Looking Back

At the beginning of the year, I was doing quick recap reviews of all of the books I was reading each month. I didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on myself to read so many books in a single month in order to write a review of each book. But by June, I was back to writing out my reviews, one book at a time. I prefer that format.

Especially since I spent the majority of this month making lists of the books that I read in the last 12 months: 5 star, 4 star, and 3 star books. I know that the rating format can be very subjective, but I hope that the reviews speak for themselves and explain why the books received their ratings. I’ve tried to challenge myself to dig deeper into why I didn’t like some things about books. I’ve also learned a lot about my tastes

For example, I learned that I gravitate towards fantasy and psychology/self-help kinds of books. And I haven’t really been a fan of books written in the first person. Not sure if that’s just a coincidence or something I actually don’t like.

Looking Forward

Last year, I made a goal of reading 48 books, which I completed. This year, I’m challenging myself to read 50 books. Not knowing what this year will bring makes me slightly nervous, but I’m just going to take it one book at a time.

Like this year, I’m also going to keep a handwritten journal of what I read (as well as what I’m watching). I hope this will help hold me accountable as well as hone my reviewing skills. I still plan to share reviews with you on Wednesdays, and in an effort to give myself a head start on the reviews, I’m going to review the books I read in December and continue from there.

It’s hard to make any goals or resolutions after a year like 2020, so instead of making a new goal, I plan to keep doing what I’m doing, and hopefully get better at it and learn some things in the process. That’s really what I hope for in the new year – more growth, more passion, more pursuing the things that bring me joy and letting go of the things that are no longer working. And perhaps learn a little more about myself along the way.