Welcome to the Reading Over a Year

 Last year I joined Goodreads to help me keep track of the books I've been reading. I really like the platform and am enjoying writing reviews for everything I've been reading. 

Now, I'm normally a slow reader. When I saw that there was a challenge to read a certain number of books, I opted to give myself an arbitrary number that seemed reasonable for me to achieve. That number was 20.

As time progressed, I found that I was reading a lot more than I thought I would (thanks to the pandemic and all). I kept upping the number of books I pledged to read until I settled on 30. As the end of the year approached, I wasn't sure I'd accomplish my reading goal (especially when the counter kept reminding me how many books I was behind). Good thing audiobooks count!

I managed to hit my 30 book goal plus one.

The books I read over 2020 were varied and didn't have any common themes what so ever. The majority of the books I read were poetry and manga - quick reads that I can finish in about a week. However, there were a few books that took me months to get through.

I'd like to share with you guys some of my favorite books that I read last year. I promise there won't be too many spoilers. 

1) Finding Your Harpy Place by D.H. Willison - This was the final book I finished in 2020 and put me at 31 books read. It's a fun fantasy adventure with Darin, the poor modern guy who ended up in a fantasy world where everything wants to kill him, and Rinloh, a harpy who really doesn't want to kill and eat a human to become a full fledged member of her flock. It's an unlikely friendship and an even more fun adventure.

2) The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill - I have so far loved everything Nikita Gill has written and this is by far my favorite of her work. This poetry collection is unique in that it tells a full narrative about a young girl growing up in India and then studying in the UK. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of mythology and poetry.

3) The Daphne and Velma books by Josephine Ruby and by Morgan Baden - This is the start of a not so average Scooby Doo series that heavily focuses on Daphne and Velma. Shaggy and Scooby do show up in both books (and have a somewhat larger role in the 2nd), but poor Fred gets barely any attention. That's okay because the books aren't just about the mysteries the girls are solving, but their relationships and personal growth. Both The Vanished Girl and The Dark Deception are worth a read if you're a fan of any version of the Scooby gang (and there are tons of references in the books). I can't wait for the third book to come out in February.

4) Princess Holy Aura by Ryk E. Spoor - I've been meaning to read this book for a while and 2020 was the perfect year to do so. If you loved Sailor Moon or any other magical girl manga or anime than this book is for you. All of the tropes are there, pointed out, and subverted all to save the world from Lovecraftian monsters. There's also a lot of reflection on identity (particularly gender as the main character was originally male and then became female), ethics, and what it means to be a hero.

5) Twain & Stanley Enter Paradise by Oscar Hijuelos - I was gifted this book from a friend. It was the longest to read (both in page number and time). It is historical fiction based on the actual friendship between two of the most famous people from the turn of the 20th century, Mark Twain and Henry Stanley. It was a fascinating take on speculated events. It prompted me to learn more about the two men and the events that shaped them. I have a lot of mixed feelings on Henry Stanley. He was a deeply flawed person and this book doesn't shy away from that.

6) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - My sister gifted me this book last Christmas and it was one of the first I read in 2020. Evidently she read it in school, though I never did. It's delightful and fun mystery to figure out. I can't wait to pass this book along to my younger cousin (when he's just a little bit older).

7) War / Torn by Hasan Namir - this is a tough poetry collection about a man facing homophobia in his home country. It's raw, depressing in place, and beautifully written. If you enjoy poetry on tough subjects (especially for the LGBTQ+ community) I recommend picking up this collection.

For 2021 I'd like to read at least one more book than 2020. I've already started my challenge with a poetry book and a longer Young Adult novel set in Jamaica. 

There are a lot of things I'd like to achieve in 2021. Many of those things depend on the pandemic going away or at least the risk of COVID greatly diminishing. Other goals require a lot more creativity to achieve. Reading 32 books feels doable in the current crazy climate. 

If y'all are on Goodreads let me know and I'll be happy to see about adding you as a friend. If you've got goals you'd like to meet in 2021, feel free to leave a comment on those as well. We may all be separated by necessity, but little things can bring us together without physically being close.

Until next week.

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