I’ve been writing about books, book history, and what I’ve read for a while now, so how about I describe my reading habits for you? Here goes…

I have been obsessed with books since before I could read. Growing up the house was always filled with kids I learned early on that no one would steal my toys if said toys were books. I was reading so much by the second grade that the school didn't know what to do with me. I was ravenous for books; I had panic attacks if my parents couldn't take me to the library when I finished the book I was reading and I pretty much survived on free Book-It pizzas. My indoor reading spot was so worn out by high school that my parents had to replace the couch. When I was outdoors I would climb a tree in the backyard with my cat and spend the afternoon reading.

Fast forward to adulthood and although I'm busy with work and grad school, I still set aside pleasure reading time every night before bed. I have a reading couch in the bedroom and a [different] cat who loves nothing more than hanging out on the back of the couch while I read. I used to be a Hardcore Finisher, slogging through titles I couldn't stand in stubbornness, but in 2021 I decided my time was more precious than that and tried a new tactic of stopping if I wasn't enjoying a title or was questioning my enjoyment of it. As a result, I finished more books last year than in previous years (38 books compared to under 20).

I will read just about anything but my preferences skew towards sci-fi, fantasy, science history, and graphic novels. My dad raised me on a healthy diet of sci-fi books, films, and TV and that definitely stuck. Since 2016 my fiction reading has been high in sci-fi and fantasy; as a queer and non-binary human, the escapism was needed in Trump's America. I have a BFA and the added visual elements of graphic novels feed my creative soul. I struggle with Romance and Horror genres; I'm more interested in a plot driven book over a character driven story and I'm not a big fan of a lot violence and gore. As far as format options go, I prefer to read print books, I love the feel in my hands and the smell of books pages, I also have some vision impairments that can make ereading a challenge. I haven't ventured into audiobooks yet, mostly because I subscribe to so many podcasts!

I definitely want to increase my reading and would love to write reviews professionally in the future. I stay current with new books and bookish news via Book Riot and their podcast All the Books. I also follow publishers and authors on Twitter, it's a great way to get quick bookish updates. I'm over here on Goodreads and trying to work up the nerve for my first post on Litsy (@NinaEveZ). I also sometimes post about books (but mostly post about my cats) on Instagram (@ninaevez).

Favorite reads of 2021 include

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke- this book was magical and somehow heartwarming despite the tragic circumstances of the protagonist.
Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dhavana Headley- even if you know the story, you don't know it like this! This translations begins with "Bro!", has plenty of f*cks to give and tackles the over-the-top toxic masculinity inherent in the tale.
Matrix by Lauren Groff- bet you didn't know you needed a quiet historical fiction read about a nun that is simultaneously calm and action packed. But it's been a rough pandemic few years, you do need this book.
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki- I have never read a story like this that represents challenges and tragedies and all types of humans in the most beautiful and hopeful way. Also, there's a deal with a devil, violins, and a donut shop that's also a starship, need I say more?
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- this story takes The Goose Girl fairy tale and destroys it in the best way possible. Told from the maid's point of view, every character is flawed, relatable, and wonderfully human (except for the bad guy, he's really evil). There is also the most marvelous cast of diverse genders and sexualities, and the story also tackles trauma, domestic abuse, and sexual assault without letting these challenges define the characters. I am still grieving the fact that the second book in the series was pushed back to 2023.
Lore Olympus: Volume 1 by Rachel Smythe- I'm a sucker for retellings and this book (and web comic series) destroyed me in the best possible way. From the Number 1, ongoing, WEBTOON series, Lore Olympus, come the series in print form. One of the taglines for this series is "...witness what the gods do after dark..." but really the series is so much more. A reclaiming of the Abduction of Persephone myth, readers get to see the Greek gods with all their flaws and Persephone gets agency, intelligence, depth, and a voice like never before. Smythe also uses the series to tackle trauma, grief, sexual assault, and domestic abuse and their lasting impacts in a marvelously relatable and understandable way. I finished this over winter break and have thought about it constantly ever since.

First page of Maria Dhavana Headley’s *Beowulf: A New Translation*

A Selection of All-Time Favorites

Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The Book by Keith Houston
The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The Nimrod Flipout by Etgar Keret
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe