What I read in 2022
I discovered the concept of a reading stack in 2022. Essentially, you make a list of all of the books you want to read in a year and purchase them in advance - stack them nearby for ease and to stimulate the appetite to keep up with reading intentions. It worked. I read 20 books in 2022.
Physical Books, in order of enjoyment:
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
At the beginning of the year, I made an intention to read the so-called classics. Jane Eyre made the stack. I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading this book. The “crazy” ex-wife locked in a room bit was odd and intriguing for this time period.
2. Silence in the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge
This little book with simple ideas about slowing down, enjoying silence was a respite during my social media breaks. “Silence in itself is rich. It is exclusive and luxurious. A key to unlock new ways of thinking.” - Kagge
3. Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks
I’ve tried to read a few bell hooks books in the past…to be quite honest…I couldn’t get through them. This one was a joy. Written in 1993, hooks’ scholarship in this book is the foundation of every instagram quote and think piece regarding the plight of Black women. hooks nails Black women experiences in simple and accessible language.
The thrust and topics in this book isn’t new info. What I reveled in was sitting down with a cup of tea reading her words as primary resource rather than a regurgitated contemporary think piece by a millennial. She deserves all of the flowers for ideas that have built the careers of so many current thought leaders. I deeply appreciated how she touched on meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh’s work, and the importance of solitude. These topics are trendy now, but hooks was dropping these gems before our current understanding of meditation. “Black women have not focused sufficiently on our need for contemplative spaces. We are often too busy fo find time for solitude. Yet it is in stillness that we also learn how to be ourselves in a spirit of acceptance and peace.” - hooks
4. Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change and Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown
An intriguing, moonshot book that offers fresh ideas on striving for new ways of being with each other, changing systems, and leading change. There are lots of new words/concepts in this book. My highlighter was out. I had to look up at the ceiling a couple times to absorb her radical, futuristic thinking.
5. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
I read this book annually. Stays on the nightstand. I am intrigued by stoicism (the endurance of pain or hardship without complaints). Marcus Aurelius’s words are always a welcome balm when I feel stretched and on edge.
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
So glad I finally read this book.
7. Go Tell it On the Mountain by James Baldwin
Read this on my many train rides up and down Italy. Baldwin is beyond our world. A genius.
8. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Masterful storytelling about hiking the Appalachian Trail. I laughed out loud reading this book. I really felt there with him in the woods. Bryson is so spot on with this description of being in the woods. If you been on a deep forest hike, you get this…”woods are spooky. Quite apart from the thought that they may harbor wild beasts and armed, genetically challenged fellows name Zeke and Festus, there is something innately sinister about them, some ineffable thing that makes you sense and atmosphere of pregnant doom with every stem and leaves you profoundly aware that you are out of your element and ought to keep your ears pricked.” - Bryson.
9. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
A lot of rambling and musings but I didn’t mind it because I walked away with gems on committing to a running lifestyle.
10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Read this on multiple mornings while sitting on the porch in Elmina, Ghana. I liked it enough.
11. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I can now say with my chest that I’ve read this darn book that is always on some literary list. It wasn’t that bad. I liked it enough to finish it. I underlined these words by Elizabeth Bennett, “the more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and everyday confirms my belief of inconsistency of all human characters.” - Austen
12. Letter to A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Another so called classic book that appears on lists. Short read. I liked this reference to inner life, “wait patiently to find out whether your inner life feels cramped by the form of this profession.” - Rilke. What great career advice for us all.
13. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
I really like Jamaica Kincaid’s writing style. This story was a bit sad. I appreciated Kincaid’s take on mother/daughter relationships. It felt like she was coming from a place of firsthand experience in the storyline so I googled Kincaid’s relationship with her mother and sure enough it was a difficult one.
14. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
I really wanted to like this book but I despise short stories so….I couldn’t enjoy it. A few stories were interesting. Kind of stories you debate/explore in lit 101 college or high school classes.
15. The Sexual Life of Catherine M. by Catherine Millet
I think the intent of this book was to showcase a French woman’s sexual prowess and extraordinary appetite; however, I wondered throughout the book if Catherine was being exploited by her lovers. Her escapades did not come across as free will. I didn’t enjoy this book.
16. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Picked this book up from a used bookstore in Vermont. Good writing style but this book was a bore. There’s a show in development based on Olive’s character, I was so surprised to see this.
17. All Adults Here by Emma Straub
I liked the premise of this book - a story of a 70 year old parent, reflecting on how her adult children are coping with their life choices. My interest in this book stopped here. The book is peppered with unnecessary topics, plots, and cultural hotbed issues with no line in sight. I swear this author or her editor plucked a Toni Morrison quote from google just for the sake of it - very cringe…worst book of the year.
Audio Books
I like to listen to wellness, science-based books on audible. Books in my ear on plane/car rides/walks:
Glucose Revolution by Jesse Inchause
I wrote several pages of notes in my health journal while reading this book. A good listen if you feel that your blood sugar is topsy turvy.
Life Span by Dr. David Sinclar
I am fascinated by longevity science. The field is very fascinating right now. So many new research disrupting long-standing theories on why we age. Dr. Sinclair posits that aging in itself is a disease. Mind blown. A disease where the symptoms are diabetes, cancer etc…so essentially the challenge for doctors is to slow down aging rather than focusing on the symptoms. A good read.
Liquids Till Lunch by Mary Ruth Ghiyam
This is a good book for a newbie starting their wellness journey. Great, simple strategies but a bit elementary for me. I did enjoy learning how Mary Ruth started her vitamins business. I swear by her products. They are effective and clean ingredients. Her magnesium gummies, liquid probiotics, B6 vitamins are part of my daily staples.
Cookbooks/Coffee Table Books
For most of the year, I got into the cadence of cooking one new recipe a week. It was really fun to explore with these cookbooks. My fave is Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen…it reintroduced me to dishes that my mom was to busy to teach me. This is a great gift for first generation kids. Enjoyed all of the other cookbooks and coffee table books pictured below.
