Final Reading Update for 2022

You can see my reading goals for 2022 are here. 

Even if I didn't manage to complete all my goals, It was a spectacular year of reading. I read 288 books, 38 more books than my Goodreads goal of 250. 

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Hands down, the best book/best series I read last year and maybe in my entire life, was this one. I'm not really a fantasy fan, but N.K. Jemisin created characters and a world that gobsmacked me. It grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. If you haven't read this, then you should add it to your #MustReadList.

#MustReadIn2023Fiction Goal: 24/48 books

I finished 24 books from my fiction list.

Because this is from a curated list, all these books had received high praise before I read them. They were all good. A few that blew my mind include:

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, & Jamie Chang (Translator)

Korea has the worst gender wage gap in any OPEC country. Kim Jiyoung, a symbolic character, epitomizes this story of gender inequality. She represents the experiences of Korean women, especially those with a career who are married with children. Read my full review here.

The Red Palace by June Hur 🍁

Set in Joseon Dynasty Korea in 1758, this is based on the true story of Crown Prince Sado, an untouchable serial killer. Hyeon, a palace nurse, ends up involved in a clandestine investigation with Eojin, a young police inspector.

Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith 🍁

This book is full of humour, love, and heartache. It is pure Newfoundland. It’s 1995 and 14 year old Barry Squires is full of bravado and piss and vinegar. His life is complicated, but it won't stop him from joining the Full Tilt Irish dancers.

#MustReadIn2023NonFiction Goal: 18 books

I came close to meeting my goal from my nonfiction list - reading 17 instead of 18, but since I increased my goal last year from 12 to 18, I'm ok with this.

The best of these include:

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

Merlin Sheldrake is brilliant.

Not only is this book full of fascinating information about fungi, it is a delightfully entertaining read that's easy to digest.

An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives by Matt Richtel

This is an intimate, conversational, overview of the evolving science of how our immune systems works. Richtel integrates the science into the stories of four individuals. The most important thing about this book is how readable it is.

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow

This is a brilliant book that shakes up what we have been taught about the history of humanity.

I didn't do so well with meeting my goals of reading Canadian and Indigenous literature. 

Canadian Authors Goal 100 books 

I read 86 books by Canadian authors instead of the 100 last year. The list is here. 

Here are some that impressed me: 

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton 🍁 

When I finally sat down to read this graphic novel, I didn't stop till it was done. This memoir spans the years she spent working in Northern Alberta in the Oil Sands. Being one of the few women there made for emotionally exhausting and even traumatic experiences.

On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein 🍁

Naomi Klein addresses numerous climate crisis and extinction related issues in this collection of long form essays. I especially appreciate those articles that explain why we desperately need a green new deal, what it means, and how we can achieve it.

Zero Repeat Forever (The Nahx Invasions #1) by Gabrielle S. Prendergast 🍁

"Sixteen year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade, annihilating entire cities, taking control of the Earth."

Eighth is one of the Nahx. When his partner is killed, he roams wild, not wanting to follow his directive to, "Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall."

 Indigenous Authors goal: 25 books

Alas, I only read 20 books.

There are so many beautiful books on this list, I really hate to choose one over the other. Still, here are a few I adored:

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont 🍁

I'm been a fan of Dawn Dumont's work ever since reading Nobody Cries at Bingo. Nadine teaches traditional dance and has organized a tour of Europe with her troupe. When food poisoning brings Nadine and her dancers low, John's brother, the chief, manipulates John, a 30ish year old Cree man, into taking her place along with Edna, an older woman, and her niece, Desiree. Neither of them are dancers. Luckily, John is.

Dumont's work is loaded with humour and heart-aching sweetness.

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette 🍁

This was a hard book to read. It is a story about the pain and rage felt by indigenous women. It's about unconditional love - or the lack of it.

The Stone Child (The Misewa Saga #3) by David Alexander Robertson 🍁

Morgan and Eli are back in the land of Misewa, where Eli is close to death. Saving him means they have to destroy the portal, so they end up having to search for a new one.

Check to see how successful other readers were at Leigh Anne Eck's blog, A Day In the Life.

#MustReadIn2022 April Update

It’s time for our first #MustReadin2022 update! These updates are optional, but some of us find that doing them keeps us more focused on our reading goals. 

Carrie Gelson at There's a Book for That started #MustRead as a way to address our GoodReads lists. Leigh Anne Eck at A Day In the Life and I have taken over for her.

How are you all doing? Have you been distracted by other books? Have you made progress? What have you read that shines through? Add your link at the bottom of the page and let us know where you are at. 

You can see my original reading goals here.

NOVELS

So far I've read 10/24 books from my #MustReadIn2022Fiction list. 

All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac

This is a brilliant debut that shows what life was like for an Indigenous child growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. It's hard to read at times. 

Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1) by  Adib Khorram

This coming of age novel addresses body image and mental health issues. It is full of beautifully rendered, complex characters you believe are real and connect to on an emotional level. 

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys never lets me down. I was completely absorbed by this novel that highlights the life of Romanian teens under the brutal rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu.

The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess by Shannon Hale

My granddaughter and I loved this new Princess in Black book. While out on a friend's boat, the Princess in Black and a few friends meet Princess Posy, a real live mermaid. 

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont

A troupe of Indigenous dancers tours Europe in the 1970s. It is loaded with humour and heart-aching sweetness.

Pax, Journey Home (Pax, #2) by Sara Pennypacker

The war is over. Pax has moved on with his life and new family. In the mean time, Peter is still coming to grips with almost overwhelming loss.

Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney

I'm not a huge fan of superhero novels but I like that Nubia is shown as a real person with loving caring parents. 

Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor

On her first day of school, Zubi hears all kinds of incidental remarks that cause her to doubt her own beauty. 

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier 

I loved this book much more than I expected to. I appreciate that most of the people, even though they make mistakes, do their best to be supportive of BeeBee, a transgirl. I like that it takes a while before we even know she is trans. 

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

I love the joy in this coming of age story. Even though there are some dark moments, overall this book is full of optimism and hope. I appreciated the diversity in the characters.

I also have two on the go: Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds & A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger.

NONFICTION

I've finished 5/18 books from my #MustReadIn2022Nonfiction list. and have The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber on the go. 

On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein
The world as we know it is in a precarious position. Naomi Klein addresses numerous climate crisis and extinction related issues in this collection of long form essays.

Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine G. Johnson

What an amazing woman! Katherine Johnson was a brilliant, compassionate, community minded woman who worked hard her whole life to make life better for African American citizens of all ages.

 
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

Understanding how other people experience the world is it's own kind of challenge. Connecting to how Octopus experience it requires a whole other level of comprehension.

Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane

This book should be in every community and school library in North America. While the author focuses on Canadian First Nation Pow Wows, her scope extends to into Native American Pow Wow culture and dances.

Spílexm: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence by Nicola I. Campbell

Nicola I. Campbell integrates family, community, culture, land, and Canadian history into this personal memoir.

I'm currently reading The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber. 

INDIGENOUS AUTHORS

I've read 11/25 books by Indigenous authors from Canada and the United States, and have a couple more on the go. You can read more about them here. 

CANADIAN AUTHORS

I've read 23 books by Canadian Authors so far this year. Of these books, sixteen are by BIPOC authors. You can read more about these books here.

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#MustReadIn2021 Year End Update

Carrie Gelson at There's a Book for That started #MustRead as a way to address our GoodReads lists. This year Leigh Anne Eck at A Day In the Life and I took over for her. Leigh Anne Eck is hosting the final update for this year. Add your link here. 

I managed to accomplish all my reading goals this year. I even surpassed some of them. My Goodreads goal was to read 333 books. I ended up reading 456!

My plan was to read a certain number of books from different categories: fiction, nonfiction, picture books, Indigenous authors, and Canadian authors.You can read more about my original goals here.

GENERAL FICTION

My goal was to read at least twenty four novels from a curated list. Since the end of August I've read another six books making it thirty all together. Almost all of the books are there because they received stellar reviews or because they are authors whose work I adore. I gave five stars to fifteen of the titles I finished. You can check out my finished list here. 

Books I finished since August include:

NONFICTION

I accomplished my goal of reading at least twelve of the books from this curated list. Since I started keeping this goal, I read much more nonfiction in general and always have at least one on the go. The books I finished from my original list are here.

I finished three titles since August:

PICTURE BOOKS

My Goodreads list of picture books I 'wanted to read' was out of control. I weeded a lot of them and decided to try and read at least 100 of the 208 books left. 

It was hard. I am easily sidetracked by the shiny covers and smell of new books. 

At first I prioritized Canadian authors. I wouldn't have completed this goal except that between Christmas and New Years I was sick and couldn't focus on anything longer than a picture book. Thankfully the VPL has increased it's ebook collection since the start of the pandemic. You can see the list of the 102 picture books I finished here.  

Books I finished since August include:

INDIGENOUS AUTHORS

I read 41 titles by Indigenous authors this year. They included picture books, nonfiction, graphic novels, realistic and speculative fiction. They were all pretty spectacular. Here is what I completed. 

Books I finished since August include:

CANADIAN AUTHORS

I read at least 111 books by Canadian authors last year. If you add the 36 Indigenous Canadians, it makes up a good chunk of my reading life. 

Books I finished since August include:

DISCWORLD 

I started reading these in 2020 and decided to make completing it one of my 2021 goals. I completed the collection, including all the short stories connected to it, by the Fall Update. I even purchased Nanny Ogg's Cookbook, although I haven't made anything from it. The Discworld turned out to be the ideal respite from the real world of Covid anxiety.  

This blog post by Steve @ YOUR TURN, DAD  pretty much explains why I fell in love with this collection. 

#MustReadIn2019 September Update

Carrie Gelson at There's a Book for That, hosts #MustRead. I have been joining in for the past couple of years. If you have a "want to read" list on Goodreads (or somewhere else) that goes on forever, then you might be interested in joining. All you have to do is choose any number of specific books on that list, and do your best to read them all.
A few times a year Carrie reminds us that it's time to be accountable and post an update of how we are doing. It's a good thing for me since knowing these times are coming up reminds me to focus regularly on reading from my lists. You can see the list of participants on Carrie's Blog here.

This year I created a number of different reading goals from my never ending and always expanding want to read list on Goodreads. My goals were to read at least a specific number of books from different lists including some general fiction, some nonfiction, some from Canadian Indigenous authors, and finally, to read Canadian. You can see my original goals here.

I've done well so far except that I need to read more Indigenous literature. You might also notice that there is some crossover here. I have decided it's ok. 

Here is what I've completed since the last update.

#MustReadin2019 Fiction
I read another eleven of the books on my list bringing my total to 20/25. I also have one on the go! 

Go to this Goodreads list if you want to read more about these books.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Meet Yasmin!  by Saadia Faruqi
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
The Theory of Hummingbirds by Michelle Kadarusman

Under Suspicion (Friday Barnes #2) by R.A. Spratt

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #2) by Jessica Townsend

#MustReadIn2019 Non Fiction

I have read another six of these bringing my total up to eleven. All of them were brilliant. 

Go to this Goodreads list if you want to read more about these books.

The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry by David L. Carlson

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
Love and Laughter in the Time of Chemotherapy by Manjusha Pawagi

Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel J. McLeod
March: Book Two by John Robert Lewis
Too Young to Escape by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Canadian Indigenous Authors
I've read twelve more of my goal of twenty five, bringing my total to eighteen. I've got one on the go. Here is what I've read since our last update. (One of these Indigenous authors is not Canadian)

Go to this Goodreads list if you want to read more about these books.

Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt
The Case of Windy Lake by Michael Hutchinson
Cold Skies by Thomas King
DreadfulWater Shows Up by Hartley GoodWeather

The Girl and the Wolf by Katherena Vermette

I Can’t Have Bannock But The Beaver Has A Dam by Bernelda Wheeler

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

Li Minoush: Thomas and His Cat by Bonnie Murray 

Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel J. McLeod
The Red Power Murders by Thomas King

Tilly by Monique Gray Smith 
When a Ghost Talks, Listen (How I Became A Ghost, Book 2) by Tim Tingle

Canadian Authors

So far this year I have read forty eight titles by Canadian authors. I'm well over my goal of twenty five, but sill feel like I need to do more to highlight the amazing talent we have here. Here's what I've added since April. 

Go to this Goodreads list if you want to read more about these books.

The Beautiful Mystery (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #8) by Louise Penny

The Case of Windy Lake (A Mighty Muskrats Mystery #1) by Michael Hutchinson, 

Cold Skies by Thomas King
DreadfulWater Shows Up by Hartley GoodWeather (Thomas King)
Ebb and Flow by Heather Smith
Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman,
The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce, #10) by Alan Bradley,
A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #12) by Louise Penny
Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
Haunted Hills and Hanging Valleys: Selected Poems 1969-2004 by Peter Trower
How the Light Gets In (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #9) by Louise Penny
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
The Journals of Susanna Moodie by Margaret Atwood,

The Long Way Home (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #10) by Louise Penny 

Love and Laughter in the Time of Chemotherapy by Manjusha Pawagi,
Love From A to Z  by S.K. Ali,
Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel J McLeod, .
The Missing Donut by Judith Henderson
Naked Mole Rat Saves the World by Karen Rivers 
The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #11) by Louise Penny
Now You're Logging! by Bus Griffiths,
OCDaniel by Wesley King
Otto and Pio by Marianne Dubuc
The Red Power Murders by Thomas King
The Theory of Hummingbirds by Michelle Kadarusman
Today by Julie Morstad
Too Young to Escape by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7) by Louise Penny
What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan
A World Below by Wesley King
You Are Never Alone by Elin Kelsey

Update On My Reading goals for 2017: MustReadIn2017 & Others

Carrie Gelson at There's a Book for That, hosts #MustRead. If you have a "want to read" list on Goodreads (or somewhere else) that goes on forever, then you might be interested in joining for 2018. All you have to do is choose any number of specific books on that list, and do your best to read them all.  My original lists for this year are here. This is my final update for 2017.

In 2016, I managed to read all the books on my must read list. Alas, this is not the case for 2017. In fact, since the last checkin, I finished a mere three books from my fiction list. I read nothing from my nonfiction list. I might have finished more of these but was too sick to read or even listen to books throughout the month of December.

This is what I finished since our last update.

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones

This book was pure fun. It’s set in the Regency period in England. When Annis’ father is killed in France, he leaves her and her Aunt Cassie nearly destitute. Annis soon figures out that her father was a spy and is determined that she will become one to avenge his death. When she is rejected, their new maid, Millicent, helps disguise Annis so she can use her dressmaking magic to earn a living. The book is full of twists and turns and clever humour. Although this book didn’t wow me like Jones' Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, (a book that is truly exceptional) I’ll read a sequel if she writes one.

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud & Emily Bevan (Narrator)

Lockwood, Lucy, George, Holly, and Quill Kipps discover the cause of 'The Problem.' The how and why ghosts are invading our realm is caused by an individual with a lot of political clout. This puts the crew in peril as the perpetrators decide to retaliate by murdering them all.
As satisfying and wonderful as this book is, I can't bear to think that it is the last in the series. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to these fabulous characters. Since this fictional world isn't really completely cleaned up, I'm not giving up hope that there might be at least one more to come.
Perhaps the rumoured TV series will be enough, but I doubt it.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

This is a sweet coming of age romantic fiction that follows the formula set out in romantic Korean dramas. Teen romance is not my favourite genre, but I ended up enjoying this anyway. Thankfully there isn't excessive amounts of angst or heavy breathing. The diverse collection of characters is endearing in spite of, or perhaps because of their flaws. The only somewhat snarky relationship ends up getting resolved positively. I adored the relationships between Desi Lee and her father, and you will too.

I started but abandoned Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I didn't hate it. The font was just so tiny. I even tried it on my device but whatever the format was, I couldn't increase the size.

In spite of not completing all the books on this list, I don't consider it a failure. Once I started reading from my nonfiction list, I became interested in reading more nonfiction and ended up reading at least 15 adult information books last year. Ideally I had hoped to read at least one a month, and even though I didn't get to all the ones on my list, I still read more adult nonfiction than I did the year before. That's a win, right?

The fiction titles from my list were mostly fabulous.

Not only is The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas the best book on the list, it's probably one of the top three books I've read all year. I loved it so much that I purchased a copy since I know I will reread it at least one more time.

Other books that I thought highly of include (in no particular order)

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick

My favourite nonfiction title was When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanith. I also enjoyed Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Ann Lamott and Spin: How Politics Has the Power to Turn Marketing on Its Head by Clive Veroni.

Other Reading Goals:

I had plans to read 50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors to celebrate 150+ years of Canada but only finished 34. There were many wonderful picture books on the list. I ended up purchasing two copies of We Sang You Home by by Richard Van Camp & Julie Flett; one for each of my grandbabies. The best part of this personal challenge was discovering some stunning writers. I highly recommend Nobody Cries at Bingo by Dawn Dumont. (Upon finishing it, I read just about everything else she has published.) The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline was dark and profound. Medicine Walk and Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese were stellar reads. The Break by Katherena Vermette is another dark and memorable read. I know that one of my reading goals for next year will be to read at least another 25 adult titles from this category.

I finished all the Chocolate Lily titles for which I was a juror. I appreciated this opportunity to read many different kinds of books by local writers.

Finally, I challenged myself to read at least 333 books this year. I ended up reading 398. I think this indicates that while I didn't finish everything on my lists, I still managed to get in a lot of reading this year!