Around the World in Eighty Days- Jules Verne

Lately I've been reading what is considered a "classic"- it seems to me that books under this category are talked about and praised more often than actually being read. As I have done this before, I thought I would get all of these "classics" out of the way and form my own independent opinions on these books, as should anyone reading this post.

I decided to read Around the World in Eighty Days in a rather roundabout fashion, beginning (of course) with another book. I had owned All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, for quite some time now and had never actually started reading it. Then, when the new year came around and I made a reading goal, this book ended up in my hands. While reading it (I haven't finished it yet) I found it to be a very enjoyable book that I became invested in. However, a character in the book was reading the Jules Verne book, and I thought that I should read it myself if I am to completely immerse myself in this other book.

So I have temporarily stopped reading the Doerr book to read the Verne book, and I must say that I genuinely enjoy it. Mr. Fogg encompasses all the characteristics that I wish I (and others) could possess such as his ability to remain calm through whatever ordeal he is put through. I also admire that he is indeed a very kindhearted man and risks his life and a great deal of money to do the right thing, and does not require any congratulations or praise. A true gentleman. I also love the idea that this man, so logical and precise, put everything else down and dedicated 80 days to one thing, something that seems impossible and entirely un-logical and imprecise- travelling around the globe.

In conclusion: I recommend reading both the books I have mentioned in this post.

Goodreads Reading Goal

Some of us read every second of the day, and it is completely natural to prioritise it over silly things such as school, work, and food. Some of us need a little poking and prodding to really get into reading, or to try to finish a book in less than a week or two. 

Since the former is obviously the better and healthier state of living to be in, how can those us of not so inclined to jump into more books become more literary? A good start is to create a Goodreads account (or sign in if you already have one) and create a reading goal. It's simple- all you have to do is come up with the number of books you want to read in 2016, and hit enter. Having this goal set, and seeing how empty the progress bar is can really prompt a person into reading more, especially if they don't want their 2016 goal to be as much of a failure as the 2015 one. 

To update how many books you've read, just find the book on the Goodreads database and mark it as read. If you've perused the website and found some really awesome books that you want to read, there's a "shelf" for those books too. 

For 2016, I have made the goal to read 50 books this year. 

Farewell, and praise literacy!