What I Read in 2022
This year, I didn't set any reading goals since it's basically how I fill my free time and I know I'll finish quite a few books. This year I read 40 and all but 3 of them were new to me. I had a real taste for dysfunctional families. It wasn't intentional, but I read a whole lot of books about families that fought over money and power and whatnot, really terrible parents, politicians behaving badly, and the English royal family, who is a combination of ALL of those things, bless them.
My complete reading list is here, and these were my favorites.
Rodham | Curtis Sittenfeld
This is one of my favorite writers, so I do come in pretty biased about this book. It was wonderful. This is fiction and I call this out because the cover looks like non-fiction, and because Hilary is a controversial figure. You have to read this understanding that it is fake. It explores what her life might have been if she didn't marry Bill Clinton. I could not put this book down.
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty | Anderson Cooper
Nepo babies are so on trend right now, aren't they? Cooper is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt, one of the last famous Vanderbilts. This covers the history of the Vanderbilt family, beginning with the amassing of one of the largest fortunes in American history, all the way to present times in which not a penny is left. It is truly mind boggling and so well written. If you enjoy history that reads like a novel, this is for you.
Open Book | Jessica Simpson
Listen, I was surprised too. I was very much the target audience when Jessica Simpson was at peak Newlyweds fame, but I wasn't into the show and I'm not into her music, so she was very peripheral to me. I remember the pop culture moments, but nothing else really. This book is about her rise in the industry, starting at a very young age, driven by parents who struggled with their own complexities. Her childhood was much more complicated than I realized and frankly, the juicy behind-the-scenes bits about dating celebrities and being married to Nick Lachey was totally interesting.
The House of Gucci | Sara Gay Forden
True crime ending with a murder - sounds right up my alley. It's non-fiction and reads that way, so I think some people will find this too boring, but if you like NF and you like luxury goods, and you like a little family drama, this is for you. The Gucci family, not unlike the Vanderbilts, built a huge fortune with their luxury brand bags. What started a small family business became a big family fight over money and power, ending with Maurizio Gucci's murder. Unlike the Vanderbilts, there is still plenty of Gucci money in the family, but I don't believe they are still involved with the brand.
The Plot |
Back with another fiction book. This one is so fascinating. Our protagonist Jake is a writer that came on the scene with a banger of a book, only to follow it up with flops. In his mid-30's, his writing career is a disappointment and to make ends meet, he's teaching in a mediocre masters program, feeling like a real loser. One of his students shows up to a writing workshop with a killer plot that Jake agrees will be a bonafide bestseller. He sullenly waits for the book to be published and when years go by, he finds out that the student has died, leaving his book unwritten. So naturally, Jake writes it and he was right, it is a bestseller. Things begin falling apart when he receives an anonymous note from someone who knows this plot was stolen.
Taste | Stanley Tucci
When I read this in January, I made a bold statement that it would be a contender for the best book of the whole year and I was totally right. This was my favorite read and I simultaneously tried to binge it and savor it slowly. Stanley Tucci is a foodie who writes these glorious, luxurious descriptions of food and drink that make me think that maybe I'm a foodie too. He tells his life story through his experiences with food before revealing his diagnosis with cancer that nearly took away his ability to taste forever. It was delightful, delicious, and down right effervescent.
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I've got a stack of new reads to tackle first thing this year. I like to start with something self-helpy, so I'm reading The Power of Moments but I'm looking forward to all the new books to find their way into my bag this year. Whats on your TBR list?
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