Twenty Twenty Book List

I got through 58 books last year which I think just might be my PB.

Some of my favourites were…

I learned some great lessons from nearly all of the books. Reading is powerful for personal and professional growth. When someone commits to writing a book they dedicate a significant quantity of time to concisely document what, in many cases, has taken a lifetime for them to learn. We, the readers, have the benefit of consuming this invaluable information they have succinctly written in a matter of hours.

Before reading any book I carefully research the author and reviews about the book. I look out for criticisms and see what people say is incorrect about the book… where does it go too far… in some cases, this is enough to convince me not to read it. But everyone’s got haters. If the worst of what is said about it is unconvincing then I’ll read it. In some cases, the research will reveal another book that is better to read or in addition.

This year I sketched out a reading plan for the next 10 years. There are some authors, who I really admire, and I plan to read most or all of their body of work. I’ve found that by reading several in succession I get to really understand them. You get to see patterns and themes that grow or wane through their books. For some authors, who I’m really interested in, I’ve found that reading a biography about them really helps with understanding them. Also, if they’ve written one, an autobiography. This gives you an understanding of what is driving them, the events and experiences they endured. The circumstances going on around them in the world at that time. All these factors led to the thoughts that ultimately resulted in the books.

I’ve noticed how different books have a different effect on me and my daily performance. Some books are mentally draining others are simply distracting from my day to day activities. I’ve found I need to balance my reading interspersed with light reading or simply books that I really enjoy.

I use Goodreads to track all my reading. It’s a really great platform. This is a log of my 2020 reading challenge.

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/19312110

In 2021 I’m going to reduce the number of books and read some heavier ones on my bucket list. I found I was rushing this year to get the quantity of reading in. I also choose smaller books. Next year, I want the mental space to read and understand more. My target for 2021 is going to be 40 books in total.

I hope this has given you a few tips you can take away for your own reading plan. New Years Day is a great time to set goals for the year ahead. If you’ve set a reading goal for 2021 comment up and let me know!

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A.B.James

I'm a musician, a podcaster, a blogger & I work in marketing.

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