Read all the books I own, but have not yet read.

The marking is done, school is nearly over, and the guilt that I should be doing something more productive is nearly abated.

I’ve been chipping away at The Omnivore’s Dilemma and plan to finish it this weekend.

I love reading. Hence, this should not be a ‘difficult’ goal to achieve. However, it is. This list chiefly includes the books that I bought only because they were ‘famous’ or someone spoke pretty highly of them. I realised this as I began sorting out what books I required to read. I am going to avoid these two pitfalls in future because I really don’t like owning a book that lies unread for years.

Moving on towards solving the problem… well, I’ve decided to read these books like textbooks. I HAVE TO “BEGIN” reading them. Once I’m halfway through ANY book, the journey gets exponentially easier and becomes more interesting.

I’m drawing out a reading schedule where I allot the ‘number of pages to be read’ to each day of the week. If I feel that I’ve only got to read 10 pages of the book and no more for the day, it feels easier… it’s like working on a less-liked subject at school.

I hope it works. ^.

I actually finished The Colony of Unrequited Dreams back in September and have sort of stagnated ever since. I’ve since read Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend and started reading Nicholas Nickleby (obviously, I’m trying to catch up on my Dickens) but those don’t count towards this goal since they are on my Zire and not physical books.

I have started to finish The Mobius Strip (currently living at school) and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. My current goal is to finish those by at least the end of June, when school stops.

I shall be very old and gray before this is completed.

I haven’t started to finish The Colony of Unrequited Dreams yet because I caught part of A Knight’s Tale on TV and got interested in The Canterbury Tales, which is on my unread list, but a little bit further down.

Turns out the copy I have is in middle English, with no concordance (although there is a glossary at the back). Time for a new goal!

I’ve finally read all the books on my list with the exception of “Lullaby” and “Invisible Monsters.” Instead of donating those two books, I went back to the bookstore and traded them in for two other books. (:

Finished reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It spoke to me on several levels. I’m looking forward to her follow-up.

On to The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. I’m already about half-way through it, but I left off reading it a year or so ago, so I hope I can pick up the threads of the story.

I have a long list on my Zire of all the books yet to be read/finished currently living in my apartment. It’s been a long time since I’ve checked one off. I keep rereading the same mysteries, spy novels, and Jane Austen. Austen, especially, survives many readings, but it’s time to make a real dent on the old “new” stuff.

I’m not very good about reading books in short bursts over many days—I’m more of a read the whole thing through in one solid 8-hour block type. If I don’t have all that time to spare, I tend to start a book, put it down, come back a day or so later and start another book, repeat. As a result, there are currently 6 or so books that are in various stages of un-read-iness. I’m going to tackle those first.

To be finished:
Eat, Pray, Love
The Mobius Strip
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams
A New Earth
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Galileo’s Daughter

1. Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz (5/14/08)
2. The Luxe by Anna Godberson (7/7/08)
3. PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern (6/7/08)
4. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer (7/20/08)
5. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (CURRENTLY READING)
6. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
7. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
8. California Dreaming by Zoey Dean (6/8/08)
9. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (7/15/08)
10.Gossip Girl: The Carlyles by Cecily von Ziegesar (7/9/08)
11.The Film Club by David Gilmour

As you can see, there are five less books than my last entry and that is because i have excluded them. Those extra books I have chosen to donate. I have until my summer vacation ends which is until late September, but I’m helping my sister with her wedding coming up in August. So, I won’t be able to read at my usual pace, which is basically SLOW. *(:

xoxo chrisma

Here’s my list (in no particular order):

1. Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz (CURRENTLY READING)
2. The Luxe by Anna Godberson
3. PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
4. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
5. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
6. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
7. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
8. California Dreaming by Zoey Dean
9. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
10.Gossip Girl: The Carlyles by Cecily von Ziegesar
11.The Film Club by David Gilmour
12.Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
13.Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
14.Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
15.God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
16.1984 by George Orwell

I have sworn off buying anymore new books at this point. I’m determined to finish this whole list so that when I finally do buy a new book, I will have a fresh start. Weird, I know. But, I’m tired of seeing these books collect dust in the bookcase. Wish me luck!

xoxo chrisma