In 2021, I started keeping up with the books I read, and I reviewed them at the end of the year. I enjoyed the process so much that I’m doing that again. I’m so proud of my reading journey, and I’m happy to say that I crushed the 2022 reading goals I set for myself.

Full disclosure here: I wouldn’t have come close to my ’22 goal if it weren’t for audio books. Half the books I “read” were audio books. I did a lot of driving this year – both cars and tractors – and books filled my time and enriched my brain. Most of my audio books were nonfiction, read by the author, which gave a richness to the storytelling that I wouldn’t have gotten from the printed book. So, thank you to the Lubbock Public Library and the Libby app! If you don’t have this app, you’re missing out. Go get you a library card! It’s one of the many things that makes America great! Lots of other libraries offer this service, so ask your local librarian if you’re not sure. Also, some libraries will give library cards to people that don’t live in their city.

These were my reading goals for 2022:

Read 22 books ✅ (and I completed 24!)
Read more nonfiction than in 2021 (2021 = six; 2022 = 12!) ✅
Review as I go along in Good Reads (Please follow me. I have a very small number of followers and want more bookworm friends. Look me up: Erica Irlbeck) ✅

I enjoyed the non-fiction books more than the non this past year, so I’m going to lead with that. Here are the books I read, listed in favorite to least favorite.

Non-Fiction

The non-fiction books have a tie for first place. I listed the Howards’ book first because they come first in alphabetical order.

The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood & Family by Ron Howard and Clint Howard
I have a lot of nostalgia for Ron Howard. I used to watch reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days with my grandma. As I grew older, I loved Ron Howard movies (except Willow, it was too weird), especially Far and Away, and somehow I have always know Ron cast his younger brother, Clint, in his movies.
This book is written and read by Ron and Clint (get the audio book, they read it) and it tells the story of their extraordinary life, made to feel completely normal by their down-to-earth parents, Rance and Jean Howard. The stories in this book are so incredible, fun, entertaining, and left a smile on my face. If you are a fan of either Howard brother, get your hands on this book. It was everything I wanted it to be.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
This is an even tie for my favorite non fiction book of the year, and again, I strongly recommend the audio book. It was fabulous. I’ve had a crush on Matthew since he played Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill (and John Grisham has written two Jake Brigance sequels and a short story. One is in development for a movie – A Time for Mercy – see my review below😁) so I was thrilled to hear about his childhood and climb to stardom, all in his own voice. I love the emphasis he places on certain stories and words, and it was so fun to hear him get cracked up at some of his tales.
I can’t recommend this enough. Even if Matthew isn’t your favorite, he’s a great story teller and narrator.

41: A Portrait of my Father by George W. Bush
The non-fiction category this year was a very tight race, and the Bushes were right there with the Hollywood folks. I’m not a political person, but if you make it to the end of this blog, you’ll probably think I’m a Bush Family super fan since I read Laura’s book this year too. I’m really not, but I do respect the contribution they have made to the United States. I was in junior high and high school when the elder Bush was in office, so I can’t say if I supported his policies or not. But, I feel like I know George Bush now, and I understand his presidency better. He served and loved his country. Like his politics or not, this was a great book to describe an American family.
My goal is to eventually read each president’s and First Lady’s autobiography that has served during my lifetime. George H. W. Bush didn’t write an autobiography, because, as stated in this book by his son, he was too humble to brag about himself for a whole book.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell
I’m late to the party on this one (like most of the books I read). Malcom helped me figure out why I was always less mature and slower to catch on than my classmates from kindergarten to high school. It’s because of my April birthday! I’ll let you read the book to see for yourself why this matters. I really enjoyed this book simply because of the amount of research that went into it. It’s brilliantly written and so informative.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Deliciously hilarious.
Amy gives us a look into her life as a comedian and actress in an efficient and funny fashion. Once again, do the audio book. I love her voice but she also has cameos from other actors and clips from SNL.
It’s the perfect length, perfect attention keeper, and a great way to make a long drive feel short. This book has been out for a while, but it doesn’t matter. It’s still funny.

The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson
This book is a nice bounce and forth between The Beatles’ climb and dissolve, and the intricacies inside Mark Chapman’s (Lennon’s murderer) unstable mind. Before I read the book, I totally blamed Yoko for breaking up the band. Now, I think she was a small part of the reason, but in reality, they grew up and apart and wanted to go different directions artistically. After 10 years and 10 albums together, they were naturally ready for something different. This is one of James Patterson’s many collaborative works. The writing and research are good. The story moves quickly and held my attention.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark:  One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
This book is about the Golden State Killer. I vaguely knew about this story, but this book provided so much detail about the killer, as well as the author’s relentless quest to break the case open.
Michelle McNamara wasn’t a detective nor a journalist, but her research into this topic was simply amazing. Finding the killer was a hobby that turned into a passion and it showed in her writing. I really enjoyed how it was a documentation of all the clues found, plus her process. As a qualitative researcher, I was so inspired by her work.

Going There by Katie Couric
I love Katie Couric. She was my inspiration as a college student. I watched her every morning as I learned how to be a journalist. When I became a reporter, I marveled at her calm as the story unfolded on September 11, 2001. I admired her courage when her husband died of cancer, then she decided to used her platform to fight it. But I loved her most when she did a story on my cousin’s fight against cancer and the doctors at MD Anderson working to beat melanoma.
This book helps us to know the woman behind the smile. She compliments the people she liked working with. She makes note of these she didn’t care for (some of them I really like, so that was a bummer). Katie included news clips in the audio book and I liked the texture it added to the stories. A solid four stars, especially if you work in journalism.

Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
I like learning about a president’s and First Lady’s service to our country after some time has passed and perspective gained. This book was published in 2010, so only two years after the Bushes left office, and her life there was fresh on her mind. Their entire tenure in the White House was overshadowed by the attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001 and the subsequent war on terrorism in the Middle East. I didn’t know a lot about Mrs. Bush’s service to Afghan women and schools. She traveled to Afghanistan several times when things were very tense in that country. As I was reading, I could hear her sweet, calm voice with its lovely Texas lilt. But her voice is so steady and calming that I fell asleep several times while reading it, so it took me a while to get through this one.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcom Gladwell
I love Malcom’s writing, his research, and his sense of humor. The way he strings stories together is brilliant. This was the third book of his I read this year. I listened to this after Outliers, which was my favorite. Had I read David and Goliath first, it probably would have gotten five stars. It’s hard to not compare books by the same author, but the Libby app had three of his books available right in a row. I recommend spacing out your Gladwell so you can enjoy his riveting research, the connections he makes, and his superb storytelling.

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
Excellent. As a qualitative researcher, I have a high appreciation for these types of projects and Garrett Graff nailed it. If I were a history teacher, this would be required listening (it’s an audiobook only because it’s an oral history). This type of project was hours and hours of thorough research. I only wish I had listened in September 2021; it would have impacted me more.
Graff captured hours of stories from some of the most visible people on 9/11 – think Katie Couric and Rudy Guiliani – to the people that simply went to work and were thrown out of their chairs or became sudden heroes. My only critique of this work was that I wish the audio would have been in the interviewees’ own voices. I know Katie Couric’s voice and I found myself paying more attention to the fact that I was listening to a voice actor rather than the content of her story.
In all, though, this is a fascinating way of telling American history. I made my 10 year old son listen and he was captivated as much as I was. Outstanding work.

The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, A Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcom Gladwell
This was the year of Gladwell. I listened to this book shortly after I finished Outliers, and I couldn’t help but compare.
The book is about the United States’ WWII bombing efforts. I love WWII history and this was one small, but hugely important, piece of war history that helped turn the war in our favor. I loved that it included sound bites from the interview subjects and old WWII Newsreels, some voiced by an young Ronald Reagan. But I kept comparing it to Outliers, which I enjoyed so much more. If you just want a snapshot of the book, Malcom’s podcast, Revisionist History, season 5, episode 4 gives you a concise version.

Fiction

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Excellent. This book blends two time periods and two strong women that would probably have never crossed paths. Story I is set just after my favorite time period to read about: World War II. Story II occurs in an era that I’m sadly less familiar, World War I.
This book changes shines a spotlight on a group of heroes from The Great War: The Alice Network. The network was a group of spies, all women, that are now credited with saving thousands of Allied lives. Some of the characters in the book are fictional, others are real. This book sparked a great curiosity in me and I am now looking for other books that tell the stories of the heroines of World War I. Send me suggestions!!

A Time for Mercy (Jake Brigance #3) by John Grisham
Is it weird that my second favorite fiction book is a sequel to a book that was made into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey, who wrote one of my favorite non-fiction books this year? Too much of a stretch? If you haven’t read Sycamore Row, the second book in this series, you’ll still follow along with this book. They don’t tie together all that much. This is your classic Grisham page turner with captivating characters and a wonderful twist. If you’re a Grisham fan, this is a must-read. IMDB says this is in development, and I fully support that, but there’s nothing about it on Matthew’s page as of today (12/26/22).

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
DELIGHTFUL!!! Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this sweet novel is set in World War II. The story is about three women that work together in a sewing circle to mend and restore wedding dresses for brides during the war. I didn’t know about these groups, but this book makes me appreciate the women of this era so much more.
The three main characters are written so well that I fell in love with each of them. The story was nicely developed and left me with a smile on my face

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
Of course Dolly Parton can write a novel! My hero can do no wrong, and she nails it in this thriller. The characters are extremely well developed- I felt as if I knew them. The plot twist was fun and exciting.
I got through this book fast, and it’s because of the writing powerhouse of Dolly and James. Also I have a cousin named James Patterson. Different person, but I like to read his books just because of the connection.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
So entertaining! But this is another book that you must listen to, rather than read. I feel weird offering this advice, but it’s all because of the cast narrators.
This is a story of a fictional band in the 70s. It was a great story, told in the style of an oral history. So you hop from head to head, but it was such a clever way to tell this story. I was completely wrapped up in the characters and their struggles. The audio production was so well done. I can’t recommend this book enough. It was a fun summer book and it’s being made into a series starring Riley Keough (a.k.a. Elvis Presley’s granddaughter).

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was the year of Taylor Jenkins Reid for me and I loved it! I opened this book thinking it was going to be a tale of an Elizabeth Taylor-type actress. Evelyn Hugo is a beautiful and talented actress with a portfolio of husbands and an Oscar, but that’s where the similarities end. But if I tell you how Evelyn and Elizabeth are different, it will ruin the story, so just take my advice and read it for yourself.
One thing that I found especially clever was that Mick Riva, one of the seven husbands, is the main character’s dad in Malibu Rising. I loved the connection!

Verity by Colleen Hoover
This was mind blowing, and in a good way. I finished this one in about a week, which is a testament to how gripping the plot was. I’m not going to give any info on the plot or characters because I’m afraid I’ll spoil it. Just know that you should read this now.
Verity was the first Colleen Hoover book I read, and I am excited to read more. She’s a tremendous storyteller.

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
I picked this up simply to see if Hillary Clinton could write. She can, and she’s quite good at it. This was an excellent plot, great characters, all the things that make a book great, it was a tad too long, but whatever. The thing that bothered me about this book was wondering how much of it was based on the Secretary’s true experience. What if it was true??? It scared me a little.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Although I enjoyed Daisy Jones more, this was a nice book about a family with unusual circumstances that prevails despite their misfortune. I like the way she structured the story. This was entertaining, easy, and fun. A nice summer book, which was exactly what I was looking for. After three TJR books, I can say with certainty she is a gifted writer. I love her stories, her guts, and the vast differences in her plots. I will be reading more of her in 2023, starting with Carrie Soto is Back, and Carrie is a very minor character in Malibu Rising.

Ford County by John Grisham
This book was slightly different from my favorite author’s typical law thriller. It’s a collection of short stories based on the fictional Ford County, which, if you’re a Grisham fan, you’ll recognize from some of his other books. The stories made me smile, and for short stories, I got invested in some of the characters in a relatively short page count. This was a nice book. Not my favorite Grisham book, but still a nice, quick read.

The Social Graces by Renee Rosen
If you liked The Gilded Age on HBO, you’ll like this book. It follows the Astor and Vanderbilt families and their quest to “rule” New York society. Mostly true, it’s amusing to read about the over the top lengths these women went to to impress their fellow rich people. This was a nice book with a sweet ending. It was well written and VERY well researched.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Good story, nice plot twist at the end. I enjoyed the book, but I struggled to get through it. I’ll give Margaret Atwood another chance though.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I read mostly historical fiction, so this one was out there for me. It was strange and stretched my imagination, but not something I loved.

A Farewell to Arms by Earnest Hemmingway
I’m putting Hemmingway last and I’m not sorry about it. The book wasn’t bad, but it was the worst book I read this year. I realize I have just committed blasphemy to American literature, but this book was a snooze fest, especially when I look at the other great novels I read this year. Positives: beautiful writing and a good story. Mr. Hemmingway is a revered novelist for those two reasons. I’ll read other books of his, but it’s going to be a while. This was the first book I read in 2022 and I questioned my ability to read 21 more.

Reading Goals for 2023:

• Read 23 books (At some point I won’t be able to do this, but for now, matching my goal with the year is cute.)
• Find a local book club that meets in person. I don’t want a Zoom/online book club.
• Read one book that is considered a classic
• Read four books that are released this year. I’m almost always behind on books and read them when they’re at least a year or more old. I’m going to be a cool kid this year