2020 Year-In-Review

I'm only going to focus on the positives because as well all know, 2020 was generally awful.

But here are the 'goods':

• I got to visit my family in Nebraska before Covid hit.
• I started working from home, and most likely will get to work from home permanently.  This is a huge blessing.
• We started having Zoom meetings.  Which for me personally is also a HUGE blessing.  It has done wonders for my in-person-meeting related anxiety.  I can say confidently that I hope it never goes away.  Many people take issue with that, but I can also say I am NOT the only one who feels this way.  Many family members and also my best friend back in Nebraska and a few sisters in our hall have talked to me about it too and feel the exact same way that I do.  There are WAY more people out there suffering from anxiety and depression that we know about.  And Zoom is such a blessing.  Our meeting attendance (personally and as a whole congregation) has skyrocketed.  Our congregation is consistently over 100% attendance.  Unreal.
• We celebrated 10 years of marriage.  
• We saved a BUNCH of money.  Not eating out, not being able to go to stores to just browse, cutting gym memberships, etc.  
• We have a pretty impressive home gym now.  We definitely need to use it more, but it's pretty awesome.  I'll try to do a separate post on it.
• My sister came to visit!
• We took some beautiful day trips around the state.
• Hamilton came out on Disney+.  Yes, this is a big deal to me.
• We cultivated a greater appreciation for our house.  I have always loved our (dated ha ha) house, but now...I love it even more.  We have sufficient space with two full-time offices and with us home ALL. THE. TIME. we are not on top of each other, sick of each other, etc. ha ha.  We had to move some things around, but that also became a good thing.  My library upstairs became my husband's office, and our front room became my library/personal study/relaxing room.  Which has worked out great.  
• I got another great-niece!
• I got a Nintendo Switch and discovered Animal Crossing.  It got me through November, December, and I am still going strong.  It is the BEST distraction and one of the best purchases I've ever made.  Judge me if you want, I can handle it.  If you played it, you would know!
• I got my Matthew-Acts study Bible.
• And last but not least....I got my Covid vaccine.

A lot of goods.  This will be a nice list for me to look back on when I'm feeling sorry for myself.  :)

2020 Reading Review

2020 was obviously a difficult year.  I was in a HUGE reading slump at the beginning of the year, but then pulled out of it.

I track *most* of my reads on Goodreads.  On Goodreads, I reported 111 books read.  In my personal tracker, I recorded 120 books. 

Why don't I track ALL of my books on Goodreads?  In short, because I don't want to offend anyone or be judged by some of my reads.  Are they bad?  No.  But they might not be everyone's cup of tea and I just find it easier to keep them to myself.  Now...I'm talking mostly fantasy/sci-fi/romance here.  And nothing horrific.  If you're okay with Star Wars and Marvel movies, then you SHOULD be okay with these books.  But not everyone is.  And that's okay.  That's why I just keep some of them to myself.

Anyways, I tried to pick out my favorite of 2020, but I couldn't.  I had nine 5-star reads in 2020, and I could only narrow it down to 3.  I tried, I really tried to just pick one.  But I couldn't.  So, my three favorites:

Hamnet (Maggie O'Farrell)

Anxious People (Fredrik Backman)

Fable (Adrienne Young)

All were AMAZING.  And I would recommend them to anyone (and already have).

This year I set another reading goal on Goodreads for 100 books.  I've read 3 so far.  I continue to listen to at least half (if not more) on audio.  While playing Animal Crossing ha ha. 

December Reads (23)

 I might just start doing these in list form because I am lazy and it's a lot to keep up with ha ha.

*Did not like it at all

**It was okay

***Liked it

****Really really liked it

*****Absolutely loved it

*Orphan Island (Young Reader, Fiction, L. Snyder)

***The Secret of Shadow Ranch (Young Reader, Fiction, C. Keene - N. Drew #5)

***The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Young Reader, Fiction, C. Keene - N. Drew #4)

***Shatter Me (YA, Fiction, S. Mafi - Shatter Me #1)

***Unravel Me (YA, Fiction, S. Mafi - Shatter Me #2)

***Wildcard (YA, Fiction, M. Lu - Wildcard #1)

***Prey (Fiction, M. Crichton)

***The Bungalow Mystery (Young Reader, Fition, C. Keene - N. Drew #3)

***The Vanishing Stair (YA, Fiction, M. Johnson - Truly Devious #2)

***The Truth About Stacey (Young Reader, Fiction, A. Martin - BSC #3)

***Legend (YA, Fiction, M. Lu - Legend #1)

***Restore Me (YA, Fiction, S. Mafi - Shatter Me #4)

***Defy Me (YA, Fiction, S. Mafi - Shatter Me #5)

***Virgin River (Fiction, Virgin River #1)

****The Strangers (Young Reader, Fiction, M. Haddix - Strangers #1)

****Cilka's Journey (Fiction, H. Morris)

****Love & Olives (YA, Fiction, J. Welch)

****Miss Iceland (Fiction, A. Olafsdattir)

****Princess Diaries (Young Reader, Fiction, M. Cabot)

****Front Desk (Young Reader, Fiction, K. Yang)

****Ignite Me (YA, Fiction, S. Mafi - Shatter Me #3)

****I Am the Messenger (YA, Fiction, M. Zusak)

****The War I Finally Won (Young Reader, Fiction, K. Bauer)

DNF:  

The Dutch Wife

While We Were Watching Downton Abbey

Total Books Read:  23 (23 Fiction, 0 Non-Fiction)