Books of November 2021
I was hopeful that the end of the year would bring some great books with it - this month was very mixed, and unfortunately with quite a few books that I didn’t really enjoy.
Sigh.
At least that will make the round-up of my favorite books from 2021 (which I have just started to compile) a bit easier to write. And we have officially entered my favorite time of year - so I have that at least to be excited about.
Although I didn’t discover any favorite new books this month, I did get through quite a few - 14 books, to be exact. First off, the 2 books from my 2 set categories:
Classic: Franny and Zooey - 3 Stars. I really enjoy J. D. Salinger - both his writing and learning about him as an author. I’m not quite sure what I expected going into this book - but 2 long chapters focusing on the 2 titular characters was not quite it. But that is one of the things I enjoy about J. D. Salinger - I may never get what I expect, but most of the time, that is a good thing. I’m also not quite sure how to pronounce Zooey’s name since he is a male character, which was another surprise. And it appears the internet doesn’t seem to know either, since J. D. Salinger was never one for commentary beyond the scope of his work. Regardless, his writing is very conversational (if not a conversational pattern I’ve ever followed in my speech) and very stream-of-consciousness. He also encapsulates the coming-of-age characters so well (not in a way that I particularly relate to, but in such a way that I feel more able to relate to other people’s experiences of that transition). I didn’t find too many great takeaways from this book, but I did find lots of joy in some particularly great sentences.
Re-Read: Meg and Jo - I started the sequel to this book this month, and I decided that since I really enjoyed this one too, I should revisit it - and so I did! The story is sweet and compelling, just as I remember. It has its roots in Louisa May Alcott’s original story, but with plenty of the author’s own ideas added and integrated throughout - especially as the characters continue to mature into older, more mature, and not-so-little women. I was reminded of several storylines which, once I remembered them, made the sequel even more enjoyable. And since Little Women has always been one of my favorite classics, I appreciated this modern retelling of at least about half the story - and I’m still enjoying reading the sequel and other half.
In addition to those books, I also read:
The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success - 2 Stars. This was another one of those books that I knew very little about going in. Sometimes that has proven to be a good thing, but with books like this, it definitely has not. This one is largely a social commentary focusing on how after several decades of extreme production and transformation across every sphere of life, our society has settled into several decades with only the most minute developmental changes. Although I can understand some of the logic and arguments presented, I disagree with the overall significance of the claims as well as the conclusions of a descent into a “dead” or “decadent” society. I got past my disagreements to get through the book, but the ideas are not ones that I plan to give any more thought to.
The Last Thing He Told Me - 4 Stars. I was skeptical as I started this book since it was labeled as one of Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks - a designation I have found very mixed success with over the years. Luckily (although a bit to my surprise), this was one that I really enjoyed. The crux of the story was a bit sad, but not overly so. I appreciated how suspense was built, the flashbacks, and character development - even if I never felt particularly connected to any of them. It was a well-written story that I wasn’t entirely able to predict, which is something that always makes a book just that much more exciting.
Declutter Like a Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your Life - 3 Stars. I have followed Allie Casazza for years on Instagram and have loved observing the process of her writing this book from the very beginning. That is not something I have been privy to with many authors, so it made reading this book extra special. I appreciated the conversational tone, the stories, and the practical advice - as well as how they were all woven together. I’m not necessarily in the target demographic for this book, and as an organizer myself, I didn’t really have any real takeaways. But I do believe in the power of this book and its material to help others regain control of their stuff and their life.
Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood - 3 Stars. As opposed to some other books this month, I was really excited to start this one and a bit disappointed when I got into it. The story was definitely interesting, but I still found it hard to stay engaged at points. I also felt a bit disconnected from the (very real) characters - much as they felt (and tried to be) disconnected from the world they were traveling through. It is a fascinating glimpse into a life so different from my own, and that simultaneously highlights both the fragility and strength of the human spirit. It also offers a first-hand glimpse into a developing psyche and I appreciated the psychological undertones at play throughout the book. It was clear how the world has changed so much in the last several decades, but how in some ways, it has not changed very much at all. I’m glad that the end of the book was rather open-ended. However, it was to be expected, since the book is written about a life that is still being lived and that is still very much in its early stages.
Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys - 2 Stars. I did have quite a few memoirs planned for this month, but this one was what not quite I was expecting. It may have been my unaligned expectation (although I suspect it was not) that led me to find this book a bit jarring and quite dry. Rather than really being the story of Joe Coulombe and how he started a cultural-icon of a company, it is much more the story of exactly how he established said company - even down to the governmental regulations that stood in his way (and, of course, the ways they shifted and changed over the years and how that, too, affected the business). If someone wanted to build a similar business or attempt to take some of the similar ideas into a disparate area of business, then they might find the book interesting - or at least, helpful. But even as a business owner myself, I found little to apply or consider attempting to cross-apply, and even less that truly engaged me within the book.
Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown - 4 Stars. My dad has been encouraging me to read this book for months. So on a long road trip that we took together early in the month, and after I had made him listen to one of my favorite books from this year, we listened to this one. As we listened, I could easily tell why he recommended it. After enjoying several war and history books in October, I didn’t find it at all surprising that I enjoyed this one as well. I do find books like this, where you know that the individual dies at the end, to be particularly heartbreaking - especially as you find yourself taking note as the end draws near, in a way that those living the story never did. It was even more heartbreaking to hear at the end that many of the other SEALs who shared about Adam Brown were killed shortly after being interviewed for the book. I am so grateful for the men like Adam Brown, and the SEALS who fought by his side, who have and do continue to serve their country, and especially those who, like him, have paid the ultimate price.
We Were Never Here - 4 Stars. This was another Reese Witherspoon book club pick that I enjoyed! I may be regaining faith in the books she shares. Although, I didn’t realize it fell into that category until after I read it. I have definitely read a lot of thrillers this year (some of which have definitely been mediocre), but this one I liked. There wasn’t too much action, which was actually good, because I found those parts to be the dullest. The story focused much more on being psychologically thrilling - and succeeded. I could tell quite clearly how the plot was going to develop from pretty early on, with a few surprises thrown in along the way. There was a huge twist at the end that ended up getting un-twisted, but ultimately I do think that was for the best. I can’t say more, but if you’re intrigued, then you’d probably enjoy the book too.
The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau's Code of Excellence - 3 Stars. Although few companies and institutions operate quite like the FBI, it would be nice to believe that they do so based on the same values and principles (although the next book I read this month perfectly demonstrates just how often they don’t). It is always interesting to hear an individual’s firsthand experience working within the Bureau, especially when that individual has had as distinguished a career as Frank Figliuzzi. The stories shared illustrated the emphasized values well, and they are ones that I strive to live out in my day-to-day life, not just at work.
The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion - 3 Stars. It may be just because I don’t know much about startup culture or Silicon Valley, but I found this book to be strongly reminiscent of Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (and admittedly, the Theranos debacle is referenced in this book several times). Although not technically discussed, I was fascinated to see how individuals can control and manipulate, both others and themselves, without technically straying outside of the realm of the law. The terms “sociopathy” and “con man” also didn’t really make their way into the book, but certainly been part of my discussion and contemplation of it - although I acknowledge I do not make those statements from any real clinical experience. Some of the discussion of the business aspects of what occurred seemed to slow the narrative a bit, but on the whole, I appreciated this look at not-so-distant history and an industry that is continuing to develop.
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be - 3 Stars. Although habits aren’t particularly mentioned in the title, this book deals largely with establishing habits (or really just making any changes in our lives to get us closer to where we want to be). None of the research or ideas were particularly new, but I do think that they were well packaged. If you are looking to change in a certain area of your life, this book is likely to have suggestions that will help with that transition.
56 Days - 3 Stars. Another thriller? The fact that I read it should come as no surprise, although the story itself probably would surprise you. I haven’t read too many books set during COVID, and it is interesting to read about (and relive) those first days of lockdown - albeit from the perspective of a fictionalized character. The author acknowledges at the end that the pandemic is a subject that many authors have sworn not to visit in their storytelling, but she points out that with a bit of distance, it is like everything else - the perfect setting for something. And in this case, that something is murder. The story is more than a bit sad, and the premise more than a bit dark. I also don’t really like books that tell a story but then seem to go back and re-write some of the facts and perspectives, which this one did. I also had one of my fundamental understandings of the story shift part-way through, and I couldn’t tell if that was intentional, or if I had misunderstood something back at the beginning. Finally, although Slaughterhouse-Five is one of my favorite books and it is premised on being “unstuck in time,” that is not something I enjoy in most books, including this one. Using the timeline like a trombone and simultaneously switching between multiple perspectives too just wasn’t appreciated. But despite all of that, I still enjoyed the story and especially the moments of suspense.
The Santa Suit - 3 Stars. I read another book by Mary Kay Andrews earlier this year and really enjoyed it, so I thought another book by her, especially one as seasonally appropriate as this one, sounded like a good way to ease into the holiday season. Contrary to that book, however, the plot of this one felt like reading a Hallmark movie in book form. It did have one surprise at the end, which was predicated on the main character’s interest in something that I felt was odd - except for the fact that it was necessary to the propulsion of the plot. The characters in the book were inconsistent and most, rather inconsequential. And of course, the romance was predictable from the very first page. But it was what I wanted, in terms of a Christmas-themed novel, and if you don’t mind a story with more artificial sweetener than a candy cane, you may like it too.
This month I bought 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don't Do: Own Your Power, Channel Your Confidence, and Find Your Authentic Voice for a Life of Meaning and Joy. I can’t believe it, but I’m actually getting close to the bottom of my “books I want to buy” list. It seems like buying at least one of my favorite books every month was a great resolution to set for this year - it allowed me to get through that list, add quite a bit more variety to my bookshelf, and help me get back into the habit of actually buying books that I love. I guess we will see if that last one sticks.
As I shared last month, I am still undecided about reading resolutions for next year, but I’m okay with that. I have the feeling that 2022 is going to be an exciting (if maybe a bit unexpected) year, and I am going to be structuring my goals to reflect that. I’m not quite ready to share about that yet, but don’t worry, I will in the coming months - along with all of the amazing books I will hopefully be reading then.
Until next time,