Goodreads is controversial for some people but I still use it to track my reading habits. They have a yearly “Reading Challenge” (everyone can set their own preferred amount) and my end of year report claims I’m in the “top 25%” of their readers having hit 88% of my goal. It does feel good to hear but is probably more of an indictment on everyone else’s lifestyle! My goal every year is to complete 50 books, but it’s been a long time since that was accomplished. I wrote a bit about my progress in June and am here to sum up the rest of the years highlights as I contemplate where to go from here.
First of all, my goal will never waver despite failures to complete the total. 50 books is not an unreasonable aim. It’s less than 1 book per week, and people at any age or reading level should consider this a minimal pace, that’s my opinion anyway. My most busy reading years l entered on Goodreads were 2011 and then 2015 when I read over 100 books, almost 2 each week. I was in an unusual living situation spending months without TV nor even electricity at times and then being actively radicalized with a huge library of leftist texts on hand to satisfy my imagination instead. 2011 is also when I got the Kindle app on my phone for the first time and started reading ebooks. The premier selection I went for was called Moby Dick (wow have you ever heard of it?!) it seemed like such a popular and well known classic, but never seemed to catch my attention in person enough to want to carry around a huge copy in print. Well the ebook was as light as the smartphone I carried in my pocket daily and since the ebook was freely availible in the public domain online, the commitment was low pressure if I had to give up on it. It was great! I’m sure nobody is surprised but me. If a book has remained in popularity over some hundreds of years, I don’t know why I doubt I’m going to like it too, but sometimes I am really such a hater.
I won’t list out everything I read in 2023, but will share a few of the best and most favorite books. I did get around to reading Lundy Bancrofts book Why Does He Do That? and can understand why it is incessantly recommended to women on the reddit forums now. It details the tactics for abuse that men use to control, exploit and abuse their “loved ones” (ironically also true for random unknown reddit commenters). The writer is a psychologist and shares many different examples of mens’ bad behavior, from the small, almost-seemingly accidental incidents of disrespect as well as outright egregious violence. He threads them together, so it becomes an unmistakeble pattern, how these toxic dudes are all woven from the same cloth (sorry for mixing too many fiber arts metaphors). Sorry to post an overdone meme but I would suggest any and every woman give it a read! It’s upsetting to hear about abuse and the societal coersion to accept it but validating to know it’s a subject widely studied and understood too.
I read 2 books by Stephen King this year, Fairy Tale also The Eyes of the Dragon and would definitely suggest them to those who think they might like it. They both are more of the fantasy and magic, and less outright horror than this popular and prolific writer can offer. I think I’ve read about half of Stephen King’s books so far. In the audible app I have Holly ready to begin soon in the new year too.
King Coal by Upton Sincair was probably my favorite new read! I’ve only read 1 of his other books (not The Jungle, because I’ve heard that one’s really gross and rough- it’s about the animal slaughter industry) and have put quite a few of his titles to my to-read list. In some ways it is so excellent and refreshing to have his concise explanations and charming presentation of the dangers of unfettered corportate power, not to mention the enviornmental damages that occur, but then you reaize it’s fully over 100 years later and we are even worse off now! Nothing has pumped the breaks on millionaire psychos, that is such a discouraging realization.
The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment was a re-read for me after 15 years or so and I consider it one of my favorite books ever. The fictional story spans most of a woman’s life. It starts in NYC, but most of the plot is what happens while the main character is shipwrecked and stranded for decades on a remote Pacific island. She lives with a tribe of heavily tattooed people there, and I will not spoil any of the fascinating plot by saying much more! Every few years I’ve searched for an audiobook of The Tattoo Artist and it doesn’t seem to exist. Other works by Jill Ciment have been recorded, so I began to wonder if there was something offensive or that aged badly, to prevent it being made more widely available? I know sometimes I have really bad taste, but I recalled enjoying this when I got it from the library so many years ago. I remember thinking it should really be made into a Hollywood movie, but when I couldn’t find it in more formats, I was questioning myself. It is very exciting, interesting and provocative, but I can see how it might also be a bit insensitive. To write a fiction based on indigenous culture is just not very woke, sorry. But I have the ebook now and I’m sure I’ll re-read again before long.
One very recent book I’ve started is called Tendu by Ailish Sinclair– it was a free ebook for Kindle users and the series seems to be on a holiday sale, I followed the writer and am glad to start reading a fun fictional ballet themed romance series.
I’d love to hear any thoughts on these titles or further recommendations. If you want to connect on Goodreads please feel free, as I’m curious to know what your reading diet looks like too.
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