Hey readers!
Wow…2022! I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that it’s January. Feels like such an adult thing to say, but it’s true! I feel like 2021 went by so quickly that I barely remember it!
My reading life in 2021 though, was great. I let go of any expectations regarding bookstagram, and really embraced the mood reader life. If I didn’t feel like reading for a week or two, I just didn’t. I put down books after 3 pages, and didn’t mind. I think that’s what reading should be like, and I’m a firm believer that sometimes, books have to come to you at the right time, otherwise you’ll think you don’t like them.
So, that brings me into this year. My reading goals! My reading goals are pretty simple for the year. I will always be a voracious reader, that will never change - but, I do want to focus more on the quality of the books I read. Last year I really wanted to lean into more classics & translated fiction, and that didn’t happen as much as I would have liked. So, this is the year to do that!
I want to go back to Anna Karenina, East of Eden, The Secret History, reread Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters.. just so many on my list that I am eager to get to!
What I’ve been reading
I started off the new year by reading The Glass Castle by Emily St. John Mandel and wow… that was a book I could not put down. Mandel is such a talented writer, and has a way of bringing you into the story from the first page. I'm such a huge fan of hers, and I can’t wait for her new novel this year, Sea of Tranquility.
I also read Omar El Akkad’s What Strange Paradise, & it was another book that blew me away! This book won the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2021, and for good reason! A novel about the refugee crisis in the Middle East, and it gave me all sorts of different emotions. It was so well written.
I’m sure you have seen my instagram stories a couple of weeks ago about The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. That book was a complete ROLLER COASTER! I read this book with my IRL bookclub, and we were all so stunned by this story. It’s reallllly hard to talk a lot about this book, because really, anything you say can be a spoiler. But, it’s really the perfect book for a bookclub - there is so much to discuss, and so many “theories” you can have along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Keep in mind - this book really deals with some heavy topics, and Ward’s writing is spectacular in the sense that you really get into the character’s mind. I'm telling you, when I finished the book… I took a Tylenol LOL.
& then I read INHERITORS by Asako Serizawa. This book started off SO strong for me. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I love a good historical fiction that spans over the course of multiple decades. This book is set in Japan through various years, about different characters, and some of those characters intertwine with each other. But to be honest, the middle of the book really lost me. It seemed to drag and I just couldn’t connect to what was going on. But - I really think it was because of my mood (& pandemic fatigue/winter blues). It’s still such a well written book.
Currently reading..
Last night, I started A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos translated from French by Hildegarde Serle. My first translated fiction of the year! I read 100 pages of it last night, and it was quite difficult to put down. It is whimsical, and mysterious and I can’t wait to continue exploring this world.
My IRL bookclub has decided to read In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead for February, so I will be starting that today! I’m kind of excited to read another thriller!
Bookclub Update
Ah, bookclub. I feel like bookclub and I don’t get along. If you didn’t know, bookstagram etc is not my full time job. So with the pandemic, working from home, work being busy, winter blues, etc, etc.. it can be really hard to feel creative and motivated for side projects. I just have to be honest about that. I wish I could be that person who has all the energy to do everything, but sometimes I just don’t want to. Our bookclub has gone up to 500+ members, and that is just CRAZY to me!
Believe me, I really do want to do a bookclub with everyone. But it needs to be sustainable with my real life. I want to focus on translated fiction, particularly fiction from the Middle East. But, I am also mindful about the time and resources that it takes to facilitate a bookclub where it’s virtual.
I have thought about starting a Patreon for the last year and a half, and I think this year will finally be the year to do it! I want to move bookclub over there, where I can allot the appropriate time for bookclub. I really want to have a great bookish community with everyone, but content creating is a lot of work, and when you do it for free.. it can get tough.
There is no pressure of course to join. My newsletter will continue to be free, you can still read the books along with us, but the discussions and meetings etc will be linked to Patreon. Once I have all of that figured out, I’ll be sure to make an announcement!
What to expect in 2022
I really want to be consistent with this newsletter! I’m thinking once a month is a really great starting point, what do you think? I really like talking about my current and past reads in longer form, and I just like this platform more than instagram most days!
Youtube! Do you even believe me at this point? I do want to bring back my YouTube. I won’t be leaving Instagram, don’t worry - but I am determined to use other outlets for this hobby of mine, and Youtube is one of those things!
Spark Joy Readathon in May! Are you interested? I’m still not sure if it will be a whole month, or just a week in May. But, it’s crazy to think this will be Spark Joy’s third time coming back!
What I’ve been watching
My other greatest love is TV shows and movies. There are some things I have watched lately that I think are a MUST.
SUCCESSION - I am sure you have seen me rave about this incredible show on Instagram. I promise, it’s amazing. If you like family dramas, this is the perfect show for you. The acting is incredible, the character development is unreal, and every episode will leave you shocked.
SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS - I binged this one in one night! It was SO good! I’m so ready for season 2. I thought the girls on the show were relatable and hilarious.
OZARK - I'm still catching up on Ozark in anticipation for the last season that is coming out! I’m half way through season 3 - it’s such a good show!
FALSE POSITIVE - this is a movie with really heavy content warnings about mental health and fertility - but I really, really liked it.
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO - this story was great, and I loved the aesthetic of the whole movie. I also want all their clothes.
So, that’s really it for today’s newsletter! I just kind of want to catch you up on what i’ve been reading, and what my thoughts will be for this upcoming year in terms of what I want to do! I hope you’ll join along in Patreon soon, and if not, i’ll still see ya on here, Instagram and hopefully Youtube!
Yours bookishly,
Sam
Always enjoy reading your newsletters Sam. <3 Maiya aka Hey Readers