Book Resolutions for 2013

Resolution – n. A firm decision to do or not to do something.

Every year this time round, we make certain “firm” decisions that we swear we’d stick to in the coming year. Whether we do stick or not is something that usually contributes to the guilt we feel every time we hear the phrase “New Year Resolution.” Nonetheless, we make a mental list of the few things we most necessarily have to do, no matter what, because we want the coming year to be better than the present. So, for the people for whom “reading” is as important for survival as “breathing”, here’s a list of 5 Book Resolutions that the Readers’ clan could totally do with…

1. Not to let the “fiction” rule our social life.

They say that the first step is always the hardest. And this one is definitely it! It is heart breaking when you realize you will never get a letter from Hogwarts. It’s downright unfair when you can’t locate The Half Blood Camp, the Middle Earth and Panem on Google Maps. And when your Wardrobe doesn’t lead you to Narnia. And especially when the characters become such an important part of your life and the cruel author does something stupid like finish the series or worse, when she/he kills them. Why can’t we have Ron and Hermione as friends? Won’t it save so much time if we had Firebolts? Life is so unjust! Wait, wait, wait! Oh, God. This is what we have got to stop. We have to stop comparing every single person we meet to one of the “fictional” characters. We have to stop staring at old men with long white beards in the hope that they would reveal the Ring of Fire or the Elder Wand any moment. Seriously. Even though we cried the actual tears, felt the real pain, had the belly laugh with these “people”, they only exist in the stories. And in our mind. And may be if I check my wardrobe one last time…. *sigh*

2. Move beyond the comfort zone of the favorite authors and genres.

Now, this is more realistic. We often find ourselves stubbornly sticking to the authors and genres that we are familiar with. We eye the new and the never-tried-before genres with suspicion, as if they might contain something that will harm us irreparably. We are so reluctant in picking up new authors, or classics. But books are a bundle of surprises and unless we read the stories they carry… We would never know, right? So just like in Life, we should try and be more adventurous with our Reading and take risks. If the story sounds even slightly interesting, go ahead and read it!

3. Be patient with the number of books to start with at a given time.

James in The Bible said- “For where jealousy exists, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

But when someone we know praises a certain author or book a lot, we forget James and The Bible and try to get hold of that book because we just can’t wait. And because of that, we often leave that beautiful story we were reading and start with this one. And the pile of those books left in the middle increases every time someone praises a book.

So in 2013, whatever religion we believe in, or not believe in for that matter, let’s just try listening to James and not covet someone else’s book. Let’s make our own favorites and give the books the time they deserve….

4. Keep a check on the money before ordering the book(s).

How many times have we heard our moms scream every time the guy from Flipkart delivers the books? Technically, they should be thankful we are not spending the money on all the harmful things out there. But they have a point. Space for all those books can still be made. Who needs so many clothes, or shoes, anyway? But money… it does buy happiness in the guise of books. And it runs out pretty soon; especially if you are a die-hard reader. So we must utilize it efficiently. Let’s take a pledge to make good use of India Book Store to know from where to buy all those little wonders and save ourselves and the delivery guy from our mom’s screams.

5. Share the joy!

What separates the Reader-clan with the non readers is their undying faith in the evolution of human race that reading could bring. So after finishing a good book, we should share not just the experience, but the source too. Write about it on Goodreads or your blog or simply lend your copy to your friends so that they could have a taste of the heavenly experience too. The greatest joy is the joy of giving. So do not keep yourself deprived of this joy just because you believe it’s “your” book. I pledge that I will share, because I believe that books made me a better person than I was, and I believe that they would be as good a friend and do the same with everyone who gives them a chance.

And the one that doesn’t need a reminder: let’s keep considering “reading” as being as important for survival as “breathing”. Let’s take it one step at a time. And if you have also thought of some reading resolutions for yourself, do share with us! Happy reading, people! And a very Happy New Year!