If 2020 was good for anything — besides, y’know, moving in with my girlfriend, getting engaged, and being named Young Bookseller of the Year — it was reading. And this year I totalled 165 books, which is 18 more than last year, but not as many as my best year in 2018 when I read 166. I know, right? A couple more graphic novels or short story collections and we’d be celebrating a monumental year. Sorry, folks. We almost made history.

I’ve already listed my Favourite Crime Novels 0f 2020 and Favourite Fiction of 2020. But lets dig a little deeper into all those books, eh?

So, what can we extrapolate from this data? The most obvious thing — I need to consciously diversify my reading. This year, when COVID-19 stresses peaked, I turned to old favourites. I re-read a dozen Michael Connelly novels. I read a couple old Stephen King’s. I sought escapism, and got it from reliable practitioners of their craft. And while I’m adamant reading should never be a chore, and you should absolutely read what you want, I’m aware that as a professional bookworm (aka bookseller) I need to expand my horizons a little more; reach for things I ordinarily wouldn’t gravitate towards. Check back December 31st 2021 to see how I go…