My goal for 2022 was 65 books this year and ended Q3 at 45. Here's the final tally of books read this year:
Actual books:
46. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice. For my annual "it's October and I should read some classic thrillers". I didn't enjoy this re-read as much as I remember enjoying it the first time.
47. Before we were Yours, Lisa Wingate. About adoptions during the early 20th century, where children were stolen from impoverished parents and placed with wealthy families. Based loosely on actual happenings in Tennessee.
48. In Five Years, Rebecca Searle. A woman has a dream placing her 5 years in the future, carefully upsetting all her preconceived notions of what her life will look like. This was great to read how the dream came to reality, but not in the way she initially thought it would.
49. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, Jill Bolte Taylor. On the recommendation of a student, this is a memoir of a neuroscientist who had a stroke and recovered. Fascinating insight into what she experienced both during and immediately after the stroke. Her conclusion about the roles of the different hemispheres of the brain was a little far-fetched, but meshed with her experiences.
50. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. A perennial favorite and I hadn't read it again in at least a decade. I'm glad I did. A masterpiece in a very slim volume, with insight and cautions for today's world.
51. It ends with Us, Colleen Hoover. A story of an abusive relationship, loosely based on the author's own mother's experience. A good read, however some of the character's immediate reactions, or explanations of why they acted in that way didn't mesh with the career she'd given them (like, someone who has done extensive medical training and specialized in neurosurgery would probably not be able to practice if they experienced blackout rages where they hurt the people around them-- that would have been triggered by the intense stress of residency/fellowship and the person would have either learned to deal with it or been discovered).
52. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, Kate Moore. I knew about this book and then listened to a podcast about it and finally read through. Incredible book, very carefully researched and these women were role models. They are why we have OSHA today and the safety precautions on the job, paid for with their health and lives.
53. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile, Candice Millard. Historical narrative non-fiction about the British explorers searching for the Nile's source in 19th century Africa, but crucially highlights the important role that native African guides and porters played in the success of these colonial explorers/exploiters.
Books read to kids:
54. Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren. I thought this would be a nice, light read to the kids about an irrepressible young girl but ended up having to censor large parts of some of Pippi's stories for racist themes. Some classics don't age well.
55. Stuart Little, E.B. White. This one was much better for the kids.
E-book/Audiobooks:
56. The Bridgerton Collections, vol 1-6, Julia Quinn. I have watched the first 2 seasons on Netflix, so decided that I should probably read the novels. It seems the show has paralleled the books for the most part, and the rest of the series is pretty formulaic (there's a Cinderella-esque plotline in one, etc). Decent reads, nothing too thrilling.
57. The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling. Thriller mystery with some paranormal twists thrown in. Not sure I entirely understood exactly what was happening by the time the book wrapped up at the end. Sometimes the characters made me want to bang my head against the wall, always assuming the worst about others without even having a conversation! Ugh.
58. Darkfever, Karen Marie Moning. Have read different time traveling/fae series by her before, so wanted to try out this one. May dip my toes in for book #2 in the future.
59. Soulless, Gail Carriger. Victorian-era snobbishness meets vampires and werewolves with a sharp-tongued heroine who refuses to marry. I rather liked it.
60. The Iron Duke, Meljean Brook. Another steampunk/Victorian-type setting, only this time there had been an invasion of "the Horde" who used micro-robots to enslave the European population. Now they're dealing with the aftermath of freedom and traveling hijinks.
End-of-year comparisons:
In 2017, I read 55 books through the year.
In 2018, I read 70 books through the year.
In 2019, I read 57 books through the year.
In 2020, I read 61 books through the year.
In 2021, I read 69 books through the year.
In 2022, I read 60 books throughout the year (although I'm counting several series as one), so I'd say I met my goal for this year!
