2022 Reading and Blogging Goals

2021 has been a YEAR, another trying year with loads of challenges and difficult circumstances to overcome. Thankfully it's over and a new year filled with hope and lots of books beckons.

I kept my goals for last year pretty simple and overall I did pretty well,

Read a total of 45 books: Success! I exceeded this by quite a bit and ended up reading a total of 70 books.

Read at least 20 books I already own: Success! I read 15 books I already owned and 34 of the new books I purchased during the year (which count as owned.)

Buy fewer books & read books within 12 months of buying them: Fail. I purchased a total of 198 books and read only 34 of them.

Start doing quick reviews: Fail. I still haven't managed to do this.

2022 Goals

For 2022 I'm keeping it simple once again.

Read 50 books:
I'm upping the total slightly from my normal 45 books. 50 just seems to be a nice round number.

Read at least 20 books I already own:
Still chipping away at Mount TBR one small chunk at a time.

Host the Science Fiction Invaders reading challenge
I want to successfully launch and host the Science Fiction Invaders reading challenge.This is a fun science fiction themed reading challenge I came up with late one night. Read books. Earn points. Kick invader ass!

I'm hoping this will be a success and that lots of people actually participate, otherwise I'll look rather foolish. I even made a Youtube promo video for it!

And that's basically it. Hopefully this will be a great reading year.

Best Reads of 2021

Another year has come and gone. 2021 was a very tough year, in so many ways. I'm thankful to see it end. I managed to read 70 books, finishing the last book of the year with just 10 minutes to spare. There were some great reads this year, with just a few that didn't quite work for me.

Here, in no particular order are my best reads of 2021. I could have made a list consisting exclusively of Adrian Tchaikovsky's work, but forced myself to limit it to only two.

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

Survivor Song is not a zombie novel. Not in the traditional sense. Paul Tremblay takes the traditional zombie and transforms it into terrifying reality. A story of a personal horror told exceptionally well. Tremblay manages to turn even a blank page into a devastating blow straight to the heart. A truly heart-wrenching read. This unconventional horror at its best.

Dogs of War by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky once again shifts the boundaries of possibility of non-human intelligence. Dogs of War is larger in scope and far more nuanced than it first appears. To say it's a mind-bending read would be wholly inadequate. Rex is not just a Good Dog. He is the Best Dog!

Shards of Earth by by Adrian Tchaikovsky

A brand new space opera universe to explore together with the best type of found family. Tchaikovsky has outdone himself once again. I can’t quite decide if I like Shards of Earth more than Children of Time (both, I love both!), but if this is how things start out I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the trilogy. Highly recommended!

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

A bittersweet farewell. Leviathan Falls brings the most epic of space operas to a fitting close. The ending is unexpectedly poignant. It will tear your heart to shreds while still offering a pinprick of hope. This is as satisfying an ending as anyone could have hoped for. It’s been one hell of a ride and worth every moment!

You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did. All the story elements brought together here shouldn't work so well together, but somehow they do. You Sexy Thing is an immensely fun read. If you are looking for an unusual space opera with surprising emotional depth hidden in it’s cozy exterior then look no further.

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Hopefully 2022 will bring some more amazing reads. Happy reading!