Books I Read in 2022

Ever since a friend pointed out to me that I start a lot of my posts explaining that it's not going to be very interesting, I've made a conscious effort not to do that. But I really do feel like I'm doing you a disservice by not including that disclaimer on this post, haha. As you can tell from the title, this post is just a list of the books I read in 2022.

I wrote a post like this last year and it was nice to have all the books listed in one place, including links to my book reviews, so that I could go back and check that out. I forget about a lot of the books I read! I do keep track of books on Goodreads, but I find it easier to see it all laid out on a blog post.

I didn't do many book reviews last year and now I wish I had. I did most of my reading in the first half of the year; I didn't read a single book in July or August. I binge-read 'The Cure' and the four sequels between September and October. Then I just didn't read much after that. I really hope to get back into reading this winter. 

So, if you couldn't care less what books I read last year, please--by all means, skip this post ;)

(You can click on the book cover to take you to the book listed on Amazon. Links to the books are Amazon affiliate links--I don't know if I get commission for books--I kind of think not--but I'm too lazy to look that up, so I'll post this disclaimer just in case. If you purchase something through an Amazon affiliate link, I may get a small commission.)

Below all of the book covers, there is a list and my star rating--1-5 stars. I would have liked to put that under each cover, but when I tried, it really messed up the format of the page. So I had to do it this way.

   

   

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

'The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir' by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich ★★★★☆
'Never Saw Me Coming' by Vera Kurian ★★★★☆
'The Lobotomist's Wife' by Samantha Greene Woodruff ★★★☆☆
'Rock Paper Scissors' by Alice Feeney ★★★★☆
'The Wrong Family' by Terryn Fisher  ★★★★☆
'Such a Quiet Place' by Megan Miranda ★☆☆☆☆
'The Woman in Cabin 10' by Ruth Ware ★★★★☆
'My Darling Husband' by Kimberly Belle ★★★☆☆
'Final Girls' by Riley Sager ★★★★★
'His & Hers' by Alice Feeney ★★★★☆
'Local Woman Missing' by Mary Kubica  ★★★☆☆
'False Witness' by Karin Slaughter ★★★★☆
'We All Fall Down' by Natalie D. Richards ★★☆☆☆
'Delirium' from the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver ★★★★★
'Five Total Strangers' by Natalie D. Richards ★★★☆☆
'The Upside of Falling' by Alex Light  ★★★★☆
'Hannah' from the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver ★★☆☆☆
'Pandemonium' from the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver  ★★★★☆
'Requiem' from the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver ★★★☆☆
'The Cure' from the The Cure series by K.A. Riley ★★★★☆
'Awaken' from the The Cure series by K.A. Riley  ★★★☆☆
'Ascend' from the The Cure series by K.A. Riley ★★★☆☆
'Fallen' from the The Cure series by K.A. Riley ★★★☆☆
'Reign' from the The Cure series by K.A. Riley ★★★☆☆
'Never Lie' by Freida McFadden  ★★★★☆
'The Quarry Girls' by Jess Lourey  ★★★★☆

So, that's 26 books, if I counted correctly. Not too bad! It's amazing how little I used to read before getting my Kindle Paperwhite. Clearly, I was into the young adult dystopian books last year, haha. Looking at this list, the most memorable ones are:

'The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir' - I really liked this book partly because of the format. It's written as a memoir, but the author tells a story inside of it. (I was very confused just now while reading the Amazon description of the book because it uses the word "they" and I was struggling to remember who "they" are. Then I realized the description is using "they" as the pronoun for the author. I'm old fashioned, and I think I'll always have a hard time getting used to the plural pronouns used for a singular person; so, in case the description is confusing to anyone else, I wanted to mention it. The book is not written this way.)

The memoir part is the author's time spent studying a really horrible case of the murder of a child, and the author--a lawyer--writes the story of that case along with how the case affected their life. I could have sworn I wrote about it already, but I can't find it now! Story of my life--I spend more time looking for things than pretty much anything else, haha. 

'The Wrong Family' - I'm not sure what I liked so much about this. I think it's probably that it's unlike all of the typical psychological thrillers that have been trendy the past eight years or so. It doesn't follow the "The girl in/on/around/behind/above the train/street/window/corner/etc" trope. (I'm not saying I don't like those, because I've read them all and even watched the fun parody on Netflix, "The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window".)

'The Wrong Family' has a storyline that I've never read before and it was refreshing. I can't even write about it because it will spoil it--yes, even from the very beginning. If you're into psychological thrillers, check this one out for sure!

'Delirium' - I will never tire of young adult dystopia. 

'The Cure' - Same.

'The Quarry Girls' - This was a good mystery that teases you in the very beginning that the main characters--a group of teen girls--don't get the chance to grow up together because of this particular summer. Girls are going missing in their small hometown, and that little teaser gives you a sense of dread through the whole book, hoping that it isn't true. This one was good--it had me questioning quite a bit and while I figured out a lot of the mystery on my own, I had a hard time figuring out how it all fit together until the very end. 

Anyone read any good books lately? Please share! I'm always looking for suggestions. You can tell by my list that I like thrillers and young adult dystopia ;)  Interestingly, though, my Top 10 All-Time Favorites don't include more than a couple of those. My favorites list is full of books that I just found powerful and/or very memorable.

I don't log into Goodreads very often because my Kindle automatically saves the books I read to Goodreads for me, but if you'd like to find me on there, here is the link. 

Continue Reading...

A Look At My 2022 Goals

I was kind of afraid to open my January 1st post from last year because I'd completely forgotten what goals I'd chosen to work on. The only one I could remember was that I wanted to eat more fiber. Usually, that's what happens--I write out some goals and then in the long run, I tend to just focus on one of them. Not ideal, but definitely better than nothing!

I'm curious how I did as far as the goals I set for myself a year ago, though. So, here they are... and my thoughts on them.

1. Lose the rest of the weight I gained between 2018-2020.

I started last year at 161 pounds and I *really* hoped to get down to 130-135, but I didn't set a an actual goal. I planned to focus on eating more fiber rather than trying to cut things out.

Thoughts: I definitely reached this goal! Well, by "definitely" I actually mean kind of, haha. I got my weight down to 125 for a short time, but have since gained 15 pounds. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I have never been able to get the hang of maintenance. If I can do that, I will be thrilled.

This is a comparison of my first weigh-in in 2022 (157.6) and my last weigh-in in 2022 (140.4). I didn't think I'd see a difference, but looking at them side by side, I definitely do.

I never expected to make such a huge change in my diet, though. In a good way! First, I started eating a LOT more fiber and that alone made a big difference in the sort of foods I was eating (healthier for sure). Then at the end of January, I became vegan for ethical reasons and it changed my diet dramatically (again, for the better). After eating vegan for nearly a year, I feel better than ever--the biggest change being that I eliminated my chronic pain. I never imagined that would be possible.

I also wanted to drink four liters of water each day and I certainly failed at this one. I did really well for a while, knowing that if I didn't drink a lot of water while eating so much fiber, I was going to be miserable with stomachaches. When I was running regularly, I had a much easier time drinking four liters of water each day; several years ago, it wasn't unusual for me to drink even more than that! This is something I need to continuously work on because I always feel so much better when I'm well-hydrated.

Overall, I think I succeeded in this goal. My weight is in a healthy range and my food choices are better than they've ever been. I still need to drink more water though.

2. Run at least three miles, three days a week.

Thoughts: This was a fail from the very beginning. I'm not sure what happened--I don't really want to go back and sift through my posts--but I only ran a few times at the beginning of January and then sporadically from then on. I did well in February and March, then again in August and a couple of weeks in September.

Getting into a routine and having a good streak going is the hardest part. It's so easy to put it off! Running three miles, three days a week doesn't take much time at all; there is no reason I couldn't have done this (unless I was injured, I suppose). I just had a very hard time with a lot of things in 2022, and running wasn't at the top of my priority list. Hopefully I can get back to it this year!

3. Work on practicing people's love languages.

Thoughts: I was definitely more conscious of this, but I didn't keep it at the front of my mind; I could have done better. I'm especially bad with physical touch, which is Jerry's love language. It's not that I'm turned off at the thought of holding hands, hugging, kissing, etc., but I just don't ever think of it! It doesn't occur to me to do those things (unless it's a habit like giving him a hug and kiss before he leaves for work). I really want to work on this--I want him to *feel* loved, even though I tell him all the time.

I was definitely more conscious of the love languages with my kids and I worked hard to practice those. The main focus was that I made sure I ignored any distractions while they were talking to me. If I was writing a blog post, for example, and they wanted to ask me a question or tell me something that went on that day, I closed my computer and gave them my full attention.

The 5 Love Languages is SUCH an amazing concept. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it! It's short read and it's truly life-changing. (I wrote a review of the book here)

4. Start moving my body first thing in the morning, despite the chronic pain.

Thoughts: I was used to being inactive in the mornings because that's when my pain was the worst. I had a hard time doing anything, especially walking or using my hands. This goal didn't really apply after a couple of months, once I realized that my chronic pain was gone. I never ever would have believed that eating a vegan diet would get rid of my pain, but there is really no other explanation.

I used to have a very hard time getting out of bed--trying to sit up and then stand was very painful--but now I have no problem with it. I wish I could say that I started my day by being active first thing, but clearly, I didn't do that. I am certainly productive, though--I don't have to sit for an hour and half before being active. I start my day right away.

5. Work on people skills.

Thoughts: I've always been socially awkward and shy, so people skills have never been my forte. I wanted to learn how to make small talk and just feel more natural when talking to people I don't know.

I have been doing really good with this one! To others, it may not seem like much at all; but I've been deliberately talking to strangers in public spaces (at the store, in waiting rooms, basically wherever the opportunity presents itself). I still overthink everything--I have to kind of hype myself up to say something, but I've always felt really good after an interaction.

While I was in the waiting room for therapy, I actually had a conversation with a guy about talking in waiting rooms, haha. The waiting room there is usually empty, or there is only one other person--and it feels awkward! In waiting rooms now, everybody just takes out their phone and plays around with their apps. It made me start thinking about what waiting rooms were like before smart phones; there is still a magazine rack in most of the waiting rooms I've been in and it makes me wonder if people ever read them anymore. Anyway, I brought this up and we actually had a good conversation for a few minutes. It felt much less awkward than sitting in a waiting room with one other person and having it be dead silent.

Overall, I consider this goal a success. I can continuously work on this, but I've gotten much better at it.

Well, that actually wasn't so bad! Other than my running goal, the goals weren't measurable; so my results were more on a spectrum than a concrete succeed/fail. I'm pretty happy with how I did.

Next year, looking back at my goals for this year will be interesting. Since I used the SMART method for setting my goals, it will be a succeed/fail result. This is not to say that I can't improve something, because I certainly can. But because the goals are measurable, I will either have done it or will have not. I guess we'll find out in 12 months! :)

Continue Reading...

Goals for 2023 (using the SMART method)

Here it is--a fresh new year! As a list maker (I have notebooks filled with lists--I just like to write things out in list form, I guess), I love this time of year. I write lists of things from the previous year as well as lists for the upcoming year--everything from goals to books I want to read to projects I want to make.

My favorite list, though, is always a list of goals. To call them New Year's Resolutions is cliché, and I suppose they are; but I never feel as excited about working on goals as I do on the morning of January 1st. I try to keep them from being the typical "lose weight" and "eat healthier" resolutions. I like to be specific.

Do I always reach my goals? Ha! I would say that out of all of my New Year's goals, I probably only accomplish one or two. However, that is one or two things that I wouldn't have accomplished otherwise, so I call it a win. I'll write about how I did with last year's goals on another post.

For now, I'll write out a list of my goals for 2023. I've only chosen four goals and this year, I am going to use the SMART method for (hopefully) achieving them! The SMART method is something I learned waaaay back in elementary school. Goals should be:

So, here are my goals and how they fit into the SMART method...

1. Get my weight back into the goal range of 125-135 and work on maintenance habits.

I worked very hard to take off the weight I lost between May 2021 and September 2021, and I'll be damned if I gain it all back. I'm still trying to get it to settle on a number (or range) but that is super difficult for me. I got down to the mid 120s, and then gained back 15 pounds shortly afterward.

Now I'm over my goal range, but it makes me wonder if I should change my range. I have no idea! I'm going to try to get my weight down to around 130, give or take a few pounds, over the next two months. And then I'll see what I can do to maintain it. (Yes, I've done this several times before, but I'm going to have to try out different maintenance habits until I find something that sticks.) In a perfect world, I'd be able to maintain my weight without counting calories or following some sort of plan. I was able to do this for a while in 2022, but then I just got carried away with snacking.

For January, I've decided to log my food and count calories. The main reason for this is to see where most of my calories are going and if I'm getting all of the nutrients I need on a vegan diet. Once I can analyze that and spot any problem areas, I may stop calorie counting and work on the habits I need to address (ahem, snacking).

SMART:

Specific (Get my weight down to my goal range of 130-135)
Measurable (Weigh-ins and food logs)
Achievable (I've done it before)
Relevant (I want to be healthy and feel comfortable in my own body)
Time Bound (Two months, but since I can't control the rate of weight loss, this isn't set in stone)

2. Run 500 miles.

Spread out over the year, of course ;)  I don't usually do yearly mileage goals, so I thought this might be fun. I can spread them out however I'd like--500 miles would equal about 42 miles per month, 9.62 miles per week, or 1.37 miles per day. I'll aim for two 3-mile runs and one 4-mile run each week, but adjust as needed. I think it will be fun to fill in a chart and have a nice visual for the year!

SMART:

Specific (Run 500 miles)
Measurable (Tracking distance with my Garmin and a chart)
Achievable (It's within my ability; I just need the discipline to do it)
Relevant (I want to get and stay in shape for my health)
Time Bound (One year)

I printed out this cute tracker to log my miles--you color in one little spot for each mile, and it will be entirely filled in after 500 miles. Yes, I like tracking the old fashioned way! (You can find it here)

3. Complete one crafting project per month.

A "project" is basically something that I do by hand--knitting, woodworking, sewing, restoring furniture, etc. This is more for my mental health than anything. I really enjoy doing crafts and if I aim to work on completing one item each month, it'll give me something to work on a little at a time.

And because I'm trying to be specific in my goals for this year, I came up with a list of types of crafts to choose from--there are 12 here, so I'll choose one each month to work on. I like the idea of a different crafting technique each month!

Knit
Crochet
Sew
Cross Stitch
Woodwork
Furniture Restore
Clothing Alteration
Latch Hook
Weave
Papier Mâche
Origami
Adult Coloring Page

The only things that I'm pretty unfamiliar with are weaving, and papier mâche. The only origami I've done has been with dollar bills that I took to Punta Cana for tipping the staff--they loved the folded bills!--so I don't have much experience with that. I already have the stuff to do most of these things, so overall, it will be pretty inexpensive.

For January, I'm going to choose cross stitch. I already started it last month, but I'm only about halfway done. I underestimated just how much time it would take to complete--I work on it a little each evening before bed, and I thought I would have finished it a long time ago.

SMART:

Specific (Complete one craft each month)
Measurable (A finished project)
Achievable (Definitely within my limits, assuming I choose something relatively small)
Relevant (Good for my mental health)
Time Bound (One item per month)

4. Expand my vocabulary.

Until I started reading from a Kindle Paperwhite, I never bothered to look up words that were unfamiliar to me because it was inconvenient. While reading on the Kindle, when I come across a word that I've never seen before, I just tap it and read the definition. I've learned a lot of new words this way! It even helped me get a few of the Wordle puzzles.

To work on this goal, I printed out flashcards (there are MANY more than 52, but I didn't want to sort through them). I cut and folded them, put them in a mason jar, and now I'll randomly draw a paper each week, read the definition, and try to use the word wherever I can. I'll tape the card to the fridge so that I can see it frequently. So, you may see some words that stand out or look out of place on my blog posts, haha.

SMART:

Specific (Expand my vocabulary by one new word each week)
Measurable (Listing each word as I learn it)
Achievable (One word at a time is definitely achievable)
Relevant (Because learning and stuff!)
Time Bound (Weekly-one word each week for a year)

This three-minute clip is from the Friends episode where Joey uses a thesaurus to write a recommendation letter so that he sounds smarter. The end result is hilarious!

And there it is... my list of four SMART goals for 2023. I really liked writing these out with the SMART method because I feel like I have an agenda not just for a year, but broken down into segments to focus on. We'll see if it helps me achieve them!

Anyone else have new year's "resolutions"/goals? Please share! It's inspiring to see what other people are doing.

Continue Reading...