Books of January 2022
Another new year, and more great books to read.
This year, I seriously mean it. After several years of reading a lot (and I mean a lot) of 2 and 3-star books, I am dedicated this year to reading more books that I actually enjoy. In fact, that is the one reading-related resolution that I set this year - to read books I enjoy more. No numbers or parameters around what that would look like.
I realized that I wanted to stop reading books I don’t actually like last month when I let myself stop reading a book for the first time in years. I shared more about that in my Books of December 2021 post. Upon reflection, I realized that I wanted to focus on reading more books I love this year and that became the last goal that I needed to complete my 22 for 22 list, which I shared about here.
I read a few 4-star books this month, and quite a few 3-star ones - but anything that was a 2 (or even some that were dull 3s), I stopped reading! And I still managed to make it through 10 other books. I guess it is true that when you stop reading what you don’t want to read, you have more time to read the things that you do!
The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter - 4 Stars. I have been reading a lot of John Douglas books lately, and loving them, so I figured that was a good place to start since there was a high likelihood I would like it. And I did! It was interesting to see how many of the principles discussed were refined into the profiling techniques that are used today. Since the title implied that it pulled from all of the prison conversations that were had, I expected it to be much more of an overview than it was. Instead, it centered on a few primary cases with the rest of the information scattered throughout. I didn’t mind this, but it just wasn’t what I expected. I enjoyed this book and am glad I started off the year with a book I enjoyed.
Hostage - 3 Stars. The idea of this book intrigued me (whether you would choose to save a bunch of strangers or the one person who means the most to you) and I was excited to see what direction the book would go. Of course, despite being a thriller, it still had a happy ending - for at least most of the people involved. I wasn’t disappointed by that, but it did feel a bit like a cop-out. Plus, the core struggle in the book is around environmental issues, which I hadn’t expected and even though it is so central, still managed to feel forced. The characters were frustrating and I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of them. There were twists throughout, but the two biggest ones came at the end that left me shocked. By that point though, I was just reading to finish it.
The Mystery of the Blue Train - 3 Stars. When I realized that I hadn’t read Agatha Christie in almost a year, I picked up one of her books at the first opportunity. Like all of her good books, it was interesting and fun, and I’ve largely already forgotten the plot.
What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People - 3 Stars. I’ve long been fascinated by body language and enjoy learning more whenever I can. It is always a hard subject to read about since you find yourself constantly trying to picture what is discussed and think of examples, but it is valuable nonetheless. I read The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over recently, which I thought was a bit better, and since it was much of the same information but in the context of a certain topic, I think it felt a bit more applicable too.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold - 3 Stars. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I had put it on hold a while ago and was eager to see what it had in store. It reminded me a lot of The Dinner List, which I read last year. Both are predicated on something completely unrealistic (the idea that you can travel through time by sitting in a certain chair in a cafe, and that you can have dinner with all the people who mean the most to you - alive and dead, respectively). The book was broken up into four parts, with each more meaningful than the last. It isn’t a story I have dwelt on much since, but it was different than what I normally read and I’m glad I did.
Journey Into Darkness - 4 Stars. Another John Douglas book that I loved. I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m starting to see a lot of carryover between his books and discussions of the same cases, but I still am a bit. Each book does share from a slightly different perspective, however, so I don’t view it as a downside. The structure of this book is more suspenseful than the others - starting out with a heartbreaking case and then halfway through beginning to detail that case without letting you know that is the one. At some point along the way through, you certainly realize you already know the ending of the story. This book did delve more into just a couple of cases than some of the others, but they were all powerful examples of why the “journey into darkness” is necessary and what it is like.
Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust - 3 Stars. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I don’t agree with everything politically, but it was fascinating to hear about the last several decades (and more particularly the last several years) from James Comey’s perspective. He has had a fascinating career fighting for justice in our country and I very much enjoyed reading about it.
Vortex: An FBI Thriller - 4 Stars. As a thriller, I expected to enjoy this book, and I did. I was more creeped out than usual at the beginning, but the rest of the book returned to the expected level of suspense. The book told the story by jumping between several perspectives and actually, it told two separate stories, with the only link being that some of the characters knew each other. I was a bit disappointed that the conclusion was actually pretty predictable, a big twist I was half expecting didn’t happen, and the ending was a bit abrupt. But all in all, I really enjoyed the pace and characters in this one.
Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan - 3 Stars. I have read quite a bit about the royal family over the years, and I expected this book would focus much more on the developments over the last several years. Although it does discuss them at the beginning and end, the vast majority is retelling the royal story, or at least the part William and Harry play. I am familiar with much of that story from just about every conceivable perspective, so it didn’t feel very necessary to me. And there were certain things shared in the book that I have no idea how anyone knows actually happened. Regardless, it was an interesting book about a story that is nowhere near completed.
L.A. Weather - 3 Stars. This is another Reese’s book club pick that made me seriously doubt that designation. I was expecting a mystery or thriller, so kept waiting to figure out what the suspense would be around, only to realize halfway through that it was just a novel. It was a decent novel, dealing with many prescient issues of today’s generation, but most of them felt forced in to the story.
In addition to those books, I also got a couple of hours into 3 that I decided I wasn’t going to finish - at least, not this year!
So far, unsurprisingly, I am enjoying reading books that I like more. It seems like that process starts with actually picking up books that I know or expect that I will like - rather than ones that I think I “should” read. There is certainly a time and place for that, but since I am in grad school and spending hours every week buried in textbooks and research journals, this year is not the year I’m going to force myself into those books.
With these books under my belt, I’m excited for February and more books that I want to read.
Until next time,