Happy New Year my lovelies! Today is again time for the annual end of year statistics, and let me tell you, it has been a busy reading year. I read more books than I ever have. I’ve discovered many new authors and read some amazing work.
Thanks to Bookstagram, I’ve also made lots of new friends who keep me motivated and reading. Gotta admit, it really has been a struggle keeping my attention on the book in hand and not worry about the craziness that is happening around the world.
Yearly Stats
In 2020 I read a total of 93 books, across 36136 pages. The longest book was Stephen King’s IT (1067 pages). Spoiler alert, i did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would! I rated 65 books 4 stars or higher. Goodreads is showing a steady decline in my average rating, which for 2020 is 3.9/5.. I’m not sure what this means, but perhaps I am getting more critical with how I feel about the books. I’ve discussed this with other book lovers who all agree that the rating they gave to a book few years ago would now lose a star or two if they were to rate them now. So maybe it’s normal?
I went through a major reading slump in June and struggled to concentrate on any given book.This lead me to re-read Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds, which ended being the only re-read of this year. Intentions to re-read books is always at the back of my mind but it is actually pretty rare 
I read something more than once. The majority of the books I read in 2020 were backlist titles that I bought myself. This includes new books purchased, despite the book buying ban!, and also a ton from my to-be-read shelf. Overall I read roughly 1/3 of the books waiting to be read, and that’s actually a pretty good going if you ask me 🙂
Compared to previous years it’s apparent that paperback continues to be my preferred format, 
but I have also read more eBooks this year than the previous years. Some of it is due to me absolutely smashing it during NetGalley November where I read almost half of my TBR shelf and managed to (very briefly) get my feedback ratio to 80%! Hardcover books continue to be my lease favourite. I absolutely love how pretty they look, but they’re just not as comfortable to read as the other formats.
At the beginning of 2020 I set myself a challenge to reach out of my “thriller” comfort zone and explore more genres. Although the 
whole challenge flopped from pretty early on as I just couldn’t keep to my schedule, because *MOOD!*, I actually did end up reading a large variety of different genres. This is something I have not regretted for a moment!
Thrillers & mysteries are still the number one choice, but I have also read a ton of Young Adult books. Not sure if I’m still very young at heart (and head) but I have absolutely loved pretty much all the YA books and could not recommend them enough to everyone. 2020 also seems to have made me reach for more non-fiction than usual. Again, highly recommend this genre.
Monthly Stats
The year started 
off stong. I read 8 books in January and 9 in February, and that was before we were locked in our houses for the rest of the year with nowhere to go. The highest number of books I read was in May. I managed to get through a whopping 15 books. I remember using every free moment to sit in the garden and get lost in the books. I was meant to fly to Estonia for my birthday end of April. The books provided me with the escape I so badly needed; the future was still so unknown, we were still locked in our houses and I was missing my family so much.
The second half of the year was just one big reading slump, really. With the exception of November. All thanks to NetGalley November support group chat. I would never have been able to keep to it without the lovely women edging everyone on each day throughout the month!
Out of the 65 books I rated 4 stars or higher there are actually three books that wholeheartedly deserve a spot in my top 3 books of 2020.
First place in the Top 3 goes to Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds that I read in May. I originally got a kindle copy that came with audio version. I started listening and reading along with it and was immediately hooked. The audio book is so incredibly good! It’s narrated by the author himself and I promise you that’ll be an hour of your life well spent listening to it!
The story is short, but packs a punch and you will not stop thinking about it. I still haven’t.
“Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds.”
Second place is one of my most recent reads – Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Again, I listened to this on an audio and was hooked from the beginning. Haven’t we all wondered at one point in our lives what would’ve happened if we did/didn’t do “this one thing”?
“Between life and death there is a library.
When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.”
Catherine Gray was a complete impulse buy. I had only recently decided to give up alcohol for a period of time at the time and thought I’d see what this book is about. When I tell you I felt seen. Ouchies! The book is full of Gray’s personal stories and hard hitting facts. It’s full of literature to continue reading about sobriety and helpful tips and sources should you wish to dive deeper into the sober community. Either to find out more or to get help.
“In The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, Catherine Gray shines a light on society’s drink-pushing and talks to top neuroscientists and psychologists about why we drink, delving into the science behind what it does to our brains and bodies.”
2021 Goals
Oh I failed miserably with a lot of things I wanted to do, and “planned” to do last year. This year I want my reading journey to be fun. Therefore my goals for 2021 are:
Mood read my way through the year
This means I will not be setting a monthly to-be-read list. Instead I’m planning to post weekly updates on what I’m reading, if I’m reading. I do still want to be involved with blog tours so I guess a tiny bit of “must read by x date” will still be a thing.
Write a review for every book I read
I had good intentions last year to dedicate more time to this little blog of mine. I failed, like with a lot of other things. This year it is my goal to ensure that I write a review before picking another book to read. My memory is pretty bad, and unless the book is AMAZING the chances are I will not remember anything other than how the book made me feel. I want to make sure that I will always have a place I can refer back to and refresh my memory about the books I’ve read.
Social media goals
by end of 2021 I wish to reach 2000 book friends on Instagram – please come be my friend! -> www.instagram.com/bookskatlikes
by end of 2021 I wish to reach 100 subscribers here on WordPress.. *crosses fingers* -> options to subscribe/follow are on the right hand side
and that’s it, folks! Can’t say I am sad to see other aspects of 2020 done and over with as well; what a year it has been, huh!? I truly hope that 2021 brings some much needed fresh air and hope for all of us. Wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year! Make it count!
