2015 Resolution Check-In: I Haven't Broken, but that Doesn't Mean I Don't Want To

So, by now you've all heard about my daringly difficult choice in New Year's Resolution for 2015... and since we're already over halfway through the year, I thought it was the perfect time for a bit of a check-in, don't ya think?

Well, then let's get the obvious out of the way first: I hate it. It sucks seeing so many new and pretty books coming through the year, from the books everyone got over Holiday Break back in January, to all of these "Best Beach Reads 2015" lists we're seeing now, and all I want to do is tear every title I see out of the computer screen and read it myself. I've been dying to read everything from Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train and other hot-novels-of-the-moment, to random books haphazardly piled in stacks outside of the local thrift stores boasting a $2 price tag.

My friends have had to put up with a lot of tweets from me much like the above.
Damnit, TWaTD, why are you so pretty???

But even $2 per book qualifies as spending money, and I've decided not to do that this year (like an IDIOT).

That being said, I'm feeling pretty good about the fact that I've been so good about saving money so far this year. I don't even want to know how much I spend on books on a normal annual basis, but I know that the amount of money I've been spending on things like my rent for my Summer digs, or a gym membership for the next couple of months, probably doesn't even come close to the stacks I've racked up for the stacks on my shelves at home.

It's also allowing me to take a good, hard look at some of my typical reading habits. For instance, the inspiration for the Resolution came partially as a result of categorizing my bookshelves - like I do every Winter Break... or whenever I feel like it - and I realized that I had over 250 titles I had never even attempted. Most of these were "classics," or "things I bought mainly because my Mom told me to and then let sit on my shelf."

The thing is, I love saying I'm well-read... but physically possessing a novel is not the same as mental comprehension. Instead of dusting off these tomes for perusal, I usually rely on a steady stream of YA and contemporary fiction from the library, my Kindle, or whatever publishers send my way, to occupy my time. I still read a lot of that, of course, but the Resolution has made me a lot more conscious of where I'm dedicating my time, reading-wise, and I'm hoping the downtime of summer will give me more of an opportunity to explore the books I already have on my shelf more in-depth.

And, of course, I've become great pals with my local library once again. Even though I live in Seattle now, it's always a good feeling to go back to my home base every once in a while, and pick up the titles I've reserved. I'm thinking about getting a Seattle Public Library pass, though, just to keep things a little more local... and, of course, give me an excuse to do a little more exploring in this big ol' beautiful city.

One of my absolute favorite things, and the one that keeps all of my reading material in one place!

One of the best things about Tacoma Public Libraries, though, is their Overdrive platform, which allows for me to check out titles directly onto my Kindle or iPhone... perfect for indulging in those YA and contemp. novels I just can't wait for, or listening to audiobooks while I'm on the elliptical at the gym. This program is definitely something I couldn't have gotten this far in my Resolution without... if only because I'm a massive Kindle junkie, known for purchasing multiple titles at a time in an hour-long bend (just ask my Little). Now I can keep up with my self-indulging ebook ways, but for free!

How about y'all? How are your 2015 Resolutions holding up? Have you ever found yourself in a similarly bookish position? Let me know, in the comments below!