I have a weakness for hearing people describe how they organize their bookshelves. Alphabetical, chronological, categorical or in rainbow order? Each option has its advocates and it’s a level of book nerdery that I can’t get enough of. I similarly love discussions about how people select their vacation locations, get good deals (without resorting to extreme couponing) and the intricacies of the various franchises of Law & Order.
The thing about Law & Order is that it’s been around
forever. Well, not forever perhaps, but there were 20 seasons of original
recipe, 10 of Criminal Intent and SVU is on season 20 and going strong. With so
many years, and so many episodes, you’d think finding fellow fans would be
easy. And yet.
I enjoy original recipe. I really don’t care for Criminal
Intent. I continue to be loyal to SVU even though I think it’s about run its
course and then some. Aside from Criminal Intent, I can usually discuss just
about every episode of the shows. I’ve watched them all. Some many times.
With a combined 50 seasons of television, you’d think there
should be plenty of people with whom I can engage in deep dive fangirl
conversations. You would be wrong.
Until now.
Sort of.
I recently learned about …These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order podcast and OH. My. GOD. how did I not know about this earlier.
…These Are There Stories is the kind of niche programming
that podcasts are made for. Hosts Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie invite special
guests to talk about various episodes. Constants on each episode include:
Questions about favorite detective teams and
favorite prosecutorial teams. (My responses are a tie between Fin and Munch and
Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green and then Jack McCoy and Alexandra Borgia.)
Discussion about individual episodes and plot
successes or failures.
Acknowledgement of the common “Who’s that guy?”
phenomenon we all experience when watching Law & Order, because seemingly
everyone has been on the show.
Citing of the real-life stories on which episodes
are based.
I did a lot of great things over the past year. My proof is
in the memories, stories and pictures. But also, I kept a bunch of lists. It
started primarily as a curiosity and, frankly, because I was jealous of some of
the book tracking I saw on Instagram. And so, I kept a list journal.
Last January, I selected a few things to track and that sort
of set the stage for the year. Or, at least, indicated how I thought the year would
proceed. I decided to track books, movies, concerts, fostering cats, trips and speaking
events I attended. Those things all make me happy and I thought being
intentional about doing them would lead to a great year. Mostly true!
Thanks to my list book, I can summarize my year in just a
few stats:
Books read: 145
Movies seen (in theaters, planes and at home): 31
Bands seen live in concert: 21
Cats fostered: 3
Trips and vacations: 5
Speaking events attended: 3
Those numbers don’t tell the story, but do indicate where intentions
met action.
Books
When it comes to books, I nailed it. And my list making does
give me more information. For instance, I know that I read 35 paperback books,
61 hardback books and 49 audiobooks.
I’m a little disappointed in what I chose to track, but also
want to keep my record-keeping easy. I know some people track books in a spreadsheet.
(Book
Riot has one you might want to check out.) I already use Goodreads for digital
tracking and like the physicality of paper for everything else. (Related: Note
that I read 0 eBooks.)
The data I wish I had on hand, easily, is how many books I
read by authors of color, how many new books I read versus older novels versus
classics. I wish I knew how many female authors I read compared to male
authors. All of that data could have been more easily tracked in a digital
record. I can still go back and pull that information from Goodread (unlikely)
or keep track for 2019.
My reasons for wanting that more granular data is to ensure
that I am challenging myself to read a variety of types of books from a variety
of authors from a variety of time periods. To me, that variety is what helps me
be both a better reader but also a better person.
Movies
Two years ago I started a movie club amongst a few friends.
It’s the easiest club to which I’ve ever belonged. Every month or so we see a
new movie and we take turns picking, going in alphabetical order by last name.
(Note: If you borrow this idea and work with a group pulling from different
friend groups, work in alphabetical order by first name. Much easier!) I used to see maybe a movie or two a year in the theater and would just binge on international
flights to catch up. Not anymore!
Over the last year, I’ve seen some really great and some
really terrible movies. And I’m so happy with both. I’m especially happy that I’ve
seen several films that are well outside of my wheelhouse. Would I have seen The Post or First Man in the theater by my own choice? Nope. But they were
great!
Going to the movies on a monthly basis has been a good
reminder to me about how much fun it is to see a movie surrounded by strangers,
or, as was the case with The Hate U Give, with only one other person in the
whole theater. And comedies surrounded by other people laughing, like happened
with Uncle Drew, only makes you laugh
harder.
Bands and Concerts
Live music is a wonderful experience. Sure, you can listen
to an album, but when you see the music live… It’s just more … full. I
initially intended to track concerts but then took a page from the sometimes
controversial method in which NPR’s Bob Boilan tracks shows, and I started keeping
track of bands I’ve seen live. What’s the difference? It essentially comes down
to opening acts and music festivals. For instance, I went to see Ke$ha (Yeah!)
and Macklemore (meh) perform and Wes Period
(?) was their opening act. I could have tracked that as one concert, but I counted
it as three bands I saw live. Disagree? As I said, this method is not without controversy.
But I like it because it helps me track down to the artist, which I value more
than the event.
Every year I intend to go to more concerts than I do. This
past year, I went to 8 concerts or festivals. It’s good, but I want for more
next year!
Intentions Versus Reality
The remaining lists I kept, foster cats, trips and speaking
events, speak more to my intentions than to tracking.
In 2017 I started fostering cats again and liked it so had
big plans for 2018. That all came to an end when one cat hated me, another had
chronic poops and the other was a last-minute surprise. Also, all fostering comes
at the expense of my pet cat’s waistline and affection towards me.
I had similarly positive intentions when I started tracking
speaking events. I love hearing people talk about their areas of expertise and
their creative process so try to seek out author talks or take advantage of
speaking events at my local libraries, museums and universities. Over the last
year I did see the amazing Min Jin Lee and Susan Orlean talk during separate
events at the Mercantile Library. I also enjoyed visiting a local independent
bookstore with friends to hear from Janet Beard about her book. But for 2019,
more please.
Lastly, I tracked trips and started so boldly by including a
daytrip to Cleveland, Ohio, in my list book. No offense to my Cleveland side of
the family, but as trips go, it was small. And why did I could Cleveland, and
later a weekend in Columbus, Ohio, but not my countless trips to Dayton, Ohio. I’m
the one who wrote it all down and even I’m confused. I think my intention was
to embrace more weekend trips, which I can still get behind. We’ll see what
2019 has in store.
Future Lists
I’ve already added in pages in my list book for 2019 for books,
movies and concerts. I also have more room to create other lists as makes
sense. I think I’ll track different things about the books I read this time.
I’d encourage you to make a list book, too. It’s not about
the lists themselves. They’re just a piece of paper or a digital record. The
fun is at the end of the year to have a sort of memory book on which to reflect
and acknowledge that the past year was truly great fun.
Over the course of last year, I consumed books in a way that has sort of become habit, but has also become refuge. I’ve seen updates from so many people talking about how hard 2018 was personally, socially and politically. I empathize and, in many ways, agree. That said, when things got tough for me, I stuck my face between the pages of a book or popped in my ear buds and got lost in a story. Does that mean I missed out on what happened in 2018? I wish. But books were my safe place. And I share that despite the fact that in 2018, I explored some really tough topics via books. Two that stand out, and which also include some books worth recommending:
Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking: I assisted the Diverse Books Club in their book selection process for December, which focused on modern day slavery and human trafficking. Participating mean that I read a bunch of books to help narrow down contenders and then read the final selections. These were, as you might expect, among the hardest books I’ve ever read. They took me places emotionally and psychologically that I wouldn’t ever choose to go again. They also opened my eyes to things that are happening all around us and gave me ideas for how I might help prevent, or be less complicit in, these activities. (Buying chocolate is quite fraught.) Of the books I read about modern day slavery and human trafficking, the ones I’d most recommend are The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan, Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed and Sold by Patricia McCormick.
Refugees and Immigration: My ideas about immigration are informed by my politics, which are informed by my ideas of what is right and wrong. Books helps me expand my thoughts by challenging my assumptions, giving my insight into other perspectives and reinforcing some of my assumptions. The books I most loved were The Boat People by Sharon Bala and The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes Next by Clemantine Wamariya.
While these more serious topics peppered my 2018 in books, I also read about awesome young adults (check out Ahisma by Supriya Kelkar), explored magic (courtesy of Niel Gaiman and books like A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert), enjoyed an awful lot of mysteries (via Agatha Christie and the indomitable Phyrne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood) and found treasures that I will be recommending for a long time (like Less by Andrew Sean Greer and the adorable The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce).
Throughout 2018 I consumed 145 books. Some I listened to,
and thank goodness because I don’t think I could have conquered Anna Kerenina
otherwise, and because Alan Bradley’S Flavia de Luce novels, as read by Jayne
Entwhistle, are pure delight. Others I read in physical form, borrowing heavily
from the library or through the Book of the Month club. You can find my full list of books on Goodreads,
but I’ve listed out some of my favorites below.
Four- and Five-Star Books
from 2018:* **
Ahisma
by Supriya Kelkar
All
the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
And
Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Amal
Unbound by Aisha Saeed
American
Gods by Niel Gaiman
An
American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Brass
by Xhenet Aliu
Breakout
by Kate Messner
Caleb
and Kit by Beth Vrabel
Calypso
by David Sedaris
Crenshaw
by Katherine Applegate
Cross
Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
The
A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
The
Astonish Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
The
Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
The
Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King
The
Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
The
Boat People by Sharon Bala
The
Convenience Story Woman by Sayaka Murata
A
Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Dear
Martin by Nic Stone
Far
From the Tree by Robin Benway
The
Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
The
Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine
Wamariya
The
Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
The
Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Therouz
The
Guns of Navarone by Alistair MacLean
The
Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Heart
Berries: A Memoir by Teresa Marie
Mailhot
In
One Person by John Irving
Jefferson’s
Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Lab
Girl by Hope Jahren
Less
by Andrea Sean Greer
The
Library Book by Susan Orlean
The
Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk
The
Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
The
Night Diary by Verra Hiranandani
The
Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
The
Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain
The
Right Hook of Devin Velma
Secret
Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Sparrow
by Sarah Moon
This
Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Three
Daughters of Mafam Liang by Peral S. Buck
The
Train of Lost Things by Ammi-Joan Paquette
The
Ultimatum by Dick Wolf
Us
Against You by Fredrik Backman
The
Vanderbeekers of 171st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
The
Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
The
Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Sleep
Tight by Rachel Abbott
Sold
by Patricia McCormick
* In the past I’ve been critiqued for being too stingy with
my stars, so I tried to be a little kinder this past year. I think it worked!
** My hope for 2019 is that we end the trend of having Girls
in titles. If they’re adults, they’re women. No matter what an uplifting, empowering
story you might tell, calling the heroines girls in the titles lessons the
story you’re sharing.
Earlier this year I was in the midst of a huge project at work and it was invading my life. I was stressed out all the time and need more things to which I could look forward. Normally I am a very prudent, frugal spender (read: cheap), but my mental state called for action. The cure I chose was exploring subscription boxes. Maybe not what a mental health practitioner would recommend, but it was something.
I’ve tried several subscriptions now and, while I have retired a couple of them, others have stuck around.
The outlier: lipstick
Some ongoing skin allergies have made almost all makeup a no-go for me, but mascara and lip products seem to be an exception. It was in a very un-me moment that subscribed to Lip Monthly. I, who don’t wear make-up, starting receiving a monthly installment of lipstick, with mixed results.
Lipstick is a funny thing. If you wear it, you want it to highlight your lips, go with your outfit, look right with your skin tone, etc. So assuming that a randomly chosen batch of lipstick will work with any random person is crazy. The results I experienced bear that out. For instance, I received an enormous tube of lipstick that looks like something I might use if I were dressing up as the Tin-Man from the Wizard of Oz. I think it would be a beautiful shade on someone with a darker, more golden skin tone. On me? Very meh. I also got a pastel pink gloss called Daddy’s Girl. The color and name are both so disturbing that I don’t know quite what to do with it.
The subscription I signed up for was $12.95 a month, so pretty reasonable. My last shipment came in defective packaging so everything spilled out long before it was delivered. Lip Monthly blamed the post office. I blamed them. And our relationship ended, just like that. And now I have a stack of lipstick that I am determined to wear. So if you see me out with some metallic look lips, know that it’s on purpose and that I already know it looks ridiculous.
My weak spot: frivolous trinkety nonsense
Wonder Boy does the grocery shopping in our house and it’s with good reason. In addition to me getting panicked at the idiotic behavior of grocery shoppers, and despite my inherent cheapness, I fall prey to so many displays of stupid things I know I don’t really need while shopping. It’s like I can’t help myself! When shopping around for subscription boxes, I basically had the word “sucker” stamped on my forehead. I tried two that fall into what I think of as frivolous trinkets: GlobeIn and Heima Market.
GlobeIn is, in theory, very cool. They gather fair trade artisanal items and I sincerely think the price you pay for the subscription, which I won’t admit to out of embarrassment but which you can easily look up, is worth it in terms of the labor invested. But the items? I just didn’t need them. The first box came with a bowl for knitters to use with their yarn (I don’t knit), handmade paper for origami (I don’t do origami), crafty tassels (I don’t use crafty tassels) and a very dainty mug (I like my mugs with heft). My second box got stolen off of my front porch, which I took as a sign and cancelled the subscription.
Heima Market is $29 a month, which I consider a little splurgey but have enjoyed so far. They feature things that celebrate “good quality goods, a sustainable lifestyle and slow living.” Oh, and the boxes are nordic themed. It’s so hipster I can hardly stand it except that I love it.
My first (and only month so far), I received a tray, two bowls and a cup. (The picture to the left is the right pattern but wrong collection of items.) Do I need these things? Nope. Do I feel fancy as heck when I use them at work? You bet!
I was going to leave my subscription on a “surprise” setting for each month until I realized I could get month after month of tray sets. Fortunately for me, my memory is like a sieve sometimes and I already forgot what I selected. Surprise for May!
My true love: books
The obvious match for me and subscriptions was around books. I’ve started three and love them all for different reasons.
Bookishly is out of the UK and such a ridiculously easy business plan. Each month I get a coffee sample (enough for 8-12 cups of coffee, so a pretty big sample) and a vintage book. I love coffee. I love books. And man do I think an old Penguin book is cute. Win!
A friend suggested I check out Hello Book Lover and it’s been great. I’ve only received one book, with another en route, but it has a few things going for it. Subscribers are given a choice of two well-curated books from which to pick. That way if I’ve already read one, no problem. Along with the book, you get things related to the theme of the book. So last month I got wildflower seeds, paper straws and recipe cards, all adorable. And finally, and I know this is silly, the box it all comes in is great. Getting a package that says “Hello Book Lover” on the top makes me smile.
My last subscription is too new to review, but is Book of the Month. It’s affordable and ensures I get one new hardcover book each month. I rarely buy books (aside from the subscriptions mentioned above) and rely on the library for new releases. For my May book, I got to select from five choices. All of the suggested books looked good, were reviewed well by other readers on Goodreads and they crossed many genres. I’m looking forward to receiving my first choice soon!
Money well spent, or thrown away
I stand by my decision to explore subscription boxes because it was what I needed when I started checking them out. I’m also pleased that I’ve already unsubscribed to a few and expect a couple others to get tossed aside over the next few months.
I love getting things in the mail. Cards, letters, packages. Too much anymore all we get are bills and junk mail. With some investment of time and a variable amount of financial investment, depending on your tastes and spending money, you can make mail pick-up a lot more fun. I have and with each package, minus that one someone punched a hole in and stole the contents out of, each of these has made me smile. Or, in the case of Daddy’s Girl pink gloss, laugh.
The best way to research a country, I believe, is to read about it. I could read non-fiction fact-packed tomes, but I prefer to stock up on fiction stories. Even made up stories have a lot to tell about the place in which they’re set. It was with this in mind that I read a Condé Nast Traveler article that Ronald Reagan (not the real one) sent me: 22 Ambassadors Recommend the One Book to Read Before Visiting Their Country. On title alone, I knew my To be Read list was about to grow. I think I added about half the books to my list!
I recently started listening to The Snowman by Jo Nesbø, which was recommended as something to read before visiting Norway.
What. The. Heck.
I was suspicious right away that the recommended book about Norway as number 7 in a eleven-part crime series starring Harry Hole. (Actually the character’s name.) But I like crime dramas, so okay.
This is one of the scariest books I have ever read. (It was also the basis of a 2017 movie.) Though not quite finished, I can confidently say you should not read The Snowman as a way to learn about or get excited about a trip to Norway. Unless you’re down with running across some serial murderers. Which you’re probably not. So.
In The Snowman, a series of murders is occurring and present at each crime scene is a snowman. And not just any run of the mill snowman – creepy snowmen. Like a snowman looking into your home. Or wearing your missing wife’s scarf. Or with a victim’s head as the snowman’s face. It’s horrifying!
In the book, police investigator Hole is on the scene and working to solve the case. Generically speaking, it’s like so many crime novels where the lead detective is an antihero but of course will save the day. (Again, I haven’t finished, but this is a safe assumption.)
