I have spent the last two days at home deciding what to do with my reading and blogging next year. I listen to A Good Read podcast almost daily on BBC’s Books and Authors. Harriet Gilbert has hosted it for several years and is still going. Each episode consists of her and two guests with a range of backgrounds. .
Each person picks a book then the three people read all three books and the 30 minute podcast has them discussing the books for about 10 minutes each. What I like about it is the complete variety they read. Could be a selection of poetry, a children’s book, a crime thriller, a Booker prize winner and all things non fiction. Once in a while a participant puts up a text book!
They are very good at staying on task and the listener learns what three people think of three books. They have no idea what everyone will pick until they receive the book. Completely random outside their own selection. I have collected some recommendations from this show.
I have decided to really focus on my very large assortment of books I have at home.
The other thing I have embraced is the BookBuddy app. You can scan your books or manually add them. BookBuddy is free but I got BookBuddy Pro. It is $2.00 a month with a 10 day free trial. Pro lets you input more books but the best thing after easily scanning all 1000 of my books yesterday (yes, I removed all of them from shelves, cleaned shelves, scanned them all and reshelved) is it has a random selector. You hit the little icon, and it tells you what book has been picked.
I have a very eclectic assortment of books. Everything from current literature to classics to graphic to mystery to popular (airport reads) plus much more. I even scanned my cookbooks.
I need to get serious about the TBR pile so I will not be reading according to mood. I’m going to use the random selector and if a book comes up I will read it. If I decide I don’t want to read it, it leaves the house.
Once a book is read, for the most part, it will leave the house. The only books I will pick up outside of the house will be for reading group. That could either be a book or a Kindle or an audible.
I have quite a few cook books and to make it fun, if a cookbook comes up randomly I must make a recipe from it and share the results with you.☕️🥮
I also have many kindle books I have gathered over the years. I will choose them randomly too. So the plan will be:
- Book club book must be read
- Random selection from BookBuddy
- Kindle
- Repeat
- I might do a few challenges and memes as they arise if they sound good but no commitment.
Last year I wasted a lot of time on social media. Binging on streaming services, etc. I am a terrible binger if involved with a show. My resolution is to read. I feel better mood wise when I read. I also don’t eat as much reading as I do watching tv.
So clean slate.
More rules.
1. If I pick a book of short stories I will choose one and talk about it.
2. Poetry? Will choose three poems to talk about.
3. Coffee table type book or photography book I will share photos from it and mention something about the topic.
What I want from 2025 is a healthier lifestyle for mind and body. Much more reading. Less streaming, less social media. More participation with other bloggers. I need to sharpen my brain. I need to keep my mood up. 2024 was often sad for a number of reasons and as Harris and Walz said in the American election: I’m not going back.
I will continue to share travel and photography as it happens but getting back to books more.
Now having said all of this I will randomly choose the first book for 2025 (drum roll):
This will make you laugh. This is the book that was selected randomly a minute ago:
How apt is that. Now I have to find it on my shelf and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Happy New Year everyone. I am looking forward to all the posts that go up at end of year.
Travellin' Penguin 