2020 Books in Review

Happy New Year, friends. First things first—I read more books in the calendar year of 2020 than I have in any other year. As is now the tradition, I’ve made some little charts and graphs breaking down my proclivities because data is fun. To keep track, I enter books on Goodreads (let’s be friends!), and I also keep a separate spreadsheet because I track a lot of categories that Goodreads doesn’t. This year for the first time, I also added a pen and paper book journal to the mix. More on that later. But for now—the data!

• I read 135 books for a total of 44,181 pages. My reading pattern was typical except for the summer months where I read WAY more than usual given the lack of activity in pandemic world.

• Audiobooks accounted for 68% of my reading, down from 78% last year. I simply had more time to sit with actual books in 2020.

• Nonfiction accounted for 43.3% of my reading—the highest percentage ever.

• Over 88% of the books I read were published in 2001 or later.

• My ratings this year were extremely generous with 78% of the books receiving 4 or 5 stars. I attribute this to my general disposition while reading—not only did I feel more at ease and leisurely while reading, but I also felt a general sense that it was a year for rounding up.

• 62% of my list was written by women.

• 12 countries of origin were represented this year.

I also chose to read several things this year because of upcoming screen adaptations. I absolutely LOVED both the books and movies for the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han. I read the Enola Holmes books which were adorable, quick reads, and the Netflix movie was charming as well. I re-read four Jane Austen books and watched their accompanying adaptations. I also read Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I, the first in the Bridgerton series which is now on Netflix (the show is better than the books!)

Years ago, I noticed that my reading list was dominated by white men from the United States. I think it’s important for us to pay attention to who is telling the stories. I was talking to Scott about seeing a shift in the data regarding the authors’ countries of origin, ethnicities, and genders, and he offered an apt metaphor. If I went to the doctor, and she told me that my cholesterol was too high, I would start tracking certain data points to get my numbers back in a healthy range. After awhile, the data would reflect the changes I was making.

The same thing has occurred in trying to have a healthier, more diverse reading list. To my knowledge, this was the first year that I read books by authors who identify as nonbinary or transgender. 63% of my list was still white (largely in part to my re-reading so many “classics” this year). I am still learning so much about gender and race from scientific and historical perspectives. The goal is not to read books by people who aren’t like me for the sake of data. But tracking the data has given me a broader, richer perspective on life.

As a reader, I certainly pick up books to be entertained, but I don’t care if it’s historical romance or presidential history—I want to learn something new. I want my perspective challenged. I read every single book with these thoughts in mind—how has my thinking shifted, and how am I better for reading this book?

Finally, I tried book journaling for the first time this year, and while I enjoyed it on some level, I don’t think I’ll do it again. Some of it felt redundant since I was already tracking things in a spreadsheet, and while I did like coloring with erasable pens, I often found myself not excited about updating when I got several books behind. Here are some of the prettier parts of the journal:

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR

Shortest: Aya by Marguerite Abouet—graphic novel I read for a youth book club I led this summer.

Longest: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow—I had started this a few years ago, and it got lost in the flood. This was one of several books I had started in the past that I finished this year.

Here are a few favorites:

Adult Nonfiction: Becoming Duchess Goldblatt by Anonymous—memoir-esque; truly one of the most unique books I’ve read in recent memory; recommended it to several friends who thanked me effusively after crying through the whole book and joining the throng of Twitter followers.

Adult Fiction: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong—one of the hardest and most beautiful books I’ve ever read; an author who understands trauma and suffering, something that has become a lifelong pursuit for me; started as an audiobook and then immediately ordered to read on the page (so yes, I basically read it twice back to back) because there were so many pull quotes I needed to memorialize forever. For instance:

Because freedom, I am told, is nothing but the distance between a hunter and its prey.

To live, then, is a matter of time, of timing.

What a terrible life, I think now, to have to move so fast just to stay in one place.

…the most useful thing one can do with empty hands is hold on.

Young Adult Fiction: The Arc of the Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman—read the first one last year and finished the next two this year; our whole house made their way through these; the most superb science fiction I’ve read in a good long while.

What I wouldn’t give to meet up with all of you over dinner to discuss about half the books on my list this year. Alas, I’ve already typed so many words, and I have more books to read. Happy reading in 2021, friends. Let me know what made your list great or what you’ve got planned for this year.