Bye Bye 2020

Hi, everyone! Happy New Year! Wow, we finally turned a corner and put 2020 behind us…only to be met with the insanity that is already 2021. From the attempted coup to rising Covid numbers, 2021 is not taking it easy on us. However, I am trying to move into the new year with a bit of optimism and am hoping for the best.

I had a nice, if somewhat uneventful holiday. I actually had some extra time off of work, so it was nice to be able to unplug for a bit and concentrate on sleeping and reading. I feel like my reading has had a lot of ups and downs this year with more slumps than usual. But I still managed to read a good amount last year.

Reading Recap

According to Goodreads, I read 49 out of my 40 book goal for 2020. I am happy with that number. As I said, my reading mojo had it’s ups and downs in 2020 but I was glad to see that I was still able to read a good number of books. I actually didn’t buy a ton of physical books this year either. Not being able to go into stores and I have been enjoying reading from my (large) collection of books. Below are a few of the books I have read in the last month or so that I really enjoyed.

Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren – I tend to avoid knitting themed books (fiction) as it can seem a bit gimmicky-y but I had heard really good things about this series and even had a Kindle copy of it already. I am really glad I decided to read it though as it was super charming, funny, and full of fun knitting references. Sadly there was only a hint of romance but I hope that it builds up into something more over the next couple of books. I would definitely recommend this series if you like a cozy mystery, especially if you’re also a knintter.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I have had this book for years and only decided to read it a few weeks ago. I really loved it and I don’t think you need to have really read the other books in the Grisha series to enjoy it. I had to immediately purchase the next book in the series, Crooked Kingdom.

Love Hard by Nalini Singh – Another that had been in my Kindle queue for ages. Nalini Singh is a go-to for me especially during trying or difficult times. This one was a super sexy and sweet romance. Again, not necessarily one you need to read in order but I recommend any of the books in this series.

Crafting

Sorry, I don’t think I have any good pictures of my recent knits. 2020 was a pretty low motivation year for me in terms of knitting. Over the holidays though I did feel the urge coming back and I bought a couple of new skeins of yarn. I also started a baby blanket recently for a good friend of mine. Hopefully that will be done in the near future and I’ll be able to show a finished pic of it here soon.

I’ve been really into simple, mindless knits lately. There is something very soothing about having something to do with your hands but that does not require a lot of mental energy and it’s perfect for video calls and binge-watching television.

Other Random Ramblings

2020 was such a crazy year and 2021 is off to a weird start, too. Tomorrow is the inauguration and I am hopeful that all goes peacefully and smoothly. I have been continuing to take walks to get air and exercise. I am a bit sick of the scenery in my neighborhood but I am grateful to be able to get out still.

I have not completed any puzzles in 2021 yet but I did finish a couple with my mom over the holidays. While puzzling is super fun, I really want to whittle my puzzle stash down a bit so that I can have more storage space back. I’ve gotten puzzles as gifts now, too, because once people find out you likes something, it becomes your “thing.” Have you ever had that happen to you? Now any time someone comes across a puzzle or is getting rid of one they give it to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sentiment but I think I need to puzzle faster so that I don’t end up being overrun by them.

I watched WW84 over the holidays. It was super entertaining and fun but I admit that the plot didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I was happy to see Wonder Woman kick some butt as well as some eye candy in Chris Pine and Pedro Pascal so it was still worth the watch. I also saw Soul over the holidays which was good. I did not think it was as amazing as some of the other Pixar films I’ve seen but it was solid. I may have to rewatch it since my mom talked during parts of it and I feel like I may have missed a few things.

Last but definitely not least, I have seen 4 episodes of Bridgerton so far and it’s been awesome. The casting and chemistry is great and I love the costumes and hair. It’s been fun to see the series come to life and to see characters I love in the flesh. I’ve been loving Daphne and Simon of course but am keeping my eye on Penelope’s character to develop. And OMG, Eloise is the best! I just love her so much and the actress who plays her. She’s brilliant and I really can not wait to see what they do with her character in future season. I have been pacing myself on the show because I know it will be over too soon. I have re-read a couple of the Bridgerton series books since starting the show and that’s been fun, too.

That’s it for this little recap of what I have been up to for the last month or so. Hopefully I will be back soon with some of my reading goals for 2021. How were your holidays? Did you read or watch anything fun? Wishing you all a fantastic week!