Last, First Books of the Year

I fell into a ritual a few years ago, without realizing I was doing so, and it’s grown to be something important to me.

The ritual is making a conscious choice for the last book and the first book I purchase each year.

Ideally, I’d purchase the last book on the 31st and the first on the 1st or 2nd, but that’s not always a viable option.

This year, I’m going to purchase the last book on the 29th – and the possibilities are delicious. What does the choice of book mean? Do I choose a book by someone with whom I’m acquainted, to set the stage in supporting a colleague? Do I pick a book that’s intrigued me, but I’ve never “gotten around” to buying it?

And the first book of the year – it sets the tone of the year. What do I want this year to be? Will it be a book about writing? Will it be a biography of someone I admire? Will it be a delightful novel to set the bar high for my own work?

Think about what you buy, when you buy it, and why you buy it. Creating a ritual for the first and last books of the year could turn into a mindful and happy tradition.

(Note: This post was originally published on December 28, 2006 at the Blogger Version of A Biblio Paradise).