5 New Year’s Resolutions for Readers

As you gear up to bid farewell to 2011 and say hello to 2012, you may be outlining resolutions that will make for a healthy, happy and prosperous new 365 days. Well, before you stop after resolving to go to the gym and eat more veggies, if you’re a book lover, why not add some reading resolutions to your list?
Be sure to check out the following resolutions for readers that will help make 2012 your best year yet:
Resolution #1: Re-read one of your childhood favorites. Dust off the C.S. Lewis books sitting on your shelf that you haven’t read in years and spend some time reconnecting with your inner child. Whatever your favorite was once upon a time, it will be fun to go back and relive a story that opened up so many ideas, dreams, and your imagination.
Resolution #2: Start a journal. Reading and writing go hand in hand…so the next time you start a good book, also start a journal where you can take notes as you travel through the pages of your book. Write down how you can relate to the characters, what you would to in similar situations, and express your general feelings on events throughout the read. This can be a great method for expressing your emotions and can even be used as a creative outlet for your own writing—how would you change the book’s plot if you were the author?
Resolution #3: Check out the library. In today’s modern world with Kindles, online bookstores, and other technologies that have changed literature as we know it, libraries are becoming a thing of the past. However, immersing yourself in a building with thousands of books is a magical feeling for an avid reader—get back to basics by spending a day getting lost exploring, reading and checking out a book or two at your public library.
Resolution #4: Read to someone in need. One of the best resolutions you can make is the one of volunteering your time to someone else. Sick patients or children in hospitals and elderly citizens in nursing homes love to have volunteers come to visit and share with them the gift of reading. This will not only make another person’s day brighter, but it will make yours brighter as well. Look online to find volunteer opportunities in your town.
Resolution #5: Read a book outside of your favorite genre. If you normally stick to books related to love and romance, switch it up and spring for a book that you might have overlooked before…maybe in the genre of suspense/horror, poetry, sci-fi? Who knows, when you broaden your horizons and try a book of a different category, you might just find that you have a new favorite author or style.

Joe Morris is a guest post contributor who shares with us this post on New Year’s resolutions for readers. In his spare time, Joe also contributes articles to Best Free Dating Sites where he educates readers on the importance of safe online dating.