I’m back! Just kidding. Obviously, this blog has not been a priority for me as of late. For a while now, I just couldn’t come up with much mental space to plan or write. Throw in a little more worry about what people might think about things I write or do and I just didn’t do it.
Things have changed for me professionally a little bit and may continue to change in the next year. It is possible I might feel some more freedom to get back to a schedule and a frame of mind where I want to share intimate details and stories of our lives. And if not, that is fine too.
I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked to this year (I did read 30). I keep a list on my computer of the books I read and a brief synopsis of each to help me remember (my memory is the worst). When a handful of people asked me about my top ten books of 2022, pulling together a blog post wasn’t all that hard. Then recently I attended a book club party where I spent an hour or so listening to avid readers talk about their favorite books and also discussing my favorites (or parts of books I could remember. Party guests bring books to share and you then leave with new books. Is there anything better? I guess you could say I am feeling inspired.
10. People You Meet on Vacation- Emily Henry
This is a feel-good book and an easy read. I really, really like emotional books, but at times this last year I needed to sink into a book where I could escape and this book was great for this. This would be good to read, you guessed it, while on vacay. It is funny and I thought the writing was engaging. This book is about two unlikely best friends and their yearly summer trips. If you like to travel, this one is for you.
9. The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo- Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was was a fun read that was easy to get through. Evelyn Hugo is a celebrity that was married seven times. In her old age, she finally agrees to give an interview after refusing for many years. She seeks out a writer to publish her story, who has no experience. The hired writer has no idea why she has chosen to her to write her story about her seven marriages. The story was engaging and interesting and kept me guessing. I enjoyed the chronicles of celebrity life.
8. Magic Lessons, Rules of Magic, Practical Magic – Alice Hoffman
Technically, this entry is three books instead of one but I do what I want. These books were recommended to me last year by a book club partygoer who said they were a favorite. I told the recommender that I was not really into fantasy or sci-fi and she implored me to try it saying that they were beautiful. I was skeptical, but I now agree. They were filled with love and amazing character development. Alice Hoffman wrote “Practical Magic” first. It ended up being adapted for a movie that starred Sandra Bullock. Alice Hoffman later wrote two books that are prequels to “Practical Magic.” There is some controversy as to how one should read these books. Should you read the books in the order written? Or should you read them in chronological order? I read them in chronological order and loved them all. This is basically the story of witches in Salem and follows one family through several generations. I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.
7. Three Sisters-Heather Morris
This one is an emotional book. Don’t like sad books? Stay away from this one. This is based on the true story of three Slovakian Jewish Sisters who promise their sick father that they will stay together before he dies. Later, when their village is occupied by the Germans and the family is forced to Auschwitz, they vow to keep their promise. This book follows the three sisters through their journey to stay alive during imprisonment. I love historical accounts and I have loved past books from her.
6. The Woman They Could Not Silence- Kate Moore
I can not remember how I came upon this book. I think my local library saved it for me after seeing a comment on my Facebook page about me needing to read this one. (Can we just stop and appreciate libraries? AH-MAZING. Sometimes I call and ask about a book and if they do not have it, they order it for me or find it on interlibrary loan. If a storm is coming, sometimes they ask if I’d like to pick anything out because they’ll be closed for a couple of days. Their friendly service is the best and it’s one of my favorite things about living in town!) This book is the true story of Elizabeth Packard, who was a housewife and mother of 6 in 1860. Her husband had her committed to an insane asylum due to conflicting ideas on theology, thinking for herself, and sometimes speaking up in disagreement against him. Elizabeth had no rights as a woman and her husband was able to keep her locked away for being what he deemed “insane”. This story is about how she fought for her release and then helped changed laws so other women would not endure the same fate. The insane asylum that she was committed to was located in Jacksonville, IL.
5. The Fourth Monkey- JD Barker
This book is a graphic, wild ride. If you can not handle gore and perhaps some uncomfortable details, you might skip this one. I thought the writing was excellent even though the story is a little weird. I was on the edge of my seat about whether the killer would be caught. I have never read this author before but this is the first book in a series. I am thinking I might read the next books if I can catch them at the library. This book is about a serial killer who sends little pieces of body parts to the victim’s family members. Investigators race to find the victims before it is too late. (Trigger warning: violence, rats, imprisonment, dismemberment, sex, etc, etc).
4. The Underground Railroad- Colson Whitehead
You know I am back at it with another historical fiction. I can not get enough. Hint, the #1 book this year is a book by the same author. After I read it, I raved about it to a co-worker who then told me I needed to read this one. The Underground Railroad follows Cora, a young slave who flees slavery via the Underground Railroad. This is sad. And demoralizing. And hard to read at times. I know that is not everyone’s cup of tea. When I read a book I want to get lost in it. I want to be immersed and feel like I am there, even if that means I experience raw emotion. Reading a book like this helps me realize that the crap I get worked up about just doesn’t matter.
3. The Four Winds- Kristin Hannah
Set in Texas in 1934 this book follows Elsa as she tries to keep the family alive throughout the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The farm is barely hanging on and she must make an excruciating decision to move her family West to look for work and money so they can survive.
I love Kristin Hannah. Again, everything she writes is seemingly sad. (This is starting to seem like a theme this year.) It starts out sad, and then gets sadder, and then even more. I wasn’t surprised that this was sad. Readers might think that it is too gloomy, and maybe it is, but a book like this puts you on the front lines of what it would have been like to be trying to survive during the Dust Bowl. Here is my reasoning: I read a lot of books. Books that are just “meh” for me, I can barely recall a few details or even main character names. Books that have epic stories and characters can evoke the best mental pictures in my head and raw emotions. Those books are the ones I remember, with vivid details. Those books end up in the top ten.
2. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell- Robert Dugoni
I have never heard about this one before but I randomly asked someone at the pool what they were reading. They simply said, “It’s hilarious!” I picked it up the next week and they were right. I did not put it down. The writing was great, the story engaging, and I laughed out loud many times. See? I can read things that aren’t sad. This book is about Sam, who was born without any melanin in his eyes. This causes his eyes to appear red. The occurrence is rare and this absence of pigment causes a whole host of problems throughout his life. His parents, devout Catholics, try to keep the faith about the amazing things he will do, but his peculiar looks seem to bring on trouble. It is a feel-good story that I am now mainly glad made the top ten so I don’t seem like such a sadist.
- The Nickel Boys- Colson Whitehead
Are you surprised that another historical fiction made the top book of 2022? This book is based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys in Florida which has a dark past with stories of the mistreatment of boys in their care.
Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in Florida in the 1960s, unknowingly took a ride from a man who had just stolen a car. This one decision landed him at Nickel Academy, a reform school for troubled boys. Elwood has to navigate the unjust treatment of colored people in the academy, routine beatings, and misconduct to make it out alive. Again, it’s sad but the story is written so well with complex characters that this is one I won’t soon forget.
Wishing you all an amazing 2023 with lots of great books.
Love,
Stef