The year is almost over which is something I really cannot wrap my head around. What a weird year 2017 was, and I had gone in imagining it would be one of the bests. I scrolled down to January, which was fairly quick since I have hardly blogged this year. Eleven months and nine posts, quite a pathetic performance I might add.
Life got in the way, as it usually does, but wasn’t really lived very well either. You know, when a tragedy hits you and you wade through it, you’re left with a false sense of security that anything else that life may throw your way would be a piece of cake in comparison. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. The mundane problems, the adult realities of life, are so much worse to tackle. Dying friendships, money struggles, job politics, each one a small bite, until one day you wake up and realize a large chunk of you is missing.
I planned to read 48 books this year and Goodreads has ingratiatingly informed me that I can still do it! Except, I’m 15 books behind. Of course it’s not about the numbers, but I can feel it in my bones – I haven’t been reading, or worse writing, like I used to, and it’s affected my curiosity and creativity. I feel drained all the time and the worst is this: I have lost that bubbling enthusiasm in my teaching, I hardly go to class with a crazy smile anymore and no longer pore over children’s books with the eagerness of a ten-year-old avoiding studies.
There isn’t a lot of time left to fix this year’s numbers, but I have done it before. So I’m going on a personal readathon (without a goal in numbers) and planning to bookworm my way into the new year, feeling much happier than I am right now. And of course, blogging must go hand in hand with reading, as it has for the past (how many would you say) seven years!
Tabula Rasa 
I am cheering on for you, Priya. I hope the year-end readathon would give you satisfaction and revive your creativity and enthusiasm. I love this phrase — you are going to be okay. More love to you!
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Hi Priya. Sorry to hear you've had a rough year. I was surprised as well to see how fast the time has gone by and how much has happened and most of that not really good.
I really don't like the Goodreads challenge. It irritates me that I have to reach a reading goal, as if reading were some kind of marathon that must be completed no matter what. Who cares if I read 15 or 55 books? It gives me the feeling that quantity is more important than quality and that's not something I want, especially in reading.
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Deepika, thank you. Hearing from you always makes me feel better. 🙂
Delia, I know, the race for numbers can be annoying. But the challenge helps me keep track of reads, and the number just struck me as surprising because I hadn't realized how little I was reading – this is when it sunk in. I kind of managed to overlook it so far. But again, you're right, quality over quantity. As long as I'm reading again, completing the challenge is not really important.
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Hey.. Thumps up for your year end resolution. Coming here after months. Good to see you retaining the same spirit. I'm also thinking of reviving my blog by Jan 2018.
And best of luck for your reading plans and life.
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I haven't read much or posted at all this year. But it's still nice to hear from others and to get what I do from the books I do read. Hope you have a better year next year.
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Harish, awaiting your revival. 🙂
Denise, happy reading!
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