Welcome to my only blog post of the year. Oy vey. 2022 was tough in a lot of ways, so blogging fell by the wayside. Reading remained my solace. This year, I tracked my monthly reads on instagram and saw patterns in an interesting way. Some months were full of mediocre to less-than-stellar reads while others lacked quantity but had high quality reads. I managed 80 reads for the year, exceeding my initial goodreads goal of 40, that I intentionally set low since I was pursuing my STEM certification. I took on multiple new roles at work during the current school year, so the vast majority of these were audio books (because as the meme says, I absolutely don't want to be alone with my thoughts). In 2023, I am setting a low goal of 25 reads because I am adding more spinning plates to my circus act. In doing that, I will be using 2 different Bingo cards (Peanut Blossom one linked; source of other undetermined) that a friend pointed me to in order to frame my reading goals. I am excited about reading with purpose again.
As always at the end of the year, I present my list of best reads of the year. Several of these were obscure, so I hope something you see here appeals to you. Amazon links provided for convenience.
- The Cartographers - Peng Shepherd - Equal parts mystery, thriller, nerd-out over books and maps, this book was genre-bending and intriguing. I devoured it and honestly don't know why more people aren't talking about it. It was a book club selection at work this year and was overall received well, but some folks pointed out plot holes I missed the first time around. That still wasn't enough to knock it off of my top spot for the year.
- Any Other Family - Eleanor Brown - A trio of families has agreed to raise three biological siblings as close to a nuclear family as possible, and the interactions were perfection. Brown expertly captured the hard seasons of a disagreeable child (#iykyk), the Pinterest-worthy mom, and the trials of parenthood in general. So much goodness about what it takes to be a family and so much insight into the hardest parts of adoption. For me especially, it was a timely read.
- Raising Emotionally Strong Boys - David Thomas - Rebekah introduced me to David after hearing him on an episode of That Sounds Fun, and I am eternally grateful that she did. This book opened my eyes to so many things about parenting and how the way I do things isn't always the best. I underlined and marked so much, and I had so much to share with my therapist from having read this. I know that I will continue to reference this for years to come. So much love for the folks at Daystar counseling. Sidebar: If you're a parent, you REALLY need to be listening to their Raising Boys & Girls podcast. If nothing else, you'll learn some great tacos to try in Nashville.
- The Last Time I Lied - Riley Sager - Sit amidst the backdrop of summer camp, this thriller hit every note for me. The twists and turns were plentiful, the plot was bonkers, and it all felt fresh somehow. It was dark without being macabre and the perfect back list summer read. I have read all of his work and loved most of it (don't get me started about House Across the Lake, y'all), but this stands out as my favorite.
- The Golden Couple - Green Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen - Crazy, dysfunctional couple in therapy with a counselor whose methods are less than traditional? My favorite writing duo at domestic suspense? Sign me up. And the twist at the end? Chef's kiss.
- Taste - Stanley Tucci - My obsession with Tucci began in college when he owned Devil Wears Prada and then appeared everywhere in supporting roles for years and years. His comedic timing and deadpan humor endeared him to me and continue to keep me watching his films today. This was a food-driven memoir complete with recipes. I hear that the audio is wonderful, but the intense amount of language would have made it difficult for me. He was hilarious and honest throughout.
- The Bullet That Missed - Richard Osman - Osman is a British game-show host-turned-author, but you would never know writing wasn't his first career. This is his third installment of the Thursday Murder Club series, and they continue to thrill me. His cheeky humor is evident in Joyce, one of the main characters who is particularly spicy. I love the tenacity and heart of these geriatrics who literally live in a retirement community and solve murders together.
- State of Terror - Louise Penny and Hilary Clinton - I know, HRC as a fiction author? Mind-boggling. But the plot of this was so good, and the insight she provided because of her unique political roles and insight was second to none. If political thrillers aren't your thing, I encourage you to at least try, because it worked really well for me. I loved the quick plot and all the drama throughout, but I could have done without all the references to "the ineptitude of the previous administration."
- Wish You Were Here - Jodi Picoult - Diana's life is on track until her planned vacation to the Galapagos goes nothing as planned. She meets an alarmingly frustrating man who she begins to develop feelings for. And then, everything changes. Part 2 of the book takes a major twist that I won't give away here, but it was well done. Picoult always manages to take hot topic issues and effortlessly make them relevant and strangely apolitical.
- The Lightning Rod - Brad Meltzer - Nola and Zig return in this follow-up to The Escape Artist, and this time they dive deep into a military cover-up. The suspense was there from the beginning, and the plot kept me guessing. Meltzer does a masterful job, per usual, of keeping the plot moving even as it gets a bit lengthy at times. I hope this series continues to grow and deliver.
- Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins- I have tried many times and failed, but audio was the perfect avenue for this YA / dystopian look at what happens when we are thrust into a sacrifice.
- Schooled - Ted Fox - This was a Kindle First Read that I devoured in about 48 hours. Jack is a SAHD who decides to run for PTO president to try to best his high-school arch-nemesis who has recently moved to town and is bent on destroying him for kicks and giggles. I laughed, I cried, I loved all of the allusions to parenting and how hard it is to be in the trenches every single day. It was quick, light, and fun, and by a mile my favorite First Read of the year.
- Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid - Filled with 90s nostalgia and tennis references, this look at what a comeback is like was pure joy for my Wimbledon-obsessed heart. I couldn't 5-star it because of the language throughout, but I loved Carrie's moxie and heart all throughout. Though I must admit, my heart ached when this was up for a Goodreads HISTORICAL FICTION. #itwasthe90s wasn't that far off.
- Killers of a Certain Age - Deanna Raybourn - Four women in their 60s work as assassins for an organization known only as the Museum. When they learn there is a hit out for them, they have to get creative in their methods to stay alive. Told in parts of current day and their early days with the Museum, it was fun to learn how the ladies became who they were today. I was so excited that this will be our January read for faculty book club. Much fun!
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