So along with being inspired to set goals in 2012, I have been inspired and challenged by my friend Christa at Brown Sugar Toast to set a goal to read this year. I LOVE to read! Growing up, my aunt (a school teacher) used to give me 10-15 used books from a series like Nancy Drew or Mandy for Christmas and I would have them all read by the end of January. Then I not-so-patiently waited until my birthday in February to get the next 10-15 books to the series.
BUT after college and marriage, reading has not been something that I have made time to do. See what I said there, “Made time to do” – not didn’t have time to do, because we all have the same amount of time in a day and we choose to use it how we do! I mean, I have time for facebook, blog reading, Pinterest, etc. so I have the time to read, I just choose those other things!
So I have set a goal for myself in 2012 – Read at least 12 books (one a month). I could honestly read 1 book in a day or two (I am one of those readers that doesn’t want to put it down when I start!), so it shouldn’t be that hard to read one book a month. I have a lot of books that I have purchased or been given in past years that have set untouched on my shelf so I pulled a bunch of those out to start with. Some of these books will help inspire and grow me in areas that I have set goals in – like growing in my relationship with the Lord, becoming a better wife, organizing my home, ministering to others through hospitality, and even growing my blog so they serve double duty!
Here’s what I plan to read this year (not necessarily in this order):
Homemade Hospitality: Opening Your Heart and Your Home to Others
Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life
Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
These books are devotional books that I plan to read along with reading my Bible through in a year (using this plan):
Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life
Following God with All Your Heart: Believing and Living God’s Plan for You
A Wife After God’s Own Heart: 12 Things That Really Matter in Your Marriage
I also plan to read or re-read these e-books that I have purchased or downloaded. They are written by or recommended by some of my favorite bloggers and I can’t wait to read them! Most of these have to do with growing my business or blog so will hopefully help me to reach some of my business goals!
Tell your Time: How to manage your schedule so you can live fulfilled
Do-it-yourself Blog Critique: a 43- point guide to take your blog to awesomeness
Simple Blogging: Less computer time, better blogging
How to make money blogging by Crystal Paine (Money Saving Mom)
-you can actually download this e-book for free here!
Bloggertunity: A Mom’s Guide to Blogging
-which you can also download for FREE here
Blogger Behave: Make your blog benefit your life, so you can love both
Ok, so that is 15 books plus the Bible! Guess I am looking forward to reading this year! Actually some of the e-books are rather short so could be finished in a one hour setting. And 3 of the books above will be read as devotional material so technically I only have 12 books for business and personal learning.
Here’s to having fun reading this year!
How about you? Have you made a goal to read more this year or a list of books you want to read? Share your goals or booklist in the comments!
{cj}
Leah says
I’ve done the “one a month” for a few years now- I don’t usually finish them all, but last year I got through half of them.
Looks like a good group of books- Love and Respect and the Mary/Martha ones are very good! L&R is pretty repetitive but still good.
I’m still getting my list together for this year- I just got a box of new books yesterday (free!) from church. I’m always torn trying to pick only 12!! 🙂
Happy Reading!
Christina says
IF I actually start getting into a regular habit of reading, I will probably end up reading more than this. 😉 But gotta get back into a habit/make time for it first. Glad you liked the Mary/Martha one – that one is sooo ME – so hoping it can help me! 🙂
Holly says
What a great list! I’ve read Love and Respect, but should probably pull that out again. I got Organized Simplicity for Christmas and it’s on my reading list too! I can’t wait to dig into it 🙂
Christina says
I have had Love & Respect for a while and never read it. But I have heard raving reviews so looking forward to digging into that one later in the summer. Organized Simplicity is on the list for January as I am on desperately trying to clean out, declutter, and organize!
Renee @ Living, Laughing, & Loving says
These look good!! You sound just like me in your description. I remember one time getting so many books of the same series at the library, the librarian told me I had to put some back! You’re making me wanna set some reading goals too! I love Elizabeth George’s books. She has such a way of pulling so many truths from passages you’ve heard a million times! I have Woman after God’s own Heart, not the Wife one, but I would think it’s pretty similar. I’ve done several devotionals of hers too based on books of the Bible or Bible characters. I have two of those ebooks too that have been on my to do list to read so I don’t forget about them way in the depths of my computer hard drive. 🙂
Christina says
I love Elizabeth George books too! She is very practical, easy read that is challenging as well. I have the Woman after God’s Own Heart and have read it twice I think so will have to see how the Wife one differs 🙂
I actually print the e-books 🙂 (Well, I did, when I could at work – LOL!) I don’t really enjoy reading them on the computer. Know anywhere where I could save them to disk and print them cheaper then printing them from my inkjet printer? Need to check with Staples…
Chelo @ Home and Bahay says
Well happy reading to you, Christina! I am working on Blogger Behave now. I’m really liking it and finding it both convicting and encouraging at the same time 🙂 Have you heard of Goodreads.com? It’s like pinterest for books 🙂 Also I just started trying out audio books and am really liking it!
Christina says
No, I hadn’t heard of Goodreads – but I just joined now! 🙂
Glad you are liking Blogger Behave – I am really looking forward to reading some of the business/blogging e-books. I am sure lots of nuggets of wisdom plus some of them are written by some of my favorite bloggers. 🙂
Steph says
You’ve got a great list, some of them are on my reading list for the year as well. I also made a goal of reading at least 1 book each month for 2012. I posted my list here on my blog:
http://steph-beentherebakedthat.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-goals.html
I’m glad I found your blog over on Money Saving Mom, look forward to reading more of your posts!
Laine says
You’ve got a great list! I’ve read quite a few of the ones you listed. Dave Ramsey’s book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, as well as organized simplicity are on my “re-read” list this year. I’m absolutely loving having a Kindle…makes it so much easier to read!
Alicia says
Oh I love to read too! I used to be addicted to Christian Romance and or mystery novels, but a couple of years ago I became very convicted about how much time I was spending in ‘good’ books outside of those that really would help to grow me. So I took a whole year off from those kind of books and was very happy I did. I ended up reading 3 biographies and a couple of devotionals throughout that year instead.
I think we should start a book swap group with online friends or at least try to read the same books at the same time so we can talk about it. I did that 2 years ago with some girlfriends from back in Kansas and it was such a blessing. We each got the same dovotional/inspirational book and each week we would talk in a facebook message about what we learned. It was SO encouraging. I could read a book in a day too if I didn’t have anything else to do!!!=)
Christa @ BrownSugarToast says
Ooohhhh…great books! Jonathan & I had to read Love & Respect for our pre-marital counseling. It was helpful (but we did it find it repetitive after the first few chapters). 🙂 Love all your blogging books. I’ll have to check those out!
Molly Swaffer says
Awesome list!!! Brian and I are reading love and respect together and we love it!!!!!!
Christina says
yay! 🙂 maybe I can share some of it with David – he is not much of a reader though.