The Irresponsible Reader in 2022: Thoughts, Thanks, and Stats

Programming Note: As is my custom, over the next week I’ll be looking back over the year that was—but I’ll try to come up with some new material, too. Many/most others have already done their best-of/year-end wrap-up posts, but I’m a stickler—I can’t start doing this kind of thing ’til the year is over. My brain doesn’t allow me to work that way (I just hate projecting things in general—and some years ago when I just read irresponsibly, but hadn’t adopted the name, the last novel of the year was so far beyond the rest that I can’t start looking back until 12/31 at the earliest).

As we kick off 2023, I wanted to take a glance back at 2022—like the two years before it, I don’t think anyone imagined half of what happened (globally, nationally, or personally). I’m ready for something predictable (Oh, no! Am I becoming Danny Tanner? “The milkman, the paperboy, evening TV”). 314 books finished (plus comics, picture books, short stories, and the like that I don’t know how to count)—my mind is thoroughly boggled! I exceeded my goal (nothing like exceeding an arbitrary number to boost the ol’ ego), too; finishing over 87,480 pages; with an average rating of 3.68 Stars (a dip of .01 from last year, alors! How shall I go on?). I don’t think I DNF’d anything this year, there were a couple of things I probably should have, though.

On the blog front, I put up 625 posts—an all-time high for me—59 more than last year!! I had another year of strong gains in traffic—views and visitors—I’m not big-time (never going to be), but those numbers consistently weird me out (which is why I only look every 6-12 months). I had two months this year where my visitor count almost doubled my previous high!! (really wish I knew what happened in those months, so I could duplicate it). My mind is going to be reeling from those numbers for a minute. My follower count (here and on social media sites) is encouraging and humbling, I really feel like I ought to do more to earn them. Maybe there’s a book on how to be more interesting as a person that I should grab.

I didn’t do anything too major as far as projects this year—but I did start the Literary Locals series in the last month or so—and have a few things ready to go for that starting next week. I also want to get back to my Classic Spenser series…that one is bugging me (although I did say that last year, too…but I don’t want to let it go). I don’t think I have anything else too major in mind for 2023, but we’ll see. Well, I do have a new feature planned, come to think of it. It’s going to kick off this Spring (probably, maybe sooner) and will end up staying around in one form or another for the foreseeable future. Is that vague enough? Stick around.

As is my habit, here’s my breakdown of books by genre—I tweaked the table a bit, so it actually fits on the screen (or should). Genre labeling continues to be more difficult as I’m reading a lot of hybrids (most of us are, they’re being produced more), but I tend to go with the overarching genre. Once again, for someone who doesn’t plan too thoroughly, the percentages stay remarkably consistent from year to year—my tastes (and series I follow) apparently stay the same. I do think of myself as someone who reads Crime and Urban Fantasy—with some other things thrown in. The numbers are forcing me to reconsider that. I still want to get the General Fiction and Non-Fiction percentages higher—as I’ve said for the last few years, we’ll see if I actually put that into action.

Thanks to the nifty spreadsheet made by the Voracious Reader, a few more stats were prepped for me (if I did better at using the tool, I could have more). I find them interesting, maybe you will, too.

That’s a 6% drop in books that I bought. Hopefully Mrs. Irresponsible Reader notes that bit of belt tightening.

That Audiobook number changed by .1%, how’s that for consistency? My Hardcover percentage went up noticably (Mrs. Irresponsible Reader should focus more on the previous chart if she starts thinking about what I’m spending)

Enough about me. Now we get to my favorite part—I want to talk about you, who keep me going and show an interest in what I’m doing here and give some thanks to people for their impact on The Irresponsible Reader (the blog and the person) in 2021:

• • Thanks to everyone for your comments/feedback—texts, emails, comments here/Goodreads, tweets, FB comments, even the occasional Face-to-Face conversation. Keep it up! I really appreciate the time you took to leave feedback. Hopefully, you can tell that you’ve shaped the conversation here—it has, I assure you. Many of you are pushing me to be a better writer—some of you push me to read better books. I’m going to give a particular thanks to Robert Germaux, Lashaan, The Write Reads, Bookstooge, Allyson Johnson (you really push me to think about what I’m reading!), W&S Bookclub, Lashaan, Emma, and Noelle for their encouragement, retweets, and interaction.
  • Flattered thanks to (in roughly chronological order): Elias, yvonnembee, unclearer and Gina, Jasleen Manifests, ominousthespirit, Ann, Zsolt Zsemba, tinareadsallthebooks, nokbew and Jen Porter, Author, Sonam Tsering, Susan Grossey , tinareadsallthebooks, Kimberly, Celeste | A Literary Escape, Robert Jones, Sheri Dye, KarensWildWorld, Shristy Singh, Suzanna and Becky’s Book Blog, A.B. Finlayson, Gottfried, blackwings666, Raylene Second, arah Tavanello, Brothers Campfire , mariakonnel, Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes, Friendly neighborhood introvert, Kelly, Alphabet Ravine, EmmabBooks.com, Celeste L, Eweto Ovie, Rabhya Maini , MaureenBaks, and Beth Tabler for being new followers (at least for a post or two) of the blog this year—the size of this list shocks me, and I hope you all got at least something out of it. (I sincerely hope I didn’t miss anyone)
  • A hearty thanks to all the authors, editors, illustrators, translators, and other people behind the production of the books I spent time with this year—this blog would be nothing without your efforts, your blood, sweat, tears, fears, work, love, dreams, hopes, art and words. Your books were my companions throughout this year, and I can’t thank you enough for them (and I hope I get to spend time with many of you again soon!).
  • More thanks to all those who requested that I read and talk about your (or your clients’) books. I know how much the work, effort, heart, and everything else that went into your books. It’s super humbling, I know you all didn’t like what I said, but, I am grateful for the opportunity.
  • I didn’t do as many Q&As this year as I intended to, but many thanks to those who took time out of their busy schedules to answer my questions: David Ahern (again), Nick Kolakowski (yet again), Valerie D. Johnson, K.R.R. Lockhaven (again), Susan Grossey, Danielle Higley, James Brayken, Marshall Karp (I cannot believe I got to do this!), Sheryl Bass, and James T. Lambert.
  • Speaking of Q&As, I really want to thank Devri Walls and Jeremy Billups for kicking off my Literary Locals series so well. I also want to thank Kate Baray, James T. Lambert, and Becky Lyles

for their contributions (that I will be posting soon!)

• My son Owen provided a lot of the technical support I needed this year. Owen’s my best editor (sadly, it’s all after I post something…), too, and he’s saved me from looking stupid on more than one occasion.
• All my kids have acted as sounding boards this year—helping with some graphics, jokes, themes, etc. They (and Owen) do a solid job of pretending to care about what I’m saying about books, reading, and whatnot. A hat tip to Calvin, Katrina, Carleigh, and Machen, too.
• Micah Burke, who handles the tech stuff that Owen can’t, provided great graphics, and is a great sounding board. I can’t thank you enough. The instant I make a dime on this thing, you’ll get the first nickel!
• A special thanks to my wife. Without your support, indulgence, and patience this thing wouldn’t exist—and I’d read a lot less (the horror!). Thank you. I love you.
• And thank you all for reading. This may feel obligatory and insincere. It is not. Honestly, each time I get a notification of a comment, or a like, or a share, or a follow, etc. it makes my day. To know that someone took a couple of seconds or more out of their day to glance at this? It means the world to me. Thanks.

Have a great 2023, hope you find plenty of good things to read!