I’ve given my total reading numbers for 2021—73 total—and my favorite fiction and nonfiction books, now it’s time to look at some stats.
Here are my numbers for 2021:
- 58% POC books.
- 55% female/nonbinary authors.
Here’s how that compares to previous years:
It’s also helpful to compare it to my total reading:
And why do I track these numbers? Because it’s important to be exposed to a range of voices and ideas, and when I didn’t pay any attention to it, it didn’t happen.
More Stats
Here are some other stats from my reading in 2021:
- Sci-fi is still #1: Sci-fi again dominated at 53%, about in line with last year and a boost from normal.
- New is still better: 77% of this year’s reading came from the last three years, about in line with last year. Oldest books? 1968, 1981, 2008.
- Return of audio: While print books still dominate at 81%, Audiobooks rebounded this year with nearly 20%. Ebooks didn’t even register—not a good time to try to read on my phone.
- YA is dead to me: YA and middle grade combined for about 12%, which is likely up from last year but still pretty low. I just don’t have a taste for these whiny stories anymore.
- No star: I didn’t finish a single book with a two-star rating. When reading is hard, you just can’t slog through books you don’t like.
More Reading
If you want to read more, check out my booklet 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading Again.
For more on diversity and stats, check out previous years: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.