2013 Goal: Reading

In my post about my New Year's Resolutions, I talked about how reading was one of the main things I wanted to focus on in 2013. Here are some of the ways I'm going to reach my goal of reading 30 books in 2013. Wanna read more too? Check out these tips!

1. Utilize Goodreads

Goodreads is an AMAZING little website. And it's not only a website--it's an app for your iPhone or iPad as well! Anything you do on the website will sync to all of your devices, and vice versa.

Goodreads is like a reading-centric Facebook. You make lists of the books you own, the books you want to read and the books you've finished. Besides that, there are daily polls, quotes, giveaways you can enter for advanced reader copies, reviews and, my favorite, virtual book clubs you can join. I joined two groups: Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and Classics Without All the Class. Both are reading books for the month of January, and then have discussion boards for them. So cool! I can't wait to get started on January's selections, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

Goodreads also has a nifty little widget now where you put in the number of books you want to read for 2013, and it'll remind you of your goal by having a progress bar on the side of your main page.

I've said this before, but friend me if you become a member of the site! I'm always interested in what other people are reading!

2. Put a limit on the amount of TV you watch

Instead of spending an half an hour channel surfing, I'd rather spend the time reading a good book. I'm going to try to only watch TV on school breaks, rather than following several TV shows at once. I might make an exception for The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey, but hey, at least they're not as bad as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Even though I love that show. Please don't hate me.

If you can't make the full plunge and go cold turkey on TV, maybe try to only watch a half an hour or so each day, or follow a certain TV show. Track and see how much time you spend watching TV per day--maybe that time could be spent doing other things, like reading!

3. Use an E-reader

I know it sounds strange to a lot of people, but I've become so used to reading on a computer screen or my Nook that I like it MORE than reading from a physical copy. My generation has become so used to using technology that using it for reading seems like second nature.

If you don't mind reading from a screen, I think that the Nook Color is the perfect device for any reader. I love it because I can store so many books on the device. I usually read multiple books at once, so instead of carrying three or four books around, not knowing which one I'll be in the mood for, I just haul around my Nook. I export PDF readings that my college professors assign onto the device, instead of printing the readings out. This saves me a lot of paper and printer ink.

With my Nook Color, I can also highlight and take notes on books that I read for class. Even with a "fun" book, the search tool is perfect when a character from the first chapter of novel pops up again 700 pages later, and I don't remember who he was. I can just type his name in and it'll take me right to his first appearance.

If you don't like the computer-like feel of the Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook HD and Kindle Fire, there are also many alternative ereaders that use special technology to make the screen look as close to an actual page in a book as possible. Whatever the case, if you read as much as I do, make the investment in an ereader! It changes the whole reading experience for the better, at least in my opinion.

Are any of you on Goodreads? Do you have ereaders? And do you really think I'll make it until spring break watching barely any TV?