Having more time to read was one of my silver linings of the 2020 lockdowns. I read 66 books which is a record for me, according to Goodreads that is a total of about 20600 pages! I really enjoyed carefully choosing some books, being recommended and lent books by friends, and serendipitously coming across some in the little free libraries. Hereunder is this year of wonderful books in numbers and my intentions for 2021 (I will share some of my favourite reads from last year in another post soon).
As in the past few years I made a conscious effort to make my reading more diverse. In 2020, 79% of the books I read were written by women and 42% by Black, Indigenous People and People of Colour. I was able to travel vicariously and learn more about the cultures of countries such as Cameroon, China, Dominican Republic, Greenland, India, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Poland, South Korea, Togo and Uganda. I am grateful for how all these voices help to broaden my horizons and get glimpses of worlds I would otherwise know little or nothing about.
I read a very mixed bag of books, though the majority was fiction (77%). I feel like I swung between extremes: I read books on topics such as feminism, racism and social injustice to keep deepening my understanding of these complex issues, and next to that I read a bunch of light romantic novels just to get out of the pandemic mood and into some parallel worlds with predictable happy endings.
I was surprised to see that I actually hadn’t purchased many books. The majority of books I borrowed from the public library (35%), from family and friends (24%) or from the little free libraries in my neighbourhood (21%). The rest I got as gifts or bought either new or second hand.
What about my intentions related to reading for 2021? To support my local book stores more (they need it now more than ever), to continue reading books from different countries, discovering authors of I have never read anything by and to keep actively educating myself about white supremacy, capitalism and inequality so I can get be better informed on how they intersect and do my best to be an ally where I can.
What are your reading plans for 2021? Feel free to share in the comments, I’d love to be inspired by them!
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Click on the links to see my reading overviews for 2019, 2018 and 2017, and further book lists.
Cultivating joy 
Wow, that’s truly impressive! 66 books! I love reading, but with work, life and a four-year-old toddler my number wasn’t even close to yours! There’s a pile of new exciting books right beside my bed and I can’t wait to read all of them. Happy reading 🙂 Aiva
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Hi Avia, thanks for dropping by:-) I live alone and have no little ones to look after which leaves me plenty of time to read, I’m very grateful for those free hours. So great that you already have a pile of exciting books waiting for you on your nightstand ❤ Enjoy those blissful moments of relaxation after a long day of work. Take care! Fanny
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I like the poles you describe of reading about social issues and then relaxing with lighter novels. Our library has been closed for almost a year now, sadly, but there’s an excellent used bookstore right in town. Still, it isn’t as pleasant as it used to be – one’s reading glasses fog up from the mask, they don’t want you to sip your coffee inside the store. 😉 Nevertheless, I go there frequently and bought a number of books there – one or two light mysteries for relaxing, and odd things that appealed at the moment. I suppose the category that I enjoyed the most this year was zen Buddhism. That interest goes back decades so I’ve already read a lot but I found new books this year that were inspirational. The other exciting find was a field guide to plants that deals precisely with habitats where I live, which are different from those on the mainland. It’s really wonderful to have a guide that addresses the peculiarities of this island environment.
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Hi, thank you so much for your lovely message. Used bookstores are wonderful treasure troves indeed!! The field guide of your local plants and habitats sounds wonderful! I always love reading details and scientific names of plants that appear in your beautiful photos. It’s great to gain precious knowledge on your specific environment ❤ Enjoy the zen Buddhism readings, they are perfectly adapted for these times we are living in… Take good care!
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I think we’re kindred spirits… 🙂 Thank you for the good words, and have a great weekend!
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Yes we are!! 🙂 Enjoy your weekend too! I hope you can enjoy some nature walks!
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