2019 Reading Wrap Up
Jan. 20th, 2020 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
forestofgloryIn 2019 I read a lot of books! And even more sequential art! I wanted to look back at my year of reading so let’s have some numbers:
Books Read: 173
Nonfiction: 19
Oldest book: Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans & Perverts by Joanna Russ
Most recent book: Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
Books by non-white authors: 102 (59%!)
Graphic stories: 120
Novellas: 11
Highlights:
Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night by Katherine Fabian and Iona Datt Sharma — I utterly adored this queer, cozy Jewish novella!
Not For Use In Navigation: Thirteen Stories by Iona Datt Sharma — this collection of short stories was just lovely! The characters are so well drawn and I really enjoy the focus on people doing the boring work that makes the world work.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine —I loved the worldbuilding in this science fiction novel, but my favorite part of this book is how the characters are constantly trying to solve their problems with diplomacy and not violence.
Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa — I found this manga about a city kid who goes to agricultural school heartwarming. I enjoyed all the ways the story wrestles with the idea of a vocation.
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch — This book was just so funny and interesting, and now I feel more confident using emoji!
Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer — This minute into the future YA novel features online friendship and a really adorable AI.
Descending Stories Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju by Haruko Kumota — I loved this ten volume manga about Rakugo storytellers with its themes of finding your own voice versus being part of a tradition, and its complex intergenerational relationships.
I keep tracking numbers but the last few years I have been feeling that they aren’t very useful for comparison between years. I’ve been reading more and more sequential art and while I like tracking it I don’t really feel like it's the same as prose. I could track separately but really I doubt I would track at all if Goodreads didn’t make it very easy for me, and I don’t want to get into a more complex system though I admire those who have them.
I do still find the number tracking useful for comparing with in a year. For example, this year I read 59% books by non-white authors! Which is the highest percentage I’ve managed since I started keeping track of this stat. If I didn’t track at all, I wouldn’t be able to get that stat.
Another reason I’m finding these numbers less valuable than in the past is that this year I’ve read a ton of fanfic and I haven’t recorded it in any real way. Which means that I’ve read a lot more prose than these numbers really reflect. Still, I’m glad to have my Goodreads account to look back on and help me keep track of the various books I read, even if I find the numbers it gives me not very useful.
However, I’m very proud of how many books by non-white authors I read. I really upped my game there! I’ve also been focusing on reading fun and comforting stuff and letting go somewhat of my need to keep up with new releases—though I still read plenty of hot-off-the-press books. I also read a ton of manga which I haven’t done in a while but really enjoyed.
In 2019 I had two reading goals for myself. The first was to read 30 books by non white authors with 40 as stretch goal. As we can see I did awesome on this, reading more than double my stretch goal mostly thanks to manga. My other goal was to read 15 non-fiction books (with 20 as a stretch goal). I also succeeded at this goal, reading a total of 19 non-fiction books though again a lot of those where sequential art.
For 2020 I’ve decided to start without any reading goals, except to reevaluate my reading goals every quarter and think about if I want to change them. There are ways that I could improve my reading. For example, while I read many books by non-white authors last year, I could be reading more diversely within that group. But having goals just seems stressful so I’m opting out for now. So I will continue working on reading in the way that gives me the greatest pleasure. I’m going to read as much fluffy fic as I want. I’m going to keep reading tons of slice of life manga. And I’m going to work on not frittering away my time on the internet when it would be better spent reading.
How was your 2019 in terms of reading? Do you have reading plans for 2020?
Books Read: 173
Nonfiction: 19
Oldest book: Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans & Perverts by Joanna Russ
Most recent book: Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
Books by non-white authors: 102 (59%!)
Graphic stories: 120
Novellas: 11
Highlights:
Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night by Katherine Fabian and Iona Datt Sharma — I utterly adored this queer, cozy Jewish novella!
Not For Use In Navigation: Thirteen Stories by Iona Datt Sharma — this collection of short stories was just lovely! The characters are so well drawn and I really enjoy the focus on people doing the boring work that makes the world work.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine —I loved the worldbuilding in this science fiction novel, but my favorite part of this book is how the characters are constantly trying to solve their problems with diplomacy and not violence.
Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa — I found this manga about a city kid who goes to agricultural school heartwarming. I enjoyed all the ways the story wrestles with the idea of a vocation.
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch — This book was just so funny and interesting, and now I feel more confident using emoji!
Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer — This minute into the future YA novel features online friendship and a really adorable AI.
Descending Stories Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju by Haruko Kumota — I loved this ten volume manga about Rakugo storytellers with its themes of finding your own voice versus being part of a tradition, and its complex intergenerational relationships.
I keep tracking numbers but the last few years I have been feeling that they aren’t very useful for comparison between years. I’ve been reading more and more sequential art and while I like tracking it I don’t really feel like it's the same as prose. I could track separately but really I doubt I would track at all if Goodreads didn’t make it very easy for me, and I don’t want to get into a more complex system though I admire those who have them.
I do still find the number tracking useful for comparing with in a year. For example, this year I read 59% books by non-white authors! Which is the highest percentage I’ve managed since I started keeping track of this stat. If I didn’t track at all, I wouldn’t be able to get that stat.
Another reason I’m finding these numbers less valuable than in the past is that this year I’ve read a ton of fanfic and I haven’t recorded it in any real way. Which means that I’ve read a lot more prose than these numbers really reflect. Still, I’m glad to have my Goodreads account to look back on and help me keep track of the various books I read, even if I find the numbers it gives me not very useful.
However, I’m very proud of how many books by non-white authors I read. I really upped my game there! I’ve also been focusing on reading fun and comforting stuff and letting go somewhat of my need to keep up with new releases—though I still read plenty of hot-off-the-press books. I also read a ton of manga which I haven’t done in a while but really enjoyed.
In 2019 I had two reading goals for myself. The first was to read 30 books by non white authors with 40 as stretch goal. As we can see I did awesome on this, reading more than double my stretch goal mostly thanks to manga. My other goal was to read 15 non-fiction books (with 20 as a stretch goal). I also succeeded at this goal, reading a total of 19 non-fiction books though again a lot of those where sequential art.
For 2020 I’ve decided to start without any reading goals, except to reevaluate my reading goals every quarter and think about if I want to change them. There are ways that I could improve my reading. For example, while I read many books by non-white authors last year, I could be reading more diversely within that group. But having goals just seems stressful so I’m opting out for now. So I will continue working on reading in the way that gives me the greatest pleasure. I’m going to read as much fluffy fic as I want. I’m going to keep reading tons of slice of life manga. And I’m going to work on not frittering away my time on the internet when it would be better spent reading.
How was your 2019 in terms of reading? Do you have reading plans for 2020?
no subject
Date: 2020-01-22 09:27 pm (UTC)Do you think you'll try tracking your fic-reading somehow this year? I want to come up with a system because I feel like not tracking mine makes me feel like it doesn't really count as reading, or like I value it less (and by extension value my own writing less), and I'd like to...stop doing that, haha.
way to go absolutely CRUSHING your goals :) (But also choosing not to have any in particular to start 2020--here's to reading what makes you happy!)
no subject
Date: 2020-01-23 12:55 am (UTC)I've never had any luck with making my own tracking systems. Even just having a simple list on paper or something. I just tend forget about it after a little while. I'm surprised that I can keep up with good reads actually. So I don't think tracking the fic I read would really work. But I would be nice to have a better record.
And I think you are getting at something when you say that tracking fic might help me value it more. Right now it all feels so fleeting and also on fic kinda blends into the next, and more tracking might help with that. Something to ponder...