Reading Challenges 2012

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Aim: Make the team 6-10 books.

My tentative list:

1. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
2. Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
3. To Have and Have Not, Ernest Hemingway
4. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
5. Animal Farm, George Orwell
6. 1984, George Orwell
7. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
8. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson

50 Books

1. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
2. Eating Animals, Jonathan Safron Foer
3. The Fault in our Stars, John Green
4. Jessica, Bryce Courtenay
5. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Choke, Chuck Palahnuik
7. Slam, Nick Hornby
8. The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
9. Mile 81, Stephen King
10. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini 
11. A Complicated Kindness, Miriam Towes
12. The Stand, Stephen King
13. A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
14. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
15. Life of Pi, Yann Martel
16. One For The Money, Janet Evanovich
17. The Denniston Rose, Jenny Pattrick
18. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
19. The Sky is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson
20. She's So Dead to Us, Kieran Scott
21. Heart of Coal, Jenny Pattrick
22. The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen
23. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Jenny Han
24. It's Not Summer Without You, Jenny Han
25. We'll Always Have Summer, Jenny Han
26. Flora's Lot, Katie Fforde
27. What Happened to Goodbye, Sarah Dessen
28. Forget You, Jennifer Echols
29. Going Too Far, Jennifer Echols
30. The One That I Want, Jennifer Echols
31. Major Crush, Jennifer Echols
32. Two Way Street, Lauren Barnholdt
33. One Night that Changes Everything, Lauren Barnholdt
34. Along For the Ride, Sarah Dessen
35. Lock and Key, Sarah Dessen
36. Someone Knows My Name, Lawrence Hill
37. This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen
38. The Way the Crow Flies, Ann-Marie MacDonald
39. Missing, Karin Alvtegen
40. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
41. Room, Emma Donoghue
42. Horse Dancer, Jojo Moyes
43. The Good Son, Todd Strasser
44. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,  Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

A New Year Has Come...

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It's a little absurd (to me) the attention that a new year gets, that people treat it as a new beginning. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just that every new day - in my opinion - is chance to make a change; a chance to fix things; a chance to do things better. 

Looking back on the last twelve months, though, I've let time slip through my fingers. It's been a year of change, definitely, but that said, I'm not where I thought I'd be this time a year ago, so I'm going to give this 'resolutions' thing a go.

Twelve things for 2012:

1. I want to be a better friend to the people I already have in my life. I want to be a little less selfish; I need to make it less about me, and more about them. Spend time with them. Listen to them. Cherish them. Love them.

2. I have something of a "bucket list"; a list of things I really want to do at some stage of my life. I want to turn it into a 'thirty before 30' list, and start making my way through the list. I want to start doing, rather than always sitting here thinking.

3. I want to update more often. I started this blog as a way of dealing with the multitude of thoughts I have circling my mind, a way to keep memories; something to look back on later and see how I've grown, and so far, I've been terrible at it. I don't want to be someone that posts crap just for the sake of updating, but I have come across a few ideas that could be fun, and will possibly help me to get into a routine with updating.

4. I want to start properly saving money again. Granted, the reasons my savings were wiped out were legitimate reasons, but it's never fun living paycheck to paycheck.

5. I want to give people an honest chance.  I've never felt the need to be popular, and I've never let people in easily. In fact, I try to make it as difficult as possible to befriend me. At the very least, I want to open myself up a little more; learn to trust people, instead of automatically doubting everyone.

6. I want to participate in a few reading challenges. I have been searching the internet for ones that pique my interest, so I just need to make my mind up regarding which challenges to attempt. I've set up a GoodReads profile in anticipation.

7. I have been terrible with my health and fitness over the past year, and as a result, I'm currently sitting at my heaviest weight. I'm not that concerned with a number; I just want to feel good. I really miss boxing, so I want to get back into that, and also attempt the Couch-to-5k beginner's running schedule.

8. Volunteer. This has been something I've wanted to do for quite a while now. I don't know where, yet, but I want to stop thinking about this, and actually do it.

9. I want to be more organised, both at work and home. I've purchased a day planner for 2012, and I've already noted the important events and tasks that I'm currently aware of. This should be easy to keep up-to-date.

10. I want to finish my Diploma in Business. I have two papers left, so all going well, I should be able to finish this, and graduate (finally) by year end.

11. I want to make a scrapbook of 2012. I used to take photo's all the time, but that has fallen by the wayside this year. (Actually, I really need to organise my harddrive in regards to all the pictures I've taken to date. It's a mess.) I think a scrapbook will be a great way to get back into the habit of taking pictures, and also serve as a memory of the year. I'm already in love with this idea.

12. I want to be more positive in 2012. It's so easy to be cynical, to constantly focus on the negative, and that's not fun at all. I want this year to be a great year. I want to be a happier person.

So, there's my twelve things for 2012. Let's see how I go.