Although I enjoy reading, 2018 is the first time I tracked the books I read over the course of the year. Last year, I am happy to say that I read 52 books – one for each week! Some thoughts & reflections are below.

Refugee Ready
As a part of my #GoogleEI project, Refugee Ready, I am trying to put together a good book list of books featuring refugees. Of course, before I include them on a list, I want to read them! 32 of my 52 books for the year were related to refugees, and it was a great way to expand my horizons and read diverse titles that normally wouldn’t be on my radar.

Professional Learning
Although I like reading to learn, I generally find that I prefer to come home and escape into a good book. That being said, I read 7 books this year that drove my personal professional growth, and another 5 YA books related to my new role (working with Language Arts), because I wanted to see what the kids were reading in their classes. I expect this number to go up in the future as I continue to learn what literature for LA class looks like in 2020, which is different than when I took it many years ago! There has been a strong focus on diverse, engaging, relevant texts, which is fun for me to read!

The Rest
So what were the other 8 books? Easy reads – either children’s books or YA series! As I said, reading is a great way to relax for me, so I don’t like anything too heavy or hard. Something that I can cruise through and enjoy is perfect!

I always wish I had more time to read, but I am happy with the fact that I was able to spend at least some time in books this year. Maybe next year will bring more? We will have to see! I don’t really set reading goals for myself, other than wanting to continue reading, expanding my repertoire, and practice good self-care by taking these quiet moments to myself. Here’s to a 2020 full of books!