January Reading List and 2011 Reading Resolutions

  Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that 2011 brings everyone health and happiness and many great books to read and discuss.

  Thanks in part to my blog, in 2010 I read more books than I ever have before - 128 - and I'm sure that my list of to-read books has increased by that much.  Of course I'd love to be able to read more, but I don't want to sacrifice quality for quantity; I'd rather read less books and enjoy them than read more books just to say I've read more and then not remember any of them.
  That said, I am resolving to read 11 more books in 2011.  I just found about a challenge on my favorite book blog/podcast -- Books on the Nightstand -- to read 11 more books in 2011 than you did in 2010 and I think that it is achievable.  Though to make it more challenging I am going to aim to read at  least some of these 11 books in French, especially as my ability in the language improves (oh yeah, and that is resolution #2).
  I am also resolving to whittle down my overwhelming to-read shelves.  Don't laugh -- I'm really going to try.  I have committed to three reading challenges for 2011 and with one exception (which I know I can get at the library) I will be able to complete all of them with books I already own.  I won't say that I will stop buying books, but I am definitely going to cut it down and I am going to use my closest indie bookseller as much as I can when I do splurge on a new book(s).
  For my blog, I am resolving to post three times a week.  The blog is a hobby for me, but I also feel that I need to work on it regularly in order to get the most enjoyment out of it and, since I mentioned before that I'm needy when it comes to comments, if I don't post enough people won't visit or comment.

 So to start 2011, this is my reading list for January:
       Book groups:     The Speed of Light by Elizabeth Rosner
                                 War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy (ok, a bit of a cheat since I started it in November in order to finish in time for our group discussion, but I will be reading it at least into the first week of January)
       Challenges:          The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon  for the Back to the Classics Challenge (Books on the Nightstand will also be hosting an online chat/discussion of this book in January so check out their site for the date and time)
                                  The Whole Five Feet by Christopher R. Beha for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge
                                  Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves for the 2011 TBR Pile Challenge
                                  The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis for the Canadian Book Challenge 4

 This list should keep me going through the long cold winter nights.