I, quite frankly, suck at fulfilling New Year’s resolutions.
In my defence, getting healthy, losing weight, being nice to people, etc are, let’s face it, pretty friggin boring and the reasons why it’s impossible to carry them out (ie I’m in the middle of a book, I’ll just have a snack while I’m reading, those people rang me when I was just about to find out who did it!) far outweigh the benefits.
Still, the looks of scorn and pity at your lack of willpower when you admit the reasons why you don’t make New Year’s resolutions get old pretty damn quick. So this year I thought I’d set myself challenges associated with my main interest, reading.
Since I need to be realistic about this, especially given my lack of success in the past, I’m acknowledging a couple of things from the outset:
~ There is no way in hell I will ever, ever meet a resolution that involves any kind of a book budget.
~ I will never be able to solely exist on ebooks (I still NEED MY PRINT).
~ The word ‘resolution’ is so… final. Can’t I call it something else, something less, ummm, restrictive??
Anyway, without further ado… drum roll please…
1. Me: Try to avoid (as much as possible) lack of restraint brought on by book pimpage.
The good fairy: Like everyone else, create wish lists and buy books in bulk. Just because you like the sound of it, doesn’t mean you have to read it NOW. Buying in bulk will also save you on shipping fees because inevitably the books you want will not be available in Perth.
2. Me: Try to decrease the number of times I buy ebooks (ie wait until after ALL the new releases for that week are out).
The good fairy: Again, buy books in bulk from one-stop shops such as All Romance eBooks and Fictionwise. The exchange rate is NOT your friend. Consider beginning petitions to Ellora’s Cave and to Loose Id re: releasing their books and their new releases to these stores.
3. Me: Try different authors and genres.
The good fairy: It’s good to challenge yourself by trying different things. Look at how much you liked m/m romance in 2008. Why don’t you try something new every month?
4. Me: Try to write a review.
The good fairy: Hmmm, this one we might need to work on. I’m afraid you are suffering from an acute fear of RED PEN.
Me: So that’s them. Now I just have to try and stick with…
The bad fairy: Yeah, yeah, but do resolutions count if you make them on the first day of the year? Isn’t there some rule which says you already need to have them in mind at the actual time of the New Year? *good fairy whispers* Yeah, I thought so. No wonder you suck at this.
Me: Bugger.
Oh well. Wishing you all a happy and healthy year of reading!
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
Very cute Sweetie… You’re so much a bad fairy that I cannot understand why you even bothered with the good one!Not one of your thoughts even revolved around work! I know that it is a four letter word, however you need to do some work in order to pay for the thousands of books you read. You know that you cannot rely on me for money, ‘cos I spend most of mine on BOOKS, clothes and shoes. And let’s face it, I am not going to die any time soon, Grandad just turned 88 last week, so I’m good for another 30 years!!!OH, and you need to forget about resolutions. Think of them as thoughts that just get tangled up in everything else that is going on in that wonderful mind of yours!I do so love you Kris, and wish you all the joys that each and everyone of those beings that we all believe in can give to you.YKW
Very funny LOL!I’m going to have to try and cut down on how much money I spend on books. The enchange rate used to be great but is looking pretty grim at the moment! Unfortunately the library system in Leeds isn’t great for some romance authors and non-existant for m/m. Not that I’d request an m/m from the library as I know them all pretty well – there was great hilarity all round when I ordered JR Ward’s BDB books so you can imagine their reaction to m/m!
If I didn’t think it might get your library card revoked at the least or completely ostracised at the most, I would urge you to make the request for m/m just so you could tell us all what their reactions were. LOL.Have you considered inventing a relative/friend for whom you could borrow the books? That could be fun. *g*One of my hopes for 2009 is for someone to plan and implement a secondhand ebookstore. I’ve not heard of one, but it has to be doable in some way, shape or form, don’t you think?? And, please, no bursting my bubble!
Maybe if they did away with DRM. I’d happily pay for second hand ebooks, especially with some of the new ebooks being the same price as the paper version – that really annoys me.
Kris,Very funny post!
Happy New Year, Ozakie!I’m thinking of starting a READOLUTION where the readers of the world unite against exorbitant books prices charged by the oppressive publishing leaders. *hand on shoulder* It is likely those that follow me will be gunned down in the stacks, but fear not. Your name will be gloriously remembered by bibliophiles everywhere in the blog posts of what will be a free Literaturelandia for all readers, no matter what their genre preferences!This my vision… so, you want in??
Your stirring speech has convinced me. I’m in.
And so the battle for readers everywhere begins… VIVE LE READOLUTION!