Happy New Year, Friends. As I write, the Blue Ridge is being covered in an amazing January snow – all fluffy and so dense that it’s quieting the whole world.

So I’m thinking about this new year, about what I’m doing less of and what I’d like to make more space for. I wrote about my new social media practices over on Facebook last week, and I’m finding that those choices are opening up reading time.  But I’m also in a place where I want to be more intentional about my choices in how and where I read.  With that in mind, I’m making a new commitment.

For 2020, I’m limiting my reading to three areas: 

  • The books I already own.  I own hundreds of books I have never read, so I’m starting there.
  • Books from our local library. As friends pointed out, the library depends on circulation numbers for funding, so I’m happy to help.
  • A  new book I purchase – probably recommended or written by a friend – and no more than one a month. That’s a big deal for me because I buy LOTS of books.

My hope is that I’ll be able to read more, of course, but also to achieve two other goals:

  • to discover new authors and reading genres that I love
  • to move some of my books along to new homes via Little Free Libraries.

I’m also hopeful that by using my local library’s audiobook app (maybe the ebook one, too), I can encourage them to increase their limited holdings in that area.  We’ll see.

I’ll keep you posted on how that’s going, and I’d love to hear how you have chosen or will be choosing what you read in the future. Do you have a method or just go with your gut at the moment?  

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I’ll be giving a reading from my book Love Letters To Writers at Books Bound 2 Please in Orange, Virginia at 2pm on January 18th. I’d love to see you there if you’re nearby. 

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The first book in cozy mystery series (written under my pen name ACF Bookens) is out, and it’s only $.99.

You can get your copy of Publishable By Death here.