Because I love numbers and making lists and quantifying all the things. :)
(You may be asking, "Did you do all this tracking and calculating yourself????" To which I say, HELL NO, The StoryGraph does it for me! In case you missed it, I left Goodreads because I am sick of their bullshit/screwing over authors and sick of supporting Amazon with my data and clicks. Instead I joined The StoryGraph, an independent book-tracking platform created and run by a woman of color. It is still building up the level of community that Goodreads has had years to develop, but I find it MUCH more user-friendly and I love all the cool stats features and the recommendations based on your reviews of past reads. Come join me!)
By the numbers:
87 books / 27,130 pages
39 physical books / 48 audiobooks
79 fiction / 8 nonfiction
16 re-reads from past years
Longest/Shortest
Longest: Fairy Tale by Stephen King (2021, 599 pages)
Shortest: Double Indemnity by James M. Caine (1936, 115 pages)
Average page count: 312 pages
Top Nine
(in the order in which I read them)
#7) The Turnout by Megan Abbott (2021, 352 pages). Paper book. January -- Genre = “Megan Abbott.” Brilliant. Just amazing. Sisters and dancers Dara and Marie spend their days running their late mother's beloved ballet studio, with Dara's husband and former prodigy dancer Charlie handling the business side of things. All is grand until a freak accident brings a suspicious outsider into their cozy world; suddenly everything about the threesome's lives seems precarious and uncertain, and they find themselves forced to rexamine an uncomfortable past that no longer feels so settled. Absolutely not for everyone--it's quite dark and some people will find elements of the story disturbing--but if you enjoy Megan Abbott, in my opinion this is her at her best.
#10) The Trouble With White Women: A Counterhistory of Feminism by Kyla Schuller (2021, 304 pages) (nonfiction, intersectional feminism). Audiobook. I wanted to read this because I read an interview with the author. Intersectional feminism and the toxic nature of historically white feminism is a topic I have passing familiarity with but I wanted to know more. I found this to be an excellent “101” in intersectional feminism. Schuller walks through the history of American feminism using case studies where she compares the actions & approaches of a white feminist leader or icon with those of a contemporaneous intersectional feminist. If you don’t really know what white feminism or intersectional feminism is or aren’t familiar with the (deeply problematic and harmful) history of white feminism (i.e., what a lot of white ladies just call “feminism”), this is a great and very accessible place to start.
#16) Last Exit by Max Gladstone (2022, 400 pages) (March -- dramatic sci fi/fantasy thriller). Audiobook. Uhhhh I don't even know where to start with this one, except to say it is AHHH-MAZING, oh, and also just won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, which is quite a feat. If you enjoyed N.K. Jemisin's The City We Became, you *may* have an inkling of the genre we're dealing with here. Elements of urban fantasy, woven together with Americana (and all it entails) and a bit of sci fi thrown in for good measure. Post-college, Zelda and four of her ivy league classmates, all existing somewhat on the fringe in their own ways, went gallivanting through parallel worlds (or 'alts'), using their mysterious "knacks" to beat back the black rot trying to destroy the universe. Then everything went wrong and Zelda's partner Sal (died? disappeared? something else??), and the rest of them disbanded, frantically trying to take up normal adult lives. Now ten years later, Zelda has no choice but to call her friends back together and try to find out what happened to--and maybe save--both Sal and the rest of their universe. The writing is breathtaking and it feels an awful lot like there might be a follow-up in the works.
#21) The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi (2020, 304 pages) (April -- psychological drama). Audiobook. Definitely one of the leading candidates so far for my best read of the year! Book editor Julia Hart has sought out hermit-like mathematician Grant McAllister with the goal of republishing a unique collection of mystery stories he wrote years ago. Each of the seven "perfect" murder mysteries were constructed in such a way as to demonstrate one of the "mathematical boundaries" of such stories--for example, there must at a minimum be a victim, a detective, and at least two suspects. So how small can this set be and still qualify as a murder mystery? In what ways can the different roles potentially overlap? But the more the two discuss the stories, the more Julia begins to realize that some things about the stories don't add up. She may turn out to have an odd mystery of her own on her hands.
#26) Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (2022, 304 pages) (May -- psychological drama/domestic suspense). Audiobook. Another Alice Feeney and another candidate for my best book of the year! It's so hard to say much about this book without giving away spoilers, but we begin with a couple on a drive for a Scottish weekend getaway they've won, a last-ditch at saving their rapidly disintegrating marriage. The story cuts back and forth between present-day chapters narrated by face-blind Adam or his wife, as well as letters she has written each year of their marriage and never shown him. As the couple's present-day weekend getaway progresses, they are plagued by mysterious happenings that lead us to believe that not all is what it seems, either with their marriage, the weekend getaway, or the letters. Riveting and kept me guessing until almost the end!
#31) No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood (2021, 210 pages) (May -- literary fiction). Paper book. You guys, I sobbed. It's categorized as literary fiction but it was very very strongly inspired by real-life events in Lockwood's and her families' lives. You will cackle, weep, and sigh with intimate recognition of our post-modern Extremely Online existence. You will sob and cheer at the deep humanity that perseveres nonetheless. Reviews called it "genre-defying" and "a book that readers like a prose poem" (fitting, as Lockwood is a poet by trade). This maybe my #justtrustme recommendation for this year.
#52) Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone (2022, 448 pages) (August -- crime/intrigue/thriller). Audiobook. Having joined her husband John on a short business trip to Lisbon, Ariel wakes up to find him gone--no note, no explanation, no response to her texts and calls. Portuguese police seem at first unconcerned, then suspicious. Why does Ariel seem to know so little about John? And why is John here in the first place? This book was absolutely riveting and masterfully crafted all the way to the shocking finish. Another contender for my best book of 2022! It was also kind of fun reading this one having just returned from Lisbon in June.
#63) Platonic by Marisa G. Franco (2022, 311 pages) (October -- nonfiction, human relations). Audiobook. Making and nurturing platonic friendships as a grown up is hard! Fortunately Marisa Franco is here to coach us through it. This was such a lovely book that devotes real energy to exploring the critical nature of platonic friendships, why it's harder to make and maintain them as an adult, and concrete tips for building and nurturing rich, satisfying (non-romantic) relationships.
#79) Fairy Tale by Stephen King (2021, 599 pages) (November -- YA, fantasy). Paper book. A series of unlikely and traumatic events lead seventeen-year-old Charlie Reade to befriending the old man who lives in the imposing house on the hill with his equally ancient dog. Then Old Mr. Bowditch suddenly passes, leaving Charlie with an unbelievable story and a task he can’t refuse. Charlie soon finds himself navigating a real-life fairytale in a strange yet oddly familiar land, where the stakes are not only the survival of his new compatriots but that of his own world. This is definitely a contender for best book I read all year! I’ve said before and I’ll say it again; King is a damn fine writer, and if you only know him for his more classic horror/sci fi works, you’re missing out.
I'm already taking recommendations for 2023, so please tell me about the best books you read or listened to this past year!
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