Getting Settled

So who are you, exactly?

I’m Liz. I live in Ohio with my French bulldog and a pile of cooking implements, and I’m about to start my junior year at Miami University as a “nontraditional” (read: old) student, where I’m double-majoring in philosophy and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. I also teach standardized test prep classes for the SAT and the GMAT. In previous iterations of my career, I’ve worked in a psychiatric hospital, a vegan bakery, and for a fashion and lifestyle mag. I’ve been an avid reader since elementary school. I’m also a pop-culture junkie, a yoga enthusiast, and a devotee of meat-free cooking.

And what are you doing here?

Generally? I have literally no idea; that’s why I’m 26 and still haven’t finished my bachelor’s degree. On this blog specifically? I’ve noticed myself reading a lot less on my own time recently, and to counter that I’m setting myself a challenge: read one book a week for a year.

One book a week? Lame, dude. A week is, like, forever.

I know, self-critical inner monologue. I know! I feel you on this. I read four books last week. But that’s the thing – this isn’t one book in one week. This is one book every week. That includes the week I have six final exams, the week I drive long-distance to be my bestie’s maid of honor, the week I take my LSAT, every week during NaNoWriMo. One book, just for me, every week. At the end of the week I’ll write down some thoughts about the book and, with any luck, find something interesting to say. (I’m also hoping that the one-a-week deadline will let me get ahead a little to tackle some more ambitious books.)

So what are we going to read?

Excellent question! I’ve set myself some guidelines for the project.

1.     Each book will be prose (no poetry, no drama), and I’m aiming for a mix of fiction and nonfiction every month.

2.     YA novels are fair game, if they have some sort of literary credibility (you can have my John Green novels when you break my fingers to get them away from me). No more than one a month, though.

3.     I can’t reread anything I’ve read before on my own time. Books I’ve read in the ancient past for school are legit, though. I’m excited to go back and revisit stuff I read as a teenager from a slightly more adult perspective.

4.     What is not legit is anything I’m reading for school at the moment. This is a project separate from my classwork. I’m super-pumped for next semester’s Russian Lit class, but I’m doing this to make a different choice on how I spend my free time.

So why this blog?

It’s to keep me punctual about finishing each book on time. It’s to help me articulate a clear, achievable goal (52 books on my own time in 52 weeks). It’s to serve as a writing exercise. It’s to let me reach out to a world of readers, and maybe connect with some new and exciting people as I connect with new and exciting books.

Also, because I have the attention span of a concussed hamster, I’ll probably throw some other stuff up on here: writings on the project in general, possibly essays about pop culture or artsy stuff I get up to. It’ll be fun. Promise.