December 2022: setting reading goals for the new year

Hello book buddies,

As December rolls through I usually start to plan my reading goals for the new year. Since 2017 I’ve been setting a goal for how many books I want to read in the year. Each goal has been successful, making me feel a little proud of myself at the end of the year. I’ll continue to do this for 2023. For two years I’ve tried to follow along with Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge (click here for their 2023 edition) but having guidelines for a major amount of my reading during the year causes me to abandon the checklist by January.

This week I listened to an episode of the podcast What Should I Read Next? which has inspired me to look into a new reading goal. Host Anne Bogel and guest Laura Vanderkam discuss creating big reading goals at the beginning of the year. Though most of the information feels like nothing new — regularly set aside time to work at your goal — I appreciate their goal suggestions. In 2022 Vanderkam read just 10-15 minutes each day and worked her way through the entire works of Shakespeare. The two considered reading through Jane Austen’s six major novels or plowing through the entire Bible in one year.

I also fell upon a newsletter subscription called The Big Read where avid reader Jeremy Anderberg also assumes a major reading task for the year. In 2022 he read all 361 chapters of War and Peace, encouraging others to follow along with him. You can check out his weekly emails while reading the book here. In 2023 Anderberg plans to read through five major and chunky novels. You can follow along on the upcoming journey here.

Starting tomorrow I plan to begin my year-long journey through the entirety of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. From my understanding, she had composed about 1800 so I will be reading about five each day. Are you making any reading goals for 2023? Let me know!

Onto my month’s reading. I read a lot this month so I will only give full reviews for books that were truly great. At the end of this newsletter, I’ll include a brief list of the other books I consumed this month.

Here’s what I read this month:

A novel for those who love a sarcastic and too-good-for-it-all main character:
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
- McQuiston has crafted a witty and dry protagonist named Chloe who rolls her eyes at her Christian high school while acing every class. One month before graduation, her valedictorian rival, Shara, kisses her and then vanishes. This young adult novel pokes a bit of fun at some of the behaviours church folk tend to follow which had me chuckling at times. I tore through this book in two days — mostly because Chloe is such an interesting character —but the mystery plotline sprinkled with feel-good moments also did it for me.

A book for those who want to be absorbed into an honest memoir:
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
- This was a super buzzy book this year that received a lot of hype. And it certainly lives up to it. I listened to the audio version of McCurdy’s memoir and appreciated her calm narration throughout the book. It really feels like she held nothing back in composing this memoir and

A novel for those that would like a quick yet impactful read:
Very Cold People by Sarah Manguso
- Everything in the book feels simple. Narrator Ruthie takes us through her life in New England, where her family doesn’t fit in and everyone, including her mother, is cold. While reading this book, I felt like it was going to be about exactly what I was reading, Ruthie recounting vivid memories and odd details about her interactions with others, but then the novel unravels to be about so much more. It was quiet, peaceful, and totally chilling. I’m still thinking about it.

A book that is so fantastic, even Oprah recommends it:
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
- This book reminds me of Very Cold People (the review above this one) in the way that I thought it was about one thing but blossomed into something much more. We follow Kiara, a seventeen-year-old, as she stumbles into sex work to provide for herself and her young neighbour. But this book turns into a novel about shady police officers and the systems of poverty. This was an extremely powerful book and one of the best novels I read this year. I highly, highly recommend it.

A book for those who want to learn more about the Cowichan Peoples:
Those Who Fell From The Sky: A History of the Cowichan Peoples by Daniel P. Marshall

A collection of short stories for those who love Scythe:
Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of the Scythe by Neal Shusterman

A selection of personal essays for those obsessed with pop culture:
Girls Can Kiss Now: Essays by Jill Gutowitz

A book about reconciliation in Canada written in digestible ideas perfect for young readers:
Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation by Monique Gray Smith

A book for those who absolutely adore the former First Lady:
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

A memoir for those who come from Mennonite families (like myself):
Mennonite Valley Girl: A Wayward Coming of Age by Carla Funk

A collection of short stories for those that want to see Indigenous literature and sci-fi collide:
Take Us To Your Chief and Other Stories by Drew Haden Taylor

A novel for those that love a little chick-lit with depth:
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

A book for those that just want to eat up some interesting nonfiction:
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke

A novel for those that want to read the thoughts of ordinary people in an extraordinary way:
Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney

A book that is not a textbook but could totally be used as a high school textbook to teach students about racism in America.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds.

Thank you for following along on another installment of Carissa’s Book Blurbs. Please don’t hesitate to reply to this email and tell me about what you’re reading of recommend a book to me!

Happy New Year,

Carissa

I acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the unceded lands of the Quw’utsun, Stz’uminus, and Halalt Peoples.

Logo created by Courtney Cassels.