Welcome to my 11th annual ‘Wrapping Up, Looking Forward’ post. In this post, I take a general look back at how I did with my goals in 2020, and set some new goals for 2021.
Posting and Reading Overview
I posted 87 times in 2020. That’s 24 more posts than in 2019 (and nearly equal to my 2019 goal!) but below my 2020 goal of 129 posts. However, I’m pleased with that result given everything I experienced in 2020 that I never could have predicted, haha. I took more than the anticipated nine weeks hiatus because I went WWOOFing and visited my home town. I also spent more time searching for a job and preparing for interviews than I thought I would, which always saps my blogging energy. So, although I didn’t reach the post goal, I’m pleased with the posts I did write. Which is what I said at the end of 2019 as well. So I would say I am continuing to have a healthy relationship with blogging!
I read 106 books, just sliding past my goal of 105. I set my original books read goal at 100. I revised this slightly throughout the year as I found myself reading a lot of slim books. So I upped my goal by one for every two books I read under roughly 150 pages. This is the second highest number of books I’ve read since I started tracking 10 years ago. I was one of the lucky ones who was able to find peace in reading throughout 2020.
2020 Reading Challenge Results
Tolkien
- 2/7 books by or about J.R.R. Tolkien (not including rereads) – An abysmal showing here that I’m neither happy with nor surprised by. I need to be in a particular type of focused mind space when I engage with new writing on Tolkien and that wasn’t a common in 2020.
- J.R.R. Tolkien edited by Peter Hunt
- The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski
Indigenous
- 9/10 works by Indigenous writers, (can include graphic novels, must include five women, trans, or gender non-conforming authors, must include three authors I’ve never read before) – Just about! I read more than five works by women and seven works by authors new to me.
- Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City by Tanya Talaga (Ojibwe)
- Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis (Umpqua) with Traci Sorrell (Cherokee)
- Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice (Cherokee)
- The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson (Swampy Cree)
- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Lipane Apache)
- Black Water by David A. Robertson (Swampy Cree)
- Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline (Métis)
- I Lost My Talk by Rita Joe (Mi’kmaw)and I’m Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas (Mi’kmaw), both illustrated by Pauline Young (Mi’kmaw)(counting these companion picture books as one work)
- #NotYourPrincess edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale (anthology, writers and illustrators from many nations)
Middle Grade
- 41/52 middle grade fiction – Sliiightly less than last year (though I did reread two middle grade novels). But I’m going to keep aiming for that 52.
- Not listing them here because that’s too many…check out my middle-grade shelf on Goodreads.
Rereads
- 10/10 rereads – Ding ding ding! Someone please give me a gold star for completing this goal for once. Nevermind that I didn’t reread many of the titles I thought I would… (this goal does not include The Lord of the Rings)
- Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
- Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
- Chasing the Light: The Cloud Cult Story by Mark Allister
- The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
- In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
- Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Graphic Novels
- 8/10 graphic novels – I don’t count graphic novels or comics in my Goodreads challenge, so having them as their own mini-goal reminds me to pick up ones that catch my eye.
- Go with the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann
- This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
- The Deep & Dark Blue by Nikki Smith
- New Kid by Jerry Craft
- Death Threat by Vivek Shraya and Ness Lee
- Going into Town by Roz Chast
- Act by Kayla Miller
- Harleen by Stjepan Šejić
In total, I read 70 out of 89 books on my personal goals lists. With an overall goal of ‘only’ 110 books (including graphic novels), I know that reading 89 books for specific challenges sounds like a stretch. But I set these numbers as reminders and motivators. They serve their purpose well in 2020!
Community Reading Challenges
Here and Queerathon
- 15/10 to 25 books with queer rep (I’m only counting queer MCs and not counting rereads for this)
- Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (wlw, trans boy)
- Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie Mclemore (trans boy protagonist, minor characters in same-gender relationships)
- The Deep & Dark Blue by Nikki Smith (trans girl)
- I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya (bi trans woman)
- The Binding by Bridget Collins (mlm)
- The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan (lesbian)
- I Hope We Choose Love by Kai Cheng Thom (trans woman)
- The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman (bi girl, bi guy)
- Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (trans girl)
- Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (trans/questioning)
- King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (gay)
- Rick by Alex Gino (asexual/questioning)
- Death Threat by Vivek Shraya and Ness Lee (trans woman)
- Silver in the Woods by Emily Tesh (mlm)
- Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore (pansexual, trans boy)
Go Big or Go Home
- 2/5 books with 500+ pages (I’m not counting rereads or middle grade for this) – 2020 was not the year for me to tackle this challenge.
- Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson & the Making of Middle-Earth by Ian Nathan (592 pages)
- The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski (512 pages main text, 644 with bibliography and index)
- Honourable mentions (450+ pages, cos that’s also a big deal for me):
- Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (469 pages)
- The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (472 pages)
- Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake (464 pages)
- One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake (464 pages)
- Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake (452 pages)
- …I tried reading A Gentle Madness but DNF’d 50 pages in, can I count that as honourable mention…
Virtual Mount TBR Challenge 2020
- 43/60 books on my TBR that I don’t own – I learnt I read more books that are not on my TBR than I thought!
- Not listing because too many
Personal Reading Goals
I have decided to largely dispense with reading goals and challenges this year. Maybe I will change my mind down the road. But for now, I am enjoying reading whatever I want whenever I want. If I book catches my eye, I’ll place a hold on it right then. I’m living large in 2021, lol…
- 52 middle grade fiction novels
- 3 posts/week when I have the capacity for it
- 100 books read
I concluded this wrap up in 2019 with: “2020 starts off with uncertainty for me. My work contract goes to the end of January. I’m not sure what will happen next. 😬 I know do know, at least, that with a full year without any studying or major travel plans ahead, I can prioritize reading and blogging.” Well, that all turned out to be true! Though I did squeeze in some ‘travel’ plans, in the form of WWOOFing about five hours from home.
Dare I comment on what 2021 has in store? Currently it looks more stable than I thought 2020 would be, if only because I have a work contract for at least the next seven months. I feel confident enough to say I can keep reading through anything at this point…
How was your 2020 reading year? What goals or challenges are you undertaking in 2021?
I meant to read the Zaleski book about the Inklings last year and didn’t get to it. I need to read it this year.
Also, how was Anything You Can Imagine? I’ve seen it at my local library, but I haven’t looked into it at all.
Both of those are good reads! I learnt a lot from Anything You Can Imagine. It mostly looks at the higher level process of getting the films made, like getting the rights, agreements with the studios and producers, etc., which I didn’t know much about. Happy New Year!
Thanks! I will have to pick up Anything You Can Imagine, then. I have a friend who works in Hollywood (in costuming), and I have learned so much from her about the whole costuming process. It’s weird and fascinating.
Thanks to your recommendation, I‘ve ordered and read the Peter Jackson book – that was great!
11 years are a long time! Great that you kept on blogging 👍
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by – Happy New Year 🙂
Happy New Year Jenna!
I loved how many reading or blogging events you were able to be a part of last year! I’m hoping for some of that this year but we’ll see. And like you, I kept revising my reading goal as well – the unpredictability of 2020 just goes to show that every plan must be flexible.
You did so well with 2020 goals and I hope that 2021 is even better for you – in reading, blogging, work, and life!
Yes, I find myself valuing flexibility more than ever! Those reading and blogging events were a lifesaver last year. Thank-you; I hope 2021 looks brighter for you than 2020 as well 🙂