We’re two weeks into the New Year. How are your goals and resolutions going? Would a book help provide knowledge, motivation, or focus?

The New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge is going strong. We have three books already posted in the review link-up: New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge — Review Links.

Create with Joy reviewed If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure by Sheri Rose Shepherd, finding it inspirational but theologically and intellectually weak in its use of out-of-context scripture to make its points. Art as Therapy by Diane Fausek-Steinbach was recommended without reservation for both personal and professional use of art for enriching your life.

I got my year off to a rollicking start by working through an ebook: Book Review: 2013 Create Your Incredible Year by Leonie Dawson. I used it again over the weekend in a kind of abbreviated form to revitalize my goals for the weekend. So far, I’m quite impressed with my year. (I’m writing! *knocks on wood*).

One of the exercises in Create Your Incredible Year was to choose One Word or Phrase for the year. I went with CRAFT. As in practicing my craft. Or as in the title of the final book I selected for my New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge: Crafting a Life in Essay, Story, Poem by Donald M. Murray. It’s already been helpful in establishing my new writing habits.

I’m nearly finished with the first book I read for the resolution figure out weight maintenance: Smart Chefs Stay Slim by Allison Adato. When I’ve finished it, I’ll start the second: Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher.

We’re having some energizing and useful discussions during the group read of The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg:

• The Power of Habit — Group Read — Part 1 Discussion
• The Power of Habit — Group Read — Part 2 Discussion

Watch for the final discussion post on Wednesday for Part 3 and the book as whole.

Wednesdays are Twitter chat nights and we’ve been having a wonderful exchange of titles and encouragement around our various goals and resolutions. Join us at #NewYearBooks at 9pm Eastern / 8pm Central / 2am GMT. If you’re new to chatting on Twitter, I put up some hints and tips before our first session:  New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge — The Twitter Chat.

We also have some activity on Facebook where things are a little more laid back: New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge Facebook Group.

The challenge runs through January — although I’m learning about books that I’ll still be reading well after the 31st of this month. There’s still time to join!