2022 Reading Goal: 50 Books

Unique, intriguing, and a masterpiece in characters, 7/12 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle kept me riveted. The plot is somewhat simple but made complex through a unique storytelling perspective.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

My hopes were low for this book. A story of fake designer bags sounded like a world I wouldn’t feel connected to. Once I got past the bait and hit the switch about halfway through, I couldn’t stop reading. Suspenseful and surprising, I’ll be reading this one again.

Sourced: Literati Roxanne Gay’s Book Club

The final book in the trilogy, The Sweet Far Thing, finds our magical heronine, Gemma, facing her greatest challenge yet, the London season.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

The second book in this trilogy brings a second love interest, exploration of the magical realms, dark revelations, and a villain hidden in plain sight. The reader follows the girls from the safety of their boarding school to the harsh realities of London society.

TRIGGER WARNING: subtle hints regarding sexual assault/incest

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

Forbidden magic, subtle feminism, a mysterious boarding school for girls, and a magical realm unknown to anyone but a group of exceptional women. This book has EVERYTHING I was looking for when I first read it in high school. This reread (after 10+) years was as magical as the first time I cracked open the book. I’m so glad to have it out of storage and back on my shelf.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

Book 3/3 of the Hunger Games trilogy is a satisfyingly realistic representation of how warfare exaggerates our qualities. Each character must question what they can contribute and exactly how much they have to lose.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

When I first read this book, I was disappointed to be going back into the arena with Katniss after everything she went through. On this end of a second reread, I understand how brilliant that move was on Collins’ part. Going back where we just visited is anxiety provoking for Katniss and the reader, uniting them under a common and desperate exasperation.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

The Tudors fascinate us all and, in my opinion, Philippa Gregory is the queen of their historical fiction. Against a backdrop of persecution, treason, betrayal, and sex, Hannah hides her true identity as Fool to Queens Mary and Elizabeth in turn. If you enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, this one is for you!

Sourced: Purchased in high school

This book is a wild ride from start to finish. The main character, Beatrice, is manipulative and self centered character, balanced only by her love of the land she feels entitled to. I couldn’t wait to see what she would do next.

Sourced: Purchased 10+ years ago but found at my mom’s house in a box of my old things.

Book 1/3 of The Hunger Games trilogy drops the reader directly into Panem (once called North America) where 16 year old Katniss Everdeen will do anything it takes to protect her younger sister. Katniss’ blend of disregard for her self with fierce advocacy for those she loves fuels the trilogy.

After reading the first book of the series and seeing how different the content was from the tv series, I skipped straight to the only couple that matters, Penelope and Colin. I love both of these characters and wanted to meet their first editions. At first disappointed by a more brusque and gruff Colin than I was used to, I learned to appreciate the qualities in the sex scenes.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

I couldn’t resist the trend and I’m glad I didn’t! Made famous by the ultra popular Netflix series Bridgerton, The Duke and I gently shares the central plot of the show’s first season. I listened to this audiobook while cooking dinner for my mom each night, and more than once was forced into a blush when she walked into the room.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

I was completely captivated by the multi-generational story of the Lopez family. The separate stories weave together expertly, providing a satisfying conclusion. The characters are vivid. I will be reading this one again.

Sourced: Literati Roxanne Gay’s Book Club

It’s the 1940s and Claire Harris must enter Europe on the bring of war to escape her wealthy, abusive husband in New York City. The juxtaposition between both wealth/poverty and captivity/freedom is set against a backdrop of adventure. I did not like Claire Harris one bit, but I did enjoy this read.

Sourced: Ayesha Nugent Book Store in Sonoma, CA

When in need of a comfort read I’ll reach for almost any Harry Potter book but this one. The constant presence of war and loss does little to assuage my anxiety. This lack of familiarity with the text allowed for the excitement of adventure to take over.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

Another reread well worth my time. I hadn’t read this book since college and delighted in the adventures. As with Order of the Phoenix, I always have a hard time finishing this book, not wanting to be devastated by the loss of a character I love.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive.

This quirky collection is unlike anything else I’ve read. A Load of Hooey oozes with theatricality, no doubt brought on by Odenkirk’s legendary career in television. I recommend the audio book version which is read by Odenkirk and his comedian friends.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

Romance is a rare genre for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of Chloe Brown’s brave re-connection with the world after being diagnosed with a chronic illness that turned her life upside down.

Sourced: Morgan Hill Library

Noor is modern science fiction at its greatest. Covering the consequences of climate change, mega corporations, and human/bionic hybrids, Noor focuses on the natural human instinct to rebel against broken systems built to keep the masses dependent and voiceless.

Sourced: Literati Roxanne Gay’s Book Club

Tiffany Haddish never fails to make me laugh and this audio book was no exception. Though her story telling is driven by humility, Haddish’s extreme work ethic is clear on every page. If you’re looking for inspiration to chase what makes you happy, this is the memoir for you.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library via Overdrive

Nichole Perkins shares intimate details of her life in this book of essays. I was most impressed by her ability to share about her sexual experiences with open confidence. I hope to one day have that kind of courage as a writer.

Sourced: Literati Roxanne Gay’s Audacious Book Club

Fantasy meets science fiction in this novel about a young female vampire who has been genetically crossbred with black humans to survive sunlight. After tragically losing her family and memories in a fire, Shori must rely on her instincts to navigate a foreign world and find justice for her family.

Sourced: Morgan Hill Public Library

Essays on writing from one of the greats. Both inspiring and frustrating in equal measure, these essays did help get a pen into my hand on several occasions. I was relieved to have another writer remind me how necessary it is to read as much as possible.

Sourced: Chicago Public Library

This was my first time reading Order of the Phoenix since the 2016 election and, oh boy, it’s a MUCH more anxious read on this side of it. On the plus side, I noticed many more subtle aspects of political characters than I could have before now.

Sourced: Ravenswood Used Bookstore, Chicago, IL

Héléne Courtois weaves a brief history of cosmology and biographies of (almost forgotten) groundbreaking female scientists into her tale of leading the team trying to map our observable universe and finding our galactic super cluster home along the way.

Sourced: Women and Children First, Chicago, IL

Only the second collection of short stories I’ve ever read, Afterparties has found a permanent home on my bookshelf. Each story explores how the Cambodian Genocide affected its survivors and the effects carried onto the next generation, even thousands of miles away. Tragically, Veasna So died in 2020 before this book was published.

Sourced: Literati, Roxanne Gay’s Audacious Book Club