At least 2020 was a good year in books!

The healthcare world might be in a state of total trainwreck, but I managed to have a pretty great reading year in 2020!  I managed to read 150 books at 54,834 pages!  Roughly four thousand more pages than in 2019, and I think I credit the difference to audiobooks while driving so much for work this summer.

I have always been a reader but 2020 was my second full year of reviewing and blogging.  At first, reviewer trends almost turned me off to the entire business, but I managed to find a core of sane reviewers and bloggers to surround myself with that lead me in a better, more focused direction in 2020.  That very small, very loud group of kids that do nothing except scream about content from their high horses….? No thanks.

I found my best ratings this year in adult fantasy books, plus some older YA ones.  Newer YA, with the exception of The Silvered Serpents, and I had a huge falling out this year due to writing and publishing trends.  I feel like quality is out the window in exchange for repetitiveness, sexual expression, and political agenda, which I will die on the hill saying doesn’t belong in YA.  

As far as certain books – I definitely (despite my YA falling out) enjoyed at least half of The Raven Boys books, but Will Patton as the audio narrator had a huge impact on that.  Will Patton literally changed books for me this year because he is such an amazing narrator.  I reread the Harry Potter books with my BF which was pretty special and highly enjoyable.  I also listened to The Golden Compass books again and really, really enjoyed the full cast audio’s phenomenal performance.  

Some other highlights were Jeff Wheeler’s conclusion to The Grave Kingdom series (Christian fantasy), Tears of Alphega by WN Cleckler, and Dragon Blood by Mary Beesley of the same genre.  Other great fantasies this year were Tuyo by Rachel Neidermayer and Ritual of Bone by Lee Conley. One of my last reads of the year, Open Heart by Gregory D Williams was probably my non-fantasy favorite of the year.

Reading some older thrillers was also a thrill – I started rereading my all time favorite Prey series by John Sandford, some early James Patterson, Narnia, and of all things reading the Star Trek: TNG books from the beginning.

The Love Your Shelf Challenge was a huge help in reading older books.  So was the Bookish First monthly Bingo, certain buddy reads, and my stubborn resistance to people trying to tell me what new books to read.

In 2020 I learned that the more that people scream at me to read certain content, the absolute less likely I am to read it.  Just stop, we all have preferences. 

It was also great to have the new blog designed and brought to life!  My own spooktober holiday bingo was a huge success.  Other great fun things were some buddy reads and group reads!

It is hard to talk about 2020 without mentioning my home library finally coming to fruition after four years of dreaming!

Oh 2021, what will you bring? I signed on with a couple of amazing book tour companies and work with some amazing publishers that have my January fairly well booked, but then I want to go back and read my anticipated release books that I meant to read in 2020 😭

Chiefly those are: Igniting Darkness by Robin Lafevers, and Call of the Bone ships by RJ Barker. I have still yet to read Darkdawn, and need to finish up The Conqueror Saga finally. Maybe February will be my Valentine month with these books ❤

All the best and all the power if you are still reading this post, did you meet your 2020 reading goals!!?

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