December 26, 2019

2019 Reading Stats and 2020 Goals

Brace yourself for a nerdy post, bookaholics!

Have you ever set a reading goal or considered a reading challenge?

For today’s post, I’m linking up with Girlxoxo and Traveling With T for Month of Faves: Challenges and Goals.

Reading in 2019

I’d love to hear from you if you analyze reading data at year’s end. Although I’ve always been analytical, I think my appreciation for using data to inform the future was heightened during my tenure as a teacher when I poured over student data to inform my teaching. Now, instead of looking at student achievement, I’m paying attention to my own numbers as it relates to reading achievement. I realize that while numbers are not that important in a rewarding reading life, they do reveal some trends and inform future reading choices. It’s important to me that I’m reading diversely, supporting women authors, and increasing my nonfiction percentage. While this post about the numbers is mostly a self-reflection, I hope you find it interesting and possibly motivating toward considering your own reading achievement during the past year and setting some goals for 2020.

If you’ve read ONE book this year, you’re a reader and I encourage you to celebrate that read and accomplishment!

Blog Feedback

I’d also like to know (in comments) what you’d like to see more of or less of on the blog for 2020. Has the variety this year been satisfactory for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts! In fact, I may put together a survey in January.
Find my 2019 blogging recap post here.

Best of 2019

Also, start thinking about the best book you’ve read in 2019, and I’ll be back in a few days to discuss and share my list.

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Let’s Talk Numbers!

Total Books Read: 110

This is the highest number of books I’ve read since starting a reading log and retiring….I averaged 25-30 books a year when I was teaching full time and the majority of those were read during the summer. For me in this season of life, 100 books is a comfortable number. I average two books per week and the weeks when I can only read one dense nonfiction are balanced out later when I can read 3 lighter, shorter books in one week.

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Books Abandoned (DNF): 9

I’m getting better at abandoning books that aren’t working for me. There are too many great books waiting to be read to make myself finish something that isn’t right for me at the time. Are you a fearless abandoner or a committed finisher? 

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Women Authors: 91

One of my goals in starting this blog is to support women authors writing about strong women and I feel like I’ve had success in this area.

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Diverse Reads: 19

I’m defining diverse books as ones that take place in a culture other than my own and whose characters are ethnically different from me….. some historical fiction could fit this definition but I didn’t include them in the diversity count. The diverse titles I’ve read this year are among my most memorable reads of the year.

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Fiction: (Broken Down by Sub-Genre): 96

The sub-genres add up to more than 96 because a few books fall into more than one category.

Historical Fiction: 38
This is obviously a favorite sub-genre!

Literary Fiction: 3
This is a category which brings about some debate among readers….the most simple definition is that literary fiction is not genre fiction. Also, it’s known as literature written to explore the meaning of life and its issues….for example, most prestigious award recipients and national prize winners are categorized as literary fiction.

Women’s Fiction: 32
Again, a reader’s definition may vary….for me they are books in which most characters are women and the plot centers around women’s concerns and issues….some in this category are lighter reads that readers refer to as “beach reads” or “vacation reads.”

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense: 11
Clearly, I don’t read too much in this category because real life is scary enough….mainly, the books I read in this category are best sellers that I want to form my own opinion about. However, one of my favorite mystery series that I’ve deemed “just right” is the Inspector Armand Gamache Series by Louise Penny which is set in Three Pines.

Issue Centered: 8
The main purpose of these stories is to focus on a social or health issue. I usually enjoy these books unless they are heavily agenda driven by the author.

Middle Grade: 5
Even though my numbers are low for this genre this year, I love a great Middle Grade read! There’s some enjoyable and engaging literature in this category for adults! In fact, one of these Middle-Grade reads might make it on my best of the year list.

Young Adult: 11
A satisfactory number for me this year.

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Nonfiction (broken down into sub-genres): 13

This is a definite area for improvement for me in 2020!

Memoir: 7
Memoir is a favorite form of nonfiction.

Biography: 1

Narrative Nonfiction: 1
Biographies are written in story format.

Essay: 4

True Crime: 0
I started one but it was a DNF after I had a bad dream! Not my fav genre!

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Let’s Consider 2020 Goals

Here are my reading goals for 2020 (please share yours in comments):
(for blog goals, see this post)

Goal 1:

Goodreads Reading Challenge (determine how many books you’d like to read and track them through the Goodreads app). This is the easiest of the goals/challenges as it simply involves setting a number. This number can be adjusted throughout the year if you are reading above or below your goal. I recommend setting a reasonable goal and then raising it if necessary. My goal is 100 books. I met this goal in 2018 and 2019 and it’s reasonable that I will meet it again. Retirement helps tremendously! The 2020 Goodreads challenge will be available at the first of the year. Are we friends on Goodreads?

Goal 2:

Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020 Reading Challenge (very broad, doable categories that might provide some stretch in your reading life). Find my 2019 MMD Reading Challenge results here. With the number of books I read, this goal is fairly easy for me to achieve. It doesn’t require a sign up (unless you want to receive emails from the site).

Goal 3:

Participate in other challenges such as:

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge (especially great for bloggers and reviewers who want monthly link-up opportunities)….My Goal: read twenty-five histfic books

NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge (link-up opportunities for members of NetGalley and Edelweiss)..My Goal: read and review 10 Netgalley books.

2020 Nonfiction Reader Challenge…My Goal: read three nonfiction books from any category

Goal 4:

Based on my 2019 reading, I know I want to increase my nonfiction reading. Out of 110 books read, 13 were nonfiction. Although that averages to one per month, I’d like to increase that to 20 books for 2020.

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What reading goals do you have for 2020?

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Happy New Year! I hope you’ve experienced some pleasurable and challenging reading in 2019 and are eagerly anticipating the reading year ahead!

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QOTD:

Did you meet your reading goal for 2019?

What is your 2020 Reading Goal?

Do you use a method for tracking your reads during the year?

Have you considered your best read of the year?

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Happy Reading Book Worms!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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Looking Ahead:

To finish out 2019, I’ll be posting a December Wrap Up and My Best Reads of the Year.

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In Movie News….

Did you see Little Women in the theater this week?

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Let’s Get Social!

Thank you for visiting and reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along (see subscribe or follow option), promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.

Find me at:
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ICYMI

I have finished my Fall TBR!
(just in time to begin my Winter TBR!)

Winter 2019 TBR

My Nonfiction November Posts:
2019 Nonfiction Reads
Nonfiction and Racial Injustice
Nonfiction/Fiction Pairings
Favorite Nonfiction Books
2020 Nonfiction TBR
Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

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Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.