Friends, your favorite post and mine is here! A few years ago I posted my reading recap at the end of the year rather on a whim, and ever since then I’ve been hearing from countless readers and followers about how much you love this post. I really enjoy connecting with all of you through a common love of books and reading, and truly appreciate when you send me messages to alert me to a book I might want to check out.

For me, this year was simply GREAT in regards to reading. I set my usual goal of 30 books a year and surprisingly smashed it, finishing a final total of 40 books. While the actual number of books I read is of no consequence, setting a goal helps to keep me reading consistently throughout the year. This year, I felt a voracious desire to consume so many intriguing books and before I knew it, I had reached 40 with relative ease.

My book selection continues to tilt more in favor of nonfiction, and this year I made a concerted effort to decolonize my bookshelf and read more books by people of color, women in particular. Every day I recognize more and more how my own white privilege has blinded me to the realities of life for people of color and black people in America in particular. Reading the perspectives and non-white washed histories of people who experience the world differently than me continues to expand my understanding, compassion, and ability to be a true ally to marginalized groups. Having set this intention is what I think is responsible for my increased appetite for books in general. I finish one book related to race or feminism and it sparks my interest in multiple other books like a chain reaction.

While I certainly understand the desire to use reading as an escape at times, and while I definitely chose a few books expressly for that purpose, I believe the ability to choose to filter our world in this way is a luxury that minorities often lack. Being intentional about my book selection over this past year has been a truly life changing experience and I am just so excited to keep reading and learning and growing in this new year.

(A quick note: a few of the reviews below are copied from my holiday gift guide, simply because writing 40 book reviews – even short ones – is quite an undertaking. Thanks for understanding!)