Welcome to 2020!
I am excited to welcome 2020! Some years are harder than others and 2019 seemed hard. I can’t point to any one thing that made it hard but throughout the year, I felt like a general malaise had settled over my life.
After taking some time to reflect on the last year and think about the upcoming year, I decided I wanted to make joy the focus of my year.
Reading in 2019
Since I read a lot of picture books, I had a goal of reading 300 books in 2019 and a sub-goal of reading 12 adult titles and 25 longer titles. I surpassed the 300 goal by at least 55 books. I was not great at tracking all of the titles I read this year and am still adding as I find titles that I missed. I also didn’t add my award reading which would send the number of 25 longer titles way past that goal. I did read about 12 adult titles but several of those were cookbooks. (Yes, I read cookbooks.) I did start a number of books that I did not finish and I did not record. Many are ones that I plan to revisit but sometimes I need to be in a certain mood to read a book. Overall, I am content with my reading for 2019 and thankful for audiobooks which really help me with getting to more longer titles.
Reading Goals for 2020
In keeping with my goal of joy, I want my reading to reflect that same goal. I set my overall goal at 365 books. I want to read at least 12 adult titles and 40 longer titles. I plan to give myself plenty of freedom to read what I want even if they are much older titles or guilty pleasures like mysteries. I also realized that my graphic novel reading was way down last year and hope to increase that this year.
Blogging Goals for 2020
In July, it will be my 10 year anniversary. I can’t believe that I have been blogging for almost 10 years. At times, it’s been hard to keep up and I am not exactly sure where I am going with it in 2020 but I do know that I will continue to host the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.
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Now for some of my favorite books from 2019. This was hard because there were so many that I loved. If you don’t see a book that you loved on this list, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great book. It may mean that I didn’t get a chance to read it or for the sake of having a varied list of titles, I picked one book over another.
Favorite books in 2019 - I am limiting this to 2019 releases.
Nonfiction Favorites from 2019 in no particular order…
Handimals: Animals in Art and Nature by Silvia Lopez, Photos by Guido Daniele
It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear, Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me by Susan L. Roth
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor
by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Katy Wu
Did You Burp? How to Ask Questions…Or not! by April Pulley Sayre, Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes
The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Sarah Jacoby
Seashells More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart, Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Fiction Favorites from 2019 in no particular order…
Stormy: A Story About Finding a Forever Home by Guojing
This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward
Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour, Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Tradition by Kevin Noble Maillard, Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Saturday by Oge Mora
At the Mountain’s Base by Traci Sorrell, Illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang, Illustrated by Charlene Chua
Hum and Swish by Matt Myers
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
Happy New Year! Check back next Wednesday for Information on the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and how to sign up!
