33 Books Challenge - Check!

I've successfully read 33 books this year. Well, 40 if you count my listening to the Harry Potter series. And 41 if you count my listening to "The Book Thief," but I don't like to count books in a challenge I've read before this year.

It came down to the last minute in some ways - the final book was completed at about 5:30pm on December 31, 2016. I also realized that I haven't published anything on this blog since 2015. Both of these notes are evidence that 2016 was a busy year. Thankfully, it was still full of great books.

I saw this on a Facebook post and I'm stealing it:

• Best Use of Imagination: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
• Why: Quantum physics, string theory and the multiverse - it was like a great book about time travel & its implications without actually traveling time. It also kept me on my toes; I had a hard time actually predicting what was coming, which kept me reading.
• Book I'd Read Again Right Now: The Mothers by Brit Bennett
• Why: I listened to the audiobook and it was incredible. I want to read the book - to hold it in my hands - because I want to really savor it. 
• Book That Will Stay With Me for Years: The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
• Why: It was the right story at the right time. Immigration is such an issue currently, and this book did a beautiful job of putting stories about immigration into a broader narrative about family, love and the sacrifices people make in the hopes of attaining something greater for themselves and their loved ones. It also was a far-from-happy-ending kind of story, which always stands out to me.  
• Best Book With a Weak Ending: The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgewick
• Why: This book was generally really interesting and imaginative. I like storylines that toggle between time and perspectives, which this does well. I didn't like one of the romance stories in the book as a matter of personal preference, but also it felt purposeless in the broader narrative. This likely also made the ending seem resolution-less and less sticky. I can't actually remember the ending fully, and I only read it a few weeks ago.
• Book I am So Glad I Read Because of Current Events: Tie -  Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
• Why: Just Mercy hits on all of the issues of systemic racism present in our justice system. It is a powerful read that illuminates, for me, why #BlackLivesMatter, or rather, why Black Lives haven't mattered, and what that means not only for the justice system, but our broader society. Stevenson is also actively combating this tide and his story is inspiring. Born a Crime is similar in its insightfulness and importance as it comes to race relations. In the least, Noah's memoir illuminates that everyone has a unique story, background, and set of circumstances that shape who they are; at most, Noah illuminates the many lines of difference present in everyone's story - with insightful commentary on race, culture, religion, skin-color, language, and nationality.
• Book That Opened My Eyes the Most: The Spy by Paulo Coelho
• Why: I had no idea who Mata Hari was before reading this book. Although Coelho imagines some of the events in the book, the premise of the story, and much of the context is right out of history books (that I was clearly never given). It's debatable whether Hari was a criminal, but it is not debatable that her course of events very much had to do with her being a woman in a society dominated by men. I also think that it was this aspect of her identity that most clearly set her up to be positioned as a criminal - which makes her conviction and execution questionable in many ways. Don't worry, I didn't spoil anything.
• When People Ask Me What to Recommend from my 2016 list: The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez & Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Some others might be recommended based on the person and their interests.
• See above!
• Book I Wouldn't Recommend to Anyone: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• Why: It wasn't a bad book by any means. I also wasn't moved by it. The "Girl" books seem to be overwrought in some ways, and maybe this book's only fault is that I read "Gone Girl" first and this feels like a thriller in the same vein. I won't tell anyone not to read it (probably) but I also wouldn't say to anyone that it is a must-read. I also have nearly zero interest in the movie even after reading the book. The "nearly" is only because I wouldn't mind a little more time with Justin Therioux.

I set out to read books by more women and more people of color than I did last year - generally to diversify my reading list. Here's how the stats shook out:

• 60% of the books were written by women
• 33% were written by people of color (this is same proportion from last year)
• I read more books by men of color (6) than women of color (5). 
• 8 hardcovers
• 2 e-books
• 7 audiobooks
• 16 paperbacks
• 10 reflected stories of cultures and people very different from mine
• 2 actively promoted narratives that deviate from dominant culture
• 9 were non-fiction; 1 was a narrative based on true events
• 4 young adult/children's
• 10,406 pages read
• 27 were posted to Instagram in 2016 (#mjreadingchallenge2016).

Overall, it was a good year for reading. It was unclear whether I'd reach the goal so I'm glad I did. The majority of the books were tackled in the fall and winter, as my spring and summer were slow reading times between work and transitioning from Oklahoma to Colorado. I still read every day, but the slower times were just that - I was distracted and needed to re-read, or too tired to read many pages.

My rule that audiobooks are allowed made a difference. Admittedly, when I hit book #26,  I did think - well, technically I've read 33 with Harry Potter! But I wouldn't let myself bend that rule. For that, I am grateful.

I also made more friends who are avid readers and between old and new ones, have had great discussions about books and traded recommendations. Even though I didn't get around to posting every book on Instagram (at least in 2016), I did get affirmation from many of  my friends about the postings themselves. I want to continue that in 2017 to, in the very least, celebrate the books I read, but also to spread the love of reading.

I also learned a couple of lessons:

• First, diversifying my reading list is an intentional act that I must continue in 2017.
• Second, 33 books, while a nice ring, was a little much (if I want to enjoy the lovely re-reads of great books like Harry Potter and The Book Thief). Therefore, I will likely keep 2017's goal at 30 books - and hey, I'm turning 30 so that works.
• Third, and finally, I still spend way too much money on books. I have books at my house I haven't read. I have a library card. Therefore, I want to only spend Book of the Month money this year, and if I buy any others, I must use gift cards or get sizable discounts. Otherwise, I have plenty to work through at my house and at the library.  I also already locked my Audible Membership and pre-loaded 7 audiobooks for next year, so no need to purchase more. I did this in 2014 and it curbed my spending demonstrably (or at least, it felt that way), so I don't see the harm in doing this again.

Briefly, I thought that I should also challenge myself to read more nonfiction. My habit with nonfiction is to read some, skim some, and ultimately enjoy looking at the books on my shelf. The exceptions are usually narrative nonfiction (like A Voyage Long and Strange this year), select audiobook memoirs, or highly readable, relevant work (like Hamilton: a Revolution). Ultimately, I have decided not to push myself here for a couple of reasons. First, my reading challenges are supposed to be pleasurable and to stoke my passions for reading. The least pleasurable thing to do, and the thing that would quell my passions, is to force myself to read more of the things I don't like reading. Second, I read a lot of "non-fiction" at work. I also do a lot of skimming, reviewing passages, etc. for fun - but I won't count any of that as completing a book. I just know it happens and it works for me. So there.

Cheers to a great year of reading, and another year to come!

~MJ

The complete list:

1. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
2. A Map of Everything by Elizabeth Early
3. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
4. Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi Adiche
5. Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo
6. H is For Hawk by Helen MacDonald
7. The Julian Chapter by R.J. Palacio
8. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
9. For One More Day by Mitch Albom
10. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
11. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
12. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
13. Sudden Death by Alvaro Enrique
14. Racial Equality in America by John Hope Franklin
15. The BFG by Roald Dahl
16. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
17. After You by Jojo Moyes 
18. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by John Tiffany
19. Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda
20. A Voyage Long and Strange: On the Trail of Vikings, Conquistadors, Lost Colonists, and Other Adventures in Early America by Tony Horowitz
21. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
22. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
23. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
24. The Mothers by Brit Bennett
25. The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgewick
26. Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
27. The Trespasser by Tana French
28. The Spy by Paulo Coelho
29. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
30. Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
31. Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie
32. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
33. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

30 Books Challenge - Complete!

Mission Accomplished! I set out to read 30 books this year and I did it! Considering how much I read (at least 20 minutes - if not longer - every day), this doesn't seem to be a challenge YET It's a trickier feat than I expected. I hope to close out my reading year with at least another book...and some blog posts with my reflections. For now, I have a list of those I've finished, and a short reflections on lessons and gains.

In addition to the quantity of books, I wanted to read a variety of stories and ensure I read books inclusive of various cultures, races, and ethnicities. I was also jarred by that first 4 books I read were written by white men, so I wanted to open my list intentionally to more women and more people of color.  I also wanted to read books in a variety of formats based on my whims of fancy - including hardcovers, paperbacks, e-books, and audiobooks(yes, audio books count!). I wanted to see what I would also naturally be drawn to and how my intentions would actually play out as the year continued.


By the numbers

• 30 books
• 15 written by men, 15 by women
• 10 written by people of color
• I read more books by men of color (7) than women of color (3). 
• 12 books that focused on cultures (including ethnicity, faith) different from my own
• 4 non-fiction
• 26 fiction
• 3 young adult/children's
• 11 books with strong female lead/prioritized characters
• 5 hardcovers
• 17 paperbacks
• 4 e-books
• 2 audiobooks
• 2 e-books with audio provided

I am never a reader that plans too far ahead. So much of what I read depends on the 1-3 books I most recently read, and which format I read them in - and what I am in the mood for. So, my list shaped up to be a mix of formats and situations, but I noticed that without my intentionality, I may not have read as many authors that were not white men. I also maybe wouldn't have been exposed to various cultures and perspectives, and so I want to be even more thoughtful in this regard as I continue my reading journey.

I also decided to document my reading year via Instagram (#30Books, #instareading, #instabooks, #mjyearofawesome, #mjreadingchallenge2015 and sometimes #adventuresinreading and #recommendedreading). This was 1) easier than blogging, 2) helpful, at least visually, and 3) affirming. I also stored earmarks in many captions, and short reflections, not only for my own reference but theoretically fodder for future blogs. I also would remark on how I finished the book and how I read it - at my bedside, on a plane, over wine, in between by the pool, during my commute, etc. It's nice to look back and see just how infused reading is in my life.

This made me also think a lot about how much I read how I formed the reading habit. I was an active and social kid, but also read often. I remember days at summer camp when I would take a break from the pool and read my book. I remember weekly library visits, the feeling I had opening a new book, and the reading challenges I completed at school. It made me even more thankful to have a mother and grandmother who encouraged my reading - who didn't let me slide with just telling the story based on the pictures, and let me read aloud to my stuffed animals, our dogs and just generally as dinner was being cooked. I am sure they read to me before I could read, and for all of this I am eternally grateful. The impact reading has had on my life is certainly profound and very much continues, building my perspective and expanding my worldview. It is an incredible privilege and is one I take with both pride and luxury.

I hope to discuss more of which book(s) have stayed with me this year, which I am happy to leave behind and some earmarks. I also am still going to read every day through the end of the calendar year, and listen to an audiobook or two, so the reading year is far from over. I'll also more clearly define my reading goals for 2016 because, reading. Oh, and did I mention that I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone via Illustrated Edition? And that the audiobooks are on Audible? HARRY, I CAN'T QUIT YOU.

To books,

~MJ

Books (in order):
hardcover, paperback, e-book, e-book with audio, audiobook

1. "A Sudden Light" by Garth Stein
2. "Ms. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransome Riggs
3. "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
4. "The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace" by Jeff Hobbs
5. "The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz
6. "Flight" by Sherman Alexie
7. "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
8. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez
9. "The Last American Vampire"by Seth Grahame-Smith 
10. "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt
11. "The One and Only Ivan" by Kathrine Applegate
12. "Paper Towns" by John Green
13. "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng
14. "Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton
15. "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd
16. "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee
17. "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage" by Haruki Murakami
18. "The Martian" by Andy Weir
19. "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel
20. "The Book of Speculation" by Erika Swyler
21. "The Reincarnationist" by M.J. Rose
22. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
23. "The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen 
24. "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
25. "Euphoria" by Lily King
26. "Yes Please" by Amy Pohler
27. "Sounds Like Me" by Sara Bareilles
28. "Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling
29. "The Tiger's Wife" by Tea Obrecht
30. "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks

Relaxing Saturdays

It's Labor Day weekend. Since I had an adventure last weekend (that included an encounter with seed ticks), I'm taking it slow this weekend. It will also be a nice refresher before the busy working month ahead. I started my morning at Barnes & Noble. This is a dangerous, but wonderful place, like most bookstores are. It'd be nice to have a local store, but B&N will do. Booksmart Tulsa is hosting author Salman Rushdie later in September. I'm trying to figure out how to go. The first step was getting tickets, which involved buying his latest book at B&N. That step was easy. It was a low-risk scenario. Yes, it cost me (at a couple of discounts) the cost of a hardcover book. But I got the book and the tickets and regardless of how the tickets work out, I still have the book. Why is it possible that the tickets won't work out? I have a scheduled trip to Denver the weekend before this event, and my return flight leaves Denver 2 hours (considering time zones) after the start of the event in Tulsa. So that's a piece I have to figure out. It may be an eleventh hour decision. Airlines and I are not friends, so the attempt to make this happen may be fraught with futility, especially considering all of the ways one airline could figure out how to make this an even more expensive ticket to see Mr. Rushdie. I have my limits, so we will see.

I did some work at B&N this morning, inspired by some contemplative thinking during a massage last night. I also read up about Design Thinking in Harvard Business Review, some additional research for another project at work. And because I'm in a bookstore, I picked up another book. One that's been on my reading list. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison will be a heavy read, but also an important one. I read the forward and first chapter. The writing is differently structured, but beautiful; and Morrison's way with words is, in the least, fascinating and poetic. Since it is the third of three books I have going at the moment (1, The Book of Speculation and 2, The Magicians), my progress with it may be slow. I also intend to read a Rushdie book by the time of the event in less than a month (either his latest, or Midnight's Children...haven't decided yet). I also have Charles M. Blow's memoir on its way, and I'm eager to get into it. No matter what, it will continue to be a great month of reading. Regardless of how the Rushdie event pans out, I will also be visiting a Booksmart event with author Garth Stein in mid-September. Tulsa has some pretty great stuff going on this month.


Because, books.

~MJ