Books remain at the heart of the media I consume – not perhaps the most significant by volume, but certainly by the effect they have on my life.
I finished 16 books in 2022. It’s a step forward from my 12 in 2021, but nowhere near the 30-40 I want to read in a year. (I wish I could read 100 a year, but although I’m a pretty fast reader, I’m not a fast fast reader.
There were serveral books I read that had an impact on the work I do and how I live in the world.
(A note about links: I have used bookshop.org for most links, which supports independent booksellers. I get a small affiliate percentage if you buy a book through these links, which I will use to maintain this website. You can also direct a portion of your purchase to support a local bookstore of your choosing.)
Nonfiction
The Gift of Song, Alice Parker (64 pages) A perfectly lovely little book. Alice’s writing is clear, insightful, and parsimonious. Nothing out of place. Here she writes about her most passionate topic, song and singing.
Atomic Habits, James Clear (320 pages) James Clear’s ideas are better than his writing, but that’s not such a bad thing, is it? I’ve read related literature and the core concepts were familiar, but Clear’s distillation and organization is the perfect starting place for people interested in learning how to build and practice new habits.
Fiction
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin (416 pages) I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this beautiful story. It’s set in the world of video game design, but it transcends the form to tell us so much about love, creativity, connection, and life.
The Time of Our Singing, Richard Powers (640 pages) Is this a story about music set against the backdrop of race in America, or is it the story of race in America told through a musical story? Whichever way you see it, it’s revelatory. Powers writes about music like a musician and tells a story like the master novelist he is. If you make music, please read this.
The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern (592 pages) I love a book that can’t easily be described. This is a love letter to the very idea of story, and takes place in a strange and magical universe that I can’t quite describe. For so many novels, it’s easy to imagine them being adapted into other forms (movie, limited series) but this novel is so deeply connected to its own form that I can’t imagine the adaptation that could hope to match it.