End of the Year Book Tag

I'm sure if you have been on YouTube/BookTube lately you have seen many people answering the End of the Year Book Tag. It is hard to say which is the first one I watched this year as this tag has been around for awhile, but it had me thinking so I decided to go ahead and write up my answers. Without further ado, here you are my answers:

1) Are there any books that you started that you need to finish this year?

No, I tend not DNF books--I will put a book down and walk away if needed because it just may not be the right time to read it. I will try to read it again. If at that point I cannot get into, then I will DNF it and be fine with it. 

It really has only been within the last few years that I have realized that it is just fine to walk away from a book. I encourage my students to do it--when it is not for a class, so why do I not do the same thing for myself?

2) Do you have an autumnal book to transition you to the end of the year?

I have never really considered that myself a seasonal reader, but 2020 has been a weird year so this fall I have been in the mood to read more of the thriller-mystery books, but that has been more of 2020 in general. I think it is because the chapters are shorter, they are designed to keep your attention and the shorter chapter usually leaves you with something that makes you want you keep reading (aka a hook). Obviously, thrillers/horror is what many people read this time of year because of Halloween. But what do you read in November?

I was thinking about it a little more over the course of the day as I let this sit in my inbox and I realized for me, family centered books might be good transitional books to bridge the spooky/mystery/thriller books of October to the winter/holiday themed books you might want to read in December. So I think perhaps any books with a family theme might be a good fit for this time of year. Perhaps next year I might try to incorporate more of those into my November plans along with nonfiction (see more about it below). 

3) Is there a new release you are still waiting for or are there any outstanding 2020 ones I haven't read yet?

There are so many books I initially planned or considered to read this year and I have not yet gotten around to reading. Isn't that the same for everyone? More on planning reading below, but I always have way more books on my TBR and my yearly possibilities list based on reading prompts in groups I try to do (again, more on that below). I also try to follow some books that are being published (librarian--it is part of my occupation), but I am not so bent up on reading books the year they are published any longer unless it is for an award committee--then that is obviously a requirement. I do try to keep knowledgeable because I do feel that is vital to my job to keep current on books.

As far as the second component to this question, what books published this year that I want to read? I would like to get to:

  

Again, I have a list running of books I had debated on reading this year and have not managed to as of yet, but I am trying not to feel guilty. I hope I will get to the ones above. Hollowpox I have to wait until I can listen to it with my family--we have been doing them together as audiobooks when we travel, but obviously long road trips have not been happening since March. We will see what happens, if I can get to them great! Otherwise they will go onto my TBR idea list for 2021.

4) What are three books you want to read before the end of year?

Uhh I have so many books I want to read but I do not necessarily have any ones I have to read before the end of the year.  I need to read by the beginning of December is Maid by Stephanie Land for my staff book group. 

With us being in the middle of CYBILS season, I am trying to get ahead and reading nominated titles for my category--Nonfiction. I have many books to read for it. I am both Category Chair, and judging in Round 2 (and I am currently the President of it as well). So there are many of those titles I want to finish up before the end of the year. 

Being that it is November, I am also loosely participating in Nonfiction November, the movement to read and appreciate more nonfiction books. With chairing Nonfiction for CYBILS I certainly will be reading more of those this year--children's and teens. I still want to make sure I do read at least one or two more adult titles. Maid will certainly help with this goal too. 

5) Do you think there is a book that will shock you and become a favorite of the year?

I am not one of those people that necessarily sets out to find my next favorite book or reads a book with the intention of it being a new favorite. I am a mood reader largely when I reading for myself, meaning not while I am on an award committee, so I like to be surprised. Sure I know that I have some favorite authors that are usually going to be dependable selections, but even then my reading tastes have changed over the years. What I used to love has evolved and I find myself needing something different from a book. I think that is natural in our reading evolution.  So for me to pick up and hope that the next book or even a book that I have is going to be a new favorite is hard. I am always open to the idea, but it just depends on what I am reading for and what I hope to gain from my reading experience. 

6) Have you already started making reading plans for 2021?

I have because I start an award committee again in 2021. Technically it has started now with the preparations. I am serving on CYBILS as I mentioned. I am also on AASL's (American Association of School Librarians) University Presses Book Selection Committee. I will be selecting titles to be put onto the University Press Books for Public and Secondary School Libraries bibliography. It is my first committee with AASL and I am honor to have been selected to serve on it. This will be taking a chunk of my time the beginning part of the year.

I will also be starting a graduate class for my Certificate of Advanced Studies (I already have my Masters) in January too so I will have large amount of articles and several educational related books to read for it. 

After those two things, I will of course be listening to audiobooks--those will be my lifeline to sanity but, I will also be sure to keep reading fiction titles as a way to decompress and destress. After the AASL committee is finished midyear, I will have more time to read fiction come the summer too. Depending on where the world is at, we have planned our vacation again this summer--hopefully that will happen. If so, I will have lots of travel time to read on it. 

Along with all of the above, I usually loosely participate in several online reading challenges that give you prompts to find books to fulfill. These include Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge, the Around the Year GoodRead's Group that I am more of a quieter participator than a vocal active one, Popsugar Challenge and lastly, a Facebook group I am apart of. I know--I am pretty insane. Those are all last on the list of priorities so if I can make the books I read fit those prompts than I do. However, I find looking at these prompts encourages me to read out of my comfort zone, which I find rewarding because I never know what might just be a new favorite. :)

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So there you have it, my answers to the End of the Year Book tag. I would sure love to read or watch you answer this tag. If you have done this tag or you decide to do it after reading my answers, please do share your link below. 

If you do not want to do the tag, will you share with me the book you are most looking forward to reading yet this year below?