Reading Reflection: 2016

It's hard to believe that 2016 is over already. It feels like only a few months ago that I was sitting down to make a list of resolutions and mapping out what I wanted to read. Looking back now, I'm proud of what I accomplished. I stuck to my plan of reading books from different themes each month, and posted a blog review for everything I read. I completed my Back to the Classics reading challenge. I read more diversely than I ever have before, and I felt more engaged and reflective throughout the reading process than in previous years.

A peek at Goodreads tells me that I read 76 total books in 2016, which equates to 25,714 pages. Out of all those reads, I rated 42 of them at 4 or 5 stars. I found a handful of new favorites and didn't end up reading too many stinkers. I solved my first mystery with Sherlock Holmes, journeyed 20,000 leagues under the sea with Captain Nemo, and fell down the rabbit hole with Alice. I crawled around a haunted opera house with the Phantom of the Opera, plotted a revenge scheme with the Count of Monte Cristo, and rang the bells of Notre Dame with Quasimodo. I studied chimpanzees with Jane Goodall in Gombe, journeyed into the Arctic with the U.S.S. Jeannette, and watched Owen Meany make the best shot of his life. It was a wonderful year for reading overall. Here's a breakdown of what my months looked like:

January: Science Fiction
February: Books with Diverse Protagonists
March: Strong Women
April: Nonfiction
May: Kindle Books
June: Adventure Books
July: Favorite Authors
August: Books from my Shelves
September: Scary Books
October: Banned Books
November: Fantasy Books
December: Award-Winning Books

Back the the Classics Challenge Wrap Up

My Favorite Reads of 2016: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

My Least Favorite Reads of 2016: Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt, You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

That being said, there is one area that I want to be better in during 2017. I have an unfortunate tendency to slip into bouts of mild depression sometimes. I believe this is linked to some anxiety issues I have combined with a stressful work environment. When I go into these phases, I stop reading (well, stop doing everything, really) and I know this isn't good for me. One of my resolutions for the new year is to take better care of myself so that this doesn't happen. Reading is one of the big lights in my life, and going through periods where I'm not reading make the issues I am struggling with worse. I want to read every single day in 2017.

I'm also feeling a little hesitant towards the future. The results of our last election hurt me deeply and threw me into a funk that I still haven't completely recovered from. When I think about 2017, there's a good measure of fear in there - fear about healthcare costs, fear about my rights over my own body, fear for the state of the environment, and fear for how ugly the world seems now. I think that taking better care of myself and reading each day will help remind me that the future can still be bright and that goodness still exists out there. If nothing else, I can at least get lost in different worlds for a little while.

I hope that everyone out there who is reflecting on the past and planning out their 2017 reading goals has a bright and successful new year full of great books, hot mugs of tea, and a good amount of peace and quiet.