Hey everyone!! With my college semester winding down, and the New Year on the horizon I wanted to reflect a bit on my reading this year and share it with you all in hopes of giving you some inspiration and new book recommendations! If you’re in college too or just want a laugh, check out my Christmas Movie Quotes that Sum up College Finals post from last year to get you in the. . . holiday spirit.
How the Year Started & My Relationship With Books
Flashback to January 1 of the past few years, and you’ll see me sitting in front of a notepad scheming up new resolutions to add to my list. And, every year, like clockwork you’d see “Read More.” I come from a big family of readers, so part of me feels like I should naturally enjoy it too. I’ll be honest, I’ve never considered myself a big reader. I would read my summer reading books for school, and maybe one or two during the year, if that. I found that I preferred running around or making art projects to sitting with a book. As I’ve grown though, my relationship with books has certainly matured. I think college helped with that. Since the density of readings increased, I almost forced myself to like it. Whatever works, right?
I still find that I go through phases… sometimes I’m super motivated and can breeze through what I’m reading while other times its a constant countdown of “how many pages do I have left?”. My grandma, a living lexicon whose literary arsenal could move mountains, has repeatedly offered some good advice to my cousins and me. She told us that there are too many good, interesting books in existence to waste time on something that doesn’t intrigue, entertain, and excite you. Part of me struggles with the concept of starting a book and not finishing it. But, I do think she makes a good point. There are particular genres, and perhaps even more fine-tuned attributes such as author or time-setting, that appeal to me more than others and this preference naturally develops with time and experience.
If you want to read more but are struggling to get those pages turning, consider trying a new genre! For me, I needed a good novel, which was Little Fires Everywhere, to break me from my nonfiction rut and I realized how much fun reading can be! I flew threw that book in a week, while still doing all my other schoolwork. So yes, it’s definitely possible!
Accountability Measures
Writing out my goal of “read more” was helpful, but, considering that I hadn’t followed through with it in years past, I figured I needed measurable subgoals. So I changed my goal from “read more” to “read 12 books” using the months as my markers. If I could read one book every month, I’d accomplish my goal.
one of my favorite bookstores that I discovered this summer!
My friend Maeve, who is a HUGE READER, was super helpful and encouraging in this process. In the time I read one book she’d read about three, but nonetheless was eager to talk books with me! She also looped me into Goodreads which is an app for booklovers to log and track their reading, discover new books, and connect with fellow avid readers by sharing profiles and book reviews. I liked the satisfaction of plugging in the books as I finished them and seeing my list grow! Maeve and I had a wild text conversation over the summer when we discovered we were both reading Malibu Rising without realizing it. Coincidence!
Year in Review (Book Edition)
So, after all is said and done, I’ve read 13 books this year. Which, yes, Sherlock, is more more than I had planned for! There were some calendar months when I read more than one and then some where I didn’t finish any. Once again, those phases hang around. I’m happy that I reached this goal and excited to bump it up to 15 books for next year. . . Stay tuned next year for that update!
What Did I Read?
There’s a few different genres in here, but I’ve listed them in the order that I read them. I’ve also included a short description and a thought about each one in case you want a new book to read! Here they are:
The Day the World Stops Shopping by J. B. McKinnon takes a creative approach and performs a thought experiment in which the world (specifically U.S residents) consume less and examines the ripple effects in our economy and environment. Overall, an interesting read though I struggled sometimes to agree with the logistics presented in this book.
Going, Going, Ganache by Jenn McKinlay is a murder mystery that involves a cupcake shop and its high profile clientele. This is an easy read, but super intriguing. I oddly enjoy her series of baked-good mystery books.
Humble Pi by Matt Parker is a nonfiction account of ways that mathematics has “failed” in the past in famous sporting events, legislation, and cyberspace transactions (just to name a few). If you’re a math nerd or just looking for a book that makes you think twice about the modus operandi of the world, this book is for you!
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! by Mark Manson is a trendy self help book that highlights how to prioritize your attention to aspects of your life that truly matter. It promotes a mindset that life is full of problems and therefore the art of a happy life lays in choosing what problems you have. This is another quick read, but a good one.
It Had To Be You by Georgia Clark is a rom-com-dram that tells the tales of a few NYCers navigating not just their city careers but convoluted love and relationships. I read this right before I moved to NYC this summer and it got me excited because of the strong willed and well-developed personalities in this book.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic that I felt like I must read if I’m to consider myself a “reader”. I’ll be honest it was not my favorite book but definitely a must-read as a historical piece of literature that plays with the themes of evil, guilt, society, and personal identity.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is a self-help/inspirational book for creatives and those who wish to unlock their potential. I found the book quite abstract, with few actionable items in it, but nonetheless it brought some insightful, high level ideas to the table.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig was a popular book this year and I hopped on the reading train. This story chronicles a young woman as she’s immersed in a world, a library to be exact, where each book contains the power to alter a previous life decision. This book definitely made me think about the power of choice and the role it plays in our lives.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid was the perfect summer “beach read”, filled with a surfer family’s adventures, from hitting the waves to finding new loves and uncovering past relationships within their family. I could not put this book down and would reread it in an instant.
On Lighthouses by Jazmina Barrera is a memoir of a woman’s fascination with lighthouses and her quest to visit as many as possible. This was an interesting book for me to read. It was not something I would normally go for, but I was intrigued by the beautiful descriptions of the nautical structures.
Love People, Use Things by The Minimalists was my favorite non-fiction book that I read this year. I suppose it falls under the umbrella of “self-help” but its a beginner’s framework to living a minimalist lifestyle, as it explores the logistics and benefits of this intentional living. The minimalists have a podcast that I enjoy, and I’m happy I read this book of theirs. They have others too!
The People We Keep by Allison Larkin was another book that I could not put down. It’s a coming of age story about a girl who leaves the confines and instability of her childhood to make a life of her own. Along the way she learns that a “home” doesn’t necessarily need four walls, a roof, and loads of tradition.
Becoming Trader Joe by Joe Coulombe is a memoir about the roots of Trader Joe’s (a unique grocery store) that highlights the importance of staying true to one’s own values in the dynamic world of big business. I thought the book was a bit helter skelter but overall it paints a strong picture of the Trader Joe’s label and identity.
Turning the Page
With a shelf full of books to read, and an upcoming trip to NYC in which I will inevitably visit Strand Bookstore (my favorite!), I am excited to continue my “becoming a reader” journey. I am trying to finish This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald by the end of the year! What are you all reading? I’m open to any book recommendations you have!
Thank you so much for stopping by today, and happy reading!! 📕🤓
~Katherine
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