Favorites & Year in Review

Favorites & Year in Review

Nightstand December 31, 2021

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: 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

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Brief Update

Brief Update

Nightstand December 29, 2021

Hello Friends – Thank you so much for all your sweet messages and comments. I’m happy to report that my mom was released from the hospital on Sunday and she’s home. She did have a partial hip replacement so she has a long road to recovery but with PT and patience hopefully she’ll be feeling stronger each day.

I’m so thankful for all the emotional support I’ve had from my husband and friends and family. I’m exhausted but just so grateful to be home. We’re still finding our routine with these new circumstances but just have to keep positive.

Now to shift over to a bit of book talk. My reading has been zero lately. Which is not at all like me at all and it’s not that I don’t want to read but I’ve had no time or energy. Aside from taking care of my mom, I’m also working so needless to say I’m exhausted. Again, I’m hoping that as we get settled into a new routine I will start to find pockets of time when I can catch up on reading and some self-care.

I have lots to tell you about like new books, book reviews and a bunch of other bookish things but I did want to say that the next post will be my end of year review and favorites. We can’t miss that post right? I love a yearly recap and do look forward to reading yours as well. So take care and I’ll be back with some book talk soon!

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Holiday Greetings

Holiday Greetings

Nightstand December 24, 2021

Dear Friends,

I’m sorry for the absence here and around blogland but unfortunately the past week has not been an easy one. My mom fell at home and while at first we thought maybe she had just pulled a muscle, in fact she ended up having a fracture. She’s been in the hospital for seven days now and had a successful surgery but we’re still trying to get her a bit more stabilized.

I’ve basically been living at the hospital with my mom. My husband has been a saint going back and forth bringing us stuff. We thought she was going to be discharged today but the doctors recommended she continue to stay.

Needless to say this was not the news we were hoping for and our spirits are pretty low. Thank goodness for my dear friends and family who’ve sent us prayers and positive thoughts, and for my work family who’s been supportive.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. If you pray or feel like sending positive thoughts, I’ll take them!

Big hugs,
Iliana

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