The Year in Books: 2021

Here we are again. Another year, another wrap-up post.

I’ll cut to the chase. Last year saw three new stories published and one reprint.

The Numbers

Choosing

Date and Time

Deadbeat (reprint)

That is a new record for story sales for me. Fingers crossed I can beat it this year.

Other highlights for the year include: getting vaccinated, a promotion at work, getting to have in-person outdoor critique meetings with my awesome critique group. At least until the weather and Covid numbers sent us back to Zoom.

I also learned to crochet. You can see what I’ve been working on over at Instagram.

I also took part in the Codex Weekend Warrior Challenge for the first time. Every weekend January hundreds of members of the Codex Writer’s Forum participate in a challenge that requires writing a brand new 750-word maximum story based on a set of prompts that are released on Friday. By Sunday the story has to be uploaded. I found it a great motivator to crank out a story in a short amount of time. In the end I had five new flash stories. Some which stayed as flash and others that got expanded. Most are making the rounds with markets while others need some additional revising before I’m happy with them.While this wasn’t the only writing I did in 2021, it was definitely a highlight. I’m doing the challenge again this year.

Finally, this twitter thread might be my favorite bit of writing from the whole year, just because musical theater and the MCU are two of my happy places. So please enjoy (and please ignore the rampant typos).

On to the numbers!

Last year I read a total of 64 books. 29 print books, 25 ebooks, 10 audiobooks.

Of those:

45 were comics/graphic novels

4 Nonfiction or memoir

13 YA

7 Short Story Collections or Novella

8 borrowed from a friend

3 Borrowed from the library

Favorites!

How the King Of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black, Illustrated by

Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater

Oh Human Star Volume 3 by Blue Delliquanti

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey

Loki Agent of Asgard Vollumes 1,2,3 by Al Ewing

Favorite authers read by the numbers:

Niki Dolson1

Becky Chambers 1

Maggie Stiefvater 1

Karen Osborne 1

Rainbow Rowell 2

Alison Bechdel 1

Brian K. Vaughan 1

Matt Fraction 3

Kelly Thompson 3

Valerie Valdes 1

Blue Delliquanti 1

N.K. Jemisin 4

Holly Black 1

Neil Gaiman 1

Jane Yolen 1

Jason Aaron 10

Also John Wiswell doesn’t currently have a book in print but his short stories consistently surprise and delight.