Review: Nook Simple Touch

It's been almost two years since I received the first generation Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader. If you remember, I was thrilled with the device. I've remained pretty thrilled in general, but over the course of the two-year relationship I discovered a few annoyances:

1. The white frame and reflective touch-screen navigation were occasionally annoying. I had a habit of studying my double-chin in the touch-screen.

2. It was really too heavy to hold with one hand. Especially when it was "wearing" a cover.

When it came to getting a new Nook this year, I was somewhat noncommittal. I kinda felt guilty wanting a new e-reader since there was absolutely nothing technically wrong with my old one. On the other hand, there were parts of the Nook Simple Touch that really appealed to me:

1. The dark grey frame seemed like it would cut down on distraction and help make the contrast between the print and the e-ink page more noticeable.

2. No reflective navigation bar to throw my chins up at me.

3. Smaller, lighter.

4. Faster page turns, longer battery life!

My mother, in her infinite wisdom, went ahead and bought the Simple Touch for me for Christmas. Thrilled is me! All of the improvements I listed above are certainly true. I can comfortably hold the Simple Touch with one hand, even when it's wearing its cover. The reading screen is the same size, but the whole device is smaller and slimmer thanks to the exclusion of the navigation panel.

I've also discovered some nice surprises -- new features I never thought about that really jump out at me. First and foremost, the touchscreen is fantastic!!! It's responsive and quick -- none of that dreaded lag. I admit that I am super anal retentive about smudging screens and dust particles and all of that. I bought a cleaning cloth -- should take care of that little obsession.

Since the device is now touchscreen, the act of highlighting and adding notes is MUCH improved. To highlight a passage you simply hold your finger down where you want to start highlighting and drag to the end of the passage. Voila! To add a note, use your finger to click the highlighted passage and add your note. Once the note is added, a notepad icon appears next to the passage for easy reading. It's also much easier to locate highlighted passages since the device automatically labels them with the quoted text if you don't indicate a specific note with which to identify the passage. In the past, the device randomly attached a number to the passages and bookmarks which made it almost impossible to identify at a glance.

The navigation is streamlined with five options: Home, Library, Shop, Search, Settings. The home screen itself is great, with a magazine-style layout. It includes clickable sections for Reading Now (shows current book and page number), New Reads (recent downloads), and What to Read Next (enter to shop B&N and view recommendations). The Library is also revamped a bit, with some options for filtering and ordering titles in one's library, and it combines Barnes and Noble NookBooks and books manually downloaded and added to the Nook together into one library (formerly two separate libraries).

Battery life also seems to be vastly improved. I've been reading a couple of hours a day since the 22nd of December, and my device is still at 69% charge.

Throughout the e-reader boom in the last few years, I've stuck to my guns on a couple of things: I prefer the Nook to other devices, and I prefer a DEDICATED E-READER!!! While I respect and am occasionally envious of those readers with NookColors and NookTablets, I know myself well enough to admit that those devices are probably not for me. Like so many areas of my life, I am easily distracted!!! If I have an option to hop on Facebook or play Angry Birds, I will probably do it! Even engaging in those things rather than reading. Why would I do that if I LOVE reading so much??? Because Facebook and games require far less engagement and mental capacity on my part. I love reading, but sometimes it's a struggle to settle in with so many other things going on. A dedicated e-reader helps me remain focused on what makes me feel fulfilled and put the other "plugged in" activities to the side.

Since I received my Simple Touch six days ago, I've read the majority of two books (will finish the second today). This is a byproduct of time off work and a new toy, but I also think I'll continue to enjoy this new e-reader for all the reasons I mentioned above. Hopefully it'll continue to enhance my reading into 2012!!!

Review: Nook Simple Touch

It's been almost two years since I received the first generation Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader. If you remember, I was thrilled with the device. I've remained pretty thrilled in general, but over the course of the two-year relationship I discovered a few annoyances:

1. The white frame and reflective touch-screen navigation were occasionally annoying. I had a habit of studying my double-chin in the touch-screen.

2. It was really too heavy to hold with one hand. Especially when it was "wearing" a cover.

When it came to getting a new Nook this year, I was somewhat noncommittal. I kinda felt guilty wanting a new e-reader since there was absolutely nothing technically wrong with my old one. On the other hand, there were parts of the Nook Simple Touch that really appealed to me:

1. The dark grey frame seemed like it would cut down on distraction and help make the contrast between the print and the e-ink page more noticeable.

2. No reflective navigation bar to throw my chins up at me.

3. Smaller, lighter.

4. Faster page turns, longer battery life!

My mother, in her infinite wisdom, went ahead and bought the Simple Touch for me for Christmas. Thrilled is me! All of the improvements I listed above are certainly true. I can comfortably hold the Simple Touch with one hand, even when it's wearing its cover. The reading screen is the same size, but the whole device is smaller and slimmer thanks to the exclusion of the navigation panel.

I've also discovered some nice surprises -- new features I never thought about that really jump out at me. First and foremost, the touchscreen is fantastic!!! It's responsive and quick -- none of that dreaded lag. I admit that I am super anal retentive about smudging screens and dust particles and all of that. I bought a cleaning cloth -- should take care of that little obsession.

Since the device is now touchscreen, the act of highlighting and adding notes is MUCH improved. To highlight a passage you simply hold your finger down where you want to start highlighting and drag to the end of the passage. Voila! To add a note, use your finger to click the highlighted passage and add your note. Once the note is added, a notepad icon appears next to the passage for easy reading. It's also much easier to locate highlighted passages since the device automatically labels them with the quoted text if you don't indicate a specific note with which to identify the passage. In the past, the device randomly attached a number to the passages and bookmarks which made it almost impossible to identify at a glance.

The navigation is streamlined with five options: Home, Library, Shop, Search, Settings. The home screen itself is great, with a magazine-style layout. It includes clickable sections for Reading Now (shows current book and page number), New Reads (recent downloads), and What to Read Next (enter to shop B&N and view recommendations). The Library is also revamped a bit, with some options for filtering and ordering titles in one's library, and it combines Barnes and Noble NookBooks and books manually downloaded and added to the Nook together into one library (formerly two separate libraries).

Battery life also seems to be vastly improved. I've been reading a couple of hours a day since the 22nd of December, and my device is still at 69% charge.

Throughout the e-reader boom in the last few years, I've stuck to my guns on a couple of things: I prefer the Nook to other devices, and I prefer a DEDICATED E-READER!!! While I respect and am occasionally envious of those readers with NookColors and NookTablets, I know myself well enough to admit that those devices are probably not for me. Like so many areas of my life, I am easily distracted!!! If I have an option to hop on Facebook or play Angry Birds, I will probably do it! Even engaging in those things rather than reading. Why would I do that if I LOVE reading so much??? Because Facebook and games require far less engagement and mental capacity on my part. I love reading, but sometimes it's a struggle to settle in with so many other things going on. A dedicated e-reader helps me remain focused on what makes me feel fulfilled and put the other "plugged in" activities to the side.

Since I received my Simple Touch six days ago, I've read the majority of two books (will finish the second today). This is a byproduct of time off work and a new toy, but I also think I'll continue to enjoy this new e-reader for all the reasons I mentioned above. Hopefully it'll continue to enhance my reading into 2012!!!

A Christmas Recap: Of Toddlers and Bagged Drinks

So I promised a review of my new Nook today, and it most certainly will come this week, but I just had to take a minute to recap my Christmas, because it really did turn out well this year -- despite my original humbuggery. It was quite the drawn out affair with three separate celebrations (four if I include work, which I believe I will),  gifts, great food, and most important, family time and relaxation.

Wednesday the 21st, we set aside some time to exchange gifts at work. My current supervisor is a total sweetheart, and given that she is clued in on my love of owls, she really hooked me up!!! She bestowed upon me an owl kitchen timer and an owl candle from West Elm and my very own zen garden. I will be endlessly raking the zen garden sand if I take it to work, so I think I'm saving it for home.

My other work friends are also very kind and generous, treating me to a Starbucks gift card (already spent!), a Barnes and Noble gift card (in the process of being spent!), and our registrar crocheted a gorgeous scarf that I've already worn twice and with which I am thoroughly obsessed.

The second official round of celebration was with Greyson and my mom on the 22nd. Greyson was much more clued in to Christmas this year, and he had a fantabulous time tearing open gifts. Always the responsible toddler, he handed every single shred of paper off the gifts to me. The boy does not tolerate clutter. He's enjoying riding around on a Disney car, playing with a couple of racetrack toys, a dancing alligator, wearing new clothes, monster house shoes, and some other cool stuff!

My mom was very very generous with her gifts to me this year. As I mentioned in my previous post, she hooked me up with an upgrade: a new 2nd generation Nook (Simple Touch). She also gave me a great black sweater and a beautiful silver owl necklace.

Sorry about the quality! At least you can see a bit of the Nookiness, the owl  candle, and a self-gift: Vanilla Bean Noel from Bath and Body Works!

The third official round of celebration was on Christmas morning. Greyson, Chuck, the Rockets and I opened gifts, snacked on treats like chocolate truffles, cake pops, and peppermint bark, before a late lunch of ham and all the trimmings. The kids got a bunch of cool stuff, books included (Catching Fire for Rocketgirl and the third in the Skullduggery Pleasant series for Rocketboy). Greyson made out like a bandit AGAIN, and was still careful not to drop any paper.

Rocketboy is talking to me while Rocketgirl and Greyson look at a Cake Pops recipe book. 

Finally, we had my cousins over to my mom's house just yesterday. Greyson received some really cool monogrammed items (a blanket and t-shirt that say "Lil G"), and they treated my mom and I to several bagged alcoholic beverages. Have you seen these things? They're like margaritas in a Capri-Sun bag. Delicious and tidy.

I was glad everyone around here was happy for the holidays and I am thankful for time off work to spend with my family and time off to recharge my batteries. I'm feel light and holiday-floaty, my reading mojo is cranking, and I'll be refreshed when I return to work on the third. I hope all of you were as fortunate to spend time with loved ones and to slow down for your own sake.

A Christmas Recap: Of Toddlers and Bagged Drinks

So I promised a review of my new Nook today, and it most certainly will come this week, but I just had to take a minute to recap my Christmas, because it really did turn out well this year -- despite my original humbuggery. It was quite the drawn out affair with three separate celebrations (four if I include work, which I believe I will),  gifts, great food, and most important, family time and relaxation.

Wednesday the 21st, we set aside some time to exchange gifts at work. My current supervisor is a total sweetheart, and given that she is clued in on my love of owls, she really hooked me up!!! She bestowed upon me an owl kitchen timer and an owl candle from West Elm and my very own zen garden. I will be endlessly raking the zen garden sand if I take it to work, so I think I'm saving it for home.

My other work friends are also very kind and generous, treating me to a Starbucks gift card (already spent!), a Barnes and Noble gift card (in the process of being spent!), and our registrar crocheted a gorgeous scarf that I've already worn twice and with which I am thoroughly obsessed.

The second official round of celebration was with Greyson and my mom on the 22nd. Greyson was much more clued in to Christmas this year, and he had a fantabulous time tearing open gifts. Always the responsible toddler, he handed every single shred of paper off the gifts to me. The boy does not tolerate clutter. He's enjoying riding around on a Disney car, playing with a couple of racetrack toys, a dancing alligator, wearing new clothes, monster house shoes, and some other cool stuff!

My mom was very very generous with her gifts to me this year. As I mentioned in my previous post, she hooked me up with an upgrade: a new 2nd generation Nook (Simple Touch). She also gave me a great black sweater and a beautiful silver owl necklace.

Sorry about the quality! At least you can see a bit of the Nookiness, the owl  candle, and a self-gift: Vanilla Bean Noel from Bath and Body Works!

The third official round of celebration was on Christmas morning. Greyson, Chuck, the Rockets and I opened gifts, snacked on treats like chocolate truffles, cake pops, and peppermint bark, before a late lunch of ham and all the trimmings. The kids got a bunch of cool stuff, books included (Catching Fire for Rocketgirl and the third in the Skullduggery Pleasant series for Rocketboy). Greyson made out like a bandit AGAIN, and was still careful not to drop any paper.

Rocketboy is talking to me while Rocketgirl and Greyson look at a Cake Pops recipe book. 

Finally, we had my cousins over to my mom's house just yesterday. Greyson received some really cool monogrammed items (a blanket and t-shirt that say "Lil G"), and they treated my mom and I to several bagged alcoholic beverages. Have you seen these things? They're like margaritas in a Capri-Sun bag. Delicious and tidy.

I was glad everyone around here was happy for the holidays and I am thankful for time off work to spend with my family and time off to recharge my batteries. I'm feel light and holiday-floaty, my reading mojo is cranking, and I'll be refreshed when I return to work on the third. I hope all of you were as fortunate to spend time with loved ones and to slow down for your own sake.

Andi's 2011 Favoritest Books Throwdown

That's right y'all! Choosing favorite books this year was a RUMBLE!!! While this is one of my slimmest years in terms of the number of books completed, it has been one of the best quality reading years I'VE EVER HAD. A couple of things:

1. I challenged myself to read more literary fiction (whatever the hell that is) because I generally find it pleasing and "filling."

2. I let my mood dictate my choices about 98% of the time.

I've actually done a couple of drafts of my "favorites" list for 2011. The first one was ridiculously long. I percolated over the weekend, and the books that remain are the clear winners. The five novels that float to the top are the ones from which I can still name characters, or remember quotes, or pull scenes from memory. These are the most memorable of memorable, the strongest fighters in a small pool of strong contenders.

When I was choosing, I thought maybe I should do a list of favorite books published in 2011; or maybe I should pick a list of backlist gems and discuss those separately. With such a small group of books read for the year, I thought that would ultimately be silly. And I just wanted to highlight the best of a bunch of really good books. Some are current, some are backlist, some are somewhere in the middle. They're all amazing.

While I've read plenty of not-so-flattering opinions of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, it was a clear winner for me. I first saw it listed on NetGalley, and the NetGalley gods turned me down TWICE! It was then that I turned to hot pursuit, e-mailed the publisher directly, and I received a beautiful pre-publication copy. I think this was just the universe's way of bestowing a print copy on me. As much as I love e-books, this is a book I want to OWN! And caress. And re-read. 

The Night Circus is one of those books that took me away from my everyday life. It made me feel warm and fuzzy, it made me feel awe. It made me feel like reading felt when I was a kid and the whole room around me melted away and I was hurtled into the author's dreamworld. Read my review HERE.

I read Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger completely on a lark. After not having such great luck with Affinity (it remains unread), a friend from graduate school was kind enough to mail her slightly cat-chewed copy of Stranger. I typically get antsy if it takes me *too* long to read a book. Certainly, there's no specific measure of *too* long, but with all kinds of stuff to do, generally I get bored with a book after a week. This one--not so! I dragged it out and dragged it out and then RACED through the last bit. I just love, love, loved it. I loved the stuffy atmosphere, the unreliable characters, the gothic creepiness of it all. And it genuinely freaked me out in parts. If a book can freak me out AND it's written in a sumptuous, literary style, I melt like butter in the author's hands. Read my review HERE.

I could not help but choose The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. I came to this one under the influence of my personal Tournament of Books reading challenge. I had serious doubts going into this one that it would be fluffy and cliched, but what I found was such a surprisingly touching book. It was the characters who really owned my opinion of this one. I will never in my life forget Rose and her brother Joseph. I'll never forget Joseph's "ability." It was such a poignant metaphor for teenage awkwardness, depression, and pain. It blew the top of my head off in its simplicity and power. Read my review HERE.

After reading review after review of Ian McEwan's Atonement, I finally bit the bullet and picked it up this year. I already knew about some sort of twist at the end, and I had the surprise figured out long before it came, but even when it did come, I still cried. Big smooshy, mascara-streaking tears. My only previous experience with McEwan was the slim, On Chesil Beach, but I had a similarly involved reaction to that little novel. McEwan has such a thorough, believable way with words, Atonement had me enthralled from beginning to end. Read my review HERE.

And last, but most certainly not least, the first novel by one of my favorite writers and one I consider to be extremely underappreciated and underdiscussed...Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy. Previously known for his short stories, Simon hit it out of the park with this first novel. Really and truly. What began as a love story had a HUGE wrench thrown into it about midway through. This particular plot point changed everything in the novel, and it killed me as a reader. In a good way. You have to read this novel to really appreciate what I'm dancing around, but just  trust me that Simon Van Booy has literary GUTS. It was a bold move and it made for a bold and spectacular novel. Read my review HERE.

In closing, I have to thank you all for following along during what has been an eventful year in reading and in life. Professional life encroaches on my passion for reading more often than I'd like, but I have a blast blogging and discussing my picks with you all. Thank you for giving your time to stop by and comment and for participating in my reading life year after year. 

Cheers to more in 2012!

Andi's 2011 Favoritest Books Throwdown

That's right y'all! Choosing favorite books this year was a RUMBLE!!! While this is one of my slimmest years in terms of the number of books completed, it has been one of the best quality reading years I'VE EVER HAD. A couple of things:

1. I challenged myself to read more literary fiction (whatever the hell that is) because I generally find it pleasing and "filling."

2. I let my mood dictate my choices about 98% of the time.

I've actually done a couple of drafts of my "favorites" list for 2011. The first one was ridiculously long. I percolated over the weekend, and the books that remain are the clear winners. The five novels that float to the top are the ones from which I can still name characters, or remember quotes, or pull scenes from memory. These are the most memorable of memorable, the strongest fighters in a small pool of strong contenders.

When I was choosing, I thought maybe I should do a list of favorite books published in 2011; or maybe I should pick a list of backlist gems and discuss those separately. With such a small group of books read for the year, I thought that would ultimately be silly. And I just wanted to highlight the best of a bunch of really good books. Some are current, some are backlist, some are somewhere in the middle. They're all amazing.

While I've read plenty of not-so-flattering opinions of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, it was a clear winner for me. I first saw it listed on NetGalley, and the NetGalley gods turned me down TWICE! It was then that I turned to hot pursuit, e-mailed the publisher directly, and I received a beautiful pre-publication copy. I think this was just the universe's way of bestowing a print copy on me. As much as I love e-books, this is a book I want to OWN! And caress. And re-read. 

The Night Circus is one of those books that took me away from my everyday life. It made me feel warm and fuzzy, it made me feel awe. It made me feel like reading felt when I was a kid and the whole room around me melted away and I was hurtled into the author's dreamworld. Read my review HERE.

I read Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger completely on a lark. After not having such great luck with Affinity (it remains unread), a friend from graduate school was kind enough to mail her slightly cat-chewed copy of Stranger. I typically get antsy if it takes me *too* long to read a book. Certainly, there's no specific measure of *too* long, but with all kinds of stuff to do, generally I get bored with a book after a week. This one--not so! I dragged it out and dragged it out and then RACED through the last bit. I just love, love, loved it. I loved the stuffy atmosphere, the unreliable characters, the gothic creepiness of it all. And it genuinely freaked me out in parts. If a book can freak me out AND it's written in a sumptuous, literary style, I melt like butter in the author's hands. Read my review HERE.

I could not help but choose The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. I came to this one under the influence of my personal Tournament of Books reading challenge. I had serious doubts going into this one that it would be fluffy and cliched, but what I found was such a surprisingly touching book. It was the characters who really owned my opinion of this one. I will never in my life forget Rose and her brother Joseph. I'll never forget Joseph's "ability." It was such a poignant metaphor for teenage awkwardness, depression, and pain. It blew the top of my head off in its simplicity and power. Read my review HERE.

After reading review after review of Ian McEwan's Atonement, I finally bit the bullet and picked it up this year. I already knew about some sort of twist at the end, and I had the surprise figured out long before it came, but even when it did come, I still cried. Big smooshy, mascara-streaking tears. My only previous experience with McEwan was the slim, On Chesil Beach, but I had a similarly involved reaction to that little novel. McEwan has such a thorough, believable way with words, Atonement had me enthralled from beginning to end. Read my review HERE.

And last, but most certainly not least, the first novel by one of my favorite writers and one I consider to be extremely underappreciated and underdiscussed...Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy. Previously known for his short stories, Simon hit it out of the park with this first novel. Really and truly. What began as a love story had a HUGE wrench thrown into it about midway through. This particular plot point changed everything in the novel, and it killed me as a reader. In a good way. You have to read this novel to really appreciate what I'm dancing around, but just  trust me that Simon Van Booy has literary GUTS. It was a bold move and it made for a bold and spectacular novel. Read my review HERE.

In closing, I have to thank you all for following along during what has been an eventful year in reading and in life. Professional life encroaches on my passion for reading more often than I'd like, but I have a blast blogging and discussing my picks with you all. Thank you for giving your time to stop by and comment and for participating in my reading life year after year. 

Cheers to more in 2012!

The Sunday Salon - Challenges Out the Wahoo and a Teeny Reading Goal

Greyson has been at my mom's house since Friday afternoon, so that means mama has been reading like a crazy person! Last night was glorious. I lounged in bed and dove headlong into The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. If work isn't too crazy this week I'll probably be able to polish it off in a day or two. I also spent some time with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm loving my re-read.

However, I also did something odd last night. You might remember that BookClubSandwich's first pick last year was Coop, by Michael Perry. I was really excited about the book, but somehow I got bogged down in the process and 50 pages or so have been left unread since last year. Anal retentive that I am, I just couldn't leave it unread with that little to go. I devoted a few minutes to finishing it up last night. Soooo, Coop is my first finished book of 2011 though it seems a bit cheatish since I read 90% of it in 2010. Oh well! I'm free-flowing this year, so I'm going with it.

By the way, Jill, I loved Little Miss Shake-n-Bake. *tear*


This morning I spent some time reviewing 2011 challenges to decide what I want to tackle. I failed my 2010 challenges hands-down with the exception of the Woolf in Winter read-along of Mrs. Dalloway. In 2011 I'm limiting my challenges, but I couldn't resist The Chunkster Challenge, What's in a Name 4, and the E-Book Reading Challenge. I've also downloaded an e-book copy of War and Peace for that big honking readalong. See my 2011 Challenges page up top for more info!

Finally, this time of year inevitably entails reading goals for the new year. The idea I like most is "reading deliberately" in 2011. I did this much more in 2010 than I have in the past, and I'll continue to work on it. So what does "reading deliberately" mean to me?

• Reading what I really want to read!!! I aim to cut down on obligations in 2011. When there's a due date attached to reading, I generally lose interest. This is a direct result of a Masters degree in English.
• Taking fewer books for review. Crazy, right? I just don't do well with this. It's the due date thing I mentioned above.
• Switching up the types of books I read. I generally fall into a slump if I read too much of the same in a row.
• Picking quality reading: I love literary fiction, classics, graphic novels, and essays. If I read more of these I'm more likely to feel fulfilled by my reading.
• Indulge in e-books. I'll have a whole post about this coming up soon, but I actually read faster and more efficiently on my Nook. I might as well embrace it!

So that's my Sunday Salon thus far. Been doing a little challenge hunting, reflecting on my own reading habits, and soon I'll be diving back into a book. We have an hour drive out to my mom's and an hour drive back to get Baby G. Sounds like prime reading time to me!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

The Sunday Salon - Challenges Out the Wahoo and a Teeny Reading Goal

Greyson has been at my mom's house since Friday afternoon, so that means mama has been reading like a crazy person! Last night was glorious. I lounged in bed and dove headlong into The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. If work isn't too crazy this week I'll probably be able to polish it off in a day or two. I also spent some time with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm loving my re-read.

However, I also did something odd last night. You might remember that BookClubSandwich's first pick last year was Coop, by Michael Perry. I was really excited about the book, but somehow I got bogged down in the process and 50 pages or so have been left unread since last year. Anal retentive that I am, I just couldn't leave it unread with that little to go. I devoted a few minutes to finishing it up last night. Soooo, Coop is my first finished book of 2011 though it seems a bit cheatish since I read 90% of it in 2010. Oh well! I'm free-flowing this year, so I'm going with it.

By the way, Jill, I loved Little Miss Shake-n-Bake. *tear*


This morning I spent some time reviewing 2011 challenges to decide what I want to tackle. I failed my 2010 challenges hands-down with the exception of the Woolf in Winter read-along of Mrs. Dalloway. In 2011 I'm limiting my challenges, but I couldn't resist The Chunkster Challenge, What's in a Name 4, and the E-Book Reading Challenge. I've also downloaded an e-book copy of War and Peace for that big honking readalong. See my 2011 Challenges page up top for more info!

Finally, this time of year inevitably entails reading goals for the new year. The idea I like most is "reading deliberately" in 2011. I did this much more in 2010 than I have in the past, and I'll continue to work on it. So what does "reading deliberately" mean to me?

• Reading what I really want to read!!! I aim to cut down on obligations in 2011. When there's a due date attached to reading, I generally lose interest. This is a direct result of a Masters degree in English.
• Taking fewer books for review. Crazy, right? I just don't do well with this. It's the due date thing I mentioned above.
• Switching up the types of books I read. I generally fall into a slump if I read too much of the same in a row.
• Picking quality reading: I love literary fiction, classics, graphic novels, and essays. If I read more of these I'm more likely to feel fulfilled by my reading.
• Indulge in e-books. I'll have a whole post about this coming up soon, but I actually read faster and more efficiently on my Nook. I might as well embrace it!

So that's my Sunday Salon thus far. Been doing a little challenge hunting, reflecting on my own reading habits, and soon I'll be diving back into a book. We have an hour drive out to my mom's and an hour drive back to get Baby G. Sounds like prime reading time to me!

Happy Sunday, everyone!