The Year I Read Whatever I Want

If the Chinese can name their years, than I can name mine. 2013 is the Year of the Snake in China, its The Year I Read Whatever I Want for me.

In the past I have been involved in so many challenges, online discussion groups and contests that the books I truly wanted to read got pushed aside. This is not bashing challenges and contests by any means, I love them and have created a few myself, but simply a statement as to how much of my precious reading time they take up. Beginning this year, I found time to fit in a Faulkner, who was on my must-read-someday list. I've also picked up books from a few contemporary authors who are popular that I've never read before such as Alice Munro, Alice Hoffman, Louise Erdrich , Mary Oliver and Louis de Berneirs. A few of the old standbys make the list, too. Stegner, Steinbeck and whatever I haven't read written by Melanie Benjamin, Malcolm Gladwell and Susannah Clarke.

Just to make it a little more fun, I will be posting entries as I work down a reading alphabet. My rules for what qualifies for the alphabet are very loose so my new found reading freedom is not offset. The qualifying books must have either a first or last name of the chosen letter of the alphabet, the title must begin with the letter or the book must be set in a country beginning with the select letter. A similar challenge is taking place right now at one of the groups that I co-moderate, You'll Love This One. Check it out, if that type of challenge intrigues you.

Happy Reading to all! (I know I will be.)