Another year over. I had three goals this year. I was going to read more purposefully, finish my third book, and eat honey cake as often as possible.

I’m at two of three, but I’m hoping there’s a curve. Especially since I’ve really eaten so much honey cake.

Sort of ironically, I didn’t put health goals on my agenda, and that’s been the biggest change for me! I guess it’s true, it comes to you when you stop looking for it. I will add dessert to next year’s resolutions, then. This seems to work well for me.

In the time honored tradition of the retrospective, here’s what I liked best this year:

Books

I had a goal of reading 24 books by people who were not of the majority. I read 32 books by authors that were some combination of LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, people with religions represented extensively in the book that were not Christianity, and people of color. I read 76 books, so it wasn’t quite half of my reading, but it opened my eyes and made me more conscious of what I consume. This is a trend I hope to continue.

My favorite books were:

Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut
Jade City by Fonda Lee
Tehanu by Ursula K Le Guin
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Ninefox Gambit & the Machineries of Empire trilogy by Yoon Ha Lee
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin
Among Others by Jo Walton
Touch by Claire North

The links are to my reviews on Goodreads, on which page you’ll also find links on where to find or buy these books if you’re interested. Aside from Jade City and the Machineries of Empire, which were good, heartfelt, surprising fun, the rest all feature stories of the human condition and the empathy that makes it bearable. They were not only wonderful stories but written perfectly for the story they were telling.

Music

I listen to music essentially all of the time. Here are the songs I’ve put on repeat.

Warflower by Mayan Factor
So Just Hang On Beautiful One by Au4
Bodak Yellow by Cardi B
Dangervisit by Archive
King by the Romanovs
Evolution by Bethlehem Roberson “The Vocussionist”

Cinema

I am not so good at keeping up with this, but here goes.

Black Panther
Jumanji 2
Great British Bake Off
Queer Eye 2
Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

Dessert

Honey cake, which I made 3 times this year and ate something like 8 times.

What was your year like? What made an impression on you?