At the end of 2019, I sat and thought about setting my reading goal for 2020. Some people don’t set numeric goals, or set arbitrary goals (like one book), or quality goals (rating over 50% of books 3+ stars). I was able to read 165 books in 2019, and set my 2020 goal originally to be 150 books. This seemed achievable, not too stressful, and I was not-so-secretly trying to get to 200. I hit 150 books sometime in August or September and hit the final 200th in the third week of December (cutting it close!).
There are a few things I can directly point to for encouraging my reading and pushing me to that final goal: 1) My job from January to October was lax, and I got a ton of reading done on my breaks (and maybe some during work, too…). 2) The global pandemic meant a lot less happy hours out with friends and a lot more with my books instead. I stayed in and was able to read a lot more on weeknights and weekends. 3) Supporting book podcasts and content creators on Patreon. I supported throughout this year Modern Mrs. Darcy, He Read She Read (they aren’t creating any longer), Victoria Wood, Sarah’s Bookshelves, and Currently Reading.
I’d tell you that reading isn’t a competition, but honestly this year I treated it like it was. As I headed into December, I knew I needed to read at least 6 books in the month to make it to the big 2-0-0 goal. I listened to audiobooks more than I usually did, and stayed up late to finish books that maybe weren’t that great. It was a problem! At the end of the year the goal really had taken some of the fun out of reading. But, I saved the 200th spot for finishing a book that I’d been loving. I listened to Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall on audio (from Libby) and it was amazing. Capping off the reading goal with a British accent was great. You can review all of the books on my Goodreads profile.
So, what about 2021? I told my husband I was thinking of setting a goal of 20 books, or 50, and he said he thought that was a mistake. He knows that competition motivates me, but I think I might want my reading to take a backseat to some of my other hobbies. I’ve taken up knitting this year, and I’m starting to get into the swing of doing the NYT crosswords (I gifted myself a subscription for Christmas). I’ll keep reading, and constantly talking about books, but I want to take some of the pressure off. 50 to 100 sounds nice, and I want to give myself the space to read the long books I love.
Here is an overview of the books I loved most from the past year – any books that are part of a series are noted, and I recommend the entire series
| Title | Author |
| Things You Save In A Fire | Katherine Center |
| The Dearly Beloved | Cara Wall |
| Oona Out Of Order | Margarita Montimore |
| Love Lettering | Kate Clayborn |
| Heartstopper Vol. 1 | Alice Oseman |
| The Happy Ever After Playlist | Abby Jimenez |
| The Office (An Oral History) | Andy Greene |
| With The Fire On High | Elizabeth Acevedo |
| The Warehouse | Rob Hart |
| City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5) | Cassandra Clare |
| Heartstopper Vol. 2 | Alice Oseman |
| How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Universe (Rory Thorne #1) | K. Eason |
| Today Tonight Tomorrow | Rachel Solomon |
| Tweet Cute | Emma Lord |
| The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronauts #1) | Mary Robinette Kowal |
| The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | V. E. Schwab |
| Know My Name | Chanel Miller |
| A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (Carl #2) | Hank Green |
| The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune |
| Boyfriend Material | Alexis Hall |
| Just Mercy | Bryan Stevenson |
| The Priory Of The Orange Tree | Samantha Shannon |
| The Name Of The Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles #1) | Patrick Rothfuss |
| A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1) | Mackenzi Lee |
| Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 1-3 | Hiromu Arakawa |
| The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) | Neal Shusterman |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) | Sarah J. Maas |
| Hench | Natalie Walschots |
| Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #8) | Sarah J. Maas |
| Long Bright River | Liz Moore |
| Caliban’s War (The Expanse #2) | James S.A. Corey |
SJP Books 