Rachel's 2021 Reading Recap ??

Note: Every January, I analyse my past year's reading to ensure that I am choosing books from as many cultures and genres as possible. I use Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Excel to complete my analysis.

In 2021, I read 106 books.

2021 was my year of extreme highs and lows. I started January 2021 unemployed, broke, with few professional prospects and an expiring visa. I'm incredibly grateful that 2022 has begun very differently (even if I now have a lot more grey hair ??). During my rollercoaster of a year, I found myself drawn to two types of books: familiar comfort reads and narratives that helped illustrate and illuminate my worldview.

To celebrate five years of tracking my reading, I've tried something new (see below). If you missed last year's analysis, here are a few things to know. I am a mood reader, so I chose what to read based on how I'm feeling at that moment. I aim for at least 1 out of every 3 books to be by an author of colour or a member of a minority community. I keep lists of books by authors of all ethnic and religious backgrounds on Hoopla, Libby, and Goodreads to ensure I always have a variety of options queued up.

Here are five frequently asked questions about my reading habits:

"How do you read so many books?"

I've been a big reader for most of my life, but I don't set a goal to read 75-100 books a year. I've simply made small changes in my life to make reading as easy as possible. The results speak for themselves.

Here are my top tips to read more:

1. Get rid of social media. We've all lost an hour or two mindlessly browsing social media feeds. Delete these apps in 2022. You'll be amazed at how much more time you have for reading. Don't believe me? The average reading speed in the UK is about 200 words per minute. The average book is about 90,000 words in length. If my math is correct, it should take about 7.5 hours to read a book and 750 hours to read 100 books. The average American spent 1,300 hours on social media and over 1,100 hours watching TV in 2020. The stats are similar in the UK. If you cut back on screen time, you can read dozens of books a year.
2. Read more than one book at a time. I read one physical book, one digital book, and one audiobook at the same time. If I start to get bored with one story, I switch to another. That way, I'm always making progress with my reading.
3. Carve out 10-30 minutes of dedicated reading time daily. I like to read before bed and during my lunch break. I listen to audiobooks on my commute or while walking my dog. Reading 10-20 pages at a time adds up. Consciously choosing to step away from work for a half hour also helps my ability to focus later in the afternoon.

"What do you read?"

Literally everything. Here's a sample of genres I read in 2021: biography, business, contemporary fiction, essays, fantasy, graphic novels, health, historical fiction, history, horror, literary fiction, magical realism, memoir, mystery, romance, philosophy, plays, poetry, politics, science/nature, science fiction, short stories, sociology, sports, technology, thriller, and young adult. That said, I tend to favour fiction (>70% of my 2021 books).

"What was your favourite book this year?"

See below! As I think long and hard about my business and the role I want to play in society, I find myself devouring books that encourage placing nature at the heart of one's actions. You may not be surprised to see that some of my favourite books in 2021 were by Indigenous authors who discussed the relationships between humans and the environment. I was also very impressed by some of the poetry collections I read this year by Richard Blanco, Ada Limón, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.

"Can you recommend a book?"

I sure can. Just let me know what you like to read and/or what you're trying to read more of. Otherwise I'll recommend books I liked (but which you may not).

"What are you reading now?"

Richard Osman's The Man Who Died Twice (physical book), Chanel Miller's Know My Name (audiobook), and Honoreé Fanonne Jeffers' The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois (digital). Next: I'm determined to read The Brothers Karamazov this year. Let me know ASAP if you have a favourite translation. In 2022, I'm planning to read several books that have been on my "To Be Read" list for years, so hopefully they'll be worth the wait!

xx

PS: In case you're wondering, I didn't read 100 books this year because I was unemployed for a few months. Stress/anxiety/depression affects my ability to focus as much as anyone else. My reading rate increased significantly once I began working again, despite having much less free time overall.