The Midnight Library

The Midnight Library: A Novel by Matt Haig, 4/5

It feels petty to complain that this deeply meaningful novel about existential crisis and regret boils down to a few cliches and wraps up a little too tidily–the fact remains that I read it greedily in one sitting, shedding a few tears in the process. I couldn’t shake an intense feeling that it was written just for me, which I’m sure is exactly how many other readers feel and is a testament to the author’s writing skill and insight into the mental struggles of modern existence.

Why I read it: an oft-mentioned entry in the comments on an Instagram post about favorite (or most meaningful–I can’t remember which) books.

100 Poems

100 Poems by Seamus Heaney, 4/5

I love that this collection of poems was hand-selected by Heaney’s wife and children after his death, not just to include his most loved and famous works, but ones that held personal significance and memories for his family as well. With that in mind, it felt like a privilege to read this collection and made it easier to focus on what I personally found beautiful and resonant, rather than feeling the need to make a value judgement about what I did not understand or connect with. One of my favorite moments was in the poem “Mossbawn: Sunlight,” when a baker is described as dusting the board with “a goose’s wing” (32).

On a separate topic, I want to take this opportunity to send some bad energy towards the fellow library user who felt that it was reasonable to make distracting pencil marks throughout the entire book. I erased every single one.

Why I read it: The author was featured on an episode of Antiques Road Trip and I was surprised that I had never heard of such a famous and beloved poet before.

A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson, 2/5

Numerous reader recommendations on social media, the subtitle’s promise, and four (!) introductory pages of hyperbolic blurbs made me expect an uplifting, insightful and hilarious account of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, with a strong human interest aspect. I could not have been more mistaken in every single way. Over the course of the first half of the book, Bryson hikes less than a quarter of the trail (p. 162) and even that is not continuous; he skips a large portion of Tennessee because interactions with “stupid” cab drivers and, of all things, the state’s history of anti-evolutionary legislature, gave him “a powerful urge not to be this far south any longer” (p.108).

The second half of the book sees the author driving to different parts of the trail for day hikes, seemingly desperate to scrape together enough bleak and preachy anecdotes to earn his book advance. Most of his depictions of the people he encounters along the way are snarky, shallow, and mean-spirited. Trail-related material is generously padded with smug forays into armchair activism, including endless dire predictions about the environment and the imminent demise of various species of plants and animals that, twenty-five years after publication, seem overblown (at least, in the cases I paused to look into further).

The last straw, for me, was when Bryson took a rare break from obsessing about bears and how dangerous and fast and numerous and hungry for hikers they are to express his disapproval of guns and unironically comment “Goodness knows what the world is coming to when park rangers carry service revolvers” (p. 168). At that point, I realized that, much like how Bill Bryson had tried and failed to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, I had tried and failed to like his book about it.

Why I read it: an oft-mentioned entry in the comments on an Instagram post about favorite (or most meaningful–I can’t remember which) books.

The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, 5/5

In these 85 essays, originally published in 1787-88 by New York newspapers, three Founding Fathers use the pseudonym “Publius” to argue passionately for the ratification of the newly-proposed Constitution of the United States. Blow by blow, the authors address and dismantle the most popular criticisms of the day, occasionally stooping to empty rhetoric and snide remarks, but more often establishing logical and convincing rebuttals, based on common sense, the events of history, the practices of other nations, and a clear-eyed appraisal of human nature (recognizing both its positive and negative tendencies). It was a strange and refreshing experience to encounter in-depth and nuanced arguments, presented with respect for the everyday reader’s intelligence and belief in their sincere desire to form an educated and fair-minded opinion. Almost two hundred and forty years later, it is easy to be cynical and pessimistic about the future of our country, but it is no exaggeration to say that reading this book, in combination with the actual Constitution, re-kindled my love, pride and admiration for the grand experiment that is the United States of America.

Why I read it: A free copy showed up in my mailbox, completely unsolicited. Unfortunately, I peeled the mailing label off to read the back cover and now can’t recall what organization sent it.

The Incredible Years

The Incredible Years: A Trouble-Shooting Guide for Parents of Children Aged 2-8 Years by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, 2/5

Reading this book made me feel insecure about the more traditional approach to parenting that my husband and I have employed with success for almost three years now. Having one’s ideas challenged is not a bad thing, in itself, but what made me most uncomfortable was how self-conscious I started to feel about interacting with my child. Weirdly, it was the positive interactions that were most affected; instead of feeling joy from being authentic and savoring the moment, I became focused on doing it “by the book” and adding a check mark to my mental record of parenting wins and losses. It was a gross feeling.

While I disagree with the author’s tiresome advice that, seemingly, 99% of behavioral issues are best addressed by ignoring, time-outs, or sticker reward charts, if one can glean what is useful without departing from common sense and simplicity, this book has some helpful ideas to offer. The concept of time-outs is presented in a sensibly structured way and there were good ideas for how to participate in playtime without taking over or getting frustrated (hint: imitate and describe what is happening instead of dictating). Also, since I grew up as an introverted homeschool kid, it was helpful to be reminded that integrating well with social groups is a skill that parents can help their children develop, not an inevitable byproduct of personality.

Why I read it: a hand-me-down (without a specific recommendation) from a friend.

Extreme Birds

Extreme Birds: the world’s most extraordinary and bizarre birds by Dominic Couzens, 4/5

This book delivers exactly what is promised on its front cover, packed with strange and astonishing facts that I expect would interest anyone (not just people who are into birds).

Why I read it: my husband bought it at a bookstore for some unknown reason.

Lifelike Drawing with Lee Hammond

Lifelike Drawing with Lee Hammond by Lee Hammond, 3/5

I learned how to draw realistic pencil portraits many years ago from Lee Hammond’s Draw Real Animals!, but pulled this book off the shelf for reference when struggling with the background for a recent project (see below). Realizing afterwards that I likely had never actually read this through before, I decided to do so and did glean a couple of helpful tips that either were not in her other book or I had just forgotten over the years.

Washington State Place Names

Washington State Place Names by James W. Phillips, 5/5

One of my favorite reading experiences is to find myself, thanks to a good book, enthralled with a topic in which I had little previous interest. Washington State history is definitely one of those topics and this is one of those books. Hundreds of entries provide the fascinating and often surprising stories behind the names of Washington’s noteworthy mountains, rivers, islands, counties, cities, and towns.

Why I read it: a fun thrift store find.

Positive Parenting with a Plan

Positive Parenting with a Plan (Grades K-12): FAMILY Rules by Matthew A. Johnson, 2/5

At first, I was put off by the author’s cocksure tone, cringey attempts at humor, and brazen assertion that common sense and anecdotal evidence are perfectly reasonable substitutes for scientific research with regard to his scheme of essentially gamifying family life. However, after reading a few of the aforementioned anecdotes, I learned that there is a level of family dysfunction that I simply was not even aware existed and might credibly justify the extreme approach that this book lays out. Call me naive, but I didn’t know that many children are so out of control that the only threat parents can effectively use is to literally send them away to live with other family members or at one of the numerous long-term treatment facilities that apparently are a thing that exists! In a situation in which, God forbid, my child was physically assaulting me, committing crimes, doing drugs, and causing thousands of dollars of property damage, I guess I would try anything, no matter how contrived, extreme, and unsupported by scientific research it might feel.

Why I read it: it was in a box of hand-me-down books from a friend.

2023 Stats

In 2023, I read thirty-one books, twenty of which were nonfiction and eleven fiction.

I read 1 book written before 1899.
7 books written between 1900-1949.
4 books written between 1950-1999.
19 books written between 2000-2022.

Books that I rated 1 star: 7 (23%)
2 stars: 6 (19%)
3 stars: 9 (29%)
4 stars: 2 (6%)
5 stars: 7 (23%)