Sometime around the end of December, someone (Carrie Jones?) posted on Twitter about literary resolutions. At the same time donalynbooks and the Nerdy Book Club talked about Reading Gaps–areas or genres that are gaps in usual reading.
I realized that I always make literary resolutions: # of books I’m going to read during the year, # of adult or nonfiction, things like that. I always have piles of books to read and never enough time to read them. My little notebook is filled with lists of books I’ve heard of and am excited about.
Here’s evidence. These are the books on my “I want to read them right now” pile:
There are more piles behind them. And on the next shelf. And by the bed. And the last thing I need is another list/pile of books to read.
But I like the idea of literary resolutions. And I like thinking about my reading gaps (besides adult and nonfiction).
I’m already reading the Newbery winners in order from 1965 forward with 
jbknowles. That’s an easy literary resolution to continue and one I’m really enjoying. (We’re up to discussing Summer of the Swans, the 1971 winner.)
Carrie had made a resolution to borrow and read two books off a shelf in the library every week for this year. I liked that idea, but changed it to fit a reading gap as well. I will take out 5 random picture books from a new shelf in the library each week and keep track of what I read. So far, I’m enjoying this. I’ve taken out my 5 each week plus a few on display. And, because I’m thinking about picture books, I seem to notice them more in reviews and bookstores, so I’ve tried to find some of the ones I hear about.
My other reading gap is graphic novels. I’m going by librarian recommendations on this one since I feel like I know nothing about them. Last week I read and enjoyed Mercury by Hope Larson. I’ll read any by Raina Telgemeier. If you know graphic novels I should read, let me know!
Happy reading!
Current Books: Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli
Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking by Erin Dionne