Introduction

People who meet me tend to think I read a lot. I guess I just radiate that nerd vibe. But for most of my life, I really didn't. I would watch a lot of TV and play a lot of video games, but probably only read 2-3 books a year. What I did read would tend to be pretty light fiction. I always heard about books I really wanted to read, but never got around to starting them. Or I would start a book that was really thick and complicated (Gravity's Rainbow, Seven Pillars of Wisdom) and get about 30 pages into it and then get distracted by something easier, something that didn't require as much of an investment.

I knew I was missing out because when I would finish a book the experience was enriching. Books I've loved have stuck around in my mind for years. I also thought that if I let myself get any older without making reading a consistent habit, it would just get harder and harder to do so. Every month that went by represented a great book I could have read but didn't. Not only that, it represented that much more effort I'd have to expend to actually finish a good book because my habits had gotten that much worse.

Consequently, in 2009 I decided to make reading more frequently a new year's resolution. I took a note card and divided it into 52 boxes, one for each week in the year. My goal was a modest one: to read for one hour, three times a week. Each time I read for an hour I wrote the date on the note card in the box for that week.

I've kept up the same habit since then and there is no doubt in my mind that it continues to be a good investment.

The main purpose of this blog is to keep track of my thoughts about the books I read. My memory is not perfect and I'm sure things that seemed so important to me after finishing the last page won't stand out years after. More than that, however, I hope to encourage discussions or comments about the books that I read. Something fun is so much better when you can share it, even if sharing it means somebody tells you that you completely missed the point. I'm ready for that possibility!

So, whether or not you think I completely missed any point, I appreciate you taking the time to visit.