Year in Review - 2020

Finally bringing this rollercoaster of a year to an end.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who found myself trying to escape through the written word at times, while at others not having the mental capacity to even focus on another world outside our own. I wonder if it’s telling that I devoted more time to nonfiction than any other year. I guess when the world starts to burn, you want to remember what it was like before the fire. Or what caused it.

I started this year with vigor and excitement to continue the reading and reviewing I’d managed to turn into a happy hobby. I began tackling the Wheel of Time with hopes of finishing one book per month, with a side piece in between (a pattern I carried through the whole year, more or less). And somehow, amidst normal life (remember what that was like?), it was working!

Quarantine began in March right on my birthday, and the time for books and hobbies exploded, keeping me on pace. After beginning the 6th WoT novel, protests and arguments took over the world and my headspace, and the energy previously given toward reading for fun felt like a waste of time. I wanted to be productive and educate myself on the issues, something long overdue, and focused my efforts that direction. I didn’t have consistent energy and moved slow while comforting my mental health like we all had to do this year, but made it through alive. After the longest break between finishing a book in years and moving back to the Midwest, I completed that damn 6th book, processed the tumultuous summer, and got back on track. Ended up well shy of my goal, but made it to 20 reads with relatively few scars.

Interestingly, I read way less books but maintained my average page count compared to earlier years, and maybe would have BEATEN my page count record if it wasn’t for my short hiatus. These Wheel of Time books are no joke. I foresee another full year before completing the series however. I think stretching out the experience makes it more impactful anyway. And highly recommend the short pitstops between.

Now, for the highlights of the year. My average rating of 4.3 is most likely from the Wheel of Time set and excellent nonfiction raising the bar. I mean, eight five-star reads is probably a bit generous, but I aimed for the guaranteed quality in my searches. No real duds either, learning my lesson from last year. Plus a bit of luck.

The ultimate winners of the five star tier are:

The Shadow Rising (WoT #4)

This is How You Lose the Time War

The Color of Law

On Writing

And in a tight race for favorite, with Time War coming in as a close runner-up, the outright winner of 2020 is:

A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW

It came when I needed it, and I still feel wistful about the time we shared. Is that too much emotion toward a book? Never.

Many of these titles also inspired me to finally test the waters of my own writing, and it has become one of the greatest joys of my life. Who knows if it will ever reach the masses. At least there’s been a few silver linings to this batshit life the last twelve months.

I’ll be creeping into 2021 with a tried and true reading routine, the second half of the Wheel of Time, and a new perspective on plotting and characters. I'm just thankful we can now say goodbye to a year that felt like a lifetime.