Books Read in 2020 - 135 and (9 that I abandoned) GoodReads Goal was 125
- (22) NF (113) FICTION
- (34) MALE authors (101) FEMALE
- (19) CHILDREN'S books
- (51) AUDIO books
- (38) PRINT books - (25) of these were print books off my shelves
- (46) eBOOKS
- (43) library borrows (print or library audio downloads)
- (37,867) pages (GoodReads tracker)
- Although I started out tracking the locales from the books I read early on, I didn't keep up the list. I'd love to look back and see the different places where my reading took me. I know it's still doable but, don't have the patience so, "note to self, keep a list of settings in 2021".
- Read more books from my shelves - sadly only (25) print books moved off my shelves in 2020 and were given away or donated. I only purchased about (5) print books in 2020 but about (20) eBooks and (13) audiobooks. "note to self, buy fewer books and read what I already have - borrow the rest from the library."
- Join a couple of new challenges to help me meet my goals and make reading even more fun (more about that in a few days). When I first started blogging I joined lots of challenges but, the last (8) years or so I've mostly done only the RIP in the fall.
- Another thing I noticed that makes me kind of sad is that ALL of my favorite books were published in 2019 or 2020. Why? Because, I'm drawn to new releases yet, there are so many older books that I want to read. "Note to self - read the favorites from years gone by that are still on my TBR list."
NOW for My FAVORITES
(in no particular order)
Favorite Kids Books of 2020
- Anatomicum; Jennifer Paxton - 5/5 (print/Dec)
- Ghostology; Curtle & Steel - 5/5 (print/October)
- Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of John Lewis; Jabari Asim - 5/5 (print/August)
- Grow: The Secret of Our DNA; Nicola Davies - 5/5 (print/ September)
- The Nest that Wren Built; Sosenshine - 5/5 (print/May)
Favorite Non-Fiction of 2020
- A Promised Land; Barack Obama - memoir - 4.5/5 - (audio/Dec)
- Conversations with RBG; Jeffrey Rosen - 5/5 - (audio/library/Dec)
- Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery; Catherine Gildiner - 5/5 - (eGalley/Nov)
- His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis & the Power of Hope; Jon Meacham -5/5 (eGalley/Oct
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone; Lori Gottlieb - 5/5 (library/print/January)
Favorite Fiction Reads of 2020
- Our Fathers; Rebecca Wait - 5/5 (print/library/July)
- Eight Perfect Murders; Peter Swanson - 5/5 (eGalley/audio combo/April)
- My Dark Vanessa; Kate Elizabeth Russell - 5/5 - (eGalley/May)
- The Vanishing Half; Brit Bennett - 5/5 - (eBook/September)
- Olive Again; Elizabeth Strout - 5/5 (audio/January)
- I Was You; Amber Garza - 5/5 - (eGalley/August)
(Favorite Fiction of 2020 continued)
- Nothing More Dangerous; Allen Eskens - 5/5 (library/print/audio/March)
- The Sun Down Motel; Simone St. James - 5/5 - (eGalley/May)
- The Giver of Stars; Jo Jo Moyes - 5/5 - (audio/library/August)
- This Little Family; Ines Bayard - 4.5/5 - (ARC/July)
I can't wait to see all of your 2020 favorites. Are you planning any changes for 2021?
2020 has certainly been a challenging year. I want to hope for better this coming year, but I have a feeling it will be more of the same for quite a while yet. At least there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccines.
ReplyDeleteI was going through my shelves not too long ago, pulling out books to donate, some of which I've read and others I haven't. I find it hard to get rid of books I haven't read, but they've been there so long and my interests have changed. Don't worry though, I didn't get rid of them all. There are still plenty I want to read still. I really need to work my way through them. It's hard to resist the new and shiny books all too often, isn't it?
I really enjoyed reading your list of favorites. None I have read, sadly, but many are on my TBR shelves. The Sun Down Motel and The Vanishing Half in particular.
I hope you have a wonderful reading year this coming year, Diane.
Wendy, I cull my books frequently and, I only save a book in rare cases after I've read it as well. I think you will enjoy,The Sun Down Motel and The Vanishing Half - both excellent. Happy Reading and a Better 2021.
DeleteLoved reading your favourite reads post and plan to look into some that I like the sound of. I also like your plan to keep a note of where your 2021 books are set. What a good idea! I think I might do that too. I have The Giver of Stars on my shelf for 2021, glad to hear that it's so good. Happy New Year, Diane!
ReplyDeleteCath, I think you will enjoy Giver of Stars. As for tracking the places I visited through books, it just feels more important the older I get LOL
DeleteWhat a nice group of lists, Diane! Enjoyed seeing your favorites. The only one I've read is Maybe You Should Talk To Someone and that was in 2019 I think. I do have Good Morning Monster on my list to try. And I'm thinking of using Eight Perfect Murders for our mystery book group later this spring. I think I've tweak it to where the members can read the book or try one of the books mentioned as containing 'perfect' murders. Trying to make it interesting and also deal with the fact that copies at the library may be scarce. Happy New Year and I'm so ready for 2021!
ReplyDeleteKay, I hope you read Good Morning, Monster - it stuck with me! Eight Perfect Murders or the Eight books they mention would be great for your group. Listening to the audio inspired me to read (3) others so far from that "perfect murder list." Happy New Year.
DeleteYou sure had lots of goodies in 2020 and hopefully you can catch up on the bookshelf reading. Happy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian, same to you and yours.
DeleteI am stunned that you read 135 books this year. I'd love you to do a post on your actual reading. Where you sit, how long at a time you read, what time(s) of day you read. I'd love all the reading bloggers to do this!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of most of the authors/books you mentioned. It amazes me that there are so, so many different books in this world.
Nan, I listen to audiobooks when I walk or sometimes before bed and if driving. Sometimes (certain audios) we both listen to while walking, playing cards or just sitting some evenings. Print books, eBooks are usually read early in the morning (I'm up at 5:30 or 6) and then for an hour or more in the afternoon most days. I also read for about an hour before bed almost every night unless my eyes feel too tired.
DeleteThank you for taking the time to tell me! When I used to listen to audiobooks, I did read a whole lot more! That was when I drove my son 120 miles in all, back and forth to school each day. It was a wonderful experience. He and I listened together, and then I had my own book for when I was alone in the car. There were other years I listened too, but for me tapes were what I loved and I had a hard time with CDs (though I used them) and then the phone. And of course, life changed and I wasn't on the road as much.
DeleteVicki, Preaching to the Chickens was beautiful and lovely illustrations as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your 2020 wrap up and favorites. You gave me things to think about concerning my own reading. I will get my 2020 favorites post up hopefully tomorrow. Happy New Year, Diane. Thanks for all your reviews and for following mine and for being a faithful commenter.
ReplyDeleteJudy, It's a pleasure to troll your blog as you tend to read books that I just might love but many I hadn't heard of so thank you.
DeleteWishing you a happy, healthy 2021 and thank you for your sweet comment! I forgot where you live!! Who is your Governor?
ReplyDeleteCaren, we were in RI but, now in MA. Our Governor (Baker) is a Republican, in a Blue state with a Democratic House. He is quite moderate and was anti-T so all is good. He has been doing a great job IMO.
DeleteI love reading wrap up posts and it sounds like despite the crazy year, your reading was great! I have several of your favorites on my TBR stack so glad to see I've got some great reading ahead of me. Wishing you all the best in the new year!
ReplyDeleteIliana, Hoping 2021 is a great year for you. Less stress for all and joyful reading as well.
DeleteWhat an interesting list of favorites you have. I've been struggling with my own "best of" list and finally got it completed and posted. But it was really hard to narrow that list down. It has actually been an excellent year for books.
ReplyDeleteI love your choices and extensive reviews - I am sure I'll find more for my lists when I see your post.
DeleteNice to see some familiar books on your favorite list. I think it's normal for us book bloggers to think of what to change in our reading at the end of the year. I do like your point about not forgetting top books from years past as it's so easy to just read the new ones.
ReplyDeleteHelen yes, it's way to easy to get pulled into the new books that everyone is buzzing about.
DeleteLove your list and I added a few to my library hold list :) I always start the year keeping more stats and peter out somewhere around May, but I always have the best of intentions :) Here's to a new year filled with happy reading and good health!
ReplyDeleteStacy, I think we all start the New Year with good intentions, but, when it comes to list keeping - who really cares right?
DeleteThanks for sharing your favourites Diane
ReplyDeleteWishing you a happy and healthy new year!
Happy New Year as well.
DeleteYou have reminded me that I haven't pulled together a Favorite Books of the Year post...later today, I think!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing all those favorites - we like a lot of the same books generally.
DeleteGreat favourites list, Diane! I'll have to check out those from your list which I haven't read. Happy reading in 2021!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melody, I always like seeing everyones favorite books. Happy New Year.
DeleteYou had a great reading year! I didn't choose any favorite this year. It was a bit easier to read from my shelves as the library was closed for so long and just now open for requesting books and picking them up. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteNise, I should have used 2020 as an opportunity to clear the shelves but, curb side pick up early on was too convenient LOL Happy New Year.
DeleteI find it fascinating that most of your reads were books published very recently. I have gone in the other direction.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to accomplish your goals for 2021. I think they are all good ones.
Deb, always drawn to the newest shiny books LOL I do want to read some more oldies but goodies.
DeleteYou had impressive reading stats this year, congrats! I like your fiction to nonfiction ratio .... and male authors to female ones, wow quite a big gap. I too like audios. I've enjoyed following your blog ... and look forward to the year ahead. enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why that is, certainly not intentional, but, my books read always seem to be more heavily by female authors.
DeleteI'll be reading and listening to more of my own books in 2021, too. I see several of my favorites listed here and several on my list... a few to investigate, too. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, Funny, all these years I said I'm saving my own books for retirement and well, I've been retired 5 years and it seems like I've added a few more than I read LOL - Happy New Year.
DeleteHappy New Year! I am hoping as well to better track where my reading takes me this year. I may go back and do the list for 2020 as well since I didn't read that many books but we'll see if I feel up to it. You have some amazing books in your favorites list!
ReplyDeleteAthira, I hope 2021 is easier to juggle for your family with (2) little ones and (2) challenging jobs.
DeleteI agree. I doubt anything will change for us until most people are vaccinated. We may try to do a little more RV travel, but until my mom has had her two shots, we won't go far, just in case... Yes, 2020 was a good year for solitary activities, which made it a bit easier for me since I enjoy my quiet time alone.
ReplyDeleteWow! You listened to a lot of audiobooks. I'm planning to listen more while I work on puzzles and I'm now listening while I ride the Peloton, so maybe my numbers will increase this year. I also plan to read more from my shelves. I enjoyed doing so in 2020 and am eager to read some of the books that have been on my shelves for decades!
From you favorites, I've only read one (Lori Gottlieb's), but I loved it. I have several others that you listed on my TBR list, so I'm glad to see them here.
Happy reading, my friend!
Les, I was kind of shocked by how many audio books I listened to as well. I do love them as long as there are not too many characters. It really is nice on a walk or before bed if my eyes are tired. Yes, it will be a while before things start to return to normal, but, I think masks will still be a must for the greater part of 2021. Have a great year.
DeleteYour post just reminded me that I haven't read the Olive books yet.
ReplyDeleteThis year. Wow. It was good in that I got to REST and have down time because as you might remember, I was seriously empty in every way. I had to quit leading my life group and I had to quit a few other things because I just didn't have the energy for them with the crazy schedule I had. I still remember sitting in a restaurant with my family talking about the short story/ or possible script I was writing about being forced to go back to a simpler time and what it would take to get people to do that. Boom. Two weeks later we were locked down. But people haven't really learned much, have they? Some have. I am not looking forward to returning to my life as it was. Much has to change.
I am hopeful that this year will be better in the end but it will be more of the same until the vaccine has made its rounds to most of the population. For us, they are saying late fall.
Let's cross our fingers that the upcoming week and the all touted January 6th comes and goes without effect. I am ready for all that nonsense to be put to rest.
I think many people will agree that going back to what once once that "old normal" will not be an option or even something that they'd want to do. The pace that many working people kept was crazy. Kids in so many activities and parents trying to work, keep up the household and transport the kids everywhere is such a drain. I think many have come to realize how nice this slower way of life really is.
DeleteI know you don't do audio books but, wow, the Olive books, Olive, Again (especially) really spoke to me. Have you watched the Olive Kitteridge miniseries, it is excellent.
Fingers crossed about Jan 6th.
You read some good books in 2020! I managed to read more this year but only because I listened a lot while I was doing projects outside.
ReplyDelete