It’s that time of year!
With the holiday blaze behind us, we’re all turning our sights on improvement. Diet, de-cluttering, and self-betterment goals tend to get the bulk of the attention this time of year, but what about some resolutions that are a little more….well, fun?
I’m talking of course about reading resolutions! (Why make any other kind?) Many people like to set a goal for the total number of books they’ll read, but for a more fulfilling 2018 twist, what about setting a goal for getting outside of your reading comfort zone?
To save you the brainstorming time, below are some ideas on how you can branch out in your reading. Why not set a goal to try one (or more!) of a new-to-you category in 2018? Prizes include a sense of self-satisfaction, a broadened reading perspective, and for a select group of sub-winners, some new favorites!
1. Choose a book based solely on its cover. Forget the old adage, and happy browsing!
2. Learn a new skill from a book. Some ideas: running, a language (we have Arabic, Russian and Spanish to name just a few), aromatherapy, or home-brewing.
3. Read a translation. You could go traditional with something like The Little Prince, or contemporary with anything by Fredrik Backman.
4. Read a book of poetry. Anthologies like the Good Poems series are a great place to find a variety of poets and styles to figure out your own favorites, and kid anthologies like Poetry Speaks to Children and Hip Hop Speaks to Children are even better!
5. Read a book set in another country. The sky is the limit on this one. Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit? Why not go? Is there a part of the world you’d like to understand better? Learn about it!
6. Try an audiobook. This is a great way to experience a dense classic (Murder on the Orient Express, perhaps?), some non-fiction (Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson, or maybe Grant by Ron Chernow) or any book you might not get around to in print. For a bonus, try an eAudiobook on hoopla, where every title is always instantly available!
7. Read a book from the staff recommendations shelf. Each library has a staff recommendations shelf near the entrance. Check this out for an eclectic and ever-changing selection of books!
8. Read a Colorado author. We have so much talent in our state! From Todd Mitchell and Lauren Myracle right here in Fort Collins to James Michener and Connie Willis from nearby Greeley, you don’t have to go much beyond Northern Colorado. But if you want to, there’s also Sandra Dallas, Kent Haruf, Hunter S. Thompson and Helen Thorpe, to name a few.
9. Read the book before you watch the movie or television series. Many movie and TV adaptations of books will be debuting in 2018. Why not read the original story before you head out to the theater or set your DVR? Check out stories like A Wrinkle in Time, Ready Player One, The Alienist, or Good Omens.
10. Take on our GenreLand Challenge. Nothing makes you read outside your comfort zone like a new genre every month. Learn more about this fun reading challenge and download a fun game board online.