This year, I made a resolution for myself: to read. As much as I hate to admit it, most of the books I read are the ones assigned to me at school, and that simply will not do. After brainstorming for a little, I concocted a plan to help me fulfill my formidable task. Below are the goals I have for every month:
1. Must read the AP Lit book completely.
2. Complete a minimum of two non-school books per month throughout the school year.
3. Complete a minimum of three non-school books per month during summer break.
As much as I loathe to admit it, February was a “No Read” month as I succumbed to the woes of homework and sloth (forgive me, Father Evans). At the beginning of the month, I started The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins, a nonfiction book about US intervention after World War II, specifically in communist Indonesia. Even though I didn’t get to finish it, Bevins has done a great job so far of balancing dense facts and readability for me. To be honest, I don’t see myself finishing this book any time soon simply because it feels like a novel that requires long amounts of time to just sit and read, so I’ve backlogged it to the summer. Next, I picked up The Last Man by Mary Shelley. Like her most famous piece of literature Frankenstein, The Last Man is a sci-fi, and it follows one of the only survivors of a 21st century plague featuring themes of isolation and failed ideals. I really enjoyed Frankenstein, so when I heard about this book, I knew I was in for a treat. For March, I plan on finishing The Last Man and beginning 8814 by Joshua Hull, a thriller unrecommended to me by the one and only Mia Hanuska. Writing about my failure almost felt like a humiliation ritual, so hopefully next month I’ll bring better updates on my resolution…