Thread by @Rachel_Gutin

So we've reached that arbitrary date on the calendar that marks the end of one year and the start of the next one. This means it's time to look back at some of the things I tracked this year - including the list of books I read. And here are some thoughts - and recommendations.

I read fewer books this year than I have in previous years. In 2018, I read 82 new books, plus two rereads, for a total of 84 books read. This year, I finished 59 new books, plus two rereads for a total of 61.

Three of the new books this year were beta reads, two for published authors and one for a fellow member of my writing group, @BSFWriters. One of my rereads this year was a second beta read for one of the published authors. I've discovered I enjoy beta reading.

Beta reading takes longer than reading a finished novel, though, so that partly explains my lower numbers. I also read fewer Middle Grades and YA books this year, and those are often quicker to read. But mostly, I think I just didn't read as much.

On other metrics, I stayed pretty consistent. About 70% of the books I read in both 2018 and 2019 were written by women, and I'm fine with that. But only 13% of what I read this year was written by Authors of Color, and that's a number I want to improve on.

And most of what I read this year - about 85% - is speculative fiction. Most of the other books were nonfiction, with a focus on books about writing. (This is mostly because I took a number of writing classes, and they assigned homework.)

I gave fewer five star ratings to books this year than last year, but I felt like I read more good books for some reason. I think this is because the ones that were good really stuck with me. (And also, I don't know how consistent I am with what counts as five stars...)

And now, on to the recommendations! Here are some books I read this year that really stuck with me. I look back weeks or months later and think, "Wow. I really enjoyed that," or, "That left me feeling so satisfied.

My year began and ended with wonderful books. The first book I read this year was Witchmark by @clpolk. It kept me up way past my bedtime because I needed to know what happened next. The sequel comes out in just a few weeks, and I'm very much looking forward to reading it.

I ended the year with To Be Taught if Fortunate by #BeckyChambers, and it felt like an entire novel stuffed into a novella-sized package. At its core, it asks deep, speculative questions, but also deeply human ones. The ending left so much in the air, but was also so satisfying.

Middlegame by @seananmcguire spoke to me on a personal level. I related so much to both protagonists, and I loved the relationship they shared as siblings. And the story itself is nonlinear and complex, like a puzzle begging to be solved. A beautiful, satisfying read.

Magic for Liars by @gaileyfrey is another book that came to a really satisfying conclusion. Everything came together so well at the end, and I appreciated the protagonist's personal journey as she dealt with the mess that was her life while also trying to solve a crime.

It's rare for me to find a Middle Grades book that I can enjoy reading as an adult, but @WriteTeachPlay pulled it off with Sal and Gabi Break the Universe. It's compelling and hilarious and such an enjoyable read, even as it takes on some serious, weighty topics.

This is How You Lose the Time War by @tithenai and @maxgladstone still has me seeing Red and Blue everywhere. This is a book of quiet beauty and many layers, best appreciated in small sips rather than in one big gulp. I felt at peace when I finished reading it.

A Choir of Lies by @_alexrowland is a book about the power of stories, and I loved how the footnotes added an extra layer throughout, as the narrator was in dialogue with his intended reader. When it drew to an end, I was sad to say goodbye to it.

A Song for a New Day by @SarahPinsker is about the power of art in difficult times, and while I'm not a musician like the protagonist, I am a writer, and it spoke to me. This book left me feeling so hopeful and so satisfied.

A Memory Called Empire by @ArkadyMartine pulled off something impressive: It made me care about a political story. The characters and the worldbuilding were just that compelling.

I mostly read novels, but I occasionally find a short story collection that I really enjoy. @SarahPinsker's Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea is one of those. These stories are so quiet, and so satisfying, even when they leave me with unanswered questions.

And an anthology of short stories and essays and more that everyone should read: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction from @UncannyMagazine, edited by @snarkbat and @domparisien. So good and so important. I want more disabled voices in my fiction.