Well, 2020 was not the year I had planned but it was a great year for reading, writing, and being creative. Choosing to see the good in a year that was basically a dumpster fire helps keep me sane and looking to the bright parts of the future.
The podcast has and will continue to be a source of creative fulfillment for Gen and I. My favourite 2020 reads were varied, powerful, and influenced by Bookstagram (who isn’t?). I’ve highlighted below books I’d recommend to any of our listeners and where I’d like to go next year with my reading goals.
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Top 3 2020 Reads (In No Particular Order)
As you know, we love One Tree Hill, so reading The Rural Diaries was an easy choice. We’ll even be talking about it on the Teenage Daydream Podcast after we finish up with The OC. Hilarie’s witchy, creating a farm for her family, and navigating life in Hollywood while living in Rhinebeck, New York.
We will never stop talking about this book and I’ve already purchased another by James Baldwin (and added 3 more to my Christmas wish list). The subject matter is ever relevant to 2020 and the prose is that of beauty. I’m in awe just thinking about it. Baldwin is a true master of stories.
This was sent to us from Coach House Books – a Toronto publisher we work with frequently – and I couldn’t put it down. It was sad and mysterious but also painted a picture of Japan that I had never seen before.
2 Good Things That Happened in 2020
- It may seem silly but since I came home from New York in mid-March, my friend Lisa and I have had a virtual knit night every single Friday night. We don’t live that far apart. I live downtown while she’s in the suburbs but seeing each other in a normal year still takes effort. I don’t know why we never thought of this before. We drink tea, we gossip, sometimes we even knit!
- I was working remotely prior to the pandemic so my work life didn’t change very much. It was an adjustment to have everyone else working from home but I took it as a challenge to make life easier for everyone (those I work with and those I don’t, bestowing my WFH wisdom on all). My hard work paid off as I was just promoted with a wonderful raise and a great career plan for the next couple of years. Well, until the podcast becomes our full-time job of course 🙂
1 Book I read Because Bookstagram Made Me Do It
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
This was ALL over Bookstagram this fall for #SpookySZN. I didn’t get to read it in October but it’s made the list of my favourite 2020 reads. Mystery. Supernatural aspects. Maybe a little too spooky to read at bedtime LOL.
2020 Goodreads Goal
My goal was 20 books and I hit that goal on September 6th! I chose not to adjust it even knowing I had 4 more months of reading to go. Can’t lie though – having a Kobo eReader has helped a ton in speeding up my reading. I’m just going to bask in the glory of exceeding my goal.
Writing in 2020
Overall, there wasn’t a lot of writing this year but June was awesome. Every morning, my friend Steph and I would find a writing prompt and write for ten minutes over video chat. We had very different takes on each prompt but I ended up with a collection of mini stories that I’m compiling into a short story collection. Same characters, same neighbourhood, spanning time, and jumping from spot to spot. I can’t wait to dig back into it in the new year.
Looking Back at 2020 as a Whole
Yes – I miss my friends and my family. Gen and I have never ever gone this long without seeing each other and it’s too much! But I am thankful for technology letting us continue the podcast (and now blog).
We have virtual hangouts where we work alone together and it’s almost (almost) like working together in a coffee shop. I’ve stayed connected with other friends through FaceTime and voice messages.
This year made me slow down and focus on the things that truly matter to me and for that, I will always appreciate 2020 and look forward to all the books that 2021 will bring.
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