#3 - Read 40 Books (Fail)

I was only 4 short this year, but it was full of bangers! 

* = recommend

** = highly recommend

1 - The Center of the Universe by Nancy Bachrach

2/13/24

I read this for the 2023 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge and just didn't finish in time. It's a very interesting story, and at points, I really liked the book. The tough part is that I found the narrator pretentious--and it's a memoir, so I guess I found the author pretentions, like she was leaning too hard into poetic language, using the story to show off, rather than letting the writing flow through. So, it was okay.

2 - The Vegetarian by Han Kang

2/26/24, audiobook

I read The Vegetarian for the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge item read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited. I found the premise interesting, but I didn't love the story overall. It just felt like so much hating on this woman for becoming a vegetarian, and then it seemed like she lost her mind. It was just meh.

**3 - What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

2/27/24

I regularly read short stories, all because my undergrad creative writing professor used the Best American Short Stories series as our "textbook." Each year, a new anthology comes out, and I probably have 10 or so from the last 20 years. I rarely, however, read short stories outside of this series, so I'm so so thankful for this recommendation from one of my classmates in the short story writing class I'm taking right now. She was raving so much about it, I just ordered it, and I'd finished it within two weeks. While there are some themes throughout the collection, each story was so unique and packed a punch of emotion. Truly fantastic collection that I highly recommend.

*4 - Asylum: A Memoir and Manifesto by Edafe Okporo

4/3/24

I read this for the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge Item... but I can't remember which one. Okporo tells the story of how he migrated to the United States as a refugee, as his life was in danger in his home country of Nigeria due to his sexual orientation. While the writing itself is dry and lacks some flow, I am really glad I read his story. There is so much talk about the "issue" of migration, but we so seldom hear people's real life stories and how our systems truly dehumanize people who are simply fleeing harm. Reading Okporo's story and his commitment to activism made me want to learn more and to see what influence I have in my community.

5 - Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

4/14/25, audiobook

Book Riot listed this book as being under the radar in 2023. The premise was great: technology versus analog. In this world, some people, like Noor, have been able to overcome barriers due to their physical body through body modifications. Noor feels like she has the body she wants, but there are others, whom she eventually meets, who believe it's wrong to have body modifications. But then, she's on the run and is somehow the main target of a war? I had trouble following all of that, even though there weren't a lot of characters. The enemy was so faceless that it was hard to be invested, as the story felt so one sided. I know I just missed or forgot some things, but I didn't enjoy the story enough to go back and figure out what I missed.

6 - Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz

5/7/24

This was a lovely collection of poems that I started for the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge Item... but I, again, can't remember which one. Some of the lines really hit hard, and the poetry was beautifully lyrical.

**7 - The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S. A. Chakraborty

5/8/24

I'm so thankful for the Bingo Book Club for getting me out of my comfort zone in reading! Marissa picked The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, and I got to go on a super fun middle-aged pirate adventure. The characters were so unique, and I especially loved cheering for heroes (anti-heroes?) who were my own age: totally capable but maybe have a knee injury or aren't as flexible as they used to be. The story itself had twists and turns and magic and delight. Highly recommend.

8 - The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

5/12/24, audiobook

I read this for the Book Riot 2024 Read Harder Challenge. I did not enjoy it. Like, the twist worked okay. But it would have worked for maybe a short story. It just dragged on and on. Just this detective and his weird friend being like, I think these two people who don't know each other well killed this guy. But we can't prove it. Huh. Weird. Talk to him. Talk to her. Still think that. Talk some more. I'm glad it's over.

9 - The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike and Katrina Kenison

5/19/24

The Best American Short Stories series is a favorite of mine. I was introduced to the series in my undergraduate creative writing classes. My fav professor, Tish O'Dowd, chose the most recent edition as the "textbook" for her classes. Since then, I have kept at it and currently have read 10 editions from the last 20 years--the most recent, 2023, edited by Min Jin Lee, being my favorite.

When I saw there was an OF THE CENTURY edition, for all of the 1900s, I thought that would be a perfect pick for the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge Item Read a Book of Short Stories. So, I ordered it. And when it arrived, I was like, welp, this isn't going to get done this year. I just assumed it would be a regular book of short stories, maybe 10-15 stories. Oh. No. this is OF THE CENTURY, so it has 56 stories. It is 788 pages long. So, yeah, it took awhile to finish. 

There were some really lovely stories in the collection, some of which I've read before (e.g., "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien). I have to say though, I much prefer the later editions because of the diversity of authors, leading to really rich selected narratives. Because this one stopped at 1999, I missed that element that's present in the more recent editions. So, while I highly recommend the Best American series, I would recommend other editions before I would this one.

10 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

5/26/24

I reread the series in anticipation of a Hunger Games-themed trivia night around my birthday. I only got halfway through the third book (and really, really needed a few answers from the second half), so I tok a few months to finish it up again. I have to say, this volume is much more violent and much more satisfying than I remembered!

11 - The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating Our Nation's upheaval and Racial Reckoning by Resmaa Menakem

*5/26/24, with Hilary Montgomery, Missy Jensen, Laura Masters, and Molly Stafford

Menakem offers a lot in this book, and I learned a ton. I'm especially thankful for the practices offered and the additional resources. Because of this book, I've been actively thinking about the visibility of my own activism and how I want to engage in activism. I've also taken steps to protect myself, in general and when in tense situations, including protests. While I was a bit timid and skeptical at the start, by the end of the book I felt more present with the tensions in this country and confident that I will continue to learn and practice, so I can be ready for those tensions to increase into the election season.

12 - When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

5/27/24, loaned to me by Mom & Dad

I read this for the Book Riot 2024 Read Harder Challenge: Read a social horror, mystery, or thriller novel. My dad loaned me the book and said he liked it okay. I liked it okay too. I really, really liked the premise, and the tension and mystery both build nicely. There is a fantastic sense of place and community. I wanted a little more roundness to the main characters--especially because things get really violent really quickly at the end, and I didn't really buy it. But I did enjoy how Cole resolves everything. So, yeah. It was okay.

13 - A Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

6/5/24

This was a lovely collection of poems that I started for the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge Item... but I, again, can't remember which one. I'm not sure how I feel about it, to be honest. It felt more like a really long poem than a book of... historical fiction? There were really beautiful and haunting lines and images. Otsuka really stabs at the heart, sometimes with just one beautifully crafted sentence. But overall, I really don't like books where the characters don't have names. It bothered me even more that some of them did, but only in the second half, and I'm pretty sure any name was only mentioned once. I understand it's a tool to show the universality of the experience--while also highlighting that no experience was the same. I think that's why it felt like poetry, rather than a novel/novella. So, yeah. I'm not sure.

**14 - Palestine: A Socialist Introduction edited by Edited by Sumaya Awad and Brian Bean

6/17/24

This book was incredibly helpful in gaining a historical understanding of current-day Palestine from a Palestinian and socialist perspective. I got a ton of historical background, mixed in with philosophical frameworks, applied to the real-world setting. I also gained some understanding into the connections between movements all around the world. I highly recommend this book.

15 - Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

6/30/24, read for Bingo Book Club

I was so skeptical about this book because I really did not like Little Fires Everywhere. I thought it was just gossipy. (But I also finished it, wanting to know what happened, so maybe I should write gossipy books.) This book, however, was totally different. It felt literary. Poetic. There were high stakes. And then... meh. It was fine. 

16 - Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

7/1/24, audiobook

Were there useful insights and practices in this book? Sure. I took some things away. Plus, it's super short. And. It is clear to me that the author is a well-educated, white, cisman who is likely also pretty wealthy and seems not to have interrogated this whole system we call capitalism, nor his role in it and in our colonialist, white supremacist country. So much of it is like, just cut down on social media (which he has never used) and go for a walk! Walk every day! Maybe for four hours, like this famous (old, white, wealthy) man who is famous for his deep thoughts! While surely, hours spent scrolling social media (a low-impact activity) could be traded for better uses of our time. And also. There's SO much privilege in being able to engage regularly in "high-impact" activities, especially time alone doing things that are good for us. Also, he seemed to advocate for "productive" uses of our time, even spending a little time shaming just resting, if it's passive resting, like watching TV. While this book might be helpful to some, those shortcomings were irksome to me. I also don't spend a ton of time on social media and even have some specialized accounts to engage with content that I find truly joyful, rather than just mindless scrolling. So. If you feel like you're super super into social media in an unhealthy way, this book could be helpful. He gives actual practices, with rationale, to declutter that part of your life and engage in things that you actually want to engage in and give you the energy you want and need.

*17 - The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer

7/3/24

I picked up The Naked and the Dead because it's on the Modern Library's Top 100 of the 20th century, and it's been a long-term goal of mine to read all of the books on that list. I was not looking forward to this one, especially because of the length. But honestly? It was really, really good. The way the current action is intertwined with flashbacks to really flush out the characters and explain their choices was really beautifully done. The characters were so round, so unique, and there is enough substance that I didn't like or dislike any of them because they were too human to simplify like that. I also can't think of another book since Lonesome Dove that I physically felt the tension and the overwhelm at the end. Unlike Lonesome Dove though, I did want it to end because there was such a torturous climb (literally), and like the characters, I wanted a respite. Really surprised at this one!

18 - When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

7/4/24, finally finished from the Camp Michigania Book Club 2023

It was interesting to read this book alongside The Naked and the Dead because The Naked and the Dead is a story of U.S. soldiers in Japan during World War II, while When the Emperor Was Divine tells the story of Japanese Americans in the United States at that same time. While I feel like Americans learn a lot about World War II and have countless popular books and films set in that time, it's usually about U.S. soldiers in Europe, sometimes their families back home. But these two books, while fiction, talk about other stories and suffering during that war. Just interesting to focus on the Japan aspect of the situation for once, rather than the German or "generic" American soldier.

I feel similarly about this book as I did A Buddha in the Attic. I think I liked it even less because we have actual main characters--without names. At least in A Buddha in the Attic we heard dozens and dozens of stories, a swirl of stories in seas of people. But this was mainly a family of four, who had unique characteristics. I get that in not naming them, they could be any Japanese family at that time, but also, in this tory, they were a very specific family. It felt like I couldn't fully invest in them as characters because the author didn't think they deserved names. I also wanted more details. Like, what was the girl getting up to? I didn't see enough of the camp and her peers to really know, other than she was probably getting into some trouble. Anyway, not my favorite, even tough I wanted to learn more about this event in our history.

**19 - Best American Short Stories 2023, edited by Min Jin Lee

7/5/24

This is one of the best volumes of this series, and I love this series. It might have helped that I read it for a short story writing class that I really loved, but I think I would have loved them anyway. It's an incredibly eclectic collection, and so many of the stories were laugh-out-loud funny and very memorable. I highly recommend it.

*20 - Night by Elie Wiesel

8/8/24

Just an important read.

*21 - Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

8/11/24

I read this based on a recommendation from someone in my book club who said that this book is one that changed her life. I wouldn't say it was life changing, but I learned a LOT and it reconnected me with some of the reasons I like to be in nature regularly. It's a really important book.

*22 - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

8/19/24, audiobook

I low key loved this book. It reminded me of The Night Circus with its sweet magic and underlying (very adult) love story. I didn't see the twist(s) or the ending coming. It held my interest, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a light, sweet read that still has some depth.

23 - Anarchism and Education: A Philosophical Perspective by Judith Suissa

8/21/24

I learned a few helpful philosophical distinctions from this book, which does help me think through how I articulate my approach to teaching, but, even though I shouldn't because the title includes "a philosophical perspective," I really expected some applications to practice. There were a few examples of schools with some interesting practices, but there wasn't really much about what this philosophical approach means and looks like in practice. But, it was short and an interesting read!

24 - Body Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Wounds and Injuries by David W. Page

I picked this up upon recommendation from the professor in my horror writing course this spring. While the formatting and proofreading are really poorly done, this book is an incredible resource for anyone trying to write about bad things happening to a human body.

*25 - American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis

9/22/24

Whoa. What a ride. I mean, I watched the film years back, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. But... no, no I did not. The book is SO much more gruesome. It felt like the violence in the film was campy and almost playful. That is not at all the case in the book. There are details that made me squirm and then shut the book to stare off in space for a bit, trying to wrap my brain around what I'd just read. And I have a pretty high tolerance for horror-y stuff. I mean, I loved the book, but some chapters were really, really hard to read. But then how he then flips to a diatribe on something completely innocuous, it was really brilliantly done. The changes in voice are so intentional and communicate so much about what the main character is experiencing. Brilliant book, but also, proceed with ample caution.

26 - We Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue

9/30/24

I really wanted to like this, but I was honestly just confused most of the time. Characters and groups of characters had so many interchangeable names and nicknames that I just couldn't keep everyone straight. There were some really beautiful moments and language. 

27 - A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

I was a bit skeptical with someone picked this for book club... and then I was right to be. I wasn't aware of the story and the impact of this one event, but also... It's a white man writing a story about how a white woman "took down" the very powerful KKK in Indiana. Really (trigger warning): A very powerful member of the KKK / politician who had a lot of support brutally raped and tortured a wealthy white woman, who then took steps to die by suicide (while still in his custody) and then eventually did die. So. People only cared because a wealthy white woman was hurt, and she was forced into a situation where she had to endure sexual assault and torture for anything to be done. Like, this wasn't a hero story. This was a tragedy on many levels. 

**28 - A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

10/2/24, for Bingo Book Club

I had high expectations and then was kinda disappointed when I started because this horror subgenre is not one of my favorites, and I don't like it when men write from the perspective of women. But then... Tremblay really amped up the creepiness and did a great job narrating from the voice of a very weird kid (as all kids are weird) to a seemingly less weird adult woman. While many people feel like they know exactly what happened, I love that he had little drops of doubt that led to a fun book club discussion.

*29 - Writer's Market 

11/18/24, assigned in my horror writing class

While I'm still skeptical that this book will maintain its value because of how quickly things change these days, it has SO much valuable information for writers, including so many ideas of where to submit writing of any genre, length, or type. I will definitely be going back through it to decide where to submit my writing.

*30 - The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

11/22/24

I read this for the Book Riot challenge of reading a YA novel by a trans author. This book started slow but then amped up in pace and stakes really fast. I also really appreciated something that my friend Allison once pointed out to me: YA really spells things out. You don't have to figure things out on your own. In the case of this book, that meant learning a lot about the teen trans experience and ways to be kind to people. I loved that the main character (Wyatt) was so complicated and was seemingly surrounded by simpler characters... until he wasn't. Everyone was complicated and was working through complicated situations. It really made for a compelling story, and I'm considering reading the rest of the books in the series.

*31 - American War by Omar El Akkad

11/22/24, for Bingo Book Club

Only Teesha and I showed up for this book club, and then only reason I'm bummed about that is this book was good. It was challenging and had such unique characters. I really loved the way El Akkad twisted a very American-style viewing of the world and put the power in another, very distant country's hands. It was so fascinating to think about how a very strange but also likeable and relatable character could be living her life as best she could in the middle of actors who acted like she didn't matter... and yet she really did. Finishing this after the 2024 election has me really reflecting on what people might feel pulled to do.

32 - Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

12/13/24, for Bingo Book Club, chosen by Deanna Benson

I think this was my first romance novel. I'm feeling kind of... neutral to warm about it. I liked the characters. I liked the HEA vibe, knowing I wasn't going to be disappointed, even if I didn't know how things were going to get resolved--and, more particularly, resolved in a way I could be at peace with. I wasn't absorbed by it though. I also tend to dislike stories where the main characters are writers... especially when some of the writing pieces aren't believable. I mean, clearly, most of them are, as Williams knows the writing/publishing industry. But others were a bit too romanticized for my taste. It's just so hard to do writer main characters well because writers are so close to it and have insider knowledge that many of us don't. And also, I liked how the two (fictional) book series tied together. That was nice. So, yeah. It was my first (I think) romance novel, so I can't judge all romance by this one. So, I'll probably try another and would love some recs!

**33 - Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

12/13/24

I decided it was time to revisit some Vonnegut, and since I'm rewatching Criminal Minds, which has an episode where two characters discuss Vonnegut and specifically Mother Night, I decided on that one. And... oof. I forgot what this book is about: A Nazi war criminal who is actually an American spy tasked with spreading propaganda, and he does it so well, they put him on trial for war crimes in Israel at the end of the war. While Slaughterhouse-Five is certainly an incredible commentary on war and how humans treat each other, Mother Night is a commentary on the hypocrisy of the roles we assign in war and how we artificially amp up the stakes. It was quite a story to read the month after the 2024 election.

*34 - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

12/15/24, for Bingo Book Club, chosen by Selina Uringa

I'm so pleased Selina chose this for our book club pic for January. I've been meaning to read it, especially since I've been writing horror, and Frankenstein is so iconic. It's also sparked my interest more knowing that it was written by a woman in the 1800s. I mean, sure, Shelley was a very wealthy, very well connected woman (as evidenced by the author's note, where she discusses being inspired while visiting Lord Byron in Geneva), but still, there aren't a lot of well-known works of fiction (or any genre) written by women in the 1800s. 

I was surprised at how little I knew of this story. I mean, yes, Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster. But in the book, there are so few details about how the monster is created, and that's generally what I think of when I think of this story: a doctor painstakingly putting together body parts and trying to animate them. Frankenstein certainly goes through a painstaking process, even more so than I would have ever guessed, but we know far more about the exhaustion he experienced as a result of his work that we do about the process itself. And then, the monster... teaches himself French and then English? Through observation? And then is just kinda pissed and vengeful because everyone hates him because he's a monster? And he's super duper articulate? I had no idea. Super fun little read.

35 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

12/20/24

This kind of book isn't really my cup of tea, but it was a very sweet story with some compelling characters. I didn't expect the octopus on the cover to be a central figure in the story, but that was kind of a fun twist on advancing and solving some mysteries. 

36 - Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell

12/28/24, recommended to me by Tori Carl

I'm so pleased that some of my (writing) grad school friends took a course on teaching creative writing this fall and that their instructor assigned so many fantastic books to support writing a novel AND that these friends recommended the books to me! Refuse to Be Done is an incredible resource for strengthening a novel. I've already started paying attention to some of the advice around language, and I can't wait to go back and try some of the exercises on the novel I'm working on. Thank you, Tori!

3 - Read 35 Books

1 - Hard Times by Charles Dickens
1/10/23, for a class

I'm in a grad program for English literature and publishing (yay for tuition benefits as an adjunct faculty member), and one of the requirements is to take a class on pre-1900 literature. Victorian literature was available this quarter, so I thought I'd knock it out. We started with Hard Times. In terms of Dickens, I think I've only ever read A Tale of Two Cities when in high school. I assumed Dickens was just dry and rambling, and while he certainly can ramble, I enjoyed Hard Times and am considering reading a little more Dickens in the future. I didn't realize how most of his work is a social commentary, mostly on class and industrialism. Hard Times, in particular, is a striking critique of the banking model of education, utilitarianism, and how industrialization dehumanizes people and their actual lives. It's certainly not a perfect book, as Dickens can be petty and mean, but it did make me re-evaluate my avoidance of pre-1900s literature, breaking my assumptions that it's not very applicable to current times.

2 - Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

1/15/23, for the DePaul President's Book Club

Wilkerson makes the case for there being a caste system in the United States and why it is important to dismantle it. It felt like a slightly different, very simplified framework amongst many other commentaries on social hierarchies. I don't know that it really added anything new or useful to conversations of oppression and injustice, particularly as it mostly describes two levels of caste, Black and white, without giving much attention to the many other races and ethnicities in the United States. She describes differences within caste, such as gender, and without saying it, talks about intersectional feminism, rather than caste. She connects India's caste system to U.S. history to Nazi Germany. Some connections are clear, such as how some populations learn and are forced to behave as if they are superior/inferior, but does not unpack the differences in motivations and accepted enforcement. She describes oppression (India), slavery (United States), and extermination (Germany), which are very different outcomes, even if they all involve dehumanization and suffering. She also dismisses class structures as enduring, saying, "If you can act your way out of it, then it is class, not caste" (p. 106). Saying class is all just "acting" is wildly dismissive of all of the ways class is enforced (e.g., social capital) and how it affects people of all races and ethnicities (because social systems are intersectional). Some of the personal stories she shares completely gloss over class, as she tells multiple stories about flying first class. Some of her metaphors and comparisons are strange. Also, much of her evidence is anecdotal and without sources. She talks about "alphas," applying the psychology of dogs to humans and giving an very detailed story about her own dog. When the examples are of her own social experiences, they are useful; however, she also tells stories for which she was not present, and it's unclear if these stories are made up or were relayed to her by someone who experienced them. In telling others' stories, particularly white people's stories, Wilkerson seems unaware of social hierarchies for white immigrants in U.S. history and how their standing has contributed to the reinforcement of U.S. social hierarchies. In one (maybe imagined?) conversation between three white women having dinner, she talked about how two women (of Irish descent and German descent yet many generations in) were "silenced" when the third women said, "We're Nordic." Just a bizarre anecdote that only seemed to serve to say how #45 preferred immigrants from Nordic countries. Again, she seems to add complexity to the hierarchy to support her claims but without accuracy, which muddies her point. I believe there are some interesting, useful ideas here, but Wilkerson's editor really needed to help her focus, make her arguments more explicit, find more evidence to back her claims, and develop a "what's next?" ending, as I'm just left feeling as if maybe there's a caste system in this country, and it's bad.

3 - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

1/16/23, for Bingo Book Club

This book was sweet. I really like the characters and species Chambers developed and how she used them to describe really human experiences and emotions. My only complaint is that I wanted a little more plot, a little more at stake. Every time it seemed like something exciting and scary was going to happen, it didn't, until the very end. They're in space, so I wanted the characters to struggle a little more with their physical environment, not just emotional journeys. Regardless, I enjoyed it and would consider reading about The Wayfarer's further adventures.

4 - Avengers: Escalation! by Marvel

1/17/23

I'd really like to get into reading comic books, but it's tough to know where to start. A few years back, I bought a box of random titles. This one was a lot of fighting, but there seemed to be some interesting backstory for two different storylines. I'm hoping to find the books just before and after to learn a bit more. It was also interesting that I bought these years ago, but this issue has Namor and the Talocan, recently introduced on screen in Black Panther 2.

5 - Unto This Last by John Ruskin

2/6/23, assigned for a course in Victorian literature

Honestly, I don't know how much of this I understood. I read it for class, and we haven't discussed it yet. It definitely had some critiques of capitalism and models of compensation for labor, but it's also clearly written from a privileged viewpoint. 

**6 - Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas

3/6/23

This is the best book I've read in a long, long time. Thomas created both compelling characters and a compelling story. Each character is round, full, and incredibly human, with endearing moments and mistakes. It was one of those stories where it's clear so many of the characters have been through deeply hurtful experience in their past, but within the current story, their motivations are so caring and considerate. I say all that without even mentioning that it starts with a murder mystery that has twists and turns throughout the book. This book is inspiring me to dive a bit deeper in to recent YA literature because I loved this journey.

**7 - Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

3/19/23

This was my second reading of this book, and it's still one of my favorites. There's this gorgeous combination of really gritty emotions from people at work, magical realism, and a fantastical plot that feels like a daydream. O'Brien's characters are so unique and human. His descriptions of travel and place make them feel tangible. This novel, in particular, has an Abilene paradox together with really visceral yearnings for escape from an impossibly difficult situation. I would love to find someone else who has read it, so I could chat about the details!

*8 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

3/20/23, audiobook

This was a really lovely story. Some pieces were predictable, but also, there were enough surprises that it didn't feel like a trite or dragging love story. Even in the last chapter, I had no idea how the author could possibly tie up the loose ends and leave us with a satisfying ending, but they did. I particularly loved how Addie had a complicated relationship with The Dark. It reminded me of how dark places and times can have their own appeal, even if we truly want to reject them completely. I also really adored the magical realism of making an impossible wish, like being truly free from the expectations of others, and then needing to live with all of the consequences of such a thing. It felt so much like a story of desperately wanting to be seen and valued, which is so human.

9 - Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

3/22/23, for Bingo Book Club

This was fine. I mean, the story was interesting enough that I wanted to know what happened. It definitely reads like the author found out about this wild thing that happened in history and then crafted a story around that thing--because that's what happened. But because of that, the characters are a bit flat, and the emotions are not intense enough. I mean, with child trafficking, which is essentially what this is, there is severe trauma, which would definitely be generational trauma. And this is just kind of like learning about a "family secret." I liked how so much was left as unknown and not wrapped up in a pretty bow, but I also hated the romance subplot and felt like it was unnecessary, could have been completely left out. So... meh.

10 - The Dead Zone by Stephen King

3/27/23, audiobook

I liked this book fine. I took a break in the middle to listen to something else, but I was interested enough to go back and finish it. It just felt long. Like I just wanted King's editor to cut out some of the unnecessary bits because the core story and premise were good. I also like it when characters, especially characters with a bit of a superpower, struggle with making ethical and moral decisions. It was cool that Johnny had a pretty straightforward goal in the first part but then had to decide what to do later, so it wasn't as if he just had things figured out. I also didn't see the ending coming, and I dug it.

*11 - What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry

3/31/23, audiobook, for the second time

I felt a little out of control in my mental and emotional reactions to things at the start of the year, so I relistened to What Happened to You? to remind myself that many of those reactions were due to triggers from past happenings. While I won't call those past happenings "trauma," especially as in the context of this book, they are talking about deep childhood trauma, which I do not have, I do feel like I've been experiencing trauma responses. My "lizard brain" recognizes a stimuli, and I react with panic, anger, sadness, etc., before my logical brain can step in to point out this is a different situation--a piece of processing I learned from this book. While I know there are likely better books on this topic, especially for those of us who do not have childhood trauma, hearing some validation about what my brain is doing and reminders that it is possible to self-regulate has helped me lean into some healthy habits to both prevent anxiety spirals and respond to them. I also like that in the audiobook, the two authors read independently and are sometimes in conversation. It's a pleasant listen, even though it's a hard one. They do jump right into describing some really traumatic things, without warning, so listen/read with caution!

**12 - The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

4/3/23, for the umpteeth time

The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books, and it's one I go to when I'm having a rough time. For some reason, both the consistency in Salinger's writing of Holden Caufield's voice and Holden's frustration with the world and how boring it can be really resonate with me. I'm always so impressed that a writer can create such a complete character who is both consistent, in voice and action, and still surprises the reader along the way. I also love the gentle exploration of sibling dynamics and how complicated people are. I'm sure I'll revisit it again in a couple years.

**13 - Leadership for a Better World by the National Clearinghouse for Leaders

4/21/23

I read a previous edition of this book when I taught Emerging Leaders at USD and really loved how it frames leadership in such an approachable way, with a focus on undergraduate students. I'm using it for my Chicago Quarter class, so I wanted to give it a deep read as I go into planning for next fall. This newer edition is great. It has me thinking about so many ways I can frame assignments to get students to think deeply about how they practice leadership and the influence they can have on campus, in their communities, and in the city.

14 - Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. Tolkien

5/1/23, audiobook

I was looking for an audiobook with a good story and have always wanted to read this series, so I started in with the first book. Honestly, I didn't love it. It was also way shorter than I anticipated--likely because the films are so flipping long. I have read The Hobbit more than once and adore it, so perhaps this is one of those strange instances of a fantasy novel that, even with a great narrator, just isn't that great in the audio version. It felt so slow, and I could really only picture the dramatic moments because I'd seen the film. They didn't seem to be described very well, with the exception of how creepy Golum is. It just felt like a bunch of folx scrambling around with no real goal while some dudes on horses were looking for them. And the dudes don't find them. So. Because I love The Hobbit so much though, I'm going to try actually reading the second and third books to see if perhaps that is a better experience. It would be super off brand for me to just not like this series, especially when I've watched the films more than once. Also, can anyone explain to me why it's Lord of the RingS--plural? I think the elf queen mentioned another ring, but I couldn't quite figure that part out.

*15 - Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

5/7/23, for Bingo Book Club

I loved 95% of this book. It's beautifully written and treats the huge topics of addiction, immigration, racism, religion, and family dynamics with such care and nuance. I was fascinated that each of us in the book club seemed to think it was about something totally different. We noticed the same themes but seemed drawn to specific narratives over others. For me, the emotions related to loving someone with addiction were so realistic and honest that I had to double check to see if this was an autobiography because it just didn't feel like fiction. Gyasi's characters are so round and full and flawed. They make mistakes and feel guilt and shame, while as the reader I just wanted to hug them and tell them how human they are. The only thing I didn't like was the ending, which was a pretty consistent feeling from our book club. It felt like there just was no great way to wrap up such a human story because human stories don't wrap up nicely... but she tried to wrap it up nicely, and I don't think it needed a tidy bow to make it a worthwhile package. 

*16 - A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

5/31/23

I'm now officially into current YA lit. It took me a bit to get into this book, but it maintained my interest from the start. Then, the plot really took off, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I highly recommend it for young adult and fully adult readers. Nina and Oli's intertwined stories are so lovely and wholesome and relevant. It reminded me of the importance of holistic ways of thinking about our world and all the beings in it and how Indigenous ways of understanding could do so much to heal what we've broken--yet we still exclude and dismiss them. I'm eager to read more books by Little Badger, Indigenous writers, and YA authors!

17 - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

6/10/23, for Bingo Book Club

I've heard such amazing things about this book, and I just... like, I liked it. But I didn't love it. I adored the flowery, twisting writing that made me pay attention to each line, and I have learned over the last few years that I'm a fan of magical realism, which this book is full of. Yet... I was lost so much of the time with all of the characters with such similar (or identical) names and the paragraphs that went on for pages. I understand there was a narrative about the cyclical nature of life and family and place, and that was lovely, but it was also just confusing. Often. I don't want to keep flipping back to a diagram of a family tree to follow a story. Also, the rape scenes were disturbingly pretty. Each one felt like "she said no but she meant yes and just couldn't say yes because it was adultery/incest/statutory/etc." I'll be very curious to hear the thoughts of my book club!

**18 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty

6/11/23

I cannot remember the last time I fell so unexpectedly, deeply in love with a book. I added this book to my queue as part of one of the Book Riot 2023 challenges: Read one of your favorite author's books. While Kurt Vonnegut is my favorite author, Stephen King is up there and talks frequently about other authors. When I Googled King's favorite book, I was surprised to see it is Lonesome Dove. I really wasn't looking forward to it, especially when it arrived and was 858 pages. Then, I read the forward... and dreaded it even more. It took maybe 50 pages or so to get me hooked. The characters are incredible, from the main characters to the side characters to the villains. I understand why this book may have lost favor because it's definitely a "Cowboys and Indians" story, and there is plenty of racism and prejudice against Indigenous people. Yet, it is told through the perspective of cowboys, cattlemen, Texas Rangers, and a handful of people who lived among them, including sex workers, barmen, musicians, cooks, etc. It feels honest of the perspectives of the time, yet gives such depth and breadth in characters and experiences. While the main group certainly holds harmful prejudice against the Indigenous people of the West, McMurty also artfully demonstrated how both groups were taught to fear the other; how both had both violent and peaceful tendencies, depending on the individual or group; how the fears could cause injuries and deaths and how those involved often knew it was simply a misunderstanding, not evil--though there were truly evil characters of many races/ethnicities; how each group also had instances of showing each other peace and kindness; and how all were affected by the decimation of the buffalo population. McMurty presented each character, except the most violent ones, with humanity and wholeness, showing how they each had something special to offer the world and how they could each care for others in unexpected ways. I have not sobbed so much reading a book in years and years, and I did so multiple times because I grew to care so deeply for the characters. I was also very sad when I reached the last few pages and realized I was at the end of the tale. I still can't stop thinking about Gus, Deets, Lorena, and Newt. And Po. And Walbinger. Just wow.

**19 - Mythos by Stephen Fri

6/14/23, audiobook

I didn't realize I hadn't finished this book! Which is curious because it is such a fun listen. I already find the Greek myths fascinating: such incredible tales of how the world came to be, with lessons and poetic happenings throughout. On top of that, Fry tells the stories with such whimsy and gives such unique and fun voices to the "characters." (I think my favorite is Hermes.) Plus, his lovely accent and flow make this a really fun audiobook. It reminded me of a lighter version of Circe, which is my favorite audiobook. I will definitely listen to it again and may even read it someday. 

*20 - The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

6/17/23, audiobook, recommended by Nick Franco

At just 2 hours and 18 minutes, this book packs a big, intricate story. It is as series of vignettes told by a young girl, Esperanza, coming of age in a Chicago neighborhood. She dislikes her neighborhood and yearns for her own house, somewhere else, and some of her stories make her reasons very clear. Other stories, however, are really lovely, showing the complexity of growing up and living in an impoverished area. It's a really beautiful, quick read.

**21 - The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

6/19/23, recommended by Evelyn Sommariva

I have been meaning to read The Hate You Give for awhile now and finally made it happen with a push through the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge item: "Read a book that’s been challenged recently in your school district/library OR read one of the most-challenged/banned books of the year by a queer and/or BIPOC author." As far as I know, very few books are banned in the Chicago Public Library system (though I'm sure they get plenty of challenges), so I went with one of the most-challenged/banned books, and now I understand why this one is so challenged: because it's incredible. If you've ever struggled to understand systemic racism and the anger that has spurred both protests and riots over the assaults and murders of Black people at the hands of the police, this book provides a really powerful first-person narrative of the complexities and emotions following a murder by cop. This is yet another YA book I've loved this year, and I highly recommend it for young adults, mid adults, older adults, etc. If you have a preteen/teenager, encourage them to read it--and read it yourself. If you don't, also just read it. It also has a fantastic list of resources and "read next" lists that I'm definitely going to use, as I continue to my own work and consider the ways I engage in activism.

22 - He Bear She Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain

6/25/23, read aloud (to Ray Ray and Teddy) by Kathy Krone

My parents, now in their 70s/80s, live next door to their best friends... a 5-year-old twins Ray and Teddy. The boys (very voluntarily) visit my parents every day, often more than once, and even make their mom text my parents when they go on vacation. No one quite understands it, but it's pretty dang cute that these two are so connected to Miss Kathy and Mr. Jerry. My mom volunteers in the local library's little shop of donated books, so she's picked up kids' books, games, and puzzles to keep on the porch. For some reason, the boys' favorite book is He Bear She Bear. While I don't love the gender binary premise, the book is just about how he bears and she bears can have any interest, profession, skill, etc. So, I kinda love that these two boys like it so much, without any pushback about who can do what. So, that's lovely. 

23 - The Stones of Venice by John Ruskin

7/1/23, finished up from my class in Victorian Literature

Someone please grant me the confidence of a wealthy white man. Of any time period so far. And please grant me his connections too. Ruskin is just so sure of his own opinions... opinions on work that he doesn't do (i.e., art and architecture). The bits that were interesting are blurred by his weird assumptions about the way people live and his black & white ideas of what is "good" in terms of art. I only finished this because I'd read most of it for class and figured I'd finish it to help me with my reading goals.

24 - The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

7/15/23, audiobook

I (audio)read this for the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder Challenge item "Listen to an audiobook performed by a person of color of a book written by an author of color." I'm wondering if I might have liked this book better if I'd read it instead of listened to it. This is the second time I've listened to an audiobook with an ensemble cast, and I don't think I like that style. I find it really bumpy to either hear someone's name right before they're about to speak or to have to pay attention and remember the different voices to remember who is speaking. Weirdly, this book does both. So there was the bumpiness of hearing the name and also sometimes just jumping in without knowing who is speaking. And there are a LOT of characters. And some cameos. I tried to look up how many, and every source listed 7 names and then added "full cast." I can't tell if that means there were only 7 or if there are more than 7. What I did like is that the story itself felt so realistic that I, like many other readers, stopped to Google if it were a true story. It's not, but it feels like it could be. Walton weaves in real-life events and people into the telling of the story of this interracial rock duo, which is fascinating. I do think it would have made for a better novella or short story though. Everything seems to build up to this one event, which holds many family secrets, and the event itself is quite a scene. But then it goes on. And on. Like, there's a whole Part 3 after the climax of the story. And the events in Parts 1 and 3 just aren't that interesting. They're just people navigating a music career and life. So realistically that it was a bit boring because I feel like I've heard so many similar stories. I wish I'd liked it enough to try reading it to see if I enjoyed that more, but I just don't really want to put anymore time into this story.

25 - Spectre, A Haunting: On the Communist Manifesto by China Mieville

7/23/23

Awhile back, I signed up for Haymarket Book's book subscription, where subscribers are sent one book a month. Honestly, they sent a lot of really interesting reads... that I couldn't keep up with, so I discontinued my subscription (for now). Because it's a smaller publisher though, many of the books they've sent fit this Book Riot Read Harder Challenge item perfectly, as many have under 500 reviews on Goodreads. When I'd checked this one, it had only 125. While most of it was over my head, I am really glad I picked this one because about a third of the book is actually just a reprinting of the Communist Manifesto, something I've never read. I've been curious about Marx, particularly once his name started circulating in popular culture again because of #BlackLivesMatter and their Marxist philosophy. While it's called the Communist Manifesto, it's really just a critique of an extremely stratified class system, one which we are certainly seeing widen in recent times because of late-stage capitalism, well past what Marx and Engels saw in the 1840s. It's also a statement of the power of the working class, as they are the ones who generate wealth for the elite. They explain how the working class needs to acknowledge and use their power to create a more equitable system for all. Both the Manifesto itself and Mieville's commentary on it were really striking at this immediate moment, when both the Writer's Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA are on strike, with very high-level celebrities supporting the movement and demanding that those who are not lucky enough to be in their positions be compensated and treated fairly because even they acknowledge that it is the billionaires who control the studios who are benefiting from the unfair compensation of the majority of the workers in the field. At this moment, there's also a looming threat of a UPS strike, which could really shake up the country as a whole. I'm totally here for this hot strike summer and am really glad I took on this read, so I could better understand the historical context of Marxism and workers taking up the power they have. Real talk: I hope higher ed is next.

26 - Oh Brother by Katherine Emmons

8/21/23

Shout out to Ray Ray and Teddy for helping me knock another book off my list. This certainly isn't a book I would have chosen on my own, but 5-year-old brothers like books about brothers, and this one was cute. It's just about Remy's brother and how he doesn't quite understand Remy's interest in cooking, especially cooking with humans, but he's still supportive. It's nice.

27 - Culture and Anarchy by Matthew Arnold

8/25/23

I only finished this for my reading goal. I'd read a large chunk of it for my Victorian literature class. I do not quite understand why we read it though. In this book, Arnold creates all kinds of false binaries and is very black and white... all from the perspective of a wealthy white English man. He does all kinds of name dropping of other, I presume, wealthy white English men, though I didn't recognize any of their names. His insistence on "sweetness and light" reminds me a lot of calls for "civility" and toxic positivity, basically telling people that they shouldn't talk about awful things, which only serves those in privileged positions. And then the Hebriasm and Hellenism thing, splitting the world into logic and creative exploration. Just... why? And he never justifies the naming of them. I see how they can be helpful frames in some conversations, but it's just... meh. I was really hoping for some more anarchy, tbh.

*28 - The Running Man by Richard Bachman (a.k.a., Stephen King)

8/26/23, audiobook

I thought I knew what this story was, and I wasn't all the way wrong, but it definitely surprised me all along the way. It was also shorter than I thought it would be, though drawing it out longer would have ruined the pace. I also find King's use of the hours counting down really added urgency and at different points seemed like points of hope and sometimes ominous. It's also quite different from many of his other horror stories, though there is certainly violence and cruelty. It was also interesting because it predates our era of reality TV, yet the setting is reality TV and, in particular, watching others suffer for entertainment. I don't watch much reality TV, but the few I do watch have an element of putting people through stressful, sometimes painful situations. So interesting that a book published in 1982 could have such interesting insights into modern media.

**29 - Shut Up and Feel by DJ Corchin

9/13/23

This past weekend, I volunteered with 826CHI at Lit Fest, and we happened to be sharing a tent with the author DJ Corchin. People of all ages kept picking up his books, laughing, and buying them. Each time, he offered to sign them with personalized messages. I had to see what the fuss was about. Shut Up and Feel is an adult picture book about feeling your damn feelings. It's really, really lovely.

30 - On the Beach by Ian McEwan

10/6/23, for Bingo Book Club

Teesha really put us through it with this book club choice. Woof. It reminded me of the film Melancholia except everyone is just kinda cheerful. It felt a bit heavier with everything happening in and around Gaza and Ukraine right now. The whole story follows survivors of a super nuclear world war. They're all in Australia and are pretty sure the rest of the world is dead, but what's left of the Australian and U.S. Navies do some exploring, especially because there's an inconsistent radio signal coming from new San Francisco. And so much of the world is standing, but all the people and animals are dead, and once the places become inhabitable again, in 20 years or so, all the remaining people and pretty much all of the animals will be dead. So. Kinda heavy.

31 - Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

11/7/23. for a book club

I read 99% of this book for the first meeting of a book club. Then, when I was just a few pages away from finishing the book, they changed the meeting to a time I couldn't make it. And I really wasn't into the book. So I put it down for awhile. And decided not to join the book club if these were the kinds of books we'd be reading. Then, I decided to just finish it. And like, I like some magical realism. I like some women reclaiming their bodies and selves. But this was just weird, mostly because the main character never has a name. She's just the mom or Nightbitch. I hoped maybe she'd get a name by the end, as she stood so boldly in the things she'd been learning and choices she'd been making for herself. But no. Just Nightbitch. And the bitch part didn't seem to be a reclaiming of the term. Maybe I didn't get it, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

**32 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

11/16/23

I think this is my third read through of this series, this time to prep me for Hunger Games trivia for my birthday. I've watched the movies more times than I can count, and I forgot how good the books are. Like, yeah, the book is usually better than the movie, but for this series, the movies are good, and yet somehow the books are better, even though the movies are really, really well cast, and most of the changes make sense. If you've read the series, I recommend a reread. If you've only seen the films, I recommend a read. And if you've done neither, why? It's such a good series!

**33 - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

12/13/23

I feel the same way about Catching Fire as I do about The Hunger Games. They are great movies, yet the books are so much better, something I forget because I have watched the movies countless times but only reread the series every now and then. I only got halfway through this one in time for Hunger Games trivia, but I still wanted to finish it up!

*34 - Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

12/14/23, audiobook

This book was not at all what I expected. I thought, cool, Gladwell is going to teach me to be less socially awkward. I could really use some help with that. Nope. Not at all. It's about our assumptions about others and how they affect our interactions. It's about the default to truth, so we're not suspicious when we probably should be, and how our perceptions that someone's behaviors are misaligned with the situation make us suspicious when there's no need to be. He starts and ends with Sandra Bland, and along the way, talks about Amanda Knox, Bernie Madoff, and Ana Montes. He talks about people who were doing things wrong, so wrong that in hindsight, it seems really obvious, and why so many people got it wrong. And he talks about people who were innocent but faced extreme consequences because someone presumed them to be guilty. There were so many points when I was like, well, I don't agree with that, and Gladwell always circled back around to add nuance. It was super fascinating, especially as I think I'm someone who has pretty killer intuition but also defaults to assuming the best of others. I decided to be more trusting of my intuition several years back, when I knew something was off about a situation but let myself be gaslighted into acting like everything was okay--and then I got really hurt when the truth came out. This book as me thinking about when to trust my intuition and how I want to default to kindness with strangers because I believe it makes for a better world and that it's okay to pull back when I have concerns.

*35 - Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights by Omar Barghouti

12/15/23

I've been trying to process my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs after the events in Israel on October 7, 2023, and the following events in Gaza and other parts of Palestine and some parts of Israel. While I mostly feel immense loss and helplessness, some of what I'm feeling is extreme regret that most of the world, specifically Western countries and especially the United States, is so very uninformed and miseducated about the historical context and tensions between Israel and Palestine. Personally, I don't think I thought much about Palestine or the Palestinians until I had a close Palestinian American friend, a kind soul who one day came to me furious because a coworker had asked his ethnicity, and when he told her Palestinian, she responded, "So aren't you really Israeli because Palestine doesn't exist anymore?" (I genuinely believe she was ignorant and clueless, not cruel, but impact matters.) Seeing how affected he was by this exchange jolted me into understanding this conflict was not in the past. It's current. It's still happening. That was 12 years ago. Since then, I've paid attention when "small" news stories crept into my timeline or were reported on NPR. I remember being particularly concerned about increasing Israeli settlements and the continued displacement of Palestinians a few years back. I knew then that not only is displacing a people wrong, continuing to do so is dangerous for everyone. So while I was shocked at the coordinated and successful attacks on October 7, I wasn't surprised. And I decided I had to learn more before I could be confident in my position. I was so very thankful that Haymarket Books offered (and is still, at the time of this writing, offering) three free books related to the Free Palestine movement (with an option to donate). This book is the first of the three I've read. While I don't feel like I learned a lot about the history of the region and the people, I learned a ton about the philosophy and history of activism against apartheid states, how the rest of the world can affect change in another country, and what worked in South Africa, a country that surely still has challenges yet has overcome international disapproval of its previous structures. This book was published in 2011, so much has happened in the last 12 years, and I am determined to learn more because tens of thousands of people have died, many more are suffering, and the best I can do to sum up how I'm feeling right now is this quote by John Dugard, South African law expert & former UN special rapporteur on human rights: "The West cannot expect the rest of the world to take issues it regards as important seriously if it persists in its present attitude to the [Israeli occupation]. For the rest of the world the issue of Palestine has become the litmus test for human rights. If the West fails to show concern for human rights in the [occupied Palestinian territory], the rest of the world will conclude that human rights are a tool employed by the West against regimes it dislikes and not an objective and universal instrument for the measurement of the treatment of people throughout the world." We need to be as critical of "our side" as we are of the other.

*36 - Yearbook by Seth Rogen

12/16/23, audiobook

I think Jamie recommended this one, and I had an Audible credit and needed to do some walking, so I downloaded it. I was so delighted with the entire book. Enough so that I am going to keep it on my re-listen list for times when I need something light. I would be walking with one air bud in, alone, giggling to myself. It's just a great collection of weird stories from Rogen's life, and he's so funny. It's also nice to listen to him playing himself, not a character of himself. Just a short, fun "read."

37 - White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

12/24/23

Over 10 years ago, one of my students' moms (who worked at the university) gave this book to me because she'd noticed I like to read and thought I'd like it. At the time, I probably got 20% through and then put it down. I think I read part of it, left it at work one day, and forgot about it because while I thought it was okay, I just wasn't that interested in it. I picked it back up for this Book Riot item, and honestly, it's just okay. I could have easily never finished it again.