2022 - The Year in Reading

This year was definitely an improvement on 2021 - I managed to read 30 books in 2022, and kept to my goal of at least 1 book per month, and usually at least 1 more, so I am happy with that. For next year, I would like to keep this reading rate as a baseline goal, and I think I will avoid reading challenges so I can concentrate on the TBR Pile. 

I am, however, excited to announce that I am going to have monthly reading categories in 2023. The idea came to me recently and I was able to come up with more than 12 ways to group books that I have on hand (or recently acquired through winter holiday gift giving). This should be a fun way to approach the books I have on hand. Obviously the monthly book club books will most likely not be a part of the reading categories but that's OK. January's reading category is sort of unimaginative: Books I got as gifts in December 2022. Look for the first one in the next few days and more to follow, including a reread. 

Thank you for reading my blog! I wish you all the best in 2023 and hope you have a year full of reading. 

Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division - Peter Hook

As promised, yet another book about Joy Division. This book is like a deep dive into the band's history as recounted by one of the founding members. There is a lot of great detail and the writing style is very conversational, so it feels like you're hearing the stories first hand over a coffee or a drink. I especially liked the chapters that were devoted to the two studio albums the band released (Unknown Pleasures and Closer) where the author talked about each song. A definite must-read for a fan. Highly recommended. 

The Violin Conspiracy - Brendan Slocumb

This was a great choice for the last book club book of this year. What I know about being a musician couldn't fill a thimble, but the author is able to infuse the story with his own musical talent and knowledge such that even a musical dunce like me can really understand how it feels to get lost in the music when playing. I loved Ray, the protagonist, and I was wrapped up in his story, how he had to battle at home and in the world to be who he really is. A page turner that didn't shy away from issues and opened my eyes to things I had never really given any thought. Recommended. 

There There - Tommy Orange

Found this book through a list of recommended reading for Native American history month compiled by my local library and it was well worth the read. Much like The Seed Keeper, there is plenty of sadness here, and definitely characters that are difficult to like, and plenty of poor decisions - but isn't that one of the many universal parts of being human? I liked meeting all of the characters and getting an opportunity to live in their minds and experience parts of their lives. A difficult but enlightening read. 

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Are you ever just in the mood for some classic dystopian fiction? I read this book ages ago, and decided it was time for a reread. It did not disappoint. I remember liking the book but I didn't remember any details, aside from the main premise, so it was like experiencing the story for the first time. There were so many elements of this book that resonated - how books were devalued, how thinking was devalued, how using your mind or your imagination had been turned into something beneath contempt... I could go on, but you get the idea. What really struck me was how anyone who was different from the "average" or the "norm" was viewed with extreme suspicion at best. I'll avoid spoilers but this is a timeless book and one everyone should read. Recommended. 

The Seed Keeper - Diane Wilson

This was a great book club selection for November. A story about loss and tragedy and how people (and cultures) process these things, seen through a Native American lens, this book is often sad, but at the same time, I think the title is an indication of hope. Seeds are potential, and symbolize so much - growth, new life, sustenance, livelihood, the beginning of things but also the continuation of things. A new start, a new crop, a new era. A new generation. Something living on. Potential. But also, something that can really only thrive under the right conditions, and won't sprout at all if not given what it really needs. 

Enough rambling, obviously this story had a lot to think about, not only about history but about the future. Recommended. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

This is a classic that I have read before but it was so long ago I wanted a refresh. Is it a cautionary tale about the danger of only pursuing surface pleasures and worrying about appearances above substance? The title character is certainly selfish and narcissistic, but he definitely gets what is coming to him, even if he takes many people down with him. Much food for thought here. 

Still Life - Sarah Winman

So I have to confess that on the first couple pages of this book, I thought I wouldn't get into it - but then it clicked for me and I ended up really liking it. The book takes place over a span of many years and we are along for the ups and downs in the lives of a group of people that share a connection across time and distance. One thing I will say is the lack of quote marks did become needlessly confusing from time to time. But overall I enjoyed this book. 

The Last White Man - Mohsin Hamid

Stumbled on to this book at the library and immediately grabbed it based on my love for Moth Smoke. This deceptively slim book was more like a fable than a "regular" novel and it seems incredibly timely considering the state of affairs in the world right now. Comparisons to Kafka seem inevitable and I would say in this book the protagonist's sense of alienation is more grounded in reality than in Metamorphosis.  

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson

Another good book club choice. I really liked how the story unfolded - just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Some of the characters are more sympathetic and likable than others but I think the motivations for some of the decisions in the book become clear by the end, even if we as readers might not agree or have made the same decision. 

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel - Elyssa Friedland

This was a very enjoyable book club choice. I'm a huge fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and although this book is set in the present, if you like that TV series you will probably enjoy this book. 

A Game Maker's Life - Jeffrey Breslow with Cynthia Beebe

FTC Compliance Statement: I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review, which is provided below. I have not been otherwise compensated for this review in any way and my opinion is my own. 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to design toys and games for a living? Look no further than this fascinating book, in which "A Hall of Fame Game Inventor and Executive Tells the Inside Story of the Toy Industry." The author's career in toy and game design is the stuff of dreams, involving highs and lows, world travel, celebrity encounters, and even workplace tragedy. 

If you are of a certain age, like I am (cough cough), you have most likely played with many, if not all, of the toys and games the author worked on in his time in the toy industry. Or maybe you have kids that play with these games and toys now - Ants in the Pants, Mouse Trap, Simon, Guesstures, UNO Attack, and many more. Now you can read about how these games were invented straight from the source. The author's voice is very conversational, and the book reads like an enjoyable dinner with an old friend. I'm seriously sad that I will never be a member of the Brez Birthday Club! 

This was a fun, fast read and would make a great gift for any game and toy enthusiast!

The book will be available for purchase on August 30, 2022. 

The Moon Is Down - John Steinbeck

This might be a meandering review, sorry in advance! 

This year I signed up for Dracula Daily, which is this super fun free service that emails you the pertinent chapter(s) from Bram Stoker's Dracula on the day in which they take place in the novel. While this is indeed a really awesome thing that I am really enjoying, I decided that I wanted to just skip ahead and read the whole book, so I went searching in the library. I didn't find any alleged vampires, but in STE I stumbled on this thin book, and since I hadn't heard of it before and like John Steinbeck, I picked it up. 

This book was written in the early 40s about a town that is occupied by an invading force, which we are meant to think of as Nazis, although they are not specifically identified as such. Since we have literal Nazis stomping through American streets these days, which is simultaneously mind-boggling, disgusting, and infuriating, and there are many Americans who seem to desperately want a fascist theocracy to destroy any kind of human rights or freedoms for 90% of Americans (women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people who aren't "Christians," etc.), I figured this was a timely read. 

And so it was. In my opinion the main takeaway was that resistance is paramount. The occupied people must keep some kind of hope and do what they can to resist, even if it's just rebuffing the invaders on a personal level. They will most likely outnumber the invaders, who are far from home and susceptible to human weakness. People can do small things, like consistently disrupting the enemy supply chain, that make a difference. This is a small book in size but I can see why it was printed in secret and smuggled widely during World War II. Highly recommended. 

And PLEASE, PLEASE, if you are American, vote this fall and in every election. People have fought and died so that all of us could vote. Many of us wouldn't have been able to vote in the (relatively recent) past, so we owe it to ourselves to exercise this hard-won right to do what we can to keep the forces of evil at bay. 

Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman

This book is one of the oldest residents on my TBR pile. It was one of the many (many!) books I got during the Borders last day sales, but I felt strange reading it as I hadn't read the complete series this book is a companion to. Now that I have managed that, it was really nice to have more to read in this universe. 

This book is small so it's a fast read, and one of the most fun elements is the included map and other materials at the end of the book. I consulted the map frequently while reading the short story and it really enhanced the experience. Evidently there is another book like this, with another short story and etc., so I will have to seek that out. Recommended. 

The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman (Spoilers)

 Note: this brief review contains spoilers, because I don't think I can review it adequately without them.

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As much as I really liked the previous two books in this series, this one is more of a mixed bag. I felt like there was more of a buildup to Metatron and the Authority that didn't quite pay off - they seemed to be dispatched without too much of a fight. Also, as glad as I kind of was that Mrs. Coulter came to a sticky end, it too lacked a real punch and why did she have to take Lord Asriel with her? Not that he was perfect, but still... 

The ending of the book is really sad - the part where Lyra and Will agree to "meet up" every year was actually heartbreaking. I did really enjoy this series and I am looking forward to seeing how they adapt this one for the TV series. I also plan to read the newer books set in this universe. Highly recommended. 

The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman

"That is what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling. So if a war comes, and the Church is on one side of it, we must be on the other...."

-Ruta Skadi

"seems to me the place you fight cruelty is where you find it, and the place you give help is where you see it needed." 

-Lee Scoresby

"We've had nothing but lies and propaganda and cruelty and deceit for all the thousands of years of human history. It's time we started again, but properly this time...."

"Every advance in human life, every scrap of knowledge and wisdom and decency we have has been torn by one side from the teeth of the other. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit."

-Dr. Stanislaus Grumman

The Guncle - Steven Rowley

So what constitutes a "beach read?" In my opinion, it's a light story that can be picked up and put down as needed during some leisure time. This book qualifies as a great beach read, but it also has some depth, as it tackles love and loss. I really liked the titular Guncle, and not just because one of my dearest friends just bought a house in Palm Springs, ha ha. I will say that the writing was kind of so-so. Characters behaved erratically sometimes, and it seemed arbitrary and random; there were random clunky sentences here and there and the usual amount of "telling, not showing" that abounds in contemporary bestseller type books. That said, I would read the author's other books, so make of it what you will. A kind of strange book club choice but enjoyable enough. 

The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Weird story about this book - I actually read it for the first time many years ago on a friend's recommendation and I thought it was OK, but I wasn't impressed enough to read the next 2 books. My husband got the set of 3 books as a gift a couple years ago and I have enjoyed the HBO series, so with the world in complete and total disarray these days I sorely needed a distraction and figured I'd read the series, starting with a re-read of this book. 

For whatever reason, this time I really enjoyed the book, and it became a really fast and enjoyable read. One thing I really like is that it deals with some dark themes that are food for thought. And these days in particular it seems valuable to read stories that show people can fight back against the forces of evil. I'll definitely be reading the next 2 books in quick succession. Recommended. 

The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro

Hmm. I truly don't know what to say about this book. I picked it up at the library because I loved The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go but I'm sad to say I just couldn't get in to this one. The setting and premise seemed interesting but unfortunately the style of writing just didn't connect for me. 

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt - Richard H. Wilkinson

Like many kids, I had a love affair with Ancient Egypt - I even wanted to be an Egyptologist when I grew up. Sadly that never came to pass, but I did take classes here and there, including learning to read hieroglyphs at a beginner level. So when I stumbled on this book at the library I couldn't resist bringing it home. This book would be an invaluable reference for anyone who is interested in Ancient Egypt or in ancient religions. It's a beautiful book, filled with photos of the stunning artwork in tombs and temples and  decorative objects. It definitely made me want to break out my Dictionary of Middle Egyptian and read the inscriptions shown. Recommended. 

The Island of Missing Trees - Elif Shafak

June's book club choice was a deceptively fast read. I'm still thinking about some of the events in this book. I really liked the semi-magical-realness element of the story; it helped to bring some life and some hope amidst a lot of conflict and turmoil. Why do people have to endlessly fight? I'll never understand it. The discussion of the book should be fascinating. 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

When I was a kid 10000000 years ago, I loved the Hercule Poirot novels, but I never really read any of the other books by the same author, like the Miss Marple books, etc. It recently occurred to me that a fun project might be to read all of Agatha Christie's books in the order in which they were published, so on a recent trip to the library I grabbed this, the first book, first published back in 1920. 

Cue the flashback to this book. SIGH. 

Once again, I get it, the n-word was used a lot in those days, people (well, white people, of course) didn't think of it as particularly offensive, it's not used against someone but as a descriptor of a costume (which in some ways is way worse), but I just can't. I can't erase or change the past but it really sucks to be reading merrily along and get slapped in the face like this. I guess I might be able to overlook it if things today were very different but ..... I just can't. 

Overall, this was a good mystery, although to be honest I had trouble keeping track of the characters. It was fun to meet M. Poirot for the first time and try to puzzle out the solution to the mystery, which is clever. But I think I will work on other books. 

View from a Hill - Mark Burgess

Another favorite band is The Chameleons (sometimes called The Chameleons UK in the US). Weirdly enough, I don't remember where or how I first heard them, I just have this impression that I have always really liked them. This autobiography tells the story of the band from the perspective of one of the band's founding members/lead singer. When I was a lot younger I wanted to be in a band, and this book made me both wish I could have made it happen and also feel thankful that it never did. Wow, record companies are some of the shadiest "businesses" out there! However, being in a band seems to consist of like 75% getting drunk/taking drugs/fighting with bandmates, 20% fighting with record companies, and like 5% playing and writing music so who knows, maybe I got the better end of the deal after all. This book was very well written and was an enjoyable, illuminating read. 

The main takeaway: if you are ever wondering about what the lyrics to your favorite song mean, it's most likely something to do with alcohol/drugs. LOL

Don't worry, there are more Joy Division books coming soon too, ha ha!

Reading Behind Bars - Jill Grunenwald

The closest I have ever come to being in a prison is a visit to Folsom Prison, which has a cool museum for visitors who like the Johnny Cash song but have no other business being there. Having watched shows like Oz, Orange Is the New Black, and even Prison Break, I can honestly say I have no desire to ever get a closer view of what goes on behind the walls. Luckily people like the author have more courage than I do, and can provide first-hand accounts, in this case from the perspective of a prison librarian. This book covered the importance of libraries in general to society, and the importance of information access to everyone, including people who are incarcerated. I imagine having access to a library could really make a difference to someone who might be trying to get their life back on track. I do have a question for the author - did the young man she recommended The Great Gatsby to like it? A fascinating look at a world most of us will never see for ourselves. 

Deadlines Don't Care If Janet Doesn't Like Her Photo - David Thorne

If you aren't familiar with this author, I suggest you start here to get an idea of his comedy. I happen to find him hilarious and this book was more of the same. Recommended. 

The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell

Readers, this book was a serious page turner. Recommended to me as a cool spooky novel, I have to say it lived up to the recommendation. I think I read this in a total of like 6 hours over 2 days and didn't want to put it down. It kept me guessing too. Recommended 

The Five Wounds - Kirstin Valdez Quade

Another book full of people that make it soooooooo hard to want to like them LOL This author really has a way of providing just enough information about characters to make the reader simultaneously want to root for them and also grab them by the shoulders and give them a good shake. I suspect there is much to be made of the symbolism in this book's title and the events that unfold. In the end I guess we are all wounded in some way, and it's what we are able to achieve despite these wounds that matters. 

A Woman Is No Man - Etaf Rum

Wow, readers, this book really broke my heart. It manages the nearly impossible task of making us feel hopeless and making us feel like there is always hope in the world, even if it's hard to see. It was sort of a tough read but it was also an interesting look into a community I personally knew little to nothing about. There is a character that I want to pluck out of this book and just hand a whole new life. I think this character will live in my head for a long time. Recommended. 

Legendary Children - Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez

Something you might not know about me is that I am a HUGE fan of the art of drag. I don't know when it started*, but obviously I was over the moon when RuPaul's Drag Race premiered way back in 2009, and I have watched every episode of the U.S. version since**. My favorite thing to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon is rewatch the latest episode and I sometimes even get a little emotional during the lip syncs, because watching amazingly talented, creative, and artistic individuals do what they do best is incredibly moving to me. 

Quick side note - The Boulet Brothers' Dragula is another cool drag competition that has moved to yet another paid streaming service, although it tilts a bit more toward the "filth" and "horror" elements, in case that's not your bag. 

At this point you might be wondering - is there a point to this post? Yaaaas queen, there is - I finally got around to reading this awesome book. The subtitle is: "The First Decade of RuPaul's Drag Race and the Last Century of Queer Life" and the book is just that - a history of queer culture as seen through Drag Race, which incorporates it at every turn. Now that I have read this book through once, I intend to read it again much more slowly, so I can pause and do research on some of the drag pioneers I wasn't already aware of. Total must-read for fans of drag and highly recommended. 

*Fun fact - I was blessed by a drag queen at age 21, which was a loooooooong time ago in a galaxy semi-far away

**As the overseas versions are on Paramount + and I refuse to pay for yet another streaming service I sadly won't be watching them soon, but I obviously hope to someday

Creatures - Crissy van Meter

So this book has left me feeling divided. Part of me felt like this was a somewhat pretentious grad-school/MFA exercise, and part of me can't stop thinking about what I think it all meant. All of the characters are difficult to like, in my opinion, but at the same time the author manages to make the reader care about what happens to - well, some of them. I feel like there was symbolism that I am going to be thinking about and unpacking on this one for a while. 

The Last Mona Lisa - Jonathan Santlofer

This book would be a great beach read. It's a fast-paced thriller in the style of Dan Brown. I'm not a fan of his, but if you are, you will probably like this book. I enjoyed the art history and travel aspects of the story - the author is an artist, and his knowledge shines through. The writing is also better than Dan Brown, albeit with some clunky bits, things that left me with questions, etc. It would make a decent movie too. All in all it was a decent choice for book club in January, if a little too "bestseller" for my taste.