Reading and Blogging Resolutions for 2012!

Wow! Another year is coming to a close and another year full of reading is about to begin!  And after  intending to pull together a set of reading and blogging goals for several years, I am finally doing it.    

1.) My basic reading goal for the year is to read at least 150 books this coming year.  After fiddling with my Goodreads record to figure out a more accurate count of my reading for 2011, I estimated that I read approximately 130 books this year.  So I'm aiming just a little higher for 2012.

2.)  I also plan to participate in the 2012 Debut Author Challenge (run by the lovely blogger Story Siren--more info HERE).  I tried to join this challenge very late in the year in 2009 and managed to finish about 6 debut novels (half of the minimum challenge goal of 12 books).  But since I am joining at the beginning of the year this time, I hope to meet (and maybe surpass) that minimum goal.

3.)  Inspired by a goal on the amazing blogger and librarian Abby the Librarian's 2012 Reading Resolutions post, I want to read at least 20 non-YA books this year, including adult fiction and nonfiction.

4.)  I aim to listen to more novels via audiobook format in 2012 as well, especially because my local DC public library system has a great selection.

5.)  I (again) aim to update my blog at least once a week but I also aim to remain generally relaxed about blogging and not put too much pressure on myself if I get behind.  

6.)  I also hope to keep diversifying the content on the blog, adding more baking posts and more posts about library programming and other librarian-related topics in addition to my reviews.

What are your reading resolutions for 2012?

Happy New Year and Happy Reading! 

In My Mailbox AKA Wayward Blogger Returns At Last!

Whew! It has been a crazy couple of months in the life of this library school student!  As my disappearance from the blogosphere might show, real life got very busy for the last several months and this blog had go on the back burner for a while. But I'm back! So, in celebration, here is my first IMM post of 2011! IMM is a fantastic meme in which bloggers list the books that they received over the last week via mail/bookstore/library.  It's hosted by the lovely Story Siren over at her awesome blog and you can go here to get more info about joining in!   


Since the term is winding up this week, I returned to naughty habit of leaving the library with piles of books. So this week's IMM is quite big! 


The Fold by An Na
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd ed. by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Audiobook)

This week I also grabbed and read and already returned two other great books:

13 Little Blue Envelopes

by Maureen Johnson

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow 

by Jessica Day George

Reviews will be coming soon-along with some reviews from my backlog of reading from the last few months!

My First Blogger Award!!!!

Oh my goodness! I'm all of a flutter! So, the lovely Kate at Literary Explorations honored me as one of her Versatile Blogger Awards! Thank you so much, Kate-it's so encouraging to be recognized by such a great blogger! I've only been blogging since June so I'm so surprised and excited to be honored this way. I love writing about the books I read and other events or issues related to kids and reading. As any readers can tell, beginning grad school this fall is making my blogging a little more erratic than I'd like but this award just gives me new inspiration to keep plugging away.  I hope to get even more involved in larger blogging events and get my blog onto a more regular schedule over the next few months. Thanks for all the great support I've received so far!


Okay, so apparently this award comes with some fun follow-up procedures:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award

2. Write 7 things about yourself

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic

4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award

Since I'm still new to the blogging world and my explorations there get a little limited by grad school, I'm just giving away a few-hope that's okay! 

Carol's Prints

For The Love of YA

Book Couture

Congrats to all of you!

Okay so now for the seven things about me:

1.) I'm currently studying to get my Masters in Library and Information Science so that I can (hopefully) become a teen/youth services librarian at a public library or a librarian at an independent high school. 

2.) I have a strange passion for many things '80s, including The Breakfast Club, Dirty Dancing, '80s pop music ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is a favorite), and '80s dress-up events. 

3.) I'm a huge Jane Austen fan.  I mean, I have a Jane Austen bobblehead and a large postcard of Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy decorating my room. And that just in addition to how much I could talk about the brilliance of her novels as social commentary and comedy. 

4.) I love musicals and fully believe that sometimes life would be better if it were a non-stop musical, with revealing solos, jazz hands, and all.

5.) I spent my third year of college in England and traveled around Europe a bit. I would love to go back and keep traveling someday soon!

6.) I love to draw and paint, especially figure and portrait work but sadly, I'm getting a little rusty as other activities have taken over recently. I hope to get back into it this winter.

7.) In high school I got into amateur poetry slamming and loved it. I'm trying to start writing again now because I'd love to facilitate slams at my future job as a librarian. 

So there you go--a little more randomness about me! Thanks again to Kate for honoring me and congrats to all touched by this cool award!