Books etc.

Technically it's already 2014, but we still have 359 unplanned reading days. So let's dream about books and stories I want to read this year.

I have this bad habit of not reading books I've slotted to be read, shelving books to to-read pretty much guarantee it not to get read. Naming the shelf differently help slightly but honestly I never refer to it when I'm groping around for new reading material. Those that got lucky to get read owe their luck to the cover, title or just the serendipity of a reaching hand. So I'm not going to list titles, instead I'm just going to list some themes that I'm hoping to cover this year, or perhaps some authors.

- Verses/Poetry: Something I wanted to read more for a long time. My excuse was that I didn't have the patience to read through it carefully, read it repeatedly to understand the meaning hidden behind the words (I'm a notorious skimmer, a sin I always regret deeply). However, in 2013 I did manage to read Dante's Inferno, re-read Sapardi Djoko Damono's Hujan Bulan Juni and Robert Frost's compilation; and I enjoyed it immensely. I like the reading rhythmn I got from Inferno once I warmed up my verse muscle. I rediscovered some poems from Sapardi & Frost that actually stuck in my memory even after the distance of decade of years. So this year, more poetry.

- Indonesian History: I've read some history books last year. But somehow it was all on European (German) history. Sign of lack of patriotism? I hope not. Maybe more of the case of getting all the interest beaten out of me in my school day. This year it shouldn't be an excuse anymore. I already have one that I've started last year but put down after a chapter. Getting to know more about where I've come from will I hope show me also where I should go in the future.

- Doorstopper Classic : I actually have never had any problem with this. I'm not the type who got intimidated by the thickness or the language. I just need to boost it up a bit and pay attention not to skate my way across in full speed. To read carefully is to enjoy it more I hope.

- Book Club selection : I found a local bookclub meeting with interesting list. I've read some of it and the others I've wanted to read. My problem is again this tendency to rebel against reading schedule. So far I'm almost finished with the first book, Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. It went quite well and perhaps the key is to get the book way earlier than the scheduled meeting and give more leeway to read it inbetween my other reading. I've been distracted by more than 5 books while reading W&P.

- German Books : Just to make sure I'm not losing my german.

- Books on Stoicism : I've tried to read some and think about it on and off during last couple of months. I've had some of the principle's hammered down in me on my upbringing without knowing it as stoicism. I'm still thinking about it and am not sure yet about how I really feel about it but I sure want to know more and examined my life more.

- Lighting/Design/Technical Books : Yeah, work related. I need to read more not only technical but also philosophical books. Mind enriching and all that lot.

- Random Non-fiction : miscellanous books about the world. Some should be about Islam (same reason as Indonesian history books). The rest could be micro-history, biography or whatever strikes my fancy.

- Detective/Mystery : There's no way I'm not going to read bunch of them this year. It's my comfort read.

- Current Lit : I guess I'm not bad in those. Though not so current, I'd like to finally read DFW. Otherwise I'm game to pick some stuff based on random discovery. I've found some wonderful new writer last year & would read more of their books and hoping to discover some other.

- Booker Shortlist : I didn't manage to even a single one last year. In fact, I still need to read last year's winner. Targetting to read the books before they announced the winner.

- Indonesian Lit : I'm so hopelessly behind in this. I know some writers that I've loved but somehow I missed buying their new books and I'm yet to find new writers that I can enjoy. Note to myself to go to bookstore on my holiday at home.

Well, this looks like a full reading year. Let's see how this year's reading really looks like. Looking forward to books that will cross path with me this year.