Ringing in the New Year Book Tag

Umm, hello! It’s been a little while… or a lot of while! I definitely took a little two-month break. After being successful in completing Blogtober, I wanted to take a couple weeks off from writing. Doing 31 posts in 31 days is a LOT! I needed a breather. But, that couple of weeks turned into a couple months…

But, anyway! Here I am, ready to wrap up the absolutely ridiculous year that was 2020. With a ton of mental health dips, anxiety, and working in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, I didn’t nearly read as much as I wanted to. I didn’t hit my reading goal. I didn’t read the 20 books I wanted to read in 2020. I didn’t do a lot of the things I was planning on doing.

AND THAT’S OKAY!

We were literally in the middle of a pandemic, you, me, all of us are allowed to not have a perfect year.

So, let’s review what I read this year.

My Goodreads Goal for 2020 was to read 50 books.

I had such high aspirations to read all 50 books this year, so if I am being honest, I am a little disappointed. It is hard to remember that I should be going easy on myself.

But, for 2021, I set the same goal of 50 books, and I am hopeful that I can achieve it. One year I will achieve it.

And, to all those people who read 400 books a year… HOW? I am so impressed with you, go you!

Anyway, let’s get into these questioned and remember the books I did end up reading this year.

I found this book tag on the beautiful blog, Bookmark Your Thoughts, ran by Jenna! Their blog is an absolute delight to read, so definitely check it out! This was a book tag from last year, so I have changed all the “2019s” to “2020s” and the “2020s” to “2021s.” You can find the original creator of the tag on Bookmark Chronicles.

Best Book/Series that you Read in 2020

This was so so difficult, as I read a lot of incredible books in 2020. I may have not read as many books as I would have liked, but I definitely read some quality ones. Both of these books are so introspective and atmospheric, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters. I was already in love with Erin Morgenstern’s writing from The Night Circus but getting to read Leigh Bardugo’s writing in adult fiction was a whole other experience from her young adult works. Both of these books were immersive, dark, and intriguing, they definitely top my list of favorite books of all time.

Authors that you’ve recently found and would like to read more of in the new year

After years and years of seeing raving reviews about Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing, I finally picked up Poet X on a whim, and boy am I glad that I did. Acevedo’s writing is a poetic masterpiece, and that is coming from someone who doesn’t enjoy reading poetry. I read both of these stories through the audiobook, and I can’t recommend that form enough. It is read by the author, who has been involved in spoken word for years. The timbre and rhythm of Acevedo’s voice is a huge asset to the stories. With the Fire on High is definitely on my list for 2021.

Most anticipated book turned movie

Okay, here me out. I know I have not actually read this book yet, but I am so excited to watch the Netflix adaptation that recently was released. So, technically I am still anticipating it because I want to read the book first before I watch the show. I was planning on reading Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaiptra and Dhoniella Clayton in 2020, but like many books, I never got around to it. If you have been reading my blog for a long time, you know how much I adore books and media about ballet. I am hoping to get to this one early this year.

What’s on your TBR for 2021? (Top 5 will suffice if it’s an extremely long list)

I will be writing a full post of the books I REALLY want to get to in 2021 so stay tuned for that. But for now, here are a few that are on the top of my list. A couple of these are new to my TBR, like Legend Born by Tracy Deonn and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I learned of these books this year and I can’t wait to discover the secrets they hold. The others were on my TBR last year, and I am still interested in reading them.

How many books do you hope to read in 2021?

Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I am hoping to read 50 books in 2021. I have set my reading goal at 50 for a couple years now and have yet to reach it. But I am hoping that this is the year. Fingers crossed!

Will you participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge (Or any others)?

I am already 1 book behind, but don’t worry. I have plenty of times… *nervous laughs*

Any new years resolutions (bookish or otherwise)?

• (Bookish) Read outside my comfort genres
• (Bookish) Read 50 books
• (Bookish) Write more book reviews
• (Non-Bookish) Write my next novel
• (Non-Bookish) Get my lifestyle blog, jackieem.com, monetized
• (Non0Bookish) Take some online ballet classes
• (Non-Bookish) Apply for Grad School
• (Non-Bookish) Start my small business

Despite how difficult 2020 was… and the beginning of 2021 has been… I am feeling very hopeful for this year. I always get a burst of energy and motivation at the beginning of a new year. This year it came 2 weeks late. But now that I have it, I am ready to go!

A year is long, but goes by in a flash. I can’t wait to see what 2021 holds in both my bookish and non-bookish lives.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any resolutions for 2021! I would love to know!