If there is one good thing I can say about 2020, it’s that it truly brought back my love of reading. Not being able to, or HAVING to, go out and socialize has meant that I have had a lot more time to pick up old hobbies that had fallen by the wayside. Reading for pleasure had been pushed aside for many years, and is now back in the front of my priority list.
I blame my competitiveness and my Goodreads Goal for part of it. After joining some Facebook groups that revolved around books (and book planners, let’s be real), I got very hyped about having a lofty goal and the “analytics” on how many books I would have to read to reach that goal at any given point of time. I ended up acing my 2020 Goodreads Reading Goal of 50 books read by going over.
In order for me to reach my Goodreads Goal of 75 books this year, this requires me to FINISH at least 6 books a month for all of 2021. Or, if you’d rather, roughly a book and a half a week. This is proving to be both harder and easier than I expected. Harder because it’s been difficult to find the time to sit down, unplug, and just read. Easier because audiobooks and working from home go together like brie and the bacon jam in my fridge – perfectly. This month was a success.
Books Read: January 2021
Shine Your Icy Crown – Amanda Lovelace
[NetGalley ARC] [Buy on Amazon]
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My first finished book of the year and first NetGalley review of 2021. I read “break your glass slippers” last year by the pool and was surprised at how much it touched me. When I saw this up for review on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it, and wasn’t disappointed. I may end up buying a physical copy as well.
Plan a Happy Life – Stephanie Fleming
[Buy on Amazon]
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
I have a full review in a blog post [here] but in essence, this book was meh. This could have been great if it knew what it wanted to be and wasn’t two years too late.
Unfuck Your Adulting – Faith G. Harper
[🎧Audiobook🎧] [Buy on Amazon]
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have a bit of a kink for “self help” books that have the word fuck in the title. See evidence here. This was a pretty good one, easy to listen to during the workday but with enough substance to warrant a few post-its of quotes and notes to takeaway.
Outlawed – Anna North
[Book Of The Month Club] [Buy on Amazon]
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Working at a western lifestyle adjacent company, it’s not often I seek out that subject matter for off-work hours. The description for this on the Book of the Month site was enticing and I was not disappointed.
Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them – Seema Yasmin
[NetGalley ARC] [Buy on Amazon]
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a great read for anyone who is endlessly frustrated by the continuous social media scroll of the medical memes and claims your great-aunt constantly posts on Facebook. The biggest downside is that it was clearly planned and written before COVID-19 became a viral misinformation mine.
What Would Frida Do? – Arianna Davis
[NetGalley ARC] [🎧Audiobook🎧] [Buy on Amazon]
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I went into this only knowing the broad strokes of Frida Kahlo’s life from what pop culture has immortalized. I wouldn’t call this an indepth biography by any means, but it was an insightful look at a multifacited artist who has had a lasting impression on society. It also made me want to put flowers in my hair, wear a bold lip, and embrace taking more selfies of myself.
Here’s to the next 11 months of good books, thought provoking passages, and hot cups of coffee under a blanket.
Follow my Instagram to keep up with my current reads: @FabKiwi06
Track my 2021 reading goals with me on GoodReads.
Glitter and Pr*f@n!ty 
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