Merry Christmas! To all those who celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful day.

Last year I spent Christmas in Hong Kong at Disneyland; this year I’m at a farm in rural Minnesota. I wonder where I’ll be next Christmas…

It’s been a while since I’ve hung out with my brother, but this week has reminded me that not much has really changed. He’s still the same, and we still have the same sibling dynamics. It’s been good catching up with him, even though he gives me way more crap than a little brother should give an older sister!

I’ve been working on my Christmas gifts all week. This year I decided to go the homemade gift route, so I’ve been occupied with crafting together my gifts. All of them are pretty much good to go, which is good because Christmas Day is, um, tomorrow. I generally keep a low profile when it comes to Christmas gift giving, but I’ve enjoyed making my gifts so much this year that maybe I’ll consider making them every year. I’ll talk more about what these gifts are (with pictures!) after tomorrow.

And since apparently I have a problem with being in one place at any given time, I am in Minnesota for Christmas weekend. When my family and I lived in Chicago, we’d make the trip to stay with our family friends in Minnesota and my brother and I decided to do the same this year. It’ll be a good Christmas

There was a point in time when I would scoff at the easiness of the “Read 25/50/100 Books This Year” New Year’s resolutions. I’d devour at least a book a week. I’d have 2-3 books on my “currently reading” list. Whether it be reading a book for the first time or rereading my favorites, I’d always be reading.

That feels like a very long time ago.

I blame college, really. Who has time to read like that when one has so many school-related readings to do for classes, exams, and papers? Not to mention that if I’m staying in during a weekend evening, I’m probably so tired that I just want to do something mindless like watch TV or aimlessly surf the web before going to bed early rather than get absorbed in a really good book. (This is probably a good time to mention that I had little to no social life in high school, which meant I had far more ample reading time during the weekends.)

Regardless, it is high time for this to change. I want to read for pleasure again, and I know that if I’m determined to do so I’ll make time for it somehow. I got in a few books over the summer while backpacking around Southeast Asia (gotta love the convenience of having a Kindle!) but that petered out when school started again. Now that it’s winter break and I have all the time in the world to do whatever I want, I’m going to maximize this wonderful opportunity to read, read, read.

First on my list is Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which I have never read. Next is Sarah Dessen’s “What Happened to Goodbye,” as that’s been on my Kindle for months, waiting to be read. Then, I’m not sure. Perhaps “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson? Or “Shanghai Girls” by Lisa See? Or “1984″ by George Orwell? The possibilities are endless. (Suggestions welcome!)