The Library will be closed on Sunday, March 31, 2024, in observance of Easter

This Year I Will: Literary New Year’s Resolutions

Christa Deitrick, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department,
detail from an illustration of Alice holding the "drink me" bottle

Every January in the Literature & Fiction department, we put up a display with the theme This Year I Will…. The display features a variety of books on aspirational topics, such as acting technique, how to write poetry, careers in journalism, brushing up your grammar skills, and so on. Preparing for the 2020 display led me to wonder what resolutions some of my favorite fictional characters might make. So just for fun, I tracked them down in the closed stacks and asked them to share their New Year’s goals. Read on to see how these immortals completed the phrase This year I will…!


This year I will...

detail from great gatsby movie poster

"Get over my ex."
— Jay Gatsby


Book cover for The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald, F. Scott


This year I will...

detail from great frankenstein movie poster

"Improve my vocabulary."
— Frankenstein


Book cover for Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft


This year I will...

still from a Game of Thrones tv show featuring Daenerys

"Treat myself to a spa day."
— Daenerys Targaryan


Book cover for A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones
Martin, George R. R.


This year I will...

black-an-white illustration of Captain Ahab at sea

"Get a new job."
— Captain Ahab


Book cover for Moby-Dick, or, The Whale
Moby-Dick, or, The Whale
Melville, Herman


This year I will...

illustration of alice holding the

"Drink less."
— Alice


Book cover for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; and Through the Looking-Glass
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; and Through the Looking-Glass
Carroll, Lewis


This year I will...

black and white photograph of actor Mickey Rooney as Huckleberry-Finn

"Act more sivilized."
— Huckleberry Finn


Book cover for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Twain, Mark


This year I will...

image from the 1995 BBC tv series Pride and Prejudice featuring actress Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett

"Be less judgy."
— Elizabeth Bennett


Book cover for Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Austen, Jane


This year I will...

image from the 1958 Dracula movie feturing Christopher Lee as Dracula

"Eat more veggies."
— Dracula


Book cover for Dracula
Dracula
Stoker, Bram


This year I will...

actor David Tennant as Hamlet holding a skull

"Be more take-charge."
— Hamlet


Book cover for Hamlet
Hamlet
Shakespeare, William


This year I will...

still from movie features Miss Marple wearing a hat and drinking tea

"Throw a CBD tea party."
— Miss Marple


Book cover for The Murder at the Vicarage
The Murder at the Vicarage
Christie, Agatha


This year I will...

still from movie features Harry Potter petting his owl Hedwig

"Spend more quality time with Hedwig."
— Harry Potter


Book cover for Harry Potter
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling


This year let’s all spend more quality time with books!
Thanks for playing. Happy New Year!


 

 

 

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