On the Shelf: Back On the Shelf

It’s been a minute since I posted one of these, and as I get back into the swing of writing and working and sharing what I’ve been reading, I wanted to post my long-delayed 2021 reading retrospective.

First, I managed to meet my Goodreads 2021 Reading Challenge. I set a goal of reading 150 books, and scooted over the finish line with about 20 hours to spare. I thought I’d built up a bit of a cushion, but when I reviewed the list, it turned out that I had somehow recorded three or four books twice. The list of books from the last week of 2021 includes a bunch of novellas and a couple of books I wasn’t planning on finishing, but decided to gut out the last half or quarter to meet the goal. Overall, though, I really enjoyed most of the books I read, and all that reading spurred good, creative things to happen with my writing.

In 2022, I have set myself a goal to read 160 books. I was thinking about sticking with 150, but I like setting a little higher challenge for myself. If you’d like to hang out with me over on Goodreads, and want to recommend a good book, please do! My reading tastes are pretty eclectic, but I do tend to go all in for urban fantasy and horror. Last year, and this year, I’m looking to finish up all the books I own that I haven’t read, and read more fantasy, as well as indie horror.

And, of course, there’s a whole category of books that I own that I bought for research or work purposes that I need to crack open and get to work on. When I read Marie Kondo’s books, much of what she talked about resonated with me, as far as creating space and using what you have. I also had to collapse much of my personal belongings, including my craft stash and equipment, into a smaller space as we had some family move in with us into what used to be my office and craft space. This was a blessing, because it caused me to go through and evict a bunch of stuff that I wasn’t using and didn’t want, as well as put my books in bins under my bed, on shelves over my bed and on my nightstand. They are within reach, and I’ve been taking some to the used bookstore and getting my fill of horror and fantasy in return!

Anyway, this week I’m working my way through A Weaver’s Garden: Growing Plants for Natural Dyes and Fibers by Rita Buchanan. It’s an older book, which means that some of the language reflects the mid-20th century world in which it was written, but it’s full of incredibly useful information, and fun to read. As someone who is both a fiber enthusiast, a novice gardener, and researching for a future apocalypse novel, it’s a great addition to the reading list. (I also realized that my first few books of last year’s reading challenge were all about fiber and textiles — might have something to do with my recurring resolution to use up all my stash…)

Looking ahead, I’ve also invited some of my fellow readers to share what they are reading lately. I’ve got a couple of On the Shelf guest blogs lined up, and am looking forward to sharing them with you. In the meantime, if you have any recommendations of what I should read, feel free to drop them in the comments or share them with me on Goodreads. Happy reading!