Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
The general sentiment is "good riddance, 2020!" For many years, I have ended with an annual round-up of between 6 and 10 highly recommended books. This year, I noticed that I only "Highly Recommended" four (one grown-up novel, two middle-grade novels, and one non-fiction title - although it was quasi-fictional, if you ask me). One might get the impression that it was a less-than-stellar reading year, but the overall analysis paints a different picture. It was certainly a different year, but out of 79 books, only 6 were disappointing. I'd say 73 three to five star books represents a good year. While the majority were average (3 to 3-1/2 star), a whopping 30 made between 4 and 5 stars. So, despite a lack of enthusiasm for specific ones, I'm calling it a worthwhile endeavor.
I'll get to my five favorites in a bit, but for now, I want to review what the reading year looked like. I seemed to lean toward non-fiction. Hmm, was I having a hard time submerging myself into artificial lives when reality registered a bit too harsh? 51 (65 %) of the books I read were non-fiction, while only 28 (35%) were fiction. In non-fiction, 27 titles were biography or memoir. In fiction, I read 17 grown-up novels, 9 middle-grade novels, and 2 young adult novels. I read far more Christian literature than I have in the past (28% of my reading was Christian). This reflects my suspicions that publishers are forcing authors to fill modern books with garbage, because garbage sells. Groan. It is getting harder and harder to find a clean read. Rather than a true reflection of society, I wonder if it represents an agenda to skew society's mores. I no longer trust the bestseller lists.
In looking at quantity - my year started out slow. I read 10 books in the first quarter, 20 in the second, 23 in the third, and 26 in the fourth. I read 24,541 pages, or about 2045 pages per month. Somehow I devoured more audio books than I ever anticipated (23 or 29%). I registered 230.25 hours in book listening (while I do listen in the car sometimes, this still reflects a lot of treadmill time).
I read a good many by authors I have loved in the past: William Kent Krueger, Leif Enger, Francine Rivers, Fredrik Backman, Rachel Joyce, Kate DiCamillo, Gary D. Schmidt, Lauren Wolk, Bill Bryson, Jordan Raynor, and Erik Larson. Some I expected to love but didn't (Anxious People; The Body: A Guide for Occupants; Raymie, Louisiana, and Beverly). Most lived up to my expectations, though.
So, the big reveal:
My #1 pick: Miss Benson's Beetle - loved, loved, loved it! Loved the characters, loved the quest, loved the redemption!
My #2 pick: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - having been in counseling, I could relate!
Final 3:
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Goals for 2021: Read smarter, less random selections! Read less, pray more!
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