Wow, Les Misérables and A la Recherche du Temps Perdu are huge !

I've a half-congealed notion to immerse myself in Dickens this year. That's as much literary "planning" as I care to do.

I killed my 2011 goal of 50 books, sadly most of them were not on my list.

My literary goal is a simple one, but it's a necessary one. To read more. I know that seems like a pretty basic thing, but I've literally been working on reading one book, a good one at that, for months now, just because I don't have the motivation to pick it up and read it. When I start reading, I really enjoy it, but when I tell myself I'm going to read, I get distracted by other things, and next thing you know, I've not read anything that day.

So yeah, read more.

My goal this year was to finally check into Hemingway's catalog. Before this year I only read "The Old man and the sea" and didn't really care for it...but I decided to give him another try. I read "In the Garden of Eden," "A Death in the Afternoon," "A Traveling Feast," and "The Sun also Rises." I think my favorite was Garden of Eden so far.

My literary resolution is to start reading in my first language, Spanish. I've lost so much of my native tongue, hearing my mom talk about how she would read in Spanish and how it helped her learn and retain formal Spanish, I thought it would be a good way to practice. I found a book in the garage which is going to be a challenge to read in Spanish but it's my goal to finish it by the end of next year, it's In Love and War by Hemingway.

Interesting. I'm wondering if something written in Spanish originally might be a different sort of challenge.

To read a few books before baby arrives, and then see what happens from there.

What happens from there is "Reading? I remember reading!"

You should read to baby!

Of course I'll read to baby!

I've been collecting children's books over the years, she's already got a full bookshelf.

Awesome!

I have two big bags of them at work for reading to the children, but they'll be coming home with me soon.
Some are from my childhood.

My favourites are Terry Jones' Fariy Tales, and this beautifully illustrated Wind in the Willows. Both were from my Grandfather and given to me for my 1st Christmas, I was only 3 months old. Some other classics that I love and have are ones like A Fish out of Water and Go Dog Go, and Where the Wild Things Are (of course).

I found a buy 10 get one book free card in my wallet that is all full up so I'm going to go to the shop this week to find a couple of things to read over the break. I've been meaning to read Virgin Suicides, so I might pick that up.

I'm going to try 10 books off that list. I'll read other things whether I want to or not but yeah... 10 books.

Good idea! I read One Hundred Years of Solitude in Spanish earlier this year. That one was a bitch. Took me forever. Maybe an entire year. I read it in English a couple summers ago in a week or two. I love the book and it was... better... in Spanish... but harder to focus on at first. I think it made me a better reader/writer though. I was probably reading at a slacker 11 year old level before... now... bet I'm a nerdy 13.

My literary resolution is to help more unknown great authors get heard. I want to promote as many small name writers as I can.

Also - I really need to cut down on some of these piles of books all over the place. I want to try and read at least 3 books a month. There was a while there where I was reading 2 books a week. What happened to those days?

*ding!*

Which nation?

Probably doesn't matter. Yes.

I will also be sending weekly letters to Bergen bugging him about writing another book.

I would harass Korpon as well, but he seems more likely to keep to a decent schedule anyway.

*sigh*

And I will be further-shamed about not finishing anything of my own.

Is Will Chris Baer still alive and if so what ever happened to Godspeed? At one point, I wanted to read that book more than any other in existence or nonexistence. That's mostly passed but I feel like I've invested a lot of time in wishing for this book, so I'm just going to have to keep asking about it until it's published or I die. Whichever comes first.

Wikipedia sayeth:

His long-awaited fourth novel, Godspeed, was originally set to be published in 2006, but saw several delays before publisher MacAdam/Cage finally announced a release date of July 2009. The novel has since been delayed indefinitely.

Further,

"Godspeed is an apocalyptic noir, a horror quest for salvation I expect will run past a thousand pages, over the course of several books. I'll count myself lucky to survive the first installment and begin the second. I am working on Godspeed even now. And given two minutes, two days, two years more, I will doubtless still be working on it." - WCB, 2006

So, don't hold your breath.

Oh I've read that. I held my breathe for a while but then survival instincts and all that ruined it.

Do you have a Kindle? If so, I can send you enough Spanish books for the year. Marquez, Allende, Bolano, Llosa, just name it and it's yours.

Yeah go ahead and email me some. I think you can find my email on FB.

Sent.

I am adding Mario Vargas Llosa's The Bad Girl (Las travesuras de la nina mala) in Spanish. It's been years since I last read it and it was a Romanian translation, so here it goes. Though if I finish A Dance With Dragons I might start it before the end of the year.

That book title sound like is was made for me.

It's one of my favourite books, but I hope you're not too much like that girl. You'll see why. The title was translated as 'The Wanderings of the Insensate Girl' in Romanian and it sounds delightful. Almost better than the original.

I just need to finish reading Dance with Dragons and get down to re-reading Written On The Body the umpteenth time. I'm going much faster through it than I thought, read about a quarter already.

I'll be proud of myself if I manage two books a month in 2012. This year I think I only read about 15 novels... shocking I know.

Like Irina, I also aim to read Les Miserables (in English!). I would like to get back into reading simple French literature though.

This is totally not pirating books, no it's not!

Yay! I'll send my email with maximum swiftness. You're the best book dealer.

Added a little bonus, too.

It's totally naked pictures. I just know it is. Even if you say no, I know otherwise.

No, it's all his short stories. Sorry to disappoint.

Like I said...

Should've CC'd you then, but words are not sexy.

She sent me some "short stories" and I very much appreciate them.

Also, I haven't yet started what I set as an objective for what's left of THIS year. Which book should I read to end 2011...

The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow or The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells...?

The initials clearly attracted me. I haven't read anything by either author. Pick for me, someone.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

I haven't read either. I'm just reading the last book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, and a short story collection by Murakami.

Cool. That's the one I wanted you to pick.

Yeah, I like stuff about mutated animals and such.

For Sarah and baby

There's another full shelf back in my sister's room, but these are the most exciting. Please Let It Snow and The Sapphire Talisman used to be my favourite!

Aw. Yay for Beatrix Potter! That In Days of Old I'd like to take a look at. And the Nite-Glo Gang (or is it nice?) looks good too. That poor boy on Please Let it Snow, he looks so sad!

Thanks for sharing Irina.

I'll take pics of their pages for you then. The Nite-Glo Gang are glow-in-the-dark and quite awesome, and the boy in Please Let It Snow always wanted it to snow and it never did, and the day he finally lost hope and didn't put on his new snow boots, mittens, suit and hat, guess what? it SNOWED.