According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2019 was the Year of the Pig. For me, it was also the Year of the Book. I read sixty-one, a personal record, and found myself locked in a tie with my favorite bookworm, Nick B. I’m blessed and grateful to have the gift of time to pursue this lifelong passion. In addition to providing relaxation and escape, reading also influences my writing. I’m exposed to different styles and voices, and learn from writers who are more experienced, polished, and published. I posted my most recent titles below, but want to mention a question and answer found within one of the selections.

Robert “Robbie” de Villiers was just sixteen when he was diagnosed with leukemia. The year was 1944 and the survival rate was low. Robbie succumbed to the disease. In 1949, five years after Robbie’s passing, his family started a fundraising and education organization in their son’s name. This foundation, in existence for over seventy years, became the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In the book containing Robbie’s writing, he opens with a question, “Have you ever considered what the mere ability to read means?” His reply—”Our education, our success in life, may depend on the books we read.”

Here is my list:

Fiction

• The Uncoupling-Cauvery Madhavan I met the author on Twitter. Her book takes a peek inside an Indian arranged marriage.
• the next person you meet in heaven-Mitch Albom This is the sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven. 
• Where the Heart Is-Billie Letts After being abandoned in a Walmart parking lot, a pregnant teen takes up residence in the store. 
• Sourdough-Robin Sloan This quirky, techie, story has a unique main character—a sourdough starter. (Thanks, Nan, for suggesting the last two titles.)

Memoir

• Girl, Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis This book could also fall under self-help.
• Hello Nobody: Standing at the Door Alone—What To Do When Everything Changes – Janet Haney I met this local, self-published author at a book fair. Our journeys are eerily similar.
• RAR. de Villiers- A Boy’s Philosophy: Writings of Robert A.R. de Villiers 1927-1944 A tribute addition from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Over The Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love – Jonathan Van Ness I’ve never watched the Netflix show, Queer Eye, so I was unfamiliar with the author. I always enjoy a glimpse into the life of another.
• Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered -Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark This memoir tells the life story of the two authors, true crime fanatics and creators of the Podcast, My Favorite Murder. I highly recommend this selection to my favorite true crime fanatic, Laura Jean.

Self-Help

• Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms: Who And What You See Before You Die – David Kessler This quick read (160 pages) is full of stories from hospice workers, doctors, nurses, and social workers and the deathbed visions they witness and hear about in their work with the dying. It reminded me of a longtime favorite book, Final Gifts.
• Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief – David Kessler Mr. Kessler co-authored, On Grief and Grieving, with Elizabeth Kubler Ross, M.D., best known for her Five Stages of Grief theory.
• The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter – Margareta Magnusson. I’m working on an essay about clutter, so this selection served as research for me.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope some of the titles resonate with you. If you have any suggestions for me, I’m always looking for my next read. Happy New Year. I hope it’s full of growth, joy, good health, and books!

It’s been three months since I’ve posted a reading recap. I continue to devour books at a record pace, all thanks to the free time “retirement” provides. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to pursue this lifelong hobby. Reading is relaxing, cathartic, educational, enlightening, enriching, something you can do alone, and can be totally free thanks to libraries and book sharing with friends. My Goodreads tracking system says I’ve read fifty books this year, which is well above my modest goal of fifteen. Below is my list categorized by genre. If I feel a book is worthy of explanation or special recognition, it is noted. Books make a great holiday gift. Consider adding one or two to a stocking or tuck one under the tree—bow is optional.

FICTION

1. I Liked My Life-Abby Fabiaschi This book has a spiritual slant, which I enjoyed. There’s a quote in the book by real-life poet and essayist, Adrienne Rich, that’s become a favorite:

“If we could learn to learn from pain, even as it grasps us.…”

2. Mornings on Main-Jodi Thomas

3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine-Gail Honeyman I loved this book! It’s funny, quirky, sad, tragic, but most of all, very well written.

EDUCATIONAL (NON-FICTION)

4. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and The Drug Company That Addicted America-Beth Macy

This book should be required reading for all Americans. An eye-opening account of our current opioid/heroin epidemic and its origin. SPOILER ALERT: Corporate power and greed are outed. Kudos to Ms. Macy for sharing this behind-the-scenes look at how this crisis began, who created it, who enabled it, and what’s being done to combat it.

5. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui: Free Yourself from Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Clutter Forever-Karen Kingston

I first read this book about fifteen years ago. I had to dig through old journals to locate the title. I reread it for research on an article I’ve started about clutter and its relation to EVERYTHING! If you are a New Year’s resolution type of person and think clutter is well, cluttering up your life, read this book between now and January 1 and get ready for a happier, more grounded you. Oh, and your home will be tidier, too.

6. The Last Ocean: A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting-Nicci Gerrard This book is about dementia and its impact on patients, caregivers, and family. Dementia, like cancer, will touch us all in some way.

7. Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives-Michael Newton, PhD. I would categorize this book as “spiritual/educational.” It was written a few decades ago, but its message remains relevant. An interesting read if you care to learn more about where we came from and where we’re going when we leave this planet.

8. Make Miracles in Forty Days– Melody Beattie

I finally read this gem recommended by a friend. The book is about gratitude and making time each day to jot down ten things you’re grateful for. You do this for forty days (or more) and watch as your miracle unfolds. I’ve reached the forty day mark, but found real change occurring just days into the practice. I plan to make it a daily habit, like brushing teeth. I highly recommend this book and its message.

9. The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith– Gabrielle Bernstein

In my book, Carried By a Feather, I briefly discuss the only two real emotions—love and fear. Fear is how many of us navigate life. If you can find a way to dismiss your ego and all of its negative self-talk, you’ll find your way to LOVE. Ms. Bernstein’s book reiterates this message.

MEMOIRS (My favorite and most populated category.)

10. Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives– Becky Aikman

This book is about six strangers, gathered by the author, who come together once a month to share their experiences as they navigate widowhood.

11. maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, And a Mother’s Will To Survive– Stephanie Land

Ms. Land recants her tale as a single mom who worked as a maid to support herself and her daughter all while harboring a dream of relocating to Montana to pursue a college degree. She shares what it’s like to be poor in America, and how she ultimately dug her way out. I read it in a day.

12. Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing– Jennifer Weiner

13. It’s Okay to Laugh– Nora McInerny Purmort “Funny” isn’t the only f-word in this tale of life and loss.

14. Hot Young Widow’s Club– Nora McInerny

15. Good Mourning- Elizabeth Meyer A New York fashionista turned funeral planner. This sentence pretty much sums up the gist of the book. She’s a little braggy about her designer clothes and shoes, which does nothing to move the story forward. If you get past that, it’s an interesting read.

16. Calypso- David Sedaris. I recently had the pleasure of attending an evening with Mr. Sedaris. He’s hilarious, quirky, and a gifted writer. His books never disappoint.

17. Born to Run– Bruce Springsteen. I finally tackled this wordy memoir—754 pages in the Large Print version. I’ve been a devoted fan since the mid-70’s. I enjoyed and appreciated this peek into his life.

18. Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love-Dani Shapiro

19. devotion: a memoir– Dani Shapiro

20. Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage- Dani Shapiro

Of the three memoirs by Ms. Shapiro, I enjoyed Inheritance the most. It also happens to be her most recent body of work and one that’s relevant to our culture’s current fascination with researching our roots. Thank you, Ancestry.com.

Twenty titles this go-around. There are sixty-four days left in the year. I think I can knock off at least ten more books before the ball drops on 2019. I’ll keep you posted.

Happy Reading!

I set a goal to read fifteen books this year. At the time of this post, I’ve read twenty-eight. At this pace, I’m on track to add fifty books to my Goodreads tracking system when 2019 comes to a close. This would be an all-time record for me, and one that would put me hot on the heels of the king of bookworms, Nick B. Below is a list of the twenty-four books I’ve read since my last update. It includes fiction, memoirs, and a few “how-to” books. I’ve grouped the list by genre, and included a comment or two on a select few. Oh, and five stars (*****) indicates that I especially enjoyed it and therefore, highly recommend it.

Fiction

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo– Stieg Larsson

The Story of Arthur Truluv-Elizabeth Berg

Night of Miracles– Elizabeth Berg

The Couple Next Door– Shari Lapena

A Stranger in the House– Shari Lapena

Stop Dressing Your Six-Year Old Like a Skank-Celia Rivenbark

What Alice Forgot-Liane Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers-Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies-Liane Moriarty

Memoirs

Dying To Be Me-Anita Moorjani *****

Lucky-Alice Sebold *****

Born A Crime-Trevor Noah *****

After Life: Answers From the Other Side-John Edward

Once More We Saw Stars-Jayson Greene ***** (The premise of this book is both sad and tragic, but the story is worth sharing. A beautiful tribute.)

All Over but the Shoutin’-Rick Bragg ***** (This is my favorite book on the list. Mr. Bragg is an exceptional writer. Like books I’ve read by Pat Conroy, I felt somewhat sad when I finished this one. I wanted more.)

No Happy Endings-Nora McInerny

The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There’s Life After Death-Annie Kagan ***** (I purchased this book when I couldn’t check it out at a local library. It now sits on a shelf with other spiritual books. It’s a keeper.)

The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After-Julie Yip-Williams ***** (Spoiler Alert. If you google this title, you’ll learn that it does not have a happy ending. Don’t let that keep you from reading about the life, experiences, wisdom, insights, and lessons the author gained as she successfully navigated her way through life legally blind, and then later as a young wife and mother diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer.)

How-To

On Writing-Stephen King ***** (I own this book, and first read it about five years ago. I reread it while working on my forthcoming memoir. If you feel inclined to pen your own work of fiction or non-fiction, I encourage you to read Mr. King’s book. His advice is spot-on, and he’s actually funny, which is refreshing for me as his works of fiction are generally much too scary for me to read.)

Writing Down the Bones-Natalie Goldberg ***** (I’ve owned this book for years. This was the third time I read it. It contains valuable advice for any wannabe writers.)

Resilient Grieving: Finding Strength and Embracing Life After a Loss That Changes Everything-Lucy Hone, PhD. (I’ve mostly shunned books about loss as I traverse my own journey of grief. In some ways, I feel like I could write my own grief guide. This book was given to me—a kind gesture from one grieving mother to another.)

Fraternity: An Inside look at a Year of College Boys Becoming Men-Alexandra Robbins ***** (This book is a must-read for any parent of college-bound kids, male or female. I found the stories and research contained within its pages disturbing and even somewhat horrific.)

Caregiving Elderly Parents: Real Stories From Two Caregiving Baby Boomers-Marky Olson and Dauna Easley ***** (This book was co-written by my friend and mentor, Dauna Easley. She and her long-time friend, Marky, share their experiences caring for aging parents.)

Online Marketing for Busy Authors: A Step-by-Step Guide-Fauzia Burke ***** (If you are planning on self-publishing a book, this guide is for you. It’s easy to read and full of useful information on how to market your book.)

I will soon add another book, Carried By a Feather, to this list. I’ve actually read the manuscript countless times, and am anxious to read it one more time in its final version. This is my debut memoir, and it’s coming soon………..

According to the Chinese calendar, 2018 was The Year of the Dog.  According to the Calendar of Joan, 2018 was The Year of the Bookworm.  Yep.  I read 20 books this past year, an all-time record for me, or at least I think it was.  I am proud of my achievement, but I know that there exists scores of Evelyn Wood speed readers who make my list look mediocre, pale, gaunt or even a tad bit pathetic.  I know of one such “reader extraordinaire,” Nick B., who recently published his 2018 reading list which contained an astonishing 61 titles!  That, my friends, is A LOT of books!!!  By the way, Nick’s surname is not Book, though I think it would be fitting.

It would seem rather obvious that in order to read a lot of books, one must also have the gift of time.  I did have the gift of time for the better part of 2018, and I chose to spend a fair amount of it alone, in quiet, save for the company of a book or magazine.  Below is a list of fifteen books I have read since my last update in September.  It contains four works of fiction, as well as memoirs, two anthologies, and a sampling of self-help type books.

If you are NOT a reader and therefore would be bored and uninterested in perusing this post, scroll down towards the end, just past the last title on the list.  I have included a little teaser about a book not yet published, but one that is in the works.  Here is the list of books that captivated my attention from late summer into winter:

1.  Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Lessons From the Crematory–  by Caitlin Doughty

This book was an easy read for me.  Miss Doughty found her way into the business of death (and yes, it most certainly is a business) at a rather young age.  The book was enlightening and entertaining despite its somewhat macabre subject matter.

2.  Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions– by Amy Newmark and Kelly Sullivan Walden

How can you go wrong with a Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology?  This one does not disappoint, and is chock full of mini stories about dreams and things to come.

3.  Confessions of a Funeral Director: How the Business of Death Saved My Life– by Caleb Wilde

Caleb was born into a family where both sides, maternal and paternal, worked in the funeral industry.  Like Ms. Doughty’s book, Caleb also shares stories about the people and families he has served as a funeral director.

4.  Reaching to Heaven– by James Van Praagh

5.  Healing Grief-Reclaiming Life After Any Loss– by James Van Praagh

These two James Van Praagh books were recommended to me.  I read Reaching To Heaven some time ago, and still owned a copy.  I reread it and then obtained a copy of Healing Grief from the local library.  If you are not familiar with James, he is a Medium and one of many who have gained notoriety via television.  These two books mostly reaffirmed things I already knew, but I am always up for a refresher.

6.  Almost Everything-Notes on Hope – by Anne Lamott

I am a longtime fan of Ms. Lamott.  I greatly enjoy her humor and admit that I am a tad bit envious of her writing skills.  As she traveled the country promoting her latest gift to the literary world, she made a stop in my hometown.  It was at this event that I picked up  my copy AND was treated to time spent in her company.  She shared a bit about what motivated her to pen this latest work, and then spent time reading portions of it to the mostly female audience.

7.  At Peace-Choosing A Good Death After A Long Life – by Samuel Harrington, M.D.

This book is relevant, important and timely.  We are all getting older, with many of us living well into our 80’s, 90’s and beyond.  This book speaks to our societal death phobia as well as our lack of planning when it comes to end-of-life care, funeral and estate planning and more.  If you are a caregiver to an elderly parent (or two) and/or are getting up there in age yourself, this book is a must read.

8.  The Book Thief – by Mark Zusak

I was a late bloomer to this work of historical fiction.  The book was published in 2005 and quickly rose to the top of the bestseller list.  The book has a unique narrator that is Death, which also happens to be a common theme in the books I listed above.  Mr. Zusak is a fabulous writer who “shows us” rather than “tells us” this heartfelt story.

9.  Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It – an anthology inspired by the bestselling memoir.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, Eat, Pray Love, became an instant hit among hordes of women (and a few men, too) when it hit the shelves in 2006.  Ms. Gilbert apparently inspired many to launch their own search of self, which in turn, created many similar stories of self-awakening.  A sampling of these quests are shared within the pages of this anthology.

10.  Organized ENOUGH-the anti-perfectionist’s guide to getting and staying organized– by Amanda Sullivan

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE books and stories about getting organized, downsizing and de-cluttering.  Even though I live an organized and de-cluttered life, it does not prevent me from wanting to read and learn more about this subject.  This book was written by a professional organizer, who just happens to be the cousin of a friend of mine.  If you are looking for something to motivate and inspire you to take control of your STUFF, then this book just might be for you.

11.  Where The Crawdads Sing – by Delia Owens

This murder mystery will capture and captivate you until the bitter end.  It is the beautifully written story of the “marsh girl,” set in South Carolina.  This book brought back fond memories of the writings of a favorite author from that region, the late and great Pat Conroy.

12.  Mr. Mercedes – by Stephen King

I was loaned this book by a family member and was admittedly reluctant to read it.  I have read only one book of fiction penned by Mr. King, The Shining, which scared the bejesus out of me.  Once I decided to give this murder mystery a chance, I ended up finishing it in about three days.

13.  The Lovely Bones – by Alice Sebold

The Universe sent me two very clear suggestions to read this book.  And. I. Did.  I thoroughly enjoyed this story told from the heavenly view of its narrator, a young girl who was brutally raped and murdered.  This first novel penned by Ms. Sebold, catapulted her into her own literary heaven, the one where your story resonates with scores of readers, landing it atop a bestsellers list.

14. Death-What Is It? – by Jane Halliwell Green

I picked up this little book at a Psychic Fair after attending a mini seminar Ms. Green      (a Medium) presented about death.  The message contained within the book is valid and worth sharing, however prior to self-publishing it, the author could have benefited from some professional editing and organizing of the material.

15.  The Book You Were Born To Write – by Kelly Notaras

This 15th and final title on this list is perhaps the most important one.  The book is a newer release, and one that I was meant to read.  Ms. Notaras shares a plethora of information regarding writing and publishing a book, knowledge she acquired after years spent working in the industry.   I picked up this gem from my local library just about the time I enlisted the services of a professional book coach.  It is here where this list ends and my announcement begins.

I have spent the better part of two months seated at my desk, typing away on my computer.  I am very close to completing the first draft of a memoir I have been wanting to write for some time.  Once the initial manuscript is complete, my book coach, Christine, has instructed me to step away from it for at least two weeks.  When I return to this project after the suggested respite, I will be reading and re-writing it through the eyes of an editor.  First comes my own self-editing, and then I will most likely enlist the help and guidance of a professional.

I plan to share my progress as I navigate my way through the unfamiliar territory of self-publishing.  This is both an exciting and somewhat intimidating time for me as I will learn rather quickly whether or not my writing can move beyond the safe and small confines of this blog (and my very private journal) out into the real, competitive and somewhat saturated market that is the book world.  I intend to share more about my book writing journey on this blog, via emails as well as social media.  In addition to publishing, I will also be responsible for marketing my work as well.

As 2018 came to its natural end just weeks ago, a new year began.  I believe that 2019 will be for me, The Year of The Book.  (No worm.)  And this time, it will be mine.