of classics? I’ve always held the position that we live in a sex-visible culture instead of a sex-positive one. And right now I’m pretty sure Fifty Shades of Gray is the most reserved book in our collection. People have gone bat-lunatic because it’s all edgy and erotic and crazy and right now holds the top 4 on the New York bestsellers list.

And, honestly, if we are paying homage to literary works through sex, I would much rather have this calendar on my wall than badly written erotica on my shelf.

Showin' some love for Herman ;)

So sorry, Mr. Keats

Who are you and why do you have a blog on writing?

Why, I’m AJ. And I’m a writer. And writers have blogs about writing.

But I guess if you want credentials, I do have a B.S. in language arts (I took literature and theatre classes for five years, yay!) with a psychology minor (I know I did it backwards). I’ve had several short stories and poems published in online literary journals and a few print anthologies. If you want to check out my fancy pants press kit with my bio and works, you can do so here. My mother is a professional editor and she taught me a lot, but I’m still learning. I still read linguistics texts and books on literary criticism and take notes. Just because I graduated doesn’t mean I’ve magically been turned into an expert. But I’ve come a long way and though I’m still figuring things out, so I hope this can serve as a decent outlet for all my random philosophy and/or rants on writing and the publishing industry.

What do you write?

Mostly prose with a fantasy or sci-fi element thrown in somewhere. All my poetry is prose-poetry. I’m also focusing a project in the various ways disability and body identity is conveyed in literature.

List some examples of good writing according to you.

Anything by Ursula Le Guin. Anything by Ted Kooser. Anything by John Keats. And South Park. For starters, anyway.

What do you think of self-publishing?

Seeing as I want to take the self-pub route – you’ll find out.

What’s your day job?

I am a part time library clerk with a focus on genealogy research. I also help run the writer's group sponsored by the library.

I also work at a grocery store. The PLU for bananas is 4011. And now you know.

What will readers find on this blog?

Mostly random topics that come up as a result of me researching the publishing industry and the vast community of writers on the internet, which I will try to provide links and resources. Also some things that I have found to be helpful, valuable or insightful. Maybe some book reviews. And shameless self-promotion when I get stuff published.

Why are you apologizing to John Keats?

Well...

Thanks for reading!