Reading, What Worked (and didn't) in 2021

A retrospective look at 2021, questions about how to feel more satisfied with what I read, with some bright spots thrown in for good measure

Hi readers,

I like the first of the year for many reasons. The feel of new, a fresh start, a way to put whatever the past is behind you. I like exploring reading challenges to determine if there are any that I think I might be able to stick with (usually not), and I like thinking about what I might do differently in my reading life for the new year. I follow several creators and bloggers, and I always enjoy reading their lists of what worked and didn’t work for them in their reading lives. I like learning why readers read the books they read, and these posts always add to my TBR, like I need another book on my TBR.

I looked at the list of books I read last year and discovered a few things about my reading. I’m not sure what all of these things combined mean for my reading life, but when I compare what I read in 2021 to what I read in 2020, last year feels like it came up short. Besides reading fewer books in 2021, I feel a greater sense of enjoyment with what I read in 2020. What that means overall, I don’t know, but I did learn a bit more about my reading life that I’m sharing below:

• I read a lot of historical fiction from authors such as Patti Callahan, Kristin Harmel, Diane Chamberlain, Kristina McMorris, and Janet Beard. I didn’t enjoy history in school, but I enjoy learning about it through the historical fiction books that I read. For me, the writers above take something dry and lifeless in textbooks and turn it into people and places that come alive and keep you keep turning the pages.

• Evidentially I like rom-coms and “series” books, or maybe I just like the escape they provide. In 2020, I received an ARC of the 6th book in the Jasmine Guillory rom-com series. Before I read it, I went back and read the first four books in the series, finishing the last two in 2021. I did the same with the Bromance series by Lyssa Kay Adams when I received the 4th book of the series as an ARC. Both series were needed escapes during the heaviest and most stressful parts of my life because of my day job.

• I began reading YA in 2020 with Elizabeth Acevedo’s books and that trend continued into 2021 with authors such as Julie Buxbaum, Stacy Lee, and Nicola Yoon. So far, I’ve read all but one of Buxbaum’s books and she will be an upcoming featured author in the Author and Her Books series newsletters. Both Yoon and Lee have backlist books that I want to read this year too.

• I read a few middle-grade books during 2021. I enjoy the Vanderbeeker series and have read three so far. I started the Penderwick series and have read the first book, and I plan to read a couple more this year. I read the second book in the Gaither Sisters trilogy by Rita Williams-Garcia; those sisters are a hoot. I enjoyed the first book in The Islanders series by one of my favorite contemporary fiction authors Mary Alice Monroe. I can’t wait until the second book in the series is published in June 2022.

• I read a few fiction and non-fiction books about the British royal family. Karen Harper seems to be my go-to for royal historical fiction; every one of her books that I’ve read so far I’ve enjoyed. I’m working my way through The Crown on Netflix, so the latest Andrew Morton book, Elizabeth & Margaret, caught my eye when it was available as an ARC on Net Galley. While I enjoyed the book and learning about the relationship between the sisters, I think I enjoyed the royal historical fiction more than the non-fiction.

• I read the first book in two different series that I really enjoyed and want to return to this year. I even have the next book in each series on hold through Libby, but I keep suspending the hold because I’m always reading something else. When this happens, I get frustrated with myself as I know what I want to read more, and I don’t make it a priority.

• I read some not very memorable non-fiction books from some favorite authors, and I’m sad they weren’t more memorable. I read a couple of memoirs (one that led to a streaming series I enjoyed), a few books by authors of color that were really good, and some random books that were just that, random, and that leads to my next point.

• I start far more books than I finish; I need to get better about the books I choose to read. Some books I start and don’t finish are because it’s not the “right” time, and I will eventually read when it feels like the right time. Shiny new covers and blurbs get me every time, and seldom do those books pan out as books I enjoyed reading. I need to find book recommendation sources and “book twins” that share similar reading tastes and look to them for recommendations instead of random people on social media.

All of the above tells me that I need to plan my reading life better, but I’m not sure exactly what that is for me. Do I sit down at the beginning of the year and make a list of the books I want to read and only read from that list? Do I need to set a specific number of books to read, fill in the slots with the list of books determined from the prior sentence, leaving several spots open for reading books that catch my eye during the year? I didn’t have a grand scheme for reading in 2020, and when I reflect on the books I read that year, I see so many books I enjoyed and that I can actually remember what they were about. Yet, for 2021 I did the same thing, and I don’t see the same results. Do you struggle with the same things that I do in your reading life? Have you conquered it? Have you made small strides in creating a reading life that works for you? I’d love to hear about that; you can tell me in the comments below.

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I’m always late to the game when it comes to new authors or series, especially new fads. It seems like everyone I know is playing Wordle, and here I sit, I don’t even know what it is. I hear that while it may be addicting, you can play only one game a day, so it’s not like you can waste a lot of time like you can with most games. Someone, please tell me why I need to get on the Wordle bandwagon and start playing and wasting a few minutes of my day on this.

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Amid all the so-so reading I talked about above, I did read several excellent books during 2021. Coming up later this month, I’ll tell you about them and why you might also enjoy them.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get any newsletters written ahead of time and stockpiled for the future. Because of tax season, I will soon start working Saturdays, and I don’t yet know what that will look like for my ability to keep writing two newsletters a week and what days they will publish. I have hopes that I can continue with no interruptions or changes, but only time will tell. I appreciate that you are here week after week, reading my newsletters and commenting; I genuinely enjoy hearing from you, and I feel as if I’ve gotten to know many of you. After all, readers are the best.

I know some of you are in the path of the most recent winter storms; stay safe and warm and maybe read a book or two to pass the time inside. Happy reading!

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