2020 Year in Review

This has definitely been a year like no other. Brooke and I were both fortunate enough to be able to keep working throughout the pandemic but this year is still probably the most I’ve been able to read since middle school! I wasn’t quite as successful on my blogging goals but, overall, am pretty happy with this year.

Goals

I think setting goals is important and writing them down is a good idea to help hold yourself accountable. Making them public, such as on a blog or social media, takes this idea even further!

Reading Goals

I was behind for most of the year but managed to catch up by the end and meet my goal of reading 26 books in 2020! I also managed to do a better job reviewing most of these with 15 reviews written this year. Last year, I only managed to review 6 of the 16 books I read. So, improvement in both categories! To compare further, check out my 2019 Year in Review.

For 2021, I kept my reading goal the same at 26 books and hope to stay on pace this time, consistently reading at least one book every two weeks! I’m also planning to continue reviewing the majority of books read since I like sharing my thoughts and having my favorite quotes to look back on.

Blogging Goals

I didn’t spend as much time on my blogging goals as I’d planned to in 2020. Therefore, a lot of my 2021 goals are carried over from this year:

• Finish the Week in Quotes series.
  • I left off in mid-February 2020 due to illness and a trip to Thailand but plan to finish out the missing Feb-June dates this year!
• Have at least one quality article to post each week by me or Brooke.
  • I enjoy reading more than writing, so I’ve decided to back off on my article goals but still want to have at least one post added to Quill Quotes each week!
  • My 2019 articles: 41 2020: 50 Total: 91
• Grow blog traffic to >1,000 monthly active users.
  • 2020 peak monthly active users: 440
  • We didn’t meet this goal in 2020 but made big progress from the peak of 167 in 2019!
• Make >$500 blogging.
  • Blog earnings to date: $3.79
    • The blog is definitely more of a hobby than a business at this point but anything we can bring in to offset the cost of the website will be great!

2020 Recap

Favorite Book

I only had a few 5-star reads this year: The Forever War, Children of Dune, and Ready Player One. Of these, The Forever War by Joe Haldeman is my top pick! I actually wasn’t expecting to like this book much based on the description but decided to go ahead with it since it’s on so many best sci-fi book lists. I’m certainly glad I did! Check out my full review here.

Least Favorite Book

My least favorite book of 2020 was In a Field of Blue by Gemma Liviero and was my only 2-star rating. This rating also surprised me since I thoroughly enjoyed another of this author’s books, The Road Beyond Ruin, in 2019. I think the different settings of WWI for In a Field of Blue versus WWII for the other made all the difference to me. Therefore, my low rating is probably more a measure of my interest in the time period than of the book itself. For other perspectives, read Brooke’s review and our book club’s thoughts!

Favorite Re-Read (and Shortest Book)

My only re-read this year was A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. I enjoyed this classic example of satire in high school but mostly read it again since it’s short (48 pages) and I needed to catch up on my reading goal lol.

Favorite Audiobook

I don’t listen to many audiobooks, but Brooke did convince me to listen to one of her Audible Originals this year: The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel. It was pretty good and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi! It also inspired me to watch Battlestar Galactica and catch up on The Expanse.

Longest Book

The longest book I read this year was Dune by Frank Herbert at 884 pages! Although, if you don’t count the appendix, Children of Dune might be slightly longer and was more enjoyable for me. I haven’t reviewed any of the sequels yet but you can check out my Dune review here!

Favorite 2020 Blog Post

My favorite blog post this year is not necessarily an article but rather the entire Quill Quotes Book Club page! We started the book club in April and figuring out all the organization and quiz plugins to make it work was a challenge but very rewarding. We’ve been meaning to put together a survey to gather feedback on the book club but haven’t gotten to it yet, hopefully early this year! I can’t wait to hear you feedback on the book club and keep reading with you in 2021!

Favorite Quote

It’s always hard to pick a favorite quote, especially if you’re like me and highlight a ton. My absolute favorites tend to come from sci-fi though and deal with life’s philosophical questions. For 2020, my top quote is “The only real problem in life, an ancient philosopher once said, is what to do next” from Arthur C. Clarke’s Imperial Earth. Read my full review of this book here.

Most Looking Forward to Reading in 2021

After reading Ready Player One for December’s book club, I’m really looking forward to reading Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline soon! I’ve already purchased the book and am just trying to finish up a few other tasks before it consumes all my time.

2020 Year in Review: Final Thoughts

All in all, it’s been a pretty good year for reading! I hope the pandemic gets under control soon and life can return to normal but, until then, the lack of outside commitments certainly makes reading easier. Were you able to read more or less than you wanted to this year?

What was your favorite book you read this year? Is there a book you’re particularly looking forward to reading in 2021?