In fourth grade, I read a book a day. I was a voracious reader, and I loved it. As I’ve grown older (particularly as I had more school work), I fell out of the habit of pleasure reading frequently. Typically, when I read, I’ll devour a book in a day (or even hours). Then, I won’t read for another few months.
In 2022, I had a goal to read 10 books. In 2021, I read 8, so I thought this was a fairly realistic goal. However, I ended up only reading 3, so it was not my best year. However, I did journal my thoughts and make notes on each after I finished. You can read these below.
1. Make Your Bed (Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World)
This was the first book I tackled in January. It was a super quick read that I started on Saturday evening and finished on Sunday morning. I couldn’t have spent more than an hour and a half on it, and I loved that!
It’s a book adapted from Admiral William H. McRaven’s commencement speech for the University of Texas. He discusses how small acts (inspired by his time with the Navy SEALS) can change both your life and the world. The very first (which made it into the title) includes making your bed each morning — something I don’t often do. He advocates for achieving something immediately in the morning. This can help propel your day positively.
2. Becoming
This book has been on my list to read since it came out in 2018. I checked it out of the Waialua library — excited that I could finally get my hands on a copy. At other libraries I looked at over the past couple of years, it had been months before I would’ve been able to request it.
Overall, I found the stories delightful. Michelle did an incredible job welcoming the reader into her Southside home on Euclid Avenue, but I thought the story really got started for me during the “Becoming Us” section. Armed with all the knowledge I had of her background, I loved reading about President Barack Obama and how she saw him. Who was he to her? Capturing someone through the lens of their long-time partner is such a unique way to see them.
I also enjoy her anecdotes from her time as First Lady. I have long enjoyed learning about the White House and wondered what it would be like to live there myself. She gave the reader a window into the life of the public — both from a more professional side as well as a personal side. Hearing her anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth II also brought in a nice crossover of my interests.
3. Where the Crawdads Sing
I read this book over a weekend after I found out that Taylor Swift wrote an original song for the upcoming movie this summer. I had seen the book all over social media, so I was excited to see what all the buzz was about.
Overall, I enjoyed the story about Kya and marveled at her independence and intelligence after growing up almost entirely on her own. That said, I think I was slightly disappointed that the novel didn’t get tied in (what I saw) as a perfect bow. You read about the murder occurring from the beginning, and you get some closure but not complete closure at the conclusion of the novel.
I was also conscious of the fact that the author, Delia Owens, hadn’t done all the research she could’ve done when writing. It was a strange mix between knowing she was intentionally dating her content with what she was mentioning (Buster Brown shoes, for example) and shattering that time frame with the way she was writing it.
I believe most (if not all) of her research has likely focused on the marsh in North Carolina where Kya lived. Making sure the species that were discussed actually lived there. However, the novel is a timepiece, and she used words that weren’t used during the time period, and some of her characters behaved in ways that I don’t believe would’ve been customary at the time. This “shattered” the timeline for me.
For example, she had a male character use the word “consensual” to explain a sexual act. The term “consensual” existed in the 1960s (when this book was set) but wasn’t used in a legal context until 1977. It also wasn’t popularized until the mid-1990s. While we use this term all the time in our conversations today, it just isn’t realistic to me that a male character in a small town would’ve known and used this word.
Still, I enjoyed the book and will see the movie when it comes out. I’m glad I have the book for context.
[Edited: I did watch the movie in December — although, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be when I read the book.]
Final Thoughts
Among the three books I completed, I also started several other books (among them Sarah Vowell’s Unfamiliar Fishes). I hope 2023 brings me the opportunity to finish the books that I couldn’t this past year.
Furthermore, over the next 4 years, I’ve made it a goal on my 300 by 30 List to read 30 books. Stay tuned for more book reviews!