Since once you put something on the internet it is there forever, I felt like I needed to document some of how 2020 impacted and affected me, in regards to reading. Maybe not for everyone, but the experience of reading in 2020 for me looked a lot different. The need for an escape and distraction drove a lot of my reading. As I started preparing for my end of year reading wraps it was becoming apparent that there were some interesting stats and components to my 2020 reading.

40% of books I read were audiobooks

This year was a stressful one, which made it even harder for me as an insomniac to sleep. This usually meant I was listening to audiobooks to help me turn off my brain and fall asleep. There were times I also had such a hard time focusing on anything and would pick up an audiobook to try and feel productive.

I tended to pick up shorter books, the average number of pages per books was 290 pages

I needed the small success and accomplishment of completing a book, which led me to picking up the shorter books. This year made it hard to keep out that darkness of everything happening in the world. It was hard to find the happiness and accomplishment with anything when it seemed like the world was falling apart. Living alone and working from home created a really isolated environment for me. I needed the quick distractions and feeling of productivity that were brought upon by those short books.

52% of the books I read were romance books and 18% were fantasy books

This is not meant in anyway to put off romance books. Over the last couple years I have continued to work on my relationship with Romance books. They tend to be shorter and many are full of such joy and happiness. I needed those HEA that romance books provide. I needed the people, feelings and drama! In comparison my reading last year was 32% fantasy, but fantasy tends to be long and complex. I have been seeing so many fantasy book posts/videos and it makes me sad I didn’t read as many this year. But my motivation just wasn’t there this year.

I read 105 books (as of 12/16) in 2020

Because I wasn’t traveling for work or pleasure as well as not able to do much during this year, I resorted to reading! Trying to escape my own reality and get lost in someone else’s world and drama probably saved me this year. In 2019 I was able to read a total of 80 books.

I lost myself in books this year, the stories, the drama, the romance and banter/sass. I read so many amazing books this year. I have developed future plans and come to decisions on things I want to pursue in the next year from my time spent with books this year. I’ve discovered so many new authors, blog ideas as well as a better idea of the books I enjoy and want to read. 2020 also brought many new bookish discoveries and revelations. I am so happy for this connections I have made from the bookish community and that my love of reading saved me this year.

Did you reading look different this year? Did you read more/less? Did you resort to the escape and distractions that books can bring?

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