My Year In Books

For 2020, I set my reading goal at 60 books. I didn’t hit it, but I got to 50, which I’m still happy with. For this year, I once again set my goal to 60, and hopefully I’ll hit it this time.

So what did I read last year?

Mostly, it’s been fantasy of one variety or another, but I also read a bit of science fiction, and then not much else. Some books were good, and some books were not so good.

In this post, I’ll look back on the year and talk about the books I remember the fondest. These may not be the best ones, but they’re the ones I think back on now and then, and which brought me joy reading.

Land of Perpetual Night, by Miri C. Golden

This one started out as a classic fantasy novel. It had just the same vibe as the adventure I read as a teenager, and for a while it almost felt like stepping back in time.

Then, it got better.

Sure, the beginning was great, but the book took all my nostalgia and memories and ran with them. The story took a turn for the darker, and a bit more adult. Things got complicated in a way they didn’t get in the books I read back I the day, and I loved that.

It was the best of both worlds.

From what I’m hearing, the next book is not far off, and I’m eagerly looking forward to it.

Rumble in Woodhollow, by Jonathan Pembroke

This isn’t an exceptional book. It took me a while to get into, but once I did, I grew to really enjoy it. There was a warmth to the characters that doesn’t come through until you get to know them, and that takes a while.

On top of that, I’ve never read a story of fairy gangsters in a turf-war with hobgoblins before. It sounded a bit weird to me at first, but that too was something I grew into soon enough. In many ways, the city of Woodhollow reminded me a lot of Ankh-Morpork, from the Discworld books. It’s a melting pot of different cultures and peoples, and it gives the place a lot of color and character. Also, there are no humans.

Storm & Shield, by J.D. Evans

I did not expect to enjoy fantasy romance, but here I am. During a reading challenge this summer, I decided to try and push myself and read a little outside my comfort zone. One of the books I picked up was the first in this series, and I found to my surprise I really liked it.

This is the second book in the series, and picked that over the first (and third) due to the humor elements. The book deals with a lot of serious topics, and it’s by no means a comedy, but the characters at the center of the plot play off each other in a way that’s often hilarious, and even had me laughing out loud a few times.

Other books from last year that I want to mention, and that I want to encourage others to read:

• The Eve Williams series, by Ashley Beasly
• The Shaman’s Tales series, by Nathan Lowell
• After The World, by Máire Brophy
• Myth Hunter, by Suneé le Roux
• Ties of Blood and Bone, by A.E. Lowan
• The New Magic, by Joseph Malik