Saturday, December 31, 2022

Best of the Bunch (December 2022)

Best of the Bunch header

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in December.

It was an OK reading month. Of the 8 books I read this month, I didn't have any 5-star reads and I had one 4.5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch.

It took me a bit to get into Radio Silence, but in the end, it was exceptional. It's a beautiful depiction of platonic friendship love and queer found family and the way that academic pressure and the myth of the Only Good Life Path can wreck people's lives and how people who make beautiful things (like art and stories) have an important impact on other people and their endeavors should be valued. I genuinely wasn't sure what was going to happen to any of the characters, which made the plot that much more compelling and the ending that much more rewarding. I'm very glad I finally read this, and I'd definitely recommend it.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Never Split the Difference, Grumplets and Pests, and To the End of June
Five years ago I was reading: Sophie's Choice and Americanah
Ten years ago I was reading: The First 90 Days

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Monday, December 26, 2022

Top Ten Nonfiction Reads of 2022


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's theme is actually about books we've added to our book collections recently, but I'm opting instead to share the first of my overall top ten lists for the year, as I've done in past years. As I'm currently in the middle of a few works of fiction that will take me through the end of the year, I'm sharing my favorite nonfiction reads of 2022 first. To read more about why I liked them, you can search for them on the blog or check out my Goodreads! (To see my favorite read every month, I encourage you to check out — and link up with — the Best of the Bunch linkup.)
1. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
2. Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch
3. Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
4. Can I Recycle This? by Jennie Romer
5. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
6. Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide by Patrice Banks
7. Good Talk by Mira Jacob
8. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty
9. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
10. Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride

What were your favorite nonfiction reads of the year?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Never Split the Difference and To the End of June
Five years ago I was reading: Sophie's Choice and Americanah
Ten years ago I was reading: The First 90 Days

Thursday, December 15, 2022

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee: This was a fun read, pretty much the queer YA historical romance romp that I expected it to be. There's a lot that's unbelievable about the plot, but you just kind of have to be along for the ride.

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie: This was fine but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first Superintendent Battle book. The story itself was entertaining enough to keep me invested, but I didn't find the solution as satisfactory as some others.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver: I first read and loved this book in high school, and aside from some elements that have aged poorly, the book still has the heart that made me love it that first time. The characters feel like real, three-dimensional people who are muddling through life the best that they can.

Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood by Lucy Knisley: This was a compilation of sketches the author had previously posted to Instagram showing snapshots of her life as a new parent. A few got a chuckle from me, but mostly I just responded with, "Yep. And?" Maybe if there had been more narrative or commentary around the drawings, I would have had more of a response to them.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite: This was a lovely historical sapphic romance with a large dose of feminists kicking butt. Although everything worked out a little too easily and conveniently in my opinion, there was something nice about two queer women forming a relationship without too many obstacles and then joining forces to smash the patriarchy.

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu: This was a cute graphic novel. The storytelling makes good use of the comic format, and the characters each have their own unique personalities while all seeming like college kids. The romance, unfortunately, worked less well for me here, but it wasn't as central to the plot as I expected.

Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu: I really enjoyed this, even more than the first volume. I liked the romance better, and just given that we get to see the main character across four years of college, when it's his turn to go through the senior year and graduation rituals, they pack an emotional punch. I recommend reading through both volumes of this series.

The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi: I'm glad this book has been helpful for so many people. I did not find it personally that revolutionary. The main benefit, I guess, was affirming most of what I'm already doing. But I had to sit through a lot of unrelatable examples to get there.

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller: I didn't find this book as life-changing as many people seem to have, but it was interesting and provided some nice frameworks for thinking about life and purpose.

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy: This was a very quick read, but it was good. Through a fictionalized story of her freshman year of high school, Fahmy depicts the identity exploration that happens at that age. I'm not entirely sure what this graphic novel adds to the other works of teenage identity exploration out there, but it's engaging and relatable and overall I enjoyed it.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome: This classic children's book was hard to get into at first, but the plot picked up in the second half. I can understand how this has been beloved by children of generations past, but given some of the outdated ideas and language in this book, I'd pass on sharing it with kids today.

Dragons Never Die by Cara J. Stevens: This continues to be a series my 7-year-old enjoys. From my perspective it's not particularly engaging or original, but it's also coherent and entertaining enough that I didn't mind reading it with them every night. We plan to continue the series.

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee: This was enjoyable, if uneven. I liked it as much as the first one but for different reasons. I thought the pacing was off a bit in this one, and I have a lot of unanswered plot questions, but that was more than well balanced by all the great messages Lee managed to work into the plot.

Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie: This is technically a Superintendent Battle book, but only barely — he makes a brief appearance at the end. This isn't a standout by any means, but it was entertaining enough and the mystery hung together in a satisfying way, which is what I go to Christie for!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Shalom and the Community of Creation, Unicorns and Germs, and To the End of June
Five years ago I was reading: Sophie's Choice and The Stand
Ten years ago I was reading: The Pox Party

Monday, December 12, 2022

Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's that time again! I read all the books on my fall TBR, and here are ten of the books I plan to read this winter.
1. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
This book hasn't stopped being recommended since it came out, and the insistence to prioritize this grew even louder during Native American Heritage Month last month, so I'm finally deciding to make sure I read this during the next few months.
2. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
It seems that not having read the Locked Tomb series makes me the odd one out in the queer book clubs I've recently joined, and at least one of the groups is planning to read the next book in the series when it comes out, so I figure it's time for me to get caught up!
3. How to Be a Normal Person by T.J. Klune
Hearing a panel discussion Klune participated in recently made me interested in picking up more of his books (I've only read The House in the Cerulean Sea), and this one was already on my list for having ace representation and for being set in Oregon, so this is the one I'm going to read next!
4. In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
I don't know anything about this, but the online book club I've been part of for a decade has picked it for our next discussion, so I'm looking forward to reading and discussing it.
5. The No-Show by Beth O'Leary
It's been a while since I read one of O'Leary's books, and this is her new one that came out this year. I haven't heard much about it one way or another, but I'm interested to pick it up and see how it stacks up against some of her earlier works that I really enjoyed.
6. The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
I've now listened to and enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy, so I might as well finish up the series!
7. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
I recently reread The Bean Trees for the first time in 20 years, and I never read this sequel to it, so now seems like a good time to pick it up.
8. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Acevedo is one of those authors I can't believe I still haven't read, and this is the book of hers I'm most interested to pick up.
9. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
I'm continuing my read through the Osemanverse, and in the loose chronology into which all her books fit, this one is next. I've also wanted to read it for a while regardless, even before I read the Heartstopper books and learned that all her books are based in the same universe.
10. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
I'm continuing to make my way through Christie's complete works. I'm on the fourth Superintendent Battle book now, and this one is the fifth and final of the Superintendent Battle books.

What do you plan to read this winter?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Shalom and the Community of Creation, Unicorns and Germs, and Apples Never Fall
Five years ago I was reading: Sophie's Choice and The Stand
Ten years ago I was reading: The Pox Party

Monday, December 5, 2022

Ten More Classics I Haven't Read


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week is a freebie! I decided to share books considered "classics" (at least by some people — I understand the category is debatable) that I have yet to read. The last time I covered this topic was almost seven years ago, and I've since read all ten of those books. Here are ten more!
1. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
2. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
3. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
4. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
5. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
6. Inferno by Dante Alighieri
7. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
8. Passing by Nella Larsen
9. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
10. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Which of these should I prioritize reading? Which "classics" have you never read?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Shalom and the Community of Creation, The Pod and the Bog, and Apples Never Fall
Five years ago I was reading: The New Jim Crow and Stranger in a Strange Land
Ten years ago I was reading: The Pox Party