Two Books Down..

... And a ridiculous amount still to go! I haven't ploughed through as many books as I wanted to with this resolution; although I'm disappointed with the number of books still left in my pile, I'm just going to continue reading as much as I can once I go back to work, and hopefully I should be able to get through them in a reasonable time.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I am ashamed to admit that, other than A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations is the first Dickens novel I've ever read. I know a few people who really do not like him and I think I must have just been put off by their opinions, which is a shame because I now wish I'd read something of his a lot sooner.

I loved this novel. I love Dickens' writing style and turns of phrase, and the idiosyncratic names he gives to his characters are phonetically quirky and entertaining. The story itself was a good read, full of drama, good times and bad times; I realise now there is a good reason for this book being a classic!

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

Another classic that I really enjoyed. I have to admit, I was put off by the size of the book as it's a pretty hefty tome (although my edition did have lots of appendices and notes), so I decided to get it out of the way before I went back to work, knowing it would take me even longer after that.

The novel really drew me in, and all of the characters were very engaging even if they were not all likeable. I liked the way the novel poked fun at society of the time; and the fact that it seemed not to be judging Becky Sharp in as moralistic a manner as other books of the time might have, but more watching her evil scheming with one amused eyebrow raised. The book dragged a little towards the end, but I think that was more my own impatience to find out what happened to all of the characters. For the most part, it didn't feel as long as it actually was, and I managed to get through it with enthusiasm. In fact, the only downside with the book being so long was that, immersed for so long in the language of that period, I now find myself thinking in old-fashioned speech patterns - I have the same problem when I read Jane Austen novels too...

I still have 9 books left on my list to get through; the list itself has changed slightly from the one shown in my initial post (linked above). I found a few books on my parents' shelves I wanted to add, and I'm giving up on A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth because it's just too, too massive. Also (idiot admission coming up) I realised there's no point in starting War and Peace, because the stupid girl (me) who bought it at the carboot sale failed to realise the spine clearly says "Part 1".. And I don't have Part 2. I did wonder why it was so small, I guess I just thought the print was super-tiny...

so many books, so little time

I have a slight problem with books. I keep collecting them. I buy more than I have time to read. Financially this isn't a problem, because I almost exclusively buy second-hand and they only cost me pence. Unfortunately, though, it is a problem for my bookshelves, which are wobbling under the weight of my collection and resentful that I haven't even had the courtesy to read many of the books they're holding up.

I have, therefore, decided that I am going to make an attempt to rectify this. I have collated a pile of all of my books that I either haven't read, or have started at some point and then abandoned, and I am going to do my best to get through them all before I go back to work in February. I have the time, and I can't walk around too much, so I figured I might as well use this time wisely to get my head in some books.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get through all of the above in just over a month, no matter how fast a reader I might be! I have also cheated slightly, and have not included in my list The Iliad or the Odyssey (just too much like hard work!), nor The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm also not letting myself buy any new (to me) fiction books until I finish my pile, or until I go back to work - whichever comes sooner, I figured by the time I'm back at work the list should at least have reduced significantly.

The books in my pile:

~Milan Kundera // The Unbearable Lightness of Being
~VS Naipaul // An Area of Darkness
~Gogol // Diary of a Madman and Other Stories
~Various // A Hungarian Quartet
~Gabriel Garcia Marquez // One Hundred Years of Solitude
~Charles Dickens // A Tale of Two Cities
~Charles Dickens // Great Expectations
~Kazuo Ishiguro // The Unconsoled (I did actually start to read this a few years ago but found it really difficult to get into. I'm going to try again, re-encouraged by my love for Never Let Me Go)
~Paulo Coelho // Eleven Minutes
~Dostoevsky // The Brothers Karamazov (another I started a while ago but got disheartened with)
~Tolstoy // War and Peace
~William Thackeray // Vanity Fair
~Vikram Seth // A Suitable Boy (this is massive! not sure I'll get through this one)

I can't make a start on this straightaway, as I am currently halfway through reading Women In Love by DH Lawrence, and figured abandoning one book in favour of another would kind of defeat the purpose of this exercise. I'm going to dedicate myself, though, so should be able to make a start in the next few days. Plus, I'm a sadsack and have no plans for New Year's Eve, so I will probably spend my evening reading and waiting to ring in the new year, then go back to bed.

What a life.

Resolutions

Now that I've got my reflections about the past year out, it's time to look ahead. Yes, another list! New Year's resolutions, even though it's not the New Year yet. I've been thinking about them for the past month anyway, and it feels like an appropriate time.

1. Dip my toes into the world of internet dating. Not for a few months, at least until my toes are recovered enough for dipping - dates are not great on crutches! I'm not looking to find 'the one'; just hopefully meet some nice people, get out and about, have fun.

2. Take up an activity to help my general fitness; for example, yoga or dancing. These two I do want to have a go at (or, in the case of dancing, get back into) so I'm fairly confident this won't be one of those generic 'get fitter' resolutions that never get done.

3. Pay back debts. Fairly self-explanatory. Why would I even want clouds as black as those hanging over me? All being well, I should have them paid back by November 2012.

4. Go away somewhere for a weekend by myself. I'm plenty used to going on day trips by myself, and I often drive for hours on my own to stay with family. I've never actually stayed in a hotel by myself, though, and as I need a break this year I might as well go by myself. Even if it's only in this country.

5. Maintain current levels of fun in my life. This one should be easy, and in fact I'm pretty sure my fun levels will actually increase. I'm still going to make sure to take care of myself and spend time pampering myself, as well as going out and doing fun things with friends.