2020

Kiesha and I started this blog in 2014 for a number of reasons. One, it was a way to keep track of what we’d read and how we felt about those reads. Two, it was a fun project to work on together. Three, we were both pretty into book blogs at the time. Between the two of us, we have well over 300 reviews and lists on this platform, which is pretty cool. Kiesha decided to stop blogging in 2015 for personal reasons, and I basically fell off the wagon this past year for literally no reason other than I stopped reading.

That’s right. I stopped reading. I read six books this year. Six. Using Goodreads as my measuring stick, here’s the steady decline of my literary consumption:

In 2014, I read 35 books — but I didn’t begin tracking those until July 2014, so I suspect the total is a bit higher.
In 2015, I read 112 books (I was shooting for 150).
In 2016, I read 30 books (shooting for 52).
In 2017, I read 32 books (again, of my 52 goal).
In 2018, I read 14 books (yep, still aiming for one book a week at 52).
And in 2019, a dismal SIX books.

It should be noted that when I say books, I’m talking reading for pleasure, not for required reading for work or otherwise. I also don’t cheat and count cookbooks.

What the hell?! I know exactly what happened, but much of it is my own prioritization of reading. For one, I began a new job in December 2016; after that, my time was limited and honestly, I resorted more to binge watching shows than reading. I began another new position in 2018, which created even more of an issue with that.

For me, blogging is an outlet and a means of holding myself accountable. I was driven to create new content (despite a lack of viewers, which is not why I blog).

I’m not one for resolutions, but here is my intention for 2020 — less television, more books. I’m aiming high this year — 100 books in 2020.