By Hannah Cole, Literature Columnist
At the start of every January, many conversations turn toward those things we call New Years Resolutions. I was recently perusing Goodreads where I found a similar trend, but the focus of what I found there interested me more than the ever-present “I want to lose 10 pounds” resolutions. It involved books, so I was intrigued. The basis of the challenge I found on their website was to pledge a number of books that you will plan to read this year. And the great part is that they let you change the number. I ambitiously typed in 45 books and a day later I reevaluated my life and entered a more reasonable 35. Last week, I logged on and selected that I had finished reading a book, and it said I had 34 of 35 to go. There was a great feeling that accompanied finishing that book, so I quickly checked out the next book on my list from the library. I’m not sure how much more a digital counter encourages me in my quest to read than a desire to read another book does, but the nature of the challenge keeps you interested. Seeing the number change on the screen motivated me to think ahead to the next book, and I really appreciate that there is a goal I can set and look forward to completing. It shows you how far you have to go, how far you have already come, and prompts you to keep reading (telling you how many books you are behind or ahead of your set goal) when you don’t think about it for awhile. And besides, seeing as classes have just started again, I need all the help I can get when it comes to motivation. I like the Goodreads site a lot. It is quite helpful in organizing books that you have read, want to read, and for the avid review writer, a place to post reviews of favorite (and not-so-favorite) books. If you haven’t heard of or used the site before, I highly recommend that you check it out, and their 2016 Reading Challenge. So, what books should you put on your reading list this semester? Here are a few titles that I have heard great things about or have personally read and feel confident enough to recommend to you: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho A special 25th anniversary edition of this novel has recently been released, a testament to the longstanding acclaim and ability to move readers through the simple, yet meaningful structure and narrative. The Martian by Andy Weir Since the movie came out last year, I became interested in reading the book. Some reviews call this book out on the grounds that it is based on shoddy science; however, most reviewers agree that there is a fantastic depth of character in this book, well worth the possible not-all-true science. Wil Weaton (actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation) even remarks: “I have never wanted so badly for the characters in a book to be real.” Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel This novel, published in 2014, was a finalist for both the National Book Award and A PEN/Faulkner Award. I have not read it yet, but it is the next book on my to-read list, and has been on my mind for quite some time, as people continually have great things to say about it. If you want to see my list of books and to-read list, here is a link to my Goodreads page. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22494612-hannah-cole *originally posted on leeclarion.com as part of my weekly lit column.
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