Top Ten Tuesday poses another interesting question this week: What’s your bookish bucket list? Do you want to read a certain book, or a certain number of books? Meet specific authors? Find the optimally comfortable position for reading in bed? (Actually, I’d quite like to achieve that last one!) Here, in no particular order, are ten book-related things I’d like to accomplish in my life:
1. Go on a tour of Jane Austen’s England. I want to visit Chawton House, Bath, Steventon…all the places Austen lived and worked and wrote about! And no, it’s not just because Mr. Darcy is totally dreamy (although, to be fair, he IS).
2. Read every book I own. This is a big one…right now, I’d say I’ve read maybe two-thirds of my books. Which still means I have a few hundred just sitting there on my shelves, unread. Good thing I’m starting relatively young!
3. Join (or start!) a real-life book club. Much as I love reviewing and talking about books online, I’d love to be able to discuss literature with people face to face. Plus, I feel like it would be a great way to make like-minded friends!
4. Write a novel. This has been a goal of mine forever, and I’ve tried many times to participate in NaNoWriMo, but I’ve never gotten past week one. Maybe WriMo isn’t the right approach for me, but someday I hope to find a method that works.
5. Explore a career in publishing. I’d love to somehow get paid to read all the time!
6. Read War and Peace. It’s a daunting task, but I really want to do this someday.
7. Visit the Strand in New York City. It’s a famous used bookstore that claims to have 18 miles of bookshelves…which is definitely something that I need to see for myself!
8. Find a great used bookstore in my area. I’ve been to a few that are fine, but I crave MORE (see #7)!
9. Have a library in my house. Granted, I don’t actually have a house yet…but when I do, there will be a library, dammit!
10. Read the complete works of Shakespeare. I’ve read lots of his plays, but there are still several I haven’t gotten to — and I’ve probably only ever read the sonnets that were assigned in school.
You Book Me All Night Long 
I also want to read all the books I own. But I desperately need to STOP adding to my stacks!
Ugh, so true! I heard somewhere that if every Chinese person in the world lay down in a line on the ground (head to foot), the line would never end because the rate of population increase is so high. I’m pretty sure my TBR bookshelf operates on the same principle.
This is a great list. I need to read the books I own too, but I know it won’t happen. I just keep buying more. Careers in publishing are awesome, but it takes a lot of determination!
I could swear I’m not buying more books, but somehow they keep reproducing on their own!
Shakespeare’s on my list too. I like the idea of touring Austen’s England, though! I wish I’d thought to put that on my list! Nice work!
I find Shakespeare so daunting sometimes…but actually, a lot of his lesser-known plays are really fun. I got a big kick out of Pericles!
Write a novel has been on so many lists this Tuesday! I have to get around to finishing mine as well. And joining a real life book club. Here’s my TTT: http://symphofwords.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-tuesday_25.html
Haha, I guess I’m unoriginal! But you are farther along than I am…right now that goal is firmly in the “someday” category.
I want to do the Austen tour as well… Or I would be happy even with just a visit to Bath and the Jane Austen festival.
The Strand is glorious – live a heaven on earth.
Here’s mine: http://readdbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/top-ten-tuesday-4.html
Ooh yes, the Jane Austen festival is definitely somewhere I need to go in my lifetime!
A Jane Austen tour would be a dream come true! So much fun and so much to learn. 🙂
http://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-things-on-my-bookish-bucket-list.html?m=1
And so many souvenirs to buy! On second thought, maybe it’s not such a good idea…a girl can only fit so many copies of P&P in her apartment!
War and Peace is definitely worth the time and the effort!!
Good to know! 🙂 I’m sure it is…I just need to get myself in the proper mood!
Also, I have to disabuse you of #5: people in publishing (most of them, anyway, unless you’re a lucky editor or something) barely have time to read what they want!! Sad but true…
Interesting! I had forgotten that you worked (work?) in the industry for a while. Do you mind if I e-mail you sometime and ask a few questions? (Haha, sorry to put you on the spot — I’m just fascinated!)
The Strand! Me too!
Have you read Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares? You must – it is what made me want to visit the Strand.
I did read that book, and I remember liking it quite a bit! I can’t remember if I knew about the Strand already at the time…but the book definitely made me even more curious!
Oh, the Strand. I wanted to love it so much more than I actually loved it. The shelves are too high! And it is so crowded! It has many, many, many books, but you can barely turn around.
Your other ones sound awesome though!!
Oh noes, don’t kill my dreams! 😉 I do have plans to visit NYC in a few months, so I guess I will see for myself!
We have lots of similar things on our bookish bucket list! I also have dreams of a personal library, a real life book club, reading every book I own, and writing my own novel. Funnily enough, all of these things don’t seem as big of an undertaking as tackling War & Peace! 😉
It’s a pretty big book. 🙂 But for me, I definitely think the hardest goal is writing my own book. Or reading every book I own. Either way, I’m going to be busy for a looooooong time!
You should start a book club! So fun!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
I totally want to! But most of my friends who live nearby are not into reading, or they don’t want to read the same things I want to read, or they’re super busy. I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask, though!
Ah, War and Peace. It’s on my list, too! I love how this is a Top Ten Tuesday. You may want to link up to the original Bookish Bucket List, too!