2021 Reading Stats
(As usual, borrowed and modified from the sadly now discontinued blog, Boston Bibliophile.)
How many books read? 57
Fiction/nonfiction? 48 fiction (including 2 mixed collections), 9 nonfiction
Female/male/nonbinary author ratio? 41 female, 13 male, and 3 collections with mixed genders
Writers of Color/Minority Writers? 10 books by writers of color, 13 books by Jewish authors, which also includes some writers of color and LGBTQ writers
Favorite book? The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers--three very different aliens temporarily stranded at a waystation in space, plus their host alien and her child--a thoughtful depiction of alien cultures and a masterpiece of character interaction
Longest and shortest books?
Longest: The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman, at 784 pages.
Shortest: The Latke in the Library & Other Mystery Stories for Chanukah by Libi Astaire, at 93 pages.
How many books from the library? 24. Pretty good!
Which countries did you go to through the page in your year of reading?
The barren but populated planet of Gora (the waystation), New York City at various times, San Francisco in the 1980s, Sweden, the Graceling and Winterkeep realms, British countryside in the 1500s and 1920s, Mars, Venice, Egypt, rural Virginia, Boston, Portland OR, South Korea, Alabama, the beach, Turkey in the 1950s, California, Kentucky, Arizona, Vietnam and Canada at various times, and several assorted planets
Any translated books?
Yes, two from French, two from Swedish, and the two Paper Brigade literary magazines I read this year each contained a story translated from Hebrew.
Most read author of the year, and how many books by that author?
Tie between Jennifer Wiener (Mrs. Everything, Good in Bed, and Big Summer) and Kevin Emerson (Chronicle of the Dark Star trilogy).
Any re-reads?
I reread Bitterblue before reading Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore, and I reread Call Down the Hawk before reading Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater. I also reread My Life On the Road by Gloria Steinem because one of my book clubs read it. It was even better the second time.
Favorite character of the year?
Pei, from The Galaxy, and the Ground Within; she's a character in earlier books that I enjoyed, but we really get to know her here.
Which book wouldn’t you have read without someone’s specific recommendation?
I read a lot of books this year for book clubs that I wouldn't have read otherwise; of those, my favorites were Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson and Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson
Which author was new to you that you now want to read the entire works of?
Leigh Bardugo
Which books are you annoyed you didn't read?
None. I'm not worried about this anymore.
Did you read any books you have always been meaning to read?
Yes, A Traveler in Time, Ru, and Wild Ginger had been on my shelves for a while, and I also finally got around to reading Ready Player Two, and I'd wanted to read Jennifer Weiner for a while.
How many books did you read on your ereader?
11, including some of the library books.
Oldest book read? A Traveler in Time by Alison Uttley, pub. 1939
Newest? Dogs on the Trail: A Year in the Life by Blair Braverman and Quince Mountain, pub. Oct. 19 2021
How many SFF books did you read? 20--up from 7 last year, but still down from 32 the year before.
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