The past two years has been a weird purgatory for basically everyone. Although the world has been falling apart, I’ve had a lot of alone time (like most) and have managed to (kind of) land on my feet. I was 22 years old when the pandemic first hit, living at home with my parents and was attempting the process of trying to be an adult and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Like a lot of people during the first lockdown, I fell back on reading. Everything I read in 2020 was material I had already consumed because it was just around the house, and I had no fucking money.
When I ran out of books around the house, I started reading a lot of fanfiction. I ended up finding this really great 188-chapter prequel to the Harry Potter series called All the Young Dudes which birthed a wonderful new habit: I suddenly had the capability to read on my phone. Before being completely converted, I was one of those pretentious assholes that didn’t read eBooks because they “just looooved the feeeeel of the physical book in their hands.”
For those of you with iPhones who don’t know, iPhone has a free app called “Books” that is automatically downloaded on your phone: Books App has hundreds of free books and makes reading/annotating while reading extremely easy. If you have trouble understanding a word, you can look up definitions in no time. Translations are just as easy, making reading books written before the 20th century a million times easier. The app tracks your daily progress by setting a daily reading goal and has an adjustable yearly reading goal function. I love it, it makes setting a reading goal so attainable and rewarding, every time I get a notification for “daily reading goal achieved” or “new streak!” I get a head high.
Anyways, at the beginning of the year 2021 I had set a yearly reading goal of twelve books. One book a month, super attainable! Reasonable goal. I didn’t realize that with this new way of reading, my reading habits were about to inflate exponentially. Come February 2021, I had already read seven books! So, the goal changed, at first to twenty books, and then to thirty, and then eventually landing on an even fifty books finished before 2022. I documented the process on my book review Instagram page, An Incomplete Bookshelf, with little reviews of my favorite and least favorite books.
A lot of what I’ve learned since actively talking to young people about getting into reading is that most people want to read, they just don’t know where to start, they don’t have a strategy to keep going and they don’t have recommendations that they can trust.
As the year began to come to a close, I felt very proud of myself. Not only was I going to reach my fifty-book goal, I couldn’t wait to get to 2022 to be able to read another fifty. I had a little following surrounding my book review page where readers would discuss their favorite books with me and encourage me to continue sharing my views and recommendations with them.
In December, I had a reader reach out to me to ask if I would be writing a synopsis on everything I had read this year, saying she was looking forward to it. As I reread her DM, I was a little dumbstruck, as I always am when people express interest in my writing. My heart welled, and I vowed to write the synopsis she wanted, to encourage her to read to satiate my own ego. As I’m writing this weeks later, I realize completely, this isn’t about me.
My ridiculous ego immediately goes to “wow! People care about the books I read! They wanna know what I have to say!”
Literally, no they don’t, and why would they! A lot of what I’ve learned since I’ve actively talked to young people about getting into reading is that most people want to read, but they don’t know where to start, they don’t have a strategy when they get started, and they don’t have recommendations that they can trust.
Let’s be real, it’s difficult to actively engage with reading when you are distracted. It’s easier to scroll on social media or to watch Netflix, but it is less rewarding in terms of individual fulfillment. Reading can be extremely isolating, unless someone you know has read all the same books as you, it’s an experience that is entirely your own. If you’re like me, you’re left heartbroken at the end of each novel! Desolate in the solitude of knowing and it ending.
I wanted to create this platform not only to develop my writing, but to talk to people, because I love to read, but my love of reading as completely isolated me. I’m not writing for the New York Times review, you’re not going to get charged to read my silly little opinion pieces, but I do ask that you engage with them and engage with the material you read in general. If you read a book that I recommend, or didn’t recommend, write to me about it. Write about how it made you feel, what you liked and what you didn’t like. Pressure your friends into reading, start a book club, write fanfiction. Engage, unironically and enthusiastically, and in my experience, someone will always care to listen.
Here are my favorite books I read in 2021: (in no particular order)
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre is inescapably defined as classic literature; it was published in 1847 and has significant impact on the romantic gothic genre. Jane Eyre is my absolute favorite novel, but it is a difficult read to push through. There is a lot of French that needs to be translated, use of completely dead language, and the plot masquerades as a ghost story for more than half of the book. I recommend this one to everyone, although it’s probably not a great place to start if you’re seeking to incite a habit.
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The Outsiders is my #1 recommendation for someone looking to pull themselves out of a reading funk. The pace of the novel is ridiculously fast-moving, the plot will shock you over and over again. I also love that the Outsiders was written by a teenager, for teenagers. I was twenty-three when I first read it, but it resonates with youth and inspired me to write. There are no requirements for who has the capability to author a great story, and this book proves so.
- A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. An absolute necessity for all feminists and any girl seeking a career in literature. Woolf is notorious for pioneering the “stream of consciousness” method of writing, which can be a little difficult to understand at first read. The risk is worth the reward, a Room of One’s Own is inspiring and insightful, Woolf illustrates the intersectional imbalance of women in literary fiction, not due to lack of talent but lack of opportunity.
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. In this imaginative retelling of the Iliad by Homer, Miller makes Greek Mythology feel current, interesting and downright sexy. The story follows Patroclus, disgraced Prince of Opuntain Locris and known companion to legendary hero, Achilles, as they grow up/battle amidst the Trojan War. While Achilles and Patroclus have been speculated as lovers since the Iliad’s conception, Miller solidifies this concept, following their romance from childhood to their untimely deaths. I had so much fun reading this book, it’s absolutely delicious in myth and defined by the nuances of Patroclus’s relationship with love and war. My only warning- be ready to seek the guidance of the internet to help with Greek pronunciations.
- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. If you’ve read the title and are thinking “oh, I’ve seen the show, so I don’t need to read the book” you’re absolutely incorrect. The book couldn’t differ more from Netflix’s adaptation, and while both are incredible, they’re deserving of attention in their own right. My only note is that this book is extremely terrifying, so if you’re not into scary stories, you’ll hate this.
- The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch. You might be thinking, “where do I know that name from?” Evanna Lynch was the actress who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films! If you’re skeptical about reading a celebrity memoir, I totally understand, but if I could incentivize to ever read one, this is it. The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting is a gorgeous, relentless tale, expertly written and brilliantly honest. Evanna discusses her childhood at length, candidly describing the complexities of her mental health and her experience with growing up. This is easily my favorite memoir and I recommend it to anyone in a transitional stage, it’s comforting and instructive, but be careful because the subject matter can be triggering to some.
- Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz. It’s no secret that I love fanfiction and Little Women. Jo & Laurie is a romantic retelling that was published in June of 2020. Seeing/holding this book felt so gratifying, I absolutely love that people who write fanfiction are having the opportunities to get paid, be published professionally and overall are just being taken seriously. Plus, Jo and Laurie are absolutely my OTP. With these aspects in mind, I completely loved this book. It’s such a fun read, easy to complete in one sitting and left me feeling relieved and hopeful. (I entered a severe depression after reading Little Women for the first time.) I’d even recommend this retelling to people who have just seen Little Women as a film or as a show and are looking for an easy read or some satisfaction regarding Jo and Laurie’s story arc.
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. For those of you who don’t know, The Picture of Dorian Gray is like the gay soap opera of classic English literature, therefor I recommend it to everyone. The plot itself is really interesting, it follows Dorian, a beautiful young man who sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth, preserving his age/sins within a portrait, painted by Basil Hallward. Dorian is arrogant, dishonest and hedonistic; while we follow his story, his outlandish behavior makes for a bewildering narrative and shocking plot twists. The language within the novel has that gorgeous 19th century poetic element, teeming with philosophical monologues and homoerotic subtext. I absolutely love it.
- Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman. Activist and icon Abbie Hoffman has inspired and instructed generations with his comprehensive and innovative guide- Steal This Book. This book was written as an instruction manual to fight against corruption and the government while opposing traditionalism and inequity. In detail, Hoffman instructs readers on how to live for free, start an underground press, peacefully protest, make an assortment of home-made bombs, seek political asylum, etc., and while some of the information has been rendered obsolete in this technological age, you can really feel Abbie’s heart in the pages. The book is extremely informative and insightful, without being afraid to be humorous. Abbie is also just a very interesting guy, if you want to learn more about him, a great way to pique your interest is by watching the Trial of the Chicago 7. It’s on Netflix, it’s a great watch, Sacha Baron Cohen plays Abbie and he’s fantastic.
- Circe by Madeline Miller. Although I have already recommended one novel by Madeline Miller, I have to include Circe. I read Circe and the Song of Achilles back-to-back, and while the stories share elements of the same timeline or characters, they’re extremely different. Circe is a retelling of a myriad of Greek myths, the most notable being the Odyssey. While the pace is extremely similar and seamless between the two novels, Circe is a character-driven story whereas the Song of Achilles is more plot-oriented. If you’re looking for a story with more introspective themes, I’d recommend this one. As a woman, Circe was easier to connect with. Although she is literally a Goddess, her life experiences transcend fantasy or fiction and hold universal truths within her decision-making and what happens to her.
A lot of these books that I have recommended above have full-length reviews available to read. If you’re interested, or if you’ve read any of these already and want to reflect, the material is there.
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