Matt gets LIT-erary

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published by Simon and Schuster on June 13, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Women
Pages: 400

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (4 out of 5)

I devoured The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Evelyn Hugo is a wonderfully complex character. She is driven, calculated, and stubborn. The story of her rise to fame was tough to put down. This is the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump. Unfortunately, my reading experience was diminished by too high of expectations (thanks a lot Bookstagram).

Evelyn Hugo is a major bombshell Hollywood actress from the 1950’s to 80’s. Off the screen Evelyn was frequently in the tabloids because of her tumultuous love life, which included a whopping seven marriages. In the present-day Evelyn selects a seemingly unknown journalist, Monique, to conduct her first interview in years. At their first meeting Monique is shocked when Evelyn tells her she doesn’t want her to write a magazine article, but instead wants to share her entire life story, to be written as a tell-all book. Monique cannot turn down this career-changing opportunity, but she also wonders why Evelyn selected her to write her biography. The novel then follows Evelyn’s retelling of her scandalous life including the story behind each of her seven marriages.

This is my favorite story that focuses on the price of fame. Evelyn’s story is so salacious and fun to read. Reid includes gossip articles interspersed between chapters of the book, which I thought was a nice touch. Comparing Evelyn’s true story with what was reported in gossip columns showed how she excelled at controlling her public image. She even hides her ethnicity to appeal to the mainstream. Evelyn is Cuban, but has herself remade in appearance, accent, and name to pass as white. Reid writes Evelyn as a morally ambiguous character. I respect her drive and determination to be a famous and successful movie star. But I am also frustrated by her repeatedly choosing to damage her relationships to further her career. She denies herself romantic relationships with people she loves in favor of toxic marriages that grow her stardom. I also enjoy how Monique is influenced by Evelyn’s story and changes over the course of the novel. Lastly, the story has LGBTQ representation, which I always appreciate.

Don’t be mistaken, this is a great book, but I question whether it deserves all the 5-star reviews on Goodreads. It is impossible to avoid this book’s massive hype. So unfortunately, I was expecting a lot. Have high expectations ruined your reading experience? Some of the book’s twists were predictable. Also, the formula of telling the story of each of Evelyn’s marriage becomes a bit repetitive by the end. By the fourth marriage I was thinking: we get it; Evelyn marries to advance her career, not for love. And sometimes I was irked by Reid’s blatant teasing of the reader. Many chapters ended with lines like this: “I have no idea that in less than a week, Evelyn Hugo will finish her story, and I’ll find out what this has all been about, and I will hate her so much that I’ll be truly afraid I might kill her.” I admit these lines were effective because I kept reading, but they also felt like cheap tricks. My husband says that these lines read like a 11-year-old’s first attempt at creative writing(!)

Despite this book being overly hyped, it is worth the read. This is the perfect choice for a light read at the beach or while on vacation. Evelyn Hugo is certainly an unforgettable character.

The Night Watchman

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Published by Hachette UK on March 5, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Indigenous, Literary, Magical Realism
Pages: 464

Like many people I’ve been frustrated with the US government’s inability to pass common-sense gun control laws. I was in desperate need of an uplifting story where characters successfully take on Washington. In Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman the Chippewa tribe works to stop a bill that would take away their land and identity in the 1950s. This is an excellent piece of historical fiction told from multiple perspectives.

This story is fictional, but in the preface Erdrich explains that the character of Thomas Wazhashk is based her grandfather. The Chippewa live on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. In 1953 Congress is about to pass a “termination” bill that would result in the US claiming Native American land and forcing the occupants to relocate to the cities. The bill not only steals Native American land but also attempts to whitewash the Native Americans, essentially eradicating them. Thomas Wazhashk is a council member of the Chippewa that works as a night watchman at the local jewel-bearing plant near the reservation. During the long nights working alone at the plant Thomas writes correspondence to politicians in hopes of stopping the passing of the termination bill. Erdrich’s story has chapters told from perspectives of many people living on the reservation. Pixie Paranteau (she prefers Patrice) is a young woman working at the jewel bearing plant. Patrice makes a trip to Minneapolis to search for her missing sister Vera. The antagonist of the story is Senator Arthur V Watkins (who interrogated Erdrich’s grandfather in real life) who is the strongest supporter of the termination bill. Erdrich also weaves supernatural elements into the plot (who doesn’t love some magical realism).

My favorite part of the novel were the loveable characters. I think it’s always refreshing to read a book with characters that I’m invested in and that are believable. One theme I picked up on was the younger Chippewa embraced their heritage to varying degrees. Pixie learned the Chippewa language and many of the skills passed down from elder family members. While her sister Vera wanted to escape the reservation and go to the city dressing to pass as a white woman. Even though Pixie shows interest in learning about her heritage she insists everyone call her Patrice, a more American name. Erdrich succeeds in educating the reader about the time period and the politics of the termination effort. For me, the best historical fiction strikes a balance between engaging story with dynamic characters and educating the reader about the time. In this respect Louise Erdrich knocks it out of the park!

In the spirit of Louise Erdrich’s grandfather’s tenacity for change I’d like to challenge you to take action to advocate for a political issue you’re passionate about. I’ve added some helpful links below for organizations that are working to prevent gun violence (the issue I’m currently fired up about).

https://www.everytown.org/ The largest gun violence prevention organization in America

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/ A non-profit organization whose mission is to end school and create a culture that prevents violence

https://www.commoncause.org/ A helpful website that helps you determine which politicians represent your geographic region at every level of government

Her Body And Other Parties

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Published by Graywolf Press on October 3, 2017
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories (single author), LGBT, Women
Pages: 245

Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado, was a thoughtful birthday gift from my husband. This short story collection has many of my favorites: weird plots, beautiful writing, and layered themes. Machado’s stories focus on women and crimes committed upon their bodies. There is a wide variety of story formats and genres throughout the collection. One of the weirdest stories, Especially Heinous, features episode synopses of the first 12 seasons of Law & Order SVU. The main characters’ names: Benson and Stabler, remain the same, but Machado introduces supernatural and science fiction elements that become progressively wilder. Reading Especially Heinous reminds me of time I’ve spent reading episode synopses of shows on Wikipedia. Another one of my favorite stories was Real Women Have Bodies where a dress shop sells dresses with human souls sewn into the fabric. And in Eight Bites a woman makes the horrifying decision to surgically remove a portion of her GI tract to decrease her appetite and have a thinner figure. As a foodie this story was highly disturbing. The pressure placed on women to maintain a certain figure leads this character to sacrificing one of life’s greatest pleasures: eating.

But the standout of this anthology is The Husband Stitch. If you do not have the time to read this entire book, I implore you to make time to read this one story. It is a literary feat that deserves multiple readings and enthusiastic discussion. You cannot read this story without thinking about the horrendous possibility that SCOTUS may soon overturn Roe v Wade. The story follows the life of a married woman and eventual mother. The woman wears a green ribbon around her neck. She never removes the ribbon, and its purpose is not revealed until the story’s conclusion. This ribbon is the only part of her body that is off limits to her husband. The husband can’t stand not knowing the secret of the ribbon. I loved The Husband Stitch so much. I want to share my interpretation of the story (mind you this is a man’s interpretation of a story that is very much centered on women’s issues). Spoiler Warning for the Remainder of the Review!!!

I believe the ribbon represents the woman’s privacy. This was the one piece of her body she kept off limits from her husband. It was only for her. And like many straight males, the husband can’t stand part of his wife’s body being off limits to him. Even though the wife freely gives every other part of her body to her husband, he’s unsatisfied. At the end of the story the wife finally relents and allows the husband to untie the ribbon. Her head falls to the floor, and she dies. Are women really living if men have control over their bodies?

The husband stitch scene was hard to stomach. A husband stitch is an extra stitch the doctor puts into a women’s vagina after vaginal tearing from childbirth. The extra stitch is meant to create more tightness for the husband’s sexual pleasure. This is vile. Minutes after giving birth the wife helplessly listens to her male doctor and husband decide to surgically alter her body, without her consent. This reminds me of all the recent news stories of red states creating legislation that limit women’s access to abortions. These news stories are often accompanied by images of solely male politicians signing the bills that limit women’s access to healthcare.

There is a scene from the woman’s childhood when she spots a toe mixed in with the produce at the grocery store. She is insistent that she saw a toe, but no one takes her seriously. Her father explains that the male shop owner would never allow toes to be mixed in with his produce. This reminds me of how women are often not believed or taken seriously when they bravely come forward to share stories of sexual assault.

What did I Read During my Blogging Hiatus?

I’m back! I had to take a hiatus from book blogging while I prepared for the horrendously maddening customs broker exam. Thank goodness I passed! I don’t know how I would’ve coped with failure knowing how many books I could’ve been reading instead. In between slogging through thousands of pages of dry customs regulations I was able to sneak in some reading for pleasure.

Here are some brief thoughts on the books I read during those trying times. I’m hoping to expand on some of these with full reviews in the future.

True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us by Danielle Lindermann: To make my guilty pleasure of watching reality television less guilty, I read this sociological take on my favorite tv genre (I watch Survivor religiously). I didn’t find any of the content to be groundbreaking, but I did enjoy learning some of the basic concepts of sociology through a topic of personal interest.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio: My first foray into dark academia was fantastic. This murder mystery within a prestigious Shakespearean acting program was brilliant! Upon finishing I immediately googled lists of must-read dark academia books. I’m thinking Donna Tart’s The Secret History is up next.

Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow: This is an excellent memoir, though be warned it will get you in your feelings. Kat Chow writes of the loss of her mother to cancer, and her family’s subsequent grief. The author beautifully weaves stories from past generations of her Chinese American family into the narrative. Anyone who has lost a close family member can relate to this book. I sure do.

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin: I finally read Giovanni’s Room! This has been sitting on my TBR for far too long. This novel has been referenced in many contemporary queer books I’ve read and for great reason! It is a powerful story that I highly encourage everyone to read.

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite: This book is beautifully written, yet highly disturbing. Equally disturbing my younger sister gave me this book as a Christmas gift. Gay serial killers killing gay men, cannibalism, necrophilia, AIDS, gay men being rejected by family, this book is packed full of gay trauma and gross violence. It is easily one of the sickest stories I’ve read. Somehow the quality of writing kept me reading.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: This was a wonderful novella that made me nostalgic for the fantasy I read as a child. Anyone looking for a short book to get back into reading should give this a try.

Her Body and Other Bodies by Carmen Maria Machado: This is a highly creative short story collection from Machado. I honestly didn’t understand most of the stories’ plots because they were loaded with ambiguity. Nonetheless this collection is powerful and still lingers in my thoughts months later. The Husband Stitch is one of the best short stories I’ve ever read. Many of the themes in this collection are especially relevant today with the infuriating possibility that Roe v. Wade will be overturned.

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers: I love my wholesome science fiction!! I was disappointed when I realized this did not follow the main characters from the first book in the Wayfarers series. But I quickly got over it and fell in love with these new characters.

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny: I read this for a book club, and it was a major struggle to get through. The premise, which blends Hinduism and science fiction, was cool, but the language was so dense it was a slog to get through. I found myself skimming and relying on the Wikipedia summary. It was comforting when I got to the book club meeting and realized that many of my fellow members had a similar experience.

How Long ‘til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin: Jemisin is a major talent, and I will read anything she publishes. But I do question her decision to include so many stories in this collection, quite a few were weak in my opinion. It was neat to read earlier versions of what she later fleshed out into full novels. Favorite story: L’Alchimistra

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara: Oh Hanya Yanagihara, I’m still not over the piece of garbage that is A Little Life. I’m aware most people love that book, but for me it’s a piece of hot, stinking trash (maybe one day I’ll get around to writing my planned rant). Out of curiosity I read her newest novel and it was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t offensive or distasteful. I think it could have been edited down to fewer pages, but I enjoyed its unique structure and prose.

Afterparties: Stories

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
Published by HarperCollins on August 3, 2021
Genres: Asian American, Fiction, Literary, LGBTQ, Short Stories
Pages: 272

Hey, you! Stop reading this and go add Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So to the top of your TBR…Welcome back! This short story collection is perfection. These nine stories center on Cambodian American characters living in California. Many of these stories feature queer characters, which was my main motivation to read it. I learned a lot about Cambodian history and culture and was blown away by So’s writing talent. So has mastered bringing out a range of emotions in his readers. A few times, while reading a single page, I found myself laughing and then suddenly heartbroken.

The stories feature Cambodian Americans that are the children of refugees. One story focuses on two daughters and their mom running a doughnut shop. Each night a mysterious man visits, only to buy an apple fritter and sit in silence, leaving the pastry uneaten. Another story features a down on his luck high school badminton coach and struggling grocery store owner trying to get a much-needed win by beating his star player. The story that inspired the collection’s title takes place at a drunken wedding afterparty where two brothers try to expose their dubious uncle for neglecting to gift money to the bride and groom. In my favorite story, The Shop, a gay son works at his dad’s car shop after failing to find a job after college.

So does a great job of creating a cohesive collection with many overlapping themes. The most prominent commonality I noticed was every character had inherited trauma from their parents. From 1975 to 1979 between 1.5 and 2 million Cambodians were killed in a genocide under the communist leadership. The number of people killed equaled about a quarter of Cambodia’s population. The characters in So’s stories are the children of the refugees that escaped to America to avoid losing their lives. Even though the children were not present at the genocide their lives are heavily impacted by the events. Another part of Cambodian culture that is featured in the stories Maly, Maly, Maly and Somaly, Serey Somaly is the Buddhist belief in reincarnation. The queer characters in this collection have the added pressure of seeking acceptance from their families. The Shop was my favorite story, not just because the main character is gay, but So perfectly captured the loss of direction some young adults experience after college. All of So’s characters are flawed. I found some, especially the main character in Human Development (what a prick)to be highly unlikeable. But these unlikeable characters felt authentically human, so the stories were still a pleasure to read.

Unfortunately, I am going to end this review on a sad note. Anthony Veasna So tragically passed away at the age of 28, due to an accidental drug overdose. The literary community has lost a great talent too soon. While it is sad that So will not get a chance to share more beautifully written stories with the world, I am comforted that his voice will live on through this magnificent short story collection. Do your self a favor and read Afterparties.

Rose Madder

Rose Madder by Stephen King
Published by Viking on 1995
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Thrillers
Pages: 420

A magical painting, a deranged abusive husband and a menacing bull can all be found in Stephen King’s, Rose Madder. Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It is a unique entry in King’s bibliography. Rose Madder reads as a thriller, with some magical elements, inspired by Greek mythology. Norman Daniels might be the most evil and terrifying villain King has written. This was a fun read that I’d place in the middle tier of my King rankings.

Rose Madder begins with a brutal prologue that details a violent moment of domestic abuse between Rosie and her husband, Norman. The novel picks up years later, on the day Rosie decides she’s had enough. While Norman, who is a cop, is away at work, Rosie steals his bank card and leaves, hoping to never return. Upon arriving at a new city, Rosie finds refuge at the Daughters and Sisters Shelter and eventually finds a job and apartment. Meanwhile, Norman is hell-bent on locating Rosie and getting his revenge. The magical elements of the story come into play when Rosie finds a painting that catches her eye at a consignment store. However, the painting ends up being more than it seems.

I really enjoyed the tension that King maintained throughout the book. I was scared for Rosie as Norman closed in on her location. There were passages that had me at the edge of my seat. My favorite character in the story was Gert, another woman at the shelter. Gert teaches the women self defense and is the key character in my favorite scene. Norman was a great villain you love to hate. The passages told from Norman’s perspective were so disturbing and twisted. I felt unsettled reading those. I also enjoyed all the Greek mythology King wove into the story.

The magical sections of the book felt jarringly placed. It didn’t feel like I was reading the same book at times. I wish King had more smoothly integrated the magical elements into the real-world sections.

I have two problems with Rose Madder that I’d like to see reworked if it’s ever adapted for the screen (spoilers to follow). Norman Daniels is a twisted, evil man. For some reason King decided to add gay elements to his violent tendencies. King also suggests that Norman’s behavior originates from his dad molesting him when he was young. The gay serial killer trope is overdone and harmful. One does not become gay because they were molested by someone of the same sex and gay people are not any more likely to be serial killers than anyone else. Norman Daniels would have been plenty terrifying and deplorable without the addition of these gay elements. My second gripe is with the role of the black woman in the painting. This woman is one of the few black characters in the novel She appears to be Wendy (a previous victim of Norman). In the painting she acts as a servant to the blonde women. The optics of this are not good.

I enjoyed my time with Rose Madder. I find this to be one of King’s most unique novels. I had no clue where he was going with the painting and enjoyed the book’s suspense.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Miscarriage, Lots of Violence

All Systems Red

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on May 2, 2017
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Science Fiction, Biopunk
Pages: 144

Sometimes high expectations can ruin your experience with a book. I’ve been meaning to try the Murderbot Diaries for a while after hearing so much praise. Unfortunately, All Systems Red (the first book in the series) was not for me.

The story’s protagonist is a SecUnit (Security Unit) that has named itself Murderbot. Murderbot is a cyborg whose function is to protect its team of humans on space expeditions. Unaware to anyone Murderbot has hacked its government module giving it full autonomy. During their current expedition the team notices missing areas on their government supplied maps. They investigate the missing areas and uncover a conspiracy.

The biggest appeal for all systems red is Murderbot they have a great sense of humor. Their wry observations on the human crewmates are entertaining. Murderbot is arguably just as human as any other crewmate. I especially related to Murderbot’s passion for soap operas and other trashy media.

I thought the plot of All Systems Red was very simplistic and generic. The answer to the main mystery was not exciting. I believe that authors shouldn’t include mysteries in their books unless the answer is clever or surprising. When I read science fiction I want an immersive and complex story. For me Martha Well’s novella lacked world building and character development outside of Murderbot. It’s been a few weeks after finishing the book and I can’t remember anything significant about the human crewmembers. While I enjoyed the character of Murderbot it’s not enough to make me want to continue with the series. This provides me with a great opportunity to work on one of my 2022 reading goals!

The completionist in me wants to finish every book series I start. I have suffered through many mediocre books because of this bad habit. However, it is time for me to embrace one of my 2022 reading goals. I will DNF the Murderbot Diaries. Well, technically I didn’t DNF the book (it was only 150 pages can you blame me?) But I will not read the next book and will spend time with other stories I’ll hopefully enjoy more instead.

The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Published by Penguin on February 1, 2022
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Literary, Women, African American & Black, LGBTQ
Pages: 400

I was fortunate to begin 2022 with the wonderful The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This is a beautiful multi-generational drama focusing on race, family, and identity. Bennett is a skilled storyteller. I was fully immersed in her prose and found myself absorbed in the story. This is one of those rare stories that has universal appeal.

The story centers on the Vignes twins Stella and Desiree. The twins are from Mallard, Louisiana a town where many light-skinned Black people reside. The twins have a traumatic childhood after seeing their father get horrifically lynched by White men. At the age of 16 the two sisters run away from their mother’s home to start new lives in New Orleans. However, Stella soon makes a dangerous and shocking decision to leave her sister to go live as a White woman. The book is written from multiple perspectives and takes place from the 1940s to the 1990s. The daughters of the twins are also featured main characters.

While The Vanishing Half is arguably a slow burn the writing is so good that it reads quickly. The major characters are well developed. No perspectives felt weaker than the others. I really enjoyed how the story was told out of order. In the end a complete story of the family was revealed. There is a character that suffers from Alzheimer’s. I found these scenes to be well written, but tough to read as they reminded me of my grandma who suffered from the same disease.

The major theme of the novel is choosing one’s identity. Desiree and Stella who are physically identical, decide to live under different racial identities. Desiree’s trans boyfriend, Reese, struggles feeling comfort with his body that opposes his male identity. The difference is Reese’s gender expression is authentic while Stella’s racial expression is based on a lie. I was deeply saddened that Stella had to deny her Blackness and family in exchange for the privilege and security of life as a White woman. The vastly differing experiences of Desiree and Stella show that racial identity is more than just the color of one’s skin. Unfortunately, one’s presenting racial identity results in vastly differing levels of privilege and wealth in the United States.

The Vanishing Half is worthy of becoming a modern classic. Between the gorgeous writing and complex themes of family, identity, and race there are a lot of discussions to be had surrounding the book. And above all Brit Bennett is a skilled storyteller.

Trigger Warnings: Alzheimer’s, Racial Violence

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on March 16, 2015
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, LGBTQ
Pages: 608

My reading preferences have always favored character driven stories over plot driven. Becky Chamber’s The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced me to some new favorite literary characters. The crew members of the Wayfarer are so loveable. The diversity of the characters and differences in their cultures drives many of the book’s conflicts and interactions.

The story begins with the arrival of Rosemary Harper, a newly hired clerk with a mysterious past, to the Wayfarer. The Wayfarer is a ship that tunnels for wormholes throughout the galaxy. The ship has a multi species crew that is highly diverse. They are led by the human captain Ashby Santoso. The three other humans on the crew are Artis, an algaeist, and Kizzy Shao and Jenks, both technicians. Dr. Chef, the ship’s cook and physician is a Grum, which is a species that starts life female, becomes male in the midlife, and ends as something in between. Ohan the navigator, is a Sianat pair, which is a Sian infected with a virus that gives them navigational abilities in the sublayer where wormholes are made. The ship’s communications are run by Lovelace, or Lovey, the ship’s AI. And my favorite character is the pilot Sissix, an Aandrisk. Aandrisks are reptilian and are not monogamous, very casual with sex. The crew is offered a job in a new region of the galaxy with a high price point. The journey will be dangerous because the area is known for high conflict.

All my favorite things about Becky Chambers book have to do with the amazing characters and their relationships. The crew of the Wayfarer is a tight knight found family. I appreciated how Becky Chambers includes characters with a range of pronouns. For example, Ohan is referred to as “they”, because with their virus they are a pair. This is a queer friendly book because it takes place in a future where use of non-binary pronouns is the norm. My favorite part of the story was falling in love with the members of Wayfarer’s crew. Different types of relationships are featured including inter-species romance and some brilliantly written friendships.

My one complaint about the novel was the main plot was a bit simplistic. There was nothing about the main story that was unique. Luckily, I loved the characters so much the plot didn’t really matter.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was a fun adventure. I’m happy to see there are more installments in the series. I am eager to get find a copy of the next book to see what’s in store for the delightful Wayfarer crew.

What are my 2022 Reading Goals?

As an engineer I love my data and graphs. I look forward to reviewing my reading statistics at the end of the year (thank you Storygraph!) Looking at my reading habits is a great opportunity to create reading goals for the coming year. I like to avoid setting goals focused on the total amount of books I read, because for me that creates stress. Reading is supposed to be fun!

Goal 1: Read More Sustainably
My records show that 59% of the books I read in 2021 I purchased brand new (yikes!)

For the sake of my wallet and being more environmentally friendly I am challenging myself to limit my reading of newly purchased, physical books to 20% of my 2022 reading. I think this can be easily done. Between used bookstores, my local library, e-books and all the unread books already on my shelves there are plenty of alternatives. And the 20% leaves opportunities to buy new releases from favorite authors that I want in my permanent collection.

Goal 2: Embrace DNFing
DNF stands for “did not finish”. When I consume media, I am a completionist. Every book or tv show I start I stick with until the end, for better or worse. I want to break this habit. There are too many books and not enough time to read them. If I’m not feeling a book, I’d like to get in the habit of setting it aside for something I’d enjoy more.

Goal 3: More Nonfiction
This goal is very straightforward. This year only 8% of the books I read were non-fiction.

I love memoirs, true crime, and science related books. Especially now that I’m no longer in school I want to learn more about topics that interest me. My goal is for 15% of the books I read in 2022 to be nonfiction.

Goal 4: Branch Out to Book Twitter
Now that I’ve gotten into the routine of posting on this blog and my bookstagram I’d like to branch out to try to engage with more readers. I’ve heard a lot of great things about book twitter, I plan on creating an account and giving it a try in 2022.

Goal 5: Read More Feel-Good Books and Welcome the Warm and Fuzzies
Someone recently asked me for feel-good book recommendations. I went to my list of recently read books and saw nothing but trauma, death and violence. Then I reviewed my reading mood chart from Storygraph and saw that “hopeful” was my least read mood. Red, White & Royal Blue was the sole book I read from this category. This book was also one of my favorite books of the year.

While I will always embrace traumatic books filled with murder and violence, I will aim to read more feel-good books next year.