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.