Expanding my reading horizons

My aim this year is to expand my reading horizons, and so I’ve sent my self two challenges.

Firstly, I’m going to read outside my own areas of interest and comfort zone, and pick up books by those authors who I’ve either just never gotten around to, or that have never particularly appealed. I’m hoping that next time a library patron asks me “have you read this?” I can come up with a more interesting reply than “no, but I’ve often shelved that author’s book’s", or think to myself , (and so far, I've resisted the temptation to say this out loud) “I wouldn’t touch that with a barge pole” from a position of personal experience, rather than prejudice.

Secondly, I’m going to take part in the  Read It 2011 reading challenge. This is a monthly themed reading group that encourages Australian library users to read to a theme and tweet about what they are reading (including appropriate hash tags).
For efficiency’s sake, and to allow some time for reading what I actually want to, I’m combining the two challenges, so each month I’ll read at least one book by one author I wouldn’t usually choose on a theme dictated by the NSW Readers Advisory Working Group.