Book Review: November + December 2022

Did I just stop reading during the last 3 months of 2022? Well, sorta. October was like a time vaccum and apparently I didn’t read much of anything this month. Thankfully, I was able to enjoy a bunch of books in November and December, mostly due to lots of traveling and some long flights / drives.

Overall I consumed (read or listened to) 61 books this year. My goal was 60 (only a total nerd sets a yearly book goal, right?) so I just squeaked by that.

Reading encourages me to learn and explore. It asks me to suspend disbelief and try something new. I love sharing recommendations with friends and chatting about books. authors and themes. Since I was a kid, reading has been one of my favorite activities and I’m grateful for any amount of time I get to spend with a book.

Here’s my book review for the last few months of 2022:

November

“How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig

4.5 stars

I’m a big Matt Haig fan after reading the “Midnight Library.” Here, another time slipping story which is a genre I totally love. The protagonist is finding love despite the odds of being over over 300 years old, yet still looking 41. While reading the book I thought about when I want to stop time, when I want it to pass more quickly and how I can live in the moment more. What if we had all the time in the world but those around us didn’t? What does it mean to live like there’s no tomorrow when really there’s nothing but time? What if our time, not money is our most precious resource, how would we live differently?

“The Eternal Audience of One” by Remy Ngamije

4 stars

In my efforts to read books from a diverse group of authors I came across this book set in Rwanda, Namibia and South Africa. I loved the coming of age story and the plot line moved quickly. The exploration of class, being a refugee, etc made this me think how my own college and post-college years where very different from the protagonist’s. Some parts were heartwarming and others were down right funny. I found it interesting and look forward to additional books from the author.

“Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D Vance

4 stars

A memoir on the intersection of class and education, trauma and healing. This is a moving autobiography that considered the questions of “ When / how does someone get out of poverty and how long does the energy of a space stay with you” While reading the book I kept thinking about the work for Brene Brown and shame. How poverty feels like a shameful situation and how hard it is to move away from it. Our American culture is rooted in classism on many levels.

“Miracle Creek” by Angie Kim

4 stars

A quick-moving thriller with lots of twists and turns. I loved some characters and hated others…in the good way that I was actively engaged. I knew parts of Virginia where the book was set as well as some Baltimore shoutouts. I was surprised by the final “who done it” and was pleased with the way to book wrapped up. It offered an interesting look at alternative therapies and how far families are willing to go for the ones they love.

December

“Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth” by Reza Aslan

4.5 stars

After reading “God” by Reza Aslan, I was thrilled to read another one of his books. Reading the book in December, the month of Christmas was a good move. I find Christmas to be a secularized, capitalist-drive holiday, a far cry from having to do with the birth of Christ. I was raised Christian but the older I get, the less I identify with that religion, in favor of a more broad spiritualist view instead. To see Jesus as a person through cultural context was really interesting. The book is a bit dense in parts as it is well researched.

“Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope” by Mark Manson

3 stars

This was a curious read as I do agree with the author that we’ve never had it better in all of human history, yet at the same time everything feels heavy and awful. There were a few gems of insight but I left the book feeling annoyed that it centered on the while male perspective with little reflection for folks not checking these two boxes. I don’t need to read Mark Manson again, thanks.

“The Third Plate” by Dan Barber

3 stars

A dense read about food, culture and the earth. Some really interesting perspectives about food sourcing and how disconnected we are from the earth. No, we can’t keep eating meat and fish this much…it is awful for the planet and not sustainable. At the same time, the author, who is an elite NYC chef that uses food as art, seems aloof and not approachable. Not that there is anything wrong with food as art and a creative expression, but rather it’s not accessible to the majority of people. For folks living in poverty or unable to afford the inflated price of food, the art form isn’t as necessary as basic nutrition. He puts chefs on a pedestal as champions of the future of the planet and that seems like a big stretch.

“This Is Your Mind on Plants” by Michael Pollan

5 stars

I cannot love Michael Pollan any more. The way he writes and in this case, the narration for the audio book really appeal to me. This is the 3rd book of his that I have enjoyed immensely. I have often thought how odd it is that caffeine is available commercially without any age limit. And how it’s weird AF that parents allow their kids to get something at Starbucks, which is sugar dressed up with caffeine. As someone who is caffeine sensitive, I have joked that when I have a cup of coffee it’s a performance enhancing drug. But it’s like that for many folks. And it comes from a plant! Yet, opium, derived from a poppy and mescaline from a cactus are illegal. What’s up with that? Pollan explores the history of human interaction with psychoactive plants in a way that is down to earth. It’s a memoir of sorts mixed in with a history lesson and questions for social interaction with the world around us.

“Highwire Moon” by Susan Straight

4.5 stars

An intense and at times downright depressing read about a mother and daughter separated at the USA / Mexico border. The human rights violations that involve immigrants is heartbreaking. I read this book, set in part in Riverside in Southern California after being in that area (Joshua Tree) in October so it was cool to have a small sense of the geography. From drug use, teenage pregnancy, immigration and poverty, this book covers some really deep issues with empathy while still being realistic.

“Nobody Ever Asked Me About the Girls” by Lisa Robinson

3 stars

As a live music lover, I’m often struck by how I have to seek out female artists. There are sooooo many more shows being promoted for the guys. At nearly every festival I attend, I remark to friends on how I would like to see more people of color and women on stage. There is not a lack of these folks in music, there is a lack of centering them. The longtime music writer Lisa Robinson cites examples from the last 60 years of women artists and how they deal with fame, age, motherhood, addiction, etc. She is a critic of course and very clearly states who she loves (Adele and Joni Mitchell) and hates (Taylor Swift and Madonna). The book wasn’t unbiased by any means which made it challenging to read.

Total Books: 10

Total for the year: 61

Goal for 203: 70 books