At the start of every January, many conversations turn toward those things we call "New Year's Resolutions." I was recently perusing Goodreads, a site where readers can recommend and review books, 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'-type 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 books. 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 just the desire to read another book does, but the nature of the challenge keeps me 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 a while. 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 and want to read, and for the avid review writer, a place to post reviews of favorite (and not-so-favorite) titles. If you haven't heard of or used the site before, I highly recommend that you check it out and explore 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 its longstanding acclaim and ability to move readers through simple, yet meaningful structure and narrative.
A summary on Goodreads said, "This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest."
'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 existence of improbable science. Wil Weaton (actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation) even remarks in the Goodreads comment section, 'I have never wanted so badly for the characters in a book to be real.'
Here's a brief summary from Goodreads: "Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars' surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he's alive ' and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive ... As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive ' but Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him, yet."
'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.
Knopf summarizes it as follows, "An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, 'Station Eleven' tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity."
If you'd like 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
