Goals, unlike resolutions, have a finite end. It is ‘I will run a marathon’ vs. ‘I will exercise more often’; ‘I will save enough to take a trip to New Zealand’ vs. ‘I will be more careful with my spending’; ‘I’ll graduate with distinctions’ vs. ‘I will study every day and not only the week before the exams’.
One of my 2016 goals was to read 40 books in a year.
Even for a prolific reader like me it can seem daunting. I managed about 26 books and a handful of half-read ones.
Overall, I think that setting such a high target messed up my … reading habits, both in a positive and negative manner.
On the one hand, reading can easily turn from a pleasurable pastime to a race against time.
On the other hand, it compelled me to set aside books that I lost interest into. Hence the half-read ones. In the past, I used to be an almost compulsive reader; forcing myself to half-heartedly finish books for the sake of being able to say that I read them from cover to cover. I feel that I grew as a reader by resisting that.
Bland books aside, here’s a list of books that I devoured like triple-chocolate muffins that have just gotten out of the oven:
If you seek something bold, human, poetic, unapologetic and relatable, read:
The Carousel of Desire by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
If you feeling like dipping your toes into World War II with a love-story glacing, read:
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières
If you want a moody and twisted classic, visit you local bookshop to buy:
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
If you use a generous mixture of social research, humour and the rules of modern dating, reach out for:
Modern Love by Aziz Ansari
If intricate page-turners that combine history, science fiction and thriller elements are your cup of tea, pick:
Fatherland by Robert Harris
If you’re looking for a novel that will challenge your way of thinking, please read both:
The Woman’s Room by Marilyn French
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
What was the best book that you read in 2016?
Bookworm-ish (as always),
F.
you should read the changers Series by Alison Glock and T Cooper. They give so much insight into every feeling that anyone ever had… I don’t really know how to describe it, but if I told you what it’s actually about you might not be that interested.