2020 on Goodreads

LECTURAS 2020


En un año como pocos, las lecturas también se han visto afectadas, o mejor dicho el ánimo. Este año hubo momentos en que solo quería leer algo que me distrajera o me sacara de las crisis, porque también en momentos no tenía muchas ganas de leer.

Me costó más que otros años el sacar la lista de favoritos, realmente no lo tengo tan claro, no creo haber tenido muchos libros que se irán a favoritos de la vida, pero tampoco tuve tan malas lecturas. Así que pondré los que se han logrado quedar durante el año, los que me entretuvieron, distrajeron y sobre todo me alejaron de estar horas viendo videos de youtube.

Como siempre no me gusta poner números o uno encima del otro, principalmente porque para que hacerme batallar yo sola. Pero sí pongo arriba los que serían los que más me gustaron.

MEJORES LECTURAS


- Travesuras de la niña mala de Mario Vargas Llosa.
- Piranesi de Sussana Clarke.
- Garras y Colmillos de Jo Walton.
- Temporada de huracanes de Fernanda Melchor.
- Herederos del tiempo de Adrian Tchaikovsky.
- Ojos Azules de Toni Morrison.
- Dune de Frank Herbert.
- Estelar de Brandon Sanderson.
- Parable of the Sower de Octavia E. Butler.
- Anxious People de Fredrik Backman.
- Serie Hidden Legacy de Ilona Andrews.
- Una tierra prometida de Barack Obama.

Como ya he dicho no hubo muchos libros que se vayan a ir al top de favoritos, pero este año Travesuras de la niña mala, Piranesi, Garras y Colmillos y Temporada de huracanes, fueron las únicas lecturas que se llevaron las 5 estrellas y eso fue hasta ya después de la primera mitad del año.

Los clásicos y fantasía siempre suelen estar, pero este año fue más de ciencia ficción porque “sáquenme de este mundo”. Esta vez no pondré decepciones o peores lecturas, no hubo tantos libros que haya odiado, aunque si uno que otra decepción. He decidido ser más optimista, aunque sea esta vez, así que haré más un pequeño resumen del año.



Herederos del tiempo es un libro que se me quedó en la mente y Dune es tal vez el libro que más me ha perseguido por años, ya me había dado por vencido con él, pero este fue el año para leerlo y estos dos junto con Parable of the Sower, se fueron a favoritos del año, pero también mención a Blake Crouch que me tuvo leyendo sus libros Materia Oscura y Recursion, sin parar. Y al parecer este también fue el año de encuentros con seres del espacio exterior.

No leí mucho pero si más de lo normal a autores latinoamericanos. Planeo seguir más a algunos de estos autores, ya que normalmente me suelo ir por otro lado, pero encontré a algunas lecturas que me gustaron mucho y sobre todo se me quedaron por mucho tiempo.



Y no ficción



En no ficción hubo un poco más de libros biográficos, espero el próximo año ser un poco más variada. Este año mi humor no estuvo para clásico, pero ya tengo mi lista de retos para el próximo año de algunos pendientes que no quiero que se me sigan pasando. Así que desde enero estaré con eso.

Y eso es un poco del año, repasando y viendo cuales fueron los libros leídos a inicios de año he sentido que los leí hace como 5 años. Ha sido un año largo y con lecturas mas regulares, aunque no tan malas, sobre todo porque buscaba escapar un poco.

If you consider the fact that I usually don't read books that have an average rating below 4.00 on GoodReads, you'll find when looking at my year in books that I actually awarded 3.5 stars on average.That makes a lot of sense to me as 2020 has been a difficult year on many levels for me.I read the amazing “[b:Herkunft 44429051 Herkunft Saša Stanišić https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552569522l/44429051.SY75.jpg 68990636]” by [a:Saša Stanišić 877513 Saša Stanišić https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1555621090p2/877513.jpg], though, and that was definitely one of the highlights of my reading year.Looking things over, I remember how travel-memoir writer [a:Tony James Slater 5005420 Tony James Slater https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1326400289p2/5005420.jpg] rekindled my interest in science fiction by writing his series “The Ancient Guardians” of which I read the final instalments in 2020, e. g. [b:Warden's Fate 53261690 Warden's Fate (The Ancient Guardians #5) Tony James Slater https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587833288l/53261690.SY75.jpg 80953069].Those led me to the unforgettable “Murderbot Diaries” by [a:Martha Wells 87305 Martha Wells https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] which I've practically devoured!Encouraged by these reading experiences, I decided to move on to “[b:Leviathan Wakes 8855321 Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) James S.A. Corey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411013134l/8855321.SY75.jpg 13730452]” of the “The Expanse” series by [a:James S.A. Corey 4192148 James S.A. Corey https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573162332p2/4192148.jpg]. I was struggling with it as you can read in my review but I came to love the characters, the world and the way Corey injects a tiny ray of hope into the bleakest of situations.I've also re-read “[b:Homo Faber 10009 Homo Faber Max Frisch https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399843869l/10009.SX50.jpg 691697]” by [a:Max Frisch 6530 Max Frisch https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1223192970p2/6530.jpg] after about 30 years. When I first read it at the age of 15/16, I was immediately taken by it. It struck chords I didn't even know about. This time it were completely different aspects of the book that struck new chords again.I'm not going to let another 30 years pass but I'll surely re-read it again.Another book from last year that keeps haunting me is “[b:Everything I Never Told You 18693763 Everything I Never Told You Celeste Ng https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386795198l/18693763.SY75.jpg 26542311]” by [a:Celeste Ng 164692 Celeste Ng https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404857644p2/164692.jpg]. I hadn't read anything by Ng before but this book was an instant classic for me.The last two books of 2020 were [a:Alice Schwarzer 59576 Alice Schwarzer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1477212420p2/59576.jpg]'s biography of one of Germany's most important publicists, [a:Marion Gräfin Dönhoff 518038 Marion Gräfin Dönhoff https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361829081p2/518038.jpg].Dönhoff was part of the resistance against Hitler in her “first life” and went on to become a journalist and the head of one of Germany's most prestigious newspapers, “Die Zeit”.The second of those two books was by Dönhoff herself: “[b:Um der Ehre willen. Erinnerungen an die Freunde vom 20. Juli 3214942 Um der Ehre willen. Erinnerungen an die Freunde vom 20. Juli Marion Gräfin Dönhoff https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358849759l/3214942.SY75.jpg 3248782]”. It expands on her work from 1945 (!) in which she remembers her friends from the resistance - most of all Heinrich “Heini” Graf Lehndorff.No review of my year in books could ever be complete, though, if I neglected to mention [a:Michael J. Sullivan 2063919 Michael J. Sullivan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1433443335p2/2063919.jpg]. Michael and his fantasy series have been recommended to me by Ingmar to whom I remain indebted for that. Be it Royce and Hadrian from “Riyria” or “The Legends of the First Empire” - whatever Michael writes is so wonderful that it keeps amazing me. It's probably because - in Michael's own words: “The stories I write might be fantasy, but the depiction of the feelings people share for each other is real.”What more could I ask from a work of fiction than to let me experience their characters' feelings? Or, in my own words, “I don't know Michael personally but after having read thousands of pages he wrote, I've come to see him as a bright beacon of hope, empathy and love.”Speaking of personal heroes: The greatest literary surprise of 2020 was [a:Allie Brosh 6984726 Allie Brosh https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1384994070p2/6984726.jpg] resurfacing and getting her unforgettable, hauntingly beautiful and breathtakingly sad “[b:Solutions and Other Problems 56172046 Solutions and Other Problems Allie Brosh https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607194021l/56172046.SX50.jpg 44089182]” published.Reading its “serious part” made me cry over a comic for the first time ever.There were lots of let-downs as well but if you really want, discover them yourselves! Reflecting on all this and realising that I'm a wet-eyed snivelling mess again, the year 2020 wasn't so bad after all and I'm looking forward to 2021.Happy new year, everyone!Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Total books read: 120
Total pages read: 33,743

Top 10 Fiction:
10. Shadows Over England trilogy, by Roseanna M. White (favorite: An Hour Unspent)
9. The Sunlit Lands trilogy, books 1-2 (plus novella), by Matt Mikalatos
8. The Lost Girl of Astor Street, by Stephanie Morrill
7. Island in the Stars, by Natalie Lloyd
6. Refiner's Fire series, books 1-2, by Lynn Austin (favorite: Fire by Night)
5. The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Divergent trilogy, by Veronica Roth (favorite: Allegiant)
3. Harry Potter series, books 3-4, by J.K. Rowling
2. Hidden Among the Stars, by Melanie Dobson
1. The Hunger Games trilogy (plus new prequel), by Suzanne Collins

Top 5 Rereads:
5. A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Trouble at Fort La Pointe, by Kathleen Ernst
3. Alaskan Courage series, by Dani Pettrey (favorite: Sabotaged)
2. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
1. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis (favorite: all of them)

Top 10 Nonfiction:
10. None Like Him, by Jen Wilkin
9. White Awake, by Daniel Hill
8. No More Faking Fine, by Esther Fleece
7. More Than Just Making It, by Erin Odom
6. I'm Still Here, by Austin Channing Brown
5. Where Is God When It Hurts, by Philip Yancey
4. Me, Myself, and Bob, by Phil Vischer
3. Get Out of Your Head, by Jennie Allen
2. It's Not Supposed to be This Way, by Lysa Terkeurst
1. With, by Skye Jethani

This was my most pathetic year of reading ever.

I've read 52 books this year, which is honestly impressive considering I work full time and go to school full time. So I'm proud of my 52 books.

However, what we don't talk about is that 25 of those read books were from the same trilogy. We really don't need to discuss this

And 9 of those books I only read because my university classes made me. One was a parenting book. I'm not even a parent.

40 of the books I read this year were actually rereads. That's just over 75%

Which makes only 12 were books were ones that I read for the first time.

8 of those 12 first time reads were for university. They barely count. I didn't read them willingly.

So out of 52 books that I've read this year, only 4 of them were books that I've never read before and actually wanted to read. 

So in reality, only 4 books of these 52 books were books that I wanted to read and haven't read before.

I'm pathetic.

In 2019 I read a lot of books (I've never read more than 100 books per year before), but this year I'll try to slow down, consciously, and take my time with some of the bigger books I've been meaning to read for years. Firstly, I want to finally read Joseph and His Brothers, and if that goes well, I'd like to either finish The Story of the Stone or start rereading In Search of Lost Time.

I'd like to continue treading Discworld (I'm up to Hogfather right now), and maybe some Tolkien, too, but we'll see. I'll go through The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin with a friend in a book club, so that's all set. Whether I'll get to reading The History of Middle-Earth remains to be seen.

I often have grand plans to also reread most of Pynchon's works, but as you can see, there are already quite a few ambitious titles on my list.

I will continue reading to my kids, so my list in 2020 will include quite a few of them, I'll also reread Harry Potter as I've done now on a yearly basis. Whether I'll get to rereading some Shakespeare is up for grabs. I'd say not likely.

Update 1 (July 9th): The year is already halfway done (what a thought!) and I've now read 59 books. Way more than what I originally thought, but also way different. I did start reading Joseph and His Brothers, and gave up after about 100 pages. One for the future. I haven't continued The Story of the Stone although that one I'm thinking about a lot, and I actually started rereading Proust, and finished the first two volumes quite quickly. I'm now in the middle of the third, and will return to it at some point.

I have read lots of Discworld, and it's actually quite possible I'll finish the series by year's end. Just started Night Watch today, so the end is nigh. I don't now whether I want it to end, though.

I did touch Mason & Dixon in May, reread about halfway through, and somehow lost interest. What I picked up instead were some gorgeous novels, though, including The Dragons, the Giant, The Women, Homegoing and, especially, The Underground Railroad that I hadn't read before this. The Nickel Boys I read as soon as it was published last year, and Railroad was even better. Every bit deserving its modern classic status.

I've read some Merwin, revisited Garden Time, of course, and raid The Rain In The Trees. Thich Nhat Hanh has received his share of love, and I'm actually reading his collection of poetry at the moment. I read The Poetry of Impermance, Mindfulness and Joy, which has done its part to reignite my joy for poetry. Encouraged by the selection of poems in that book, I've been reading A. R. Ammons and Billy Collins.

What about 2020, Part 2? I really expect to finish the Discworld. I'm already planning on rereading my favorites, since it's been about 2,5 years worth of reading lots of other books, too. I've been on the fence with Brandon Sanderson. I have the three Stormlight books, and since the fourth one is to be published this Fall, I just might commit.

Ken Follett has a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth coming up, but I still have the third book to read. Since it is a prequel, however, I don't think the third book is required reading just yet. I could just save it up for last, and feel all important and trendy by reading a freshly published book.

Update 2 (November 8th): The year is drawing to a close. Surprisingly enough, I've put Discworld on hold for the time being, after failing to get involved with The Wee Free Men and Going Postal, two of the most acclaimed Discworld novels. Maybe my Pratchett quota is full at the moment, or maybe the series is drifting away from the kind of things I like. I tried Monstrous Regiment and gave up, I even tried Thud!, skipping to the Watch series, knowing that it's my favorite cast of characters in Pratchett, and still couldn't get myself going. Well, maybe next year.

I read some Ammons and Collins, but that was enough. During the summer months I was in need of lighter fare and ended up reading some books in the Lemony Snicket series. I then tackled some Stormlight Archives fare with The Way of Kings, and loved it. I was happy to find a fast-paced, interesting fantasy series to get myself into, and what with Rhythm of War to be published in November, this would be the time get myself up to date. But guess what? Words of Radiance turned out be such a bore. Predictable. I guess it's my problem with many mainstream authors, including Stephen King: when I get acquainted with their style, which is more about tolerating it rather than enjoying it, I will grow tired of it when the story isn't capable of carrying me through the book. I abandoned Sanderson, since it's that's apparently the way he does things. And gosh, I couldn't stand the predictability with which Shallan was thrown around places.

To be honest, I was in a reading funk after this. August and much of September went by with my readings with my children, and some manga, which I chose so that I would read something, but I wasn't trying to force anything longer or complicated. Only in early October I got back into reading novels, starting with The Devotion of Suspect X, which I had started in early June but was way too tired to enjoy. This time around I devoured it, loved it, and immediately went on to read the other two Detective Galileos in translation. While not as good as the first one, they were fine, especially A Midsummer's Equation. But I have no desire to more Higashino for the time being.

Higashino was my doorway back into reading, however, and I raced through The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which gave me that sense of thrill and wonder a good, imaginative and singular book can give. I'll definitely read more Murakami soon. I still haven't read The Hard-Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World, so that's my next stop with him.

Now I've been reading the English translations for the Legends of the Condor Heroes, now consisting of three volumes. I enjoyed A Hero Born immensely, and read through it in only a few days. Now I'm reading A Bond Undone, and I think I'll read the third volume before year's end.

As for the rest of the year, I'm giving Obama's A Promised Land a try when it's published. I'm not the biggest reader of political autobiography, so let's see how far I'll go with this one, but I have to admit that four years of Trump and Biden's win this week have whet my appetite: not only to remind me that not all presidents are as crude as sycophantic as Trump, but also that Biden will definitely take politics back into a more civil direction. Despite the conspiracy theorists. (Which reminds be that I should reread some Pynchon, whose conspiracy theories are at least fun — and they stay on the shelf!)

I also realized quite late in the game that Charlie Kaufman has published his debut novel in the spring. I really want to read Antkind (I always misspell that as Antman by the way), but I'm a bit wary that it's harder going than I'd like at the moment. Maybe I have to save it for a holiday read when I'm not so strained by work.

Well, let's see in late December what happened.

26 books. 10 less than last year. After covid dissipated as a major disruption to my working life time was very much of the essence. Work became hectic and long. I began to take later in life exercise as important to my wellbeing and spent at least a couple of hours a day walking. This all changed my reading habits. I am not sure it was that good a reading year other than a couple that stood out.

I will aim for 20 books this year.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2020/6852430

Non Fiction

Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis by Jared Diamond
Abysmal.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3099895125?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Vietnam: The Australian War- The Illustrated Edition by Paul Ham
Poor.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14776016-vietnam

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
It was interesting to read my review back. I have since discovered Spotify and it has changed my music listening. It has allowed my need to discover and listen to new music to be reignited.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/232295289?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Brave Japanese by Kenneth Harrison
Very good.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2645236761?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Conquest: The English Kingdom of France in the Hundred Years War by Juliet Barker
Interesting.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/696199407?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Introducing Literary Criticism: A Graphic Guide.
Disposable.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3496198403?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Toussaint Louverture by Madison Smarrtt Bell
Informative.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/233733252?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1mative.

The Last Battle: The Classic History of the Battle for Berlin by Cornelius Ryan
A must read Classic in its field.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2096221906?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

A Brief History of the Middle East by Christopher Calderwood
Poor.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1634978731?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Fiction

Jimmy Brockett by Dal Stivens
One for those with an interest in Australian literature from another time.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2894006396?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Drums of Mer by Ion L Idriess
An enjoyable though bloodthirsty tale from the Torres Straits. I actually learnt a lot.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2680086209?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The City & the City by China Miéville
Very good and for me at least an amazing concept.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2893978454?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares
Another concept that caught my imagination.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3192109796?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Shultz
All very weird and metaphorical but at times exhilarating.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3227966098?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier
With apologies to David Mitchell.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2718006098?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Bloodfather by David Ireland
Grabbed me and spat out the ideas. My hidden gem and my best read this year.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1883873440?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell.
Far from a bad book but by the authors high standards all a bit forced.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3285560113?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Plains by Gerald Murnane
Bizarre.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2151816150?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Roving Party by Rohan Wilson
Van Diemen's Land gothic literature at its best.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2132887804?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

To Name Those Lost by Rohan Wilson
More Van Diemen's Land gothic literature and still very good.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2245703331?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Seriously poor.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3438584508?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzc
At times very laborious.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/515558074?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Well-dressed Explorer by Thea Astley
Anyone that likes the works of Thea Astley will not be disappointed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2004923938?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Book of Night Women by Marlon James
Challenging but superb.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2571899660?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Mango Tree by Ronald McKie
Very good bildungsroman.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2004924316?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Epitaph of a Small Winner by Machado de Assis
I missed something I think.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2256968748?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This is the time I reflect on the books I have read throughout the year and make up some categories so that I can set a ‘Best' in each. Then rattle off some statistics, and list the books I have awarded five stars to.
In addition this year, because 2020 on Goodreads was loaded so early, I also used a draft to set in year goals, just noting the books I wanted to read, numbers from certain shelves etc. I have chucked all that in a spoiler as it is really not interesting reading, just my checklist!

Before I start rattling on about what I read this year, a thanks to everyone who reads my reviews and hits like or comments. If you are one of lots of long-suffering people following my reviews and don't hit like, please consider it in 2021, as it will motivate me to write these reviews.
And also to wish everyone a happy new year and a successful 2021.

So first to the “Best of the Year” books I have read:

Best Travel- Kiwi Vagabond, by E.S. Allison. Always a tightly contested category this one, as 90% of my books fit in here. I could have chosen Tales of the Alhambra, by Washington Irving, which was great, but not all parts were strictly travel.

Best History - Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, by Peter Hopkirk. Second place to Big Pan-Out: The Klondike Story, by Kathryn Winslow

Best Military - Kiwi Compañeros: New Zealand and the Spanish Civil War, by Mark Derby

Best Biography - Tic Polonga, by Russ Anderton. Honorable mention to Lightning Ridge, by Ion Idriess

Best Science - Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Best Nautical - Passage To Torres Strait: Four Centuries In The Wake Of Great Navigators, Mutineers, Castaways And Beachcombers, by Miles Hordern

Best Mountaineering - East of Everest, by Edmund Hillary & George Lowe

Best Photography - Still Life: Inside The Antarctic Huts of Scott and Shackleton, by by Jane Ussher (Photographs) & Nigel Watson (Essays). Close second - Paisajes del Silencio, by Pablo Corral Vega

Best Published by The Travel Book Club - Across the Roof of the World, by Wilfred Skrede. Honorable mention to Temiar Jungle: A Malayan Journey, by John Slimming, and Kurun Around the World, by Jacques-Yves Le Toumelin

Best New Zealand Authored - Kiwi Vagabond, by E.S. Allison. Closely followed by Deer Shooting Days, by Joff Thomson, and a mention for the NZ authored non-fiction short story collection - see below.

Best Non-fiction Short Story Collection - Figures in a Landscape: People and Places, by Paul Theroux. Second place to The Cursed Bus and other writings, by J Alex West.

Best Fiction - Brothers, by Yu Hua. Close second: Winters Bone, by Daniel Woodrell. Both at opposite ends of teh spectrum for complexity and size though!

Best Fiction Short Story Collection - (Although only 3 starred, it was pick of the bunch this year) Tales from Djakarta, by Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Best Ebook or digital read - Sinew and Steel and What They Told, by Carrie Vaughn

And downer of the year:

Biggest Disappointment - A Thousand and one Australians, by Jeanne Heal. Badly dated and poor format, a fairly rare poor choice by The Travel Book Club.


Some Statistics - Read 118 books this year, at a touch over 29,000 pages. This is a dozen more books than last year, and a couple of thousand pages more, which is good as it has stoppe teh statistical slide for the last 5 years.

My average rating for books is a healthy 3.7 stars.

Longest book: Brothers, by Yu Hua, at 641 pages.

Of the 118 Books I rated:
15 books 5 stars
61 books 4 stars
33 books 3 stars
8 books 2 stars
1 book I chose not to rate

Given the 3.7 average rating, and the high proportion of 4 stared books, 4 stars for the year it seems is most appropriate.

So these are the five star books from the year (in order read):
Tales of the Alhambra, by Washington Irving
Still Life: Inside The Antarctic Huts of Scott and Shackleton, by by Jane Ussher (Photographs) & Nigel Watson (Essays)
The Cursed Bus and other writings, by J Alex West
Brothers, by Yu Hua
Figures in a Landscape: People and Places, by Paul Theroux
Tic Polonga, by Russ Anderton
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, by Peter Godfrey-Smith
Winters Bone, by Daniel Woodrell
Passage To Torres Strait: Four Centuries In The Wake Of Great Navigators, Mutineers, Castaways And Beachcombers, by Miles Hordern
Kiwi Vagabond, by E.S. Allison
Seven League Boots, by Wendy Myers
Deer Shooting Days, by Joff Thomson
Siberian Dawn: A Journey Across the New Russia, by Jeffrey Tayler
Across the Roof of the World, by Wilfred Skrede
Paisajes del Silencio, by Pablo Corral Vega


Books to read:Chandler OmnibusHemingway OmnibusFinish Orwell Omnibus (1984) - didn't get thereAnother John Man -Genghis - didn't get thereAnother Thubron1 x wells from omnibus - didn't get thereBook 2 trans HimalayaA Far Off Place - van der PostAnother Mathiesson - tried but temporarily gave up on it...Mark Tully - India in Slow Motion1x Cable / French x1 another Newby1x Alan Moorehead1x Geoffrey Moorhouse1x Freya Stark1x from Norman Lewis omnibusGavin Maxwell Brightwater#2James West book - The Cursed BusAlhambra1x reread - Orwell Burmese Days1x Jeffrey Tayler1x thesigerNZ Spanish civil war bookanother Peter Hopkirk3 on Circumnavigator books < 4 >12 TBC < 12 >12 From Travel shelf < 16 >3 Penguin 60s < 3 >Books for Taiwan tripBrothersLovely BonesTokyo - Mo HaderWorld War Z54Corelli's Mandolin

this year will be the year i read a book a week. i started these challenges in 2018 after a long long bookless spell. i had this goal in 2018, before halving it a month in (hey, i started in march). in 2019, i read feast or famine style and went around 6 months without opening a book... this will be the year i read consistently.
manga, graphic novels and comics are counting towards my read count but i may change this later. there are a couple of books on here that i consider “cheating”, so my ideal goal would be around 60-65.

2020:

what I've done in 2020:

January
Books: 7
Pages: 672
Hours: 17h
Average: 4,07 ★

· Emotions Explained with buff dudes ★★★✯☆
· As Kismet would have it ★★★★✯
· Attachments ★★★★★ ✵
· Well Met ★★★✯☆
· Quiet Girl in a Noisy World ★★★✩✩
· The Bromance BookClub ★★★★★ ✵
· Roube como um artista ★★★✯☆

February
Books: 5
Pages: 695
Hours: 17h04'
Average: 3,9 ★

· Love from A to Z ★★✯☆☆
· How to find love in a Bookshop ★★★★☆
· Big Magic ★★★★☆
· O método Bullet Journal ★★★★☆
· Invisible in the bright light ★★☆☆☆

March
Books: 8
Pages: 841
Hours: 22h34'
Average: 3,75 ★

· A new model ★★★★✩☆
· US ★★★★☆
· The Athena Club #01 ★★★✯☆
· Suddenly you ★★★★✯☆
· The Governess Deal ★★★★☆
· His bride for the taking ★★★☆☆
· The little book of huge ★★✯☆☆
· Mulheres e Ficção ★★★★✯

April
Books: 6
Pages: 1.224
Hours: 24h27
Average: 3,75★

· The wicked and the wallflower ★★★★☆
· The Athena Club #02 ★★✯☆☆
· El Castillo Ambulante ★★★★★
· Uma proposta e nada mais ★★★✯☆
· Giant Days #05 ★★★★☆
· Giant Days #06 ★★★★☆

May
Books: 6
Pages: 819
Hours: 19h50
Average: 2,8★

· Mr. Dickens & His Carol ★★★☆☆
· Miss Austen ★★★★☆
· The Lost Girls of Paris ★★★★★ ✵
· Mundo de Tinta ★★★☆☆
· Você é insubstituível ★★✯☆☆
· Sociedade literária e a Torta de Casca de Batata ★★★★★ ✵

June
Books: 8
Pages: 2.082
Hours: 21h39'
Average: 3,81★

· The Arrangement ★★✯☆☆
· The Bookshop of yesterday ★★★★☆
· O pretendente ★★★☆☆
· The Season ★★★★☆
· Herói nas Highlands ★★✯☆☆
· Amor nas Highlands ★★★★☆
· City of Brass ★★★★★ ✵
· Take a hint, Dani Brown ★★★★★ ✵

July
Books: 10
Pages: 1.579
Hours: 48h29'
Average: 3,55 ★

· The Jane Austen Society ★★✯☆☆
· The worst best man ★★★★☆
· Pumpkinheads ★★★★☆
· Uma noite inesquecível ★★★★✯
· The escape ★★★★★
· O conde Enfeitiçado ★★★★☆
· Uma paixão e nada mais ★★★☆☆
· The bookshop on the shore ★★☆☆☆
· A Princess in Theory ★★★✯☆
· 10 things I hate about Pinky ★★★☆☆

August
Books: 7
Pages: 911
Hours: 30h26'
Average: 4,21★

· a Duke by default ★★★★✯
· Wires and Nerves 01 ★★★★★
· Wires and Nerves GONE ROGUE ★★★★★
· A dead Djinn in Cairo ★★★★☆
· Uma promessa ★★★☆☆
· A prince on paper ★★★✯✩

September
Books: 4
Pages: 771
Hours: 16h34'
Average: 4,0★

· Brazen and the Beast ★★★★★ ✵
· Daring and the Duke ★★★★☆
· The Girl who drank the Moon ★★★✯✩
· Naturally Tan ★★★✯✩

October
Books: 7
Pages: 1210
Hours: 19h47'
Average: 4,0 ★

· Um beijo e nada mais ★★★★☆
· Spoiler Alert ★★★★☆✵
· Um beijo inesquecível ★★★✯☆
· A caminho do altar ★★★☆☆
· The Witful Princess & the Piebald Prince ★★★★★
· Uma dama fora dos padrões ★★★★★
· The Originals ★★★☆☆

November
Books: 4
Pages: 760
Hours: 15h40'
Average: 3,78 ★

· Undercover Bromance ★★★✯☆
· The heroic legend of Arslan ★★★✯☆

Reading challenge completed

· The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl ★★✯☆☆
· Fangirl ★★★★☆

December
Books: 7
Pages: 981
Hours: 39h33'
Average: 3,57★

· El affaire de la institutriz (Brothers Sinister #0.5) ★★★☆☆
· Chassing Cassandra ★★★★☆✵
· These Rebel Waves ★★✯☆☆
· Runaway Royals #01 ★★★★✯
· La sombra del viento ★★★★★ ✵
. Decadent dukes society #1 ★★★☆☆
. Decadent dukes society #2 ★★✯☆☆

What a neat concept! If this existed for previous years, I apparently missed out!This was the year I really started to branch out and explore all the genres I've never given the time of day to in years past. This was the year I began to leave (mostly) thoughtful reviews for things I've read. This was the year I started reading (a few) ARCs. This was the year boredom drove me to dip my toes into Instagram/Bookstagram posts (and then get out of the pool for a few months and then dip my toes in again). This was a really positive year for me, literarily speaking!I'm going to borrow some prompts from reviewer Adina below, because I sort of stink at summarizing my thoughts on my own.What was the best book you read in 2020?If you know me at all, if you talk with me regularly at all, you'll know this one instantly. I brought it up constantly while I was reading it. I would find ways to fit it into recommendations for people for months afterward. I bought a copy for my mom for Christmas. It's [b:The Travelling Cat Chronicles 40961230 The Travelling Cat Chronicles Hiro Arikawa https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532711745l/40961230.SX50.jpg 50618763]! Books never make me cry. Like, never. And this one did. It also managed to be uplifting, lighthearted, and bittersweet all in one. You should take a look at the premise and absolutely read it if you haven't already.What was the worst book you read in 2020?Setting aside all the textbooks I add to my read list (because they're mostly universally terrible), and likewise discounting the ones I didn't finish (because I feel that would be cheating), of the ones I did manage to finish, I think this dubious honor would have to go to [b:Moon of the Crusted Snow 39082248 Moon of the Crusted Snow Waubgeshig Rice https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521066996l/39082248.SY75.jpg 57443021]. It was neither satisfying as a thriller nor as a post-apocalyptic society story, the dialogue was flat (he said, she said, etc.), and the ending out of place. I was doubly disappointed because I had never read a book set in Canada or involving the First Nations, and this disappointed there too.Which author(s) did you fall in love with, or rediscover, in 2020?I could take the easy road and say Haruki Murakami, because I read both [b:The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 11275 The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327872639l/11275.SY75.jpg 2531376] and [b:Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World 10374 Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Haruki Murakami https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399844477l/10374.SY75.jpg 2531870] almost back-to-back and found both incredibly enjoyable for different reasons. But really I think this honor should go to Kazuo Ishiguro for the extremely memorable experience I had reading [b:The Remains of the Day 28921 The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327128714l/28921.SY75.jpg 3333111] way back in January. I really need to read more from him in 2021.What are your reading plans for 2021?I kinda stink at making plans. I don't plan my entire to-read list out, I have no idea what I'm reading next when I pick a book up, and I don't really do reading challenges because I sort of dislike having a roadmap to follow. All that said, I think my goal for this year is to incorporate more ARCs into my reading. I had a lot of fun previewing books in 2020, but I only really managed to weave in one every few months. I want to read them more frequently in 2021, but I'm hesitant to attach a number. Just, “more”, I guess.Here's to 2021!!!

Top Reads of 2020These are my top reads from 20201) [b:Battle Ground 23106013 Battle Ground (The Dresden Files, #17) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587778549l/23106013.SY75.jpg 42654036] - 5 Stars - (My Review)2) [b:Peace Talks 49381341 Peace Talks (The Dresden Files, #16) Jim Butcher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579336858l/49381341.SY75.jpg 40515430] - 5 Stars - (My Review)3) [b:The Relentless Moon 52381417 The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut #3) Mary Robinette Kowal https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574326388l/52381417.SY75.jpg 65396089] - 4.5 Stars - (My Review)4) [b:Wintersteel 55423083 Wintersteel (Cradle, #8) Will Wight https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600740062l/55423083.SY75.jpg 73600841] - 4.5 Stars - (My Review)5) [b:Rhythm of War 49021976 Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4) Brandon Sanderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599911216l/49021976.SY75.jpg 23840265] - 4 Stars - (My Review)6) [b:Network Effect 52381770 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5) Martha Wells https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568667704l/52381770.SX50_SY75.jpg 63614271] - 4 Stars - (My Review)For the rest of my review here's the report generated by my GoodReads Parser Application and some general comments about the numbers. ^_^***** Yearly Report ****Year: 2020Total Books: 50Total Backlog Books: 12 (24.00%)Rereads: 0 (0.00%)2020 was a bad year of reading for me. While others seemed to use the time stuck at home to work off their backlogs, I just couldn't concentrate. Worse, I've long been trending towards more audiobooks and since I was commuting less and not traveling most of the year, that really reduced my audio too. I went from 46 to 35 (previous years I'd average 50-60) and my total hours listened dropped by 120. I did listen to some monster long audiobooks while stuck in the house in spring though.I had originally dropped my annual goal of 75 to 50 expecting to finish well over, but likely short of the 75 mark. Instead I barely cleared the 50 (with 1 day to spare).For 2021 I'll be setting my goals even lower. I did work of a decent chunk of my owned-and-unread backlog (percentage-wise) but not nearly as much as last year.This is also the first year since I started tracking my reading where I did 0 rereads. I guess with so many fewer books I just didn't have the time.Overall a bad year for me, but still a pretty decent year to the average person.****** Format Breakdown ******Total AUDIO_BOOK Count: 35 (70.00%)Total BOOK Count: 4 (8.00%)Total EBOOK Count: 5 (10.00%)Total GRAPHIC_NOVEL Count: 6 (12.00%)Unsurprisingly since I had so much trouble reading with my eyeballs this year, my percent of audiobook is up about 9% from 2019. I also read far fewer graphic novels (both total and percentage-wise) this year.******* Genre Breakdown ******Total FANTASY Count: 23 (46.00%)Total MYSTERY Count: 4 (8.00%)Total NONFICTION Count: 2 (4.00%)Total SCIFI Count: 21 (42.00%)Hey look I read a lot of fantasy and a fair bit of Sci-Fi. I kept that line from my previous reviews, because it continues to be very true every year. My percent of Fantasy is actually down quite a bit, but that's basically because I read more Sci-Fi than normal. My Mystery reading was up slightly but my non-fiction was down.******** Author Gender Breakdown ********Total MALE Count: 38 (76.00%)Total FEMALE Count: 11 (22.00%)My ratio is about 3% worse than last year, and still pretty unbalanced. I'm still not necessarily looking for a 50% balance, but it'd be nice to get it closer. It seems to keep hovering in the 20-25% range.** Ratings ****Average Rating: 3.74Total 3 Count: 15 (30.00%)Total 4 Count: 33 (66.00%)Total 5 Count: 2 (4.00%)My average rating down slightly from a 3.8 in 2019. 2020 was the year I decided I'm no longer go to keep reading books I'm not interested in. I DNF at least 1 book and skipped several picks that just sounded too depressing to read in 2020.My 3 star read count is a bit higher this year (percentage-wise) and my 4 and 5 star read percents are also down which explains the drop in average. However the average doesn't take into account half stars, since Goodreads only tracks full stars.Years Published:Total 1990 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 1995 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2004 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2005 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2006 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2007 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2011 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2012 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2013 Count: 2 (4.00%)Total 2015 Count: 3 (6.00%)Total 2016 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2017 Count: 2 (4.00%)Total 2018 Count: 1 (2.00%)Total 2019 Count: 13 (26.00%)Total 2020 Count: 20 (40.00%)Decade Published:Total 1990 Count: 2 (4.00%)Total 2000 Count: 4 (8.00%)Total 2010 Count: 24 (48.00%)Total 2020 Count: 20 (40.00%)Most of my reading continues to come from books published since 2015, and a good number (20) of my total were published in 2020. The oldest book I read was from 1990.Additional Stats:Number of Books: 15Total Pages: 4805Total From Backlog: 0Longest Book: Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4) by Brandon Sanderson - 1232 pagesShortest Book: The Butcher of Anderson Station (The Expanse, #1.5) by James S.A. Corey - 40 pagesAverage Pages: 320.33Number of Books (Excluding Graphic Novels): 9Total Pages (Excluding Graphic Novels): 3886Average Pages (Excluding Graphic Novels): 431.78Number of Audiobooks: 35Total Audio Hours: 531Total From Backlog: 12Longest Book: Super Powereds: Year 4 (Super Powereds, #4) by Drew Hayes - 61 hoursShortest Book: Auberon: An Expanse Novella by James S.A. Corey - 3 hoursAverage Hours: 15.17Overall it was my worst year of reading since I first started tracking on Goodreads in 2012 (which was only a partial year). There were still some good reads in there and I still enjoy it, but I've decided to cut back even further so reading doesn't feel like something I'm obligated to do, but just the fun hobby it's always been thus far.Hopefully my 2021 will be nothing but 4 and 5 star reads.