It’s hard to quantify the amount of joy I get from reading. However, since I’ve been so careful about tracking on Goodreads this year, it’s very easy to quantify the actual number of books I’ve read.
As of the date of the post, Goodreads reports that I’ve read 187 books, which totaled 68,999 pages. (I have a few on my currently reading list, so I expect I’ll add another book or two by the end of the year.)
To get to this number, I record all new books I read in the year. For me, that includes audiobooks, ebooks, physical books, and graphic novels. For my own personal goal, I do not count re-reads (that is, if I’m reading a book I’ve read before, I don’t mark it on Goodreads). I DO count middle grade and YA books that I’m reading with my kids, but only if it’s a book I liked enough that I’d be willing to read it even if the kids didn’t read along with me.
My average book was about 368 pages, though the shortest book I read was just 38 pages, and the longest was 864 pages.
My average rating was 3.5 stars. The thing about star ratings is that they don’t mean a whole lot to me. If I’ve rated a book as 4 or 5 stars, then I really liked it. If I rated it a 2 (VERY rare) then it was so bad I really can’t recommend it to anyone, but I feel terrible rating so low because I know how much work authors put into their writing. Most books hit around a 3 for me. Some of them are genuine (i.e. I liked the book, it was cute, I’d recommend it) but some are because I feel bad rating a book below a 3. If you are thinking of reading a 3 on my list, ask me and I’ll give you the low-down.
Here are cover images of some of the books I’ve read this year:
Out of 180+ books I found it difficult to pick favorites. My reading tastes run mostly to fantasy and sci-fi, though I also read quite a few non-fiction books this year as well. I lean heavily towards YA, though I’m happy to read anything from middle grade up. I also enjoyed a number of delightful graphic novels this year, mainly middle grade and YA level, recommended by my children.
All of the highlights I’ve shared above are from the handily compiled Goodreads Year in Review. If you are on Goodreads but not a friend of mine there, hit me up! I’d love to add you to my friends list.
If you are interested in the full piece, here’s a link to my Goodreads Year in Review page.
Hope your 2020 year in reading was a great one, and here’s looking forward to another wonderful reading year in 2021!