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End of Year Book Tag // ’20 Edition

December 1, 2020 /

So people have been posting this tag for the past month now, and while I can understand the excitement to get the heck out of 2020 already (no, seriously, why are we still in this hell year), I thought the “end of year” tag would be a great tag for, well, the end of the year. 

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the Christmas tree has been wrangled into place (mine is too tall, in case anyone needed to know) and my wet, freshly-washed hair has started to freeze every time I leave the house, I think it’s safe to finally start to wrap up and put a pretty little bow on my reading year.

But, before I do so, I wanted to jump on this tag and reflect on this very gray, very final month of 2020 with this tag. 

(Also, in case you ~haven’t noticed~, I’ve transitioned from my fall to my winter theme! I’m so blessed to have a family member with design skills who I can commission to help with my graphics (I pay her in love and McDonald’s Diet Cokes) Those two lil’ holiday pups in my header are my dogs, Mac and Millie, who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their Amazon reindeer antlers). 

I’m pretty good about reading a book all the way through once I’ve started it, and if I do decide to put something down, it’s usually a DNF. 

I did start listening to the audiobook for A Promised Land, though haven’t really dug into it as I’m waiting on a physical copy as a Christmas present. Now that I write this, I’m realizing that there’s no way I can wait for my physical copy and finish this before the new year, so stay tuned. 

It’s narrated by Barack himself, though, so I’m thinking I should really embrace the audiobook. 

I don’t have a typical “I reread __ book every December”, so no, not really. However, I have been wanting to do a Caraval reread, A Darker Shade of Magic reread, and a Lunar Chronicles reread, all of which I can envision myself curled up in bed on a winter night with.

No, surprisngly! I wish there was a ton of books coming out in December that I was interested in, but there’s not too many, so I’m taking December to read some of the books built up on my TBR. 

Something weird about me is that I tend not to buy contemporary books, but instead check them out of my library before deciding to purchase. This is mostly because I tend to fly through contemporaries, so if I bought every single one I was interested in, I’d be dead broke. There’s a few contemporaries I’m interested in this month (Admissions, How to Fail at Flirting) , but I’m going to wait for them to come into my library before I decide to read them or not.

Add these three to A Promised Land, and you’ve got one stressed out reader. There’s a very, very good chance that I won’t get to Mistborn before the year ends, though I think that starting 2021 with my first Sanderson book would be pretty cool! 

If I do get to Mistborn, I think it’ll be hit or miss. I’ll either adore it, or think it’s incredibly boring. I’m already super intimidated by it’s size, though if I do end up loving it, I guess that’ll just be more content for me to enjoy! 

I think know A Promised Land will be an all time favorite. I’m desperate for a reminder of how decent this country can be, and Barack Obama always gives me just a little bit of hope that we can move forward from the atrocity of the last four years.

I’m planning…to plan, if that makes sense? 

One of my goals for 2021 is to really plan out my content and be more active on social media. I think making content calendars and daily goals will help me to do this, so I’m hoping to sit down towards the end of the month and do a huge brain dump to get out all the ideas for how to plan going into the new year.

I’m also hoping to embrace rereading in 2021. I am so, so reluctant to do rereads (I have a whole post discussing this topic) and that’s something I’m determined to change in 2021. There are a ton of series that I want to reread, but have pushed off because of my giant, terrifyingly overwhelming TBR. I want to make time to get back to my OG series and fall back in love with them in the new year!

And that’s that on my end of year! I love doing tags – they’re such a fun way to get us thinking about what we read. I encourage any of you who haven’t yet jumped on this bandwagon to do so, I’d love to read your answers! (:

What books do you need to finish by the end of the year? Do you have any goals for 2021? 

19 Comments

  • Haley @ Fangirl Fury

    December 1, 2020 at 7:53 pm

    Your graphics are AMAZING! I’m also often the same about checking certain books out from the library before reading them. Can’t wait to see what you think of In a Promised Land – I think I might make tackling it one of my 2021 reading goals!

  • devouringbooks2017

    December 1, 2020 at 11:04 pm

    So I loved The Burning God! But man, it broke me! Also I think you’ll love Mistborn. It’s size is intimidating but the character development is done so well it’s hard not to love it! I also am planning to plan. I’d like to get more content out bc honestly I’ve been so slack on my blog this year. When I think of winter reads I think of books with a winter setting like Bear and the Nightingale. So maybe I’ll read that before the end of the year.

    • erin

      December 2, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      Ohh this is making me excited for Mistborn!! Okay I’m definitely going to give it a shot after I finish TBG (: I feel that – winter just makes me want to curl up in a ball and not actually do anything productive like write blog posts. Wishing you all the luck in 2021 with this goal!! ♥♥

      • devouringbooks2017

        December 2, 2020 at 5:06 pm

        I try to space out my long fantasies and read a thriller in between. Mistborn is so epic and the character arcs are truly incredible. They just go through deep changes throughout each book in the series. All the characters just felt so real! Plus that world was soo cool.

        I really want to get writing more discussion posts. Rather than just reviews and stuff like that. I feel like I got away from that because I dont schedule those posts the same way I do reviews and other things. So maybe I will try to do a discussion post once a month.

  • Morgan

    December 2, 2020 at 6:38 am

    I’m also someone who rather borrows contemporary books from the library! (Though I also do this with most books, I like to be sure to love a book before I purchase it.)
    I’m also interested in Rent a Boyfriend, it sounds really enjoyable!

    • erin

      December 2, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      Yes such a good strategy! As much as I wish I could just buy alllll the books, the library is for sure a friend (:

  • Tasya @ The Literary Huntress

    December 2, 2020 at 9:26 am

    I love the new theme, it’s adorable <3 I want to finish Tower of Nero before the year ends, which I think I can accomplish since I'm already halfway through. I'm thinking of finishing at least another series, but we'll see I guess!

  • Caitlin

    December 2, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    I love your winter theme, I am living for your cute doggos and the Christmas lights! ❤️🎄 I am also hoping to do some better planning in 2021. This year has been crazy, so I am excited to start fresh and work towards new goals! Good luck with your goals and your December TBR!

  • Jawahir

    December 3, 2020 at 3:09 am

    Ever since I got my hands on the collector’s edition of Caraval, I got so excited about wanting to reread them! My illumicrate edition of The Poppy War literally just arrived this morning, and that is one series I wanna finish before the end of the year!

    I’m currently reading Admissions too, and the MC can be frustratingly annoying but I think it’s a book teens should definetely read because it does touch on some serious issues and can be a great discussion book.

    • erin

      December 3, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      The special edition of Caraval is GORGEOUS, I’m so jealous you have a copy!! Oh my gosh and the Illumicrate editions of the Poppy War I’m sobbing 😭 They are so so beautiful!! Hmm…I’ll have to put Admissions on hold at my library!! ♥

  • Ruby Rae Reads

    December 21, 2020 at 8:36 am

    Okay so there is still like a week left of the year so I hope you’ve read some of these books. I also really wanted to do this tag but am apparently late at everything this year welp.

    I super want to read A Promised Land. And though I haven’t even gotten to Michelle’s book YET, I’m still super excited hehe. And also The Poppy War trilogy. I’m scared but also ready. Sending all the love xoxo

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