It’s time to say good-bye to 2021 but not before a review of the reading year.
Here are my stats for 2021:
Favorites in Fiction: Infinite Country by Patricia Engel, The Reader’s Room by Antoine Laurain, A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietroantonio
Favorites in Mystery: The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda, The Haunting of Maddie Clare by Simone St. James and The Whisper Man by Alex North
Favorites in Other Genres: The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea (nonfiction), A Room With a View by E.M. Forster (Classic) and The Houseguest and Other Stories by Amparo Davila (Short Stories)
The Numbers:
Total books read in 2021: 61
Books by women: 53
Books by men: 15
Fiction:Â 38
Mystery: 13
Young Adult: 1
Non-fiction: 3
Classic: 3
Sci-fi: 1
Romance: 2
Short Story collections: 2
Poetry Collections: 2
Books in translation: 15 (Spanish, German, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, Dutch, French, and Portuguese)
Books in Spanish: 1
Audiobooks: 4
Challenges participated in: 7 (completed 3)
Reading events participated in: 7 (Paris in July, 10 Books of Summer, Women in Translation, Novellas in November, Nonfiction November, MARM, and German Literature Month).
My reading did get back on track this year compared to last but still didn’t quite reach my GoodReads reading goal but more importantly I think I had a great year of quality reading. It was hard to narrow down my list of favorites.
I read fewer mysteries than last year but I’ve just really been in the mood for fiction especially fiction in translation. Something I see myself continuing next year.
I did go a bit overboard on reading challenges and reading events and this year I’m going to take a bit of step back from challenges. There are a couple I would like to join but I think I tend to do better with reading events.  So we’ll see how it goes.
Last year I said I hoped to work on cataloguing my books but that didn’t happen. I did organize my shelves that makes me happy so if I have some time for my cataloguing project then I’ll work on that but I’m not making any promises.
How was your reading year? What are your reading goals for 2022?
We made it through another year in a pandemic. I really hope 2022 won’t be more of the same but right now it’s hard to be hopeful with cases skyrocketing again. I just want to say thank you again for your friendship. I’m so glad we can visit each others blogs and find comfort, humor, and a lot of book talk. I wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2022. Happy New Year!
Smiles,
Iliana
I haven’t read any of your favorites, but have a few on my TBR list. We read about the same number of books this year, but I haven’t figured out all my breakouts. I need to organize my TBR shelves since I now have a stack of books on the floor. I’d like to separate the mysteries from general fiction and want to put the series in order so I know what is up next. I also have a quite a few ARCs dating back several years and want to try to read at least one a month.
I hope you have a safe and happy New Year, Iliana. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to do a little traveling in 2022. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!
It looks like you had a good reading year, Iliana! I am adding The Haunting of Maddie Clare by Simone St. James to my wish list. I am glad to see it was one of your favorites. The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea has been on my TBR shelf for a long while. I have one of his fiction books too I still need to read. I’ve heard such great things about his books.
I hope this New Year will be better too. Wishing you health and joy.
A very good reading year and diverse as well. I’m gaining a new appreciation for “books in translation” and, I loved A Girl Returned which made my top 10 list. Happy New Year and hope 2022 is better for everyone.
I hope 2022 is a better year for everyone, too. And I love how you described last year as a great year of quality reading for you. I think that’s what I want in 2022…a year of quality reading. Hope, happiness, and good health would be great, too. Happy New Year, Iliana! 😀
Lesley in OR – I can’t wait to hear what your favorites were. And, I totally understand the stacks on the floor dilemma! I do have my books separated by genres and that makes it easier for me when selecting my next read. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to freely travel again? I was looking at spa and wellness resorts in Germany the other day as I was daydreaming about travels and rest 🙂 Happy New Year!
Literary Feline – I really hope you enjoy the Maddy Clare book. I have several others by Simone St. James and don’t know why I waited so long to read her. I also recommend Urrea’s fiction. I’ve read one of his novels and it was so good. If only we had more time to read right?
Diane – I used to read a lot of books in translation and then didn’t quite stop but read less but now my need for fiction from other places is back in full force. I guess we all go through different stages of what we like to read right? So glad you loved a Girl Returned. Can’t wait to see your favorites!
Lark – You have a wonderful list of wishes for 2022! I’ll join you in wishing all of that too 🙂
I love the facts here a lot. Thanks a lot.
We finished about the same number of books …. and I’ll try for 65 this year. I never made it to 70 which I had hoped. But it was a distracting year, right? I need to read Infinite Country still. Thanks for the reminder.