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sarahmichiganI'm not going to copy over all my reviews from GoodReads for the end of 2021. I'll just post links to them below. Then, my usual year-end wrap up and analysis of whether I met my reading goals.
No. 49: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
No. 50: Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn (graphic novel)
No. 51: The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell (unabridged audiobook)
No. 52: A Better Man (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #15) by Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
No. 53: Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
No. 54: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 by Emil Ferris (graphic novel)
No. 55: Yes Please by Amy Poehler (unabridged audiobook)
No. 56: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
No. 57: For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend by Patricia B. McConnell (unabridged audiobook)
No. 58: I Was a Stripper Librarian: From Cardigans to G-strings by Kristy Cooper
Goals analysis
My main goal is always just around 50 books, though I set an official GoodReads goal of 55 and made it, plus a few. I used to try to limit my audiobooks to 20 percent, but I just don't care about that anymore, so it's not an official goal. However, despite listening to audiobooks a lot while traveling at the end of the year, I only ended up with 14 audiobooks out of my total of 58 books, or about 24% of my total books for the year.
My other sub-goals are just a way of encouraging me to read diversely:
X Non-fiction, 30 percent give or take: 20 out of 58 books, for approx. 34%
X Women authors, 50 percent or more: Approx. 67% this year, depending on how you count authors in anthologies. Plus, one known non-binary author.
X LGBTQ, at least 2: I read 13!
X POC authors, 10 percent or more: 20 out of 58 books, for approx. 34%
X Disabled authors, at least 2: I read 3 in 2021.
Commentary
First off, the "Stripper Librarian" book is out of order on this list. I read it in late May and early June as a beta reader but didn't add it to my list here and on GoodReads until a few months after it was published.
All goals met. I'm actually surprised my nonfiction count was so high, since I gave myself permission to just read for pleasure and not worry about goals after I hit 50 books in early November. On GoodReads, I typically give out 4 stars every year more than any other star rating. This year, I had a LOT of 5-star reads, fewer 4-star reads, only three 3-star reads, and nothing lower. It was a good year in reading!
1. The Empire of Gold (Daevabad Trilogy #3) [fiction]- S.A. Chakraborty
2. Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls [nonfiction/memoir]- T Kira Madden
3. Miracle Creek [nonfiction]- Angie Kim
4. The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust #2) [fiction]- Philip Pullman
5. How the Light Gets In (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #9) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
6. They Called Us Enemy [graphic nonfiction]- George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, ill. Harmony Becker
7. Carmilla [fiction]- J. Sheridan Le Fanu (unabridged audiobook)
8. Pieces of Soap: Essays [nonfiction/essays]- Stanley Elkin
9. The Space Between Worlds [fiction]- Micaiah Johnson
10. The Autobiography of Malcolm X [nonfiction/autobiography]- Malcolm X and Alex Haley
11. No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America [nonfiction/memoir]- Darnell L. Moore
12. Mostly Dead Things [fiction]- Kristen Arnett
13. Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) [fiction]- Rebecca Roanhorse
14. Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower [nonfiction]- Brittney Cooper
15. Delirium [fiction]- Laura Restrepo (transl. Natasha Wimmer)
16. The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) [fiction]- Rick Riordan (unabridged audiobook)
17. Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America [nonfiction/memoir]- John Waters (unabridged audiobook)
18. Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World #2) [fiction]- Rebecca Roanhorse
19. The Mistress Of Nothing [fiction]- Kate Pullinger
20. The Graveyard Book [fiction]-Neil Gaiman (unabridged audiobook)
21. The Vanishing Half [fiction]- Brit Bennett
22. Certain Dark Things [fiction]- Silvia Moreno-Garcia
23. The Long Way Home (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #10) - Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
24. Creepy, Stabby, and Mentally Odd [fiction/short stories]- Wednesday Lee Friday
25. Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History [nonfiction/biography]-Yunte Huang
26. This House Is Haunted [fiction- John Boyne
27. An Unkindness of Ghosts [fiction- Rivers Solomon (unabridged audiobook)
28. The Incredulity of Father Brown [fiction/short stories]- G.K. Chesterton
29. Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good [nonfiction/essays]- Adrienne Maree Brown (author and editor)
30. The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #11) [fiction- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
31. The Sellout [fiction]- Paul Beatty
32. The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband [nonfiction/memoir]- David Finch (unabridged audiobook)
33. Paradise Tales: and Other Stories [fiction/short stories]- Geoff Ryman
34. A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #12) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
35. Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism [nonfiction/memoir]- Dawn Prince-Hughes
36. Such a Fun Age [fiction]- Kiley Reid
37. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body [nonfiction/memoir]- Roxane Gay (unabridged audiobook)
38. I Am Legend and Other Stories [fiction/short stories]- Richard Matheson (unabridged audiobook)
39. The Ultimate Guide to Raising a Puppy: How to Train and Care for Your New Dog [nonfiction]- Victoria Stilwell
40. The Prophets [fiction]- Robert Jones Jr.
41. Good Dog 101: Easy Lessons to Train Your Dog the Happy, Healthy Way [nonfiction]- Cristine Dahl
42. How to Be Both [fiction]- Ali Smith
43. Glass Houses (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #13) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
44. The Little Stranger [fiction]- Sarah Waters
45. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer [nonfiction]- Michelle McNamara & other contributors (unabridged audiobook)
46. Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance (The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries #1) [fiction]- Gyles Brandreth (unabridged audiobook)
47. White Is for Witching [fiction]- Helen Oyeyemi
48. Kingdom of the Blind (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #14) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
No. 49: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
No. 50: Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn (graphic novel)
No. 51: The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell (unabridged audiobook)
No. 52: A Better Man (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #15) by Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
No. 53: Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
No. 54: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 by Emil Ferris (graphic novel)
No. 55: Yes Please by Amy Poehler (unabridged audiobook)
No. 56: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
No. 57: For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend by Patricia B. McConnell (unabridged audiobook)
No. 58: I Was a Stripper Librarian: From Cardigans to G-strings by Kristy Cooper
Goals analysis
My main goal is always just around 50 books, though I set an official GoodReads goal of 55 and made it, plus a few. I used to try to limit my audiobooks to 20 percent, but I just don't care about that anymore, so it's not an official goal. However, despite listening to audiobooks a lot while traveling at the end of the year, I only ended up with 14 audiobooks out of my total of 58 books, or about 24% of my total books for the year.
My other sub-goals are just a way of encouraging me to read diversely:
X Non-fiction, 30 percent give or take: 20 out of 58 books, for approx. 34%
X Women authors, 50 percent or more: Approx. 67% this year, depending on how you count authors in anthologies. Plus, one known non-binary author.
X LGBTQ, at least 2: I read 13!
X POC authors, 10 percent or more: 20 out of 58 books, for approx. 34%
X Disabled authors, at least 2: I read 3 in 2021.
Commentary
First off, the "Stripper Librarian" book is out of order on this list. I read it in late May and early June as a beta reader but didn't add it to my list here and on GoodReads until a few months after it was published.
All goals met. I'm actually surprised my nonfiction count was so high, since I gave myself permission to just read for pleasure and not worry about goals after I hit 50 books in early November. On GoodReads, I typically give out 4 stars every year more than any other star rating. This year, I had a LOT of 5-star reads, fewer 4-star reads, only three 3-star reads, and nothing lower. It was a good year in reading!
1. The Empire of Gold (Daevabad Trilogy #3) [fiction]- S.A. Chakraborty
2. Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls [nonfiction/memoir]- T Kira Madden
3. Miracle Creek [nonfiction]- Angie Kim
4. The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust #2) [fiction]- Philip Pullman
5. How the Light Gets In (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #9) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
6. They Called Us Enemy [graphic nonfiction]- George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, ill. Harmony Becker
7. Carmilla [fiction]- J. Sheridan Le Fanu (unabridged audiobook)
8. Pieces of Soap: Essays [nonfiction/essays]- Stanley Elkin
9. The Space Between Worlds [fiction]- Micaiah Johnson
10. The Autobiography of Malcolm X [nonfiction/autobiography]- Malcolm X and Alex Haley
11. No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America [nonfiction/memoir]- Darnell L. Moore
12. Mostly Dead Things [fiction]- Kristen Arnett
13. Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) [fiction]- Rebecca Roanhorse
14. Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower [nonfiction]- Brittney Cooper
15. Delirium [fiction]- Laura Restrepo (transl. Natasha Wimmer)
16. The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) [fiction]- Rick Riordan (unabridged audiobook)
17. Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America [nonfiction/memoir]- John Waters (unabridged audiobook)
18. Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World #2) [fiction]- Rebecca Roanhorse
19. The Mistress Of Nothing [fiction]- Kate Pullinger
20. The Graveyard Book [fiction]-Neil Gaiman (unabridged audiobook)
21. The Vanishing Half [fiction]- Brit Bennett
22. Certain Dark Things [fiction]- Silvia Moreno-Garcia
23. The Long Way Home (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #10) - Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
24. Creepy, Stabby, and Mentally Odd [fiction/short stories]- Wednesday Lee Friday
25. Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History [nonfiction/biography]-Yunte Huang
26. This House Is Haunted [fiction- John Boyne
27. An Unkindness of Ghosts [fiction- Rivers Solomon (unabridged audiobook)
28. The Incredulity of Father Brown [fiction/short stories]- G.K. Chesterton
29. Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good [nonfiction/essays]- Adrienne Maree Brown (author and editor)
30. The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #11) [fiction- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
31. The Sellout [fiction]- Paul Beatty
32. The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband [nonfiction/memoir]- David Finch (unabridged audiobook)
33. Paradise Tales: and Other Stories [fiction/short stories]- Geoff Ryman
34. A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #12) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
35. Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism [nonfiction/memoir]- Dawn Prince-Hughes
36. Such a Fun Age [fiction]- Kiley Reid
37. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body [nonfiction/memoir]- Roxane Gay (unabridged audiobook)
38. I Am Legend and Other Stories [fiction/short stories]- Richard Matheson (unabridged audiobook)
39. The Ultimate Guide to Raising a Puppy: How to Train and Care for Your New Dog [nonfiction]- Victoria Stilwell
40. The Prophets [fiction]- Robert Jones Jr.
41. Good Dog 101: Easy Lessons to Train Your Dog the Happy, Healthy Way [nonfiction]- Cristine Dahl
42. How to Be Both [fiction]- Ali Smith
43. Glass Houses (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #13) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
44. The Little Stranger [fiction]- Sarah Waters
45. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer [nonfiction]- Michelle McNamara & other contributors (unabridged audiobook)
46. Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance (The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries #1) [fiction]- Gyles Brandreth (unabridged audiobook)
47. White Is for Witching [fiction]- Helen Oyeyemi
48. Kingdom of the Blind (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #14) [fiction]- Louise Penny (unabridged audiobook)
