Thoughts on my 2016 reads and my 2 goals for 2017.

I completely forgot about this blog in 2016 and after my favorite reads of 2015 post I only posted two reviews, so I want to be intentional about this year. I want to continue to be a better writer and if I don't take every opportunity to write that I can that won't happen.

I went through my 50 reads of last year to really sit and think about what I wanted do for this coming year. My goals for 2016 was to read my own books and for everything but one book that I borrowed from the library I did read what I own, which was great. I still have 100+ unread books to get through and I want to continue to #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks 

Since beginning to vlog on Youtube in 2013 and tracking my reading, I've read 275 books in 4 years. Amazing. This was the year I read the least since I began tracking my reading which I'm okay with. Yes, I was busy but I also just took my time with my reads. I tend to think I'm reading diversely because it's just something that I try to be intentional about when picking a book up and this past year only 14 of the 50 books I read were from people of color. So while I think I'm doing well at this goal, it could be better. So I hope to have at least half of my reads for 2017 be from people of color. Specifically, two of my favorite reads of 2016 were from Latina authors and I want to continue to read more Latinx authors because seeing yourself represented in what you're reading is magical.

My favorite reads of 2016 were: Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, milk and honey by rupi kaur, When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates, In the Woods & The Likeness by Tana French.

Out of those eight, six are people of color so it just goes to show that year after year for me those are the reads that are all the adjectives: emotional, moving, essential and poignant.

My reading in 2016 was also 48% young adult books with literary fiction, middle grade and non-fiction being the other genres I read the most of as well. I want to read more in other genres and not focus as much on YA. It's something I know I enjoy, so continuing to branch out will just allow to me to experience different stories and find new favorite authors.

That's it for now. I'm keeping my goals simple as to not make something that I love to do so much a chore.

Recap of goals:
Continue to read what I own & read more widely & diversely (#ownvoices), focusing on Latinx authors.

Let's have fun and learn a lot this year!

Betty :]