Oh, hallelujah, this year is almost over. It’s not that it was the worst year but it certainly wasn’t great. And as for 2022, I’m really just hoping for adequate because I like to have high standards.
I did manage to meet my Goodreads goal, which in actuality means nothing since it’s a completely arbitrary number I pick but still, good for me I guess. As for next year, I’m thinking I want to take a break from tracking on Goodreads but I’m not sure what else to do except with pen and paper. Maybe a list on my Notes app? That might work. Any other suggestions?
Anyway, while we’re all pondering how to break my dependency on Goodreads, let’s use it to remember what I read last month (I realize this is not making a good case to stop using it). I think there were seven books. Some were good, some were fine, none were awful, and one I paused because of a library avalanche I am still sorting through.
Godspeed by Nickolas Butler. Well. This book started off REALLY strong and then took a sharp turn into what the fuck am I reading. I didn’t so much hate where it went as I was utterly confused and while I rolled with it, it still wasn’t as good as I had hoped. He is a great writer, though, even if his stories are somewhat questionable.
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. Read most of this on a plane to and from Denver and that’s precisely the kind of book this is. Great travel companion. I’m still a little puzzled by the ending but I didn’t mind reading this murdery family drama. I think it might have been a NetGalley book but I’m starting to think that’s another habit I should just quit in 2022.
We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops and Corruption in an American City by Justin Fenton. If you liked The Wire, read this book because it reads like a season of that show brought to life. Which is appropriate as they’re both set in Baltimore. I digress. It was actually a fascinating read but not shocking, especially if you’re familiar with the corrupt history of Baltimore and the fact that cops can be criminals. Parts of this story are set against what happened to Freddie Gray, so be aware of that if you choose to read it.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Read. This. Book. It is so touching and fantastic and sad and if you are part of a culture that places a lot (and I mean A LOT) of emphasis on food, you’ll appreciate this tribute to her mom and her Korean heritage even more.
The First 21 – How I Became Nikki Sixx by Nikki Sixx. This was my third nonfiction in a row, but so worth it. Even if you don’t like Motley Crue or Sixx A.M.’s music, you have to be intrigued by Nikki Sixx (and the title is pretty self-explanatory). And if you are, read this one as well as The Heroin Diaries, which remains to this day one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read.
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena. Put this in the same camp as The Younger Wife, except I didn’t read it on a plane. A simply written, straightforward, family murder drama. It was a nice change from the nonfiction, a quick read, and good for a vacation or a nice long at-home break like the two-week one I have coming up.
The First Husband by Laura Dave. Meh. It was fine. Fluffy rom-com type book, good for a cold weekend, but without a lot of com and a lot more of drama. It reminded me of some of TJR’s earlier books and like TJR, Dave’s books seem to get better the more she writes because The Last Thing He Told Me, which I read earlier this year, was excellent. Still haven’t read Eight Hundred Grapes yet. I think it’s been on my TBR for about five years so I should probably get on that.
Currently reading: The Promise by Damon Galgut and Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo.
And now, it’s time to link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some other bloggers (I commit to doing this this month) and also mark your calendars twice. Once for December 29 for our yearly favorites bonus linkup and once for January 11, the first of our 2022 linkups.
Well done on meeting your Goodreads goal!
I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan – read 2 of her books this year and cannot wait to read more!
I’ve heard good things about Shari Lapena’s Not A Happy Family.
Looking forward to the book link up later this month on yearly favourites.
I have a few Sally Hepworth books on my list but I have yet to actually read one!
Oscar is very cute indeed.
I like LibraryThing for tracking books. It’s a simple system, and lets me see what I’ve read in a year.
If Not A Happy Family is on par with The Younger Wife, I hope I actually like The Younger Wife!
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I hear ya – the end of year is the time to overhaul processes, right? Somebody mentioned a similar site that isn’t goodreads, but now I forget what it was. It would even import your old lists from goodreads, which would be good when I’m trying to remember if I’ve read a particular book. Anyway, thanks for mentioning Crying in H Mart. I’ve seen a few decent reviews, but your comments were the most compelling. Thanks!
I love your photo. I have that Laura Dave book on my TBR list.
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It takes me so long to get around to reading memoirs, for some reason, and then I noticed that memoirs are about half of the (very few) books that I gave 5 stars in 2021. Crying in H Mart is on my list, so clearly that fact, combined with your review, means it’s time! Didn’t love Sally Hepworth’s most recent (though I did love The Mother-in-Law), but a murdery family drama usually appeals, so I might have to try this one.
I’m curious about The First 21. I read The Heroin Diaries last year!
Lauren
Crying in H Mart sounds fantastic, adding that. And I too absolutely agree on The Heroin Diaries. Will look into this new book.
I found Not A Happy Family to be an enjoyable read, too. (I’m always amused when I or someone else calls a murdery book “amusing”, lol.) Crying in H Mart sounds super interesting. I don’t read a lot of memoirs but that one sticks out.
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I read 800 Grapes after reading The Last Thing He Told Me and I was kind of disappointed in it.
I loved Crying in H Mart too, so good! I also have complicated feelings about Goodreads. I don’t really use the social aspect but I do rely on it for tracking as far as big-picture goes. I also track what I read in a journal but I’m not always great about doing my TBR that way. I’ve heard really good things about Storygraph and have considered moving to that, but I’m not sure I want to move my whole TBR list over and I’m not emotionally ready to start from scratch either (ha!). Keep us posted on what you decide!
Yes for an adequate year— this year has been exhausting. I’m one book away from my goal & am still 50/50 on if I’ll read another book before the end of the year. I’ve not been reading as much non-fiction but adding We Own This City. I did just finish and love, in a gut wrenching but beautiful way, Crying in H Mart.
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The Sally Hepworth IS a goodreads book, comes out next April. You’re ahead!
I am with Goodreads because all of my want to reads are in there and I’m not transferring that shit elsewhere. Also since books don’t stick with me like they used to, I like to know I’ve read it and move it from to read to read.
We Own This City sounds good. Crying in H Mart does too.
Crying in H Mart is now on my holds list. Thanks for the rec! 🙂
Not sure I will ever be able to quit Goodreads!!!! A lot of my friends enjoy Storygraph, which is similar, I think – I think the notes app in your phone or maybe a paper and pencil book tracker notebook? Hope it goes well 🙂 Yay to 2021 being over soon. lol
I will definitely put Not a Happy Family on the to-do reading list. A family murder? Sounds like a great book already.
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