Nonfiction Books I Read in 2022
I read quite a few nonfiction books in 2022 over a relatively wide range of topics. I enjoy learning new things, so I tend to read a lot of nonfiction. This was an interesting year of reading for me in that I was working through my to-be-read piles but couldn't resist a few new releases. I found most of the nonfiction I read in 2022 interesting and informative.
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama lifted my spirit and made me feel more hopeful than I have in a while. Honestly, I didn't realize how much I needed that dose of hope until I let out a deep exhale about halfway through the book. Her chapter on friendship brought me to tears as I thought about my own friendships and my friends. Her stories made me think and feel deeply about the people in my life, my writing, and the effect I want to have on the world. Obama reminded me of the importance of acknowledging my feelings, both the good and the bad, in order to process them, learn from them, and move forward in life.
Rachel Pollacks's Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachers and Deeper Meanings by Rachel Pollack was another of those books I bought and then kept moving down in my to-be-read pile. I bought this book as research for a character I was toying with including in a book/story. As of yet, that character hasn't materialized and the initial idea fizzled away. I finally started reading it this month in part hoping it would rekindle that initial story idea. It didn't. The book was interesting in some aspects and relatively dull in others. I didn't feel like I learned much from reading it. Maybe it was my skepticism, but I kept thinking that the cards could really mean just about anything. Pollack goes through some basic history of each card and explains various interpretations of the cards over their history. She provides illustrations and some same reading layouts. The book overall was one I was glad to finish, but also one I had to push myself to finish.
Oregon's Main Street: U.S. Highway 99 "The Stories" by Jo-Brew is a mix of stories told by or written by people who have lived along and/or frequently traveled Highway 99 in Oregon. Brew also includes her own history and stories about Highway 99 throughout the book. This book took me far longer to read than I expected. I found I could only read it in small doses, and even then I sometimes found the switch from other people's stories to Brew's stories a bit jarring. It is quite interesting, especially for people who are interested in the history of Highway 99 and enjoy listening to people's personal life stories.
The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of An American Wine Dynasty by Julia Flynn Siler is an intriguing look inside the Mondavi family though Siler seems to have a bit of a bias toward Robert Mondavi over his brother, Peter. I really wished she had given a little more insight into Peter's family's side of the story. It started out incredibly interesting until an adjective here, an adverb there, and an opinion here and there, gave away the author's biases. She seems to excuse behavior from Robert Mondavi that she criticized from other people including Peter. This is in many ways a sad story of family dysfunction and company corruption. I think a stronger contrast and exploration of what was happening with the Peter Mondavi family while The Robert Mondavi Winery was growing would have made the story far more interesting. To show how Peter's family was able to overcome the obstacles left them after Robert's lawsuit damaged them so much financially would have been a fascinating story especially when contrasted to the way Robert's family's success seemed to be their own undoing. Overall, The House of Mondavi was interesting and engaging if at times a bit frustrating to read.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson is a gripping examination of the United States judicial system and its failures. Stevenson makes a compelling call for reforming the system through the stories of several people receiving unjust treatment while focusing on the blatantly unjust case of Walter McMillan. Stevenson particularly shines a light on the problems people of color and poor people face when dealing with the judicial system. Just Mercy, with all its focus on what's wrong with the system, gave me hope that we can figure out how to mete out justice tempered with mercy. Just Mercy is well written and well worth the read. In fact, I would go so far as to say it's an important read that I would highly recommend.
Science of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice by Ann Swanson is interesting. Swanson breaks down human anatomy in bite size morsels that are easy to digest. Her illustrations of what is happening within the body during various yoga asanas helped me not only be more aware of my body during the poses but to determine if I'm using good form by noticing how my muscles and joints are reacting. My only real complaint with Science of Yoga is that often the illustrations spread over two pages making it difficult to easily follow where the lines are pointing in places. Otherwise, I found this book quite informative and helpful!
Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer. I didn't finish this book. I quit reading it at approximately 40% in. I'm not sure what I'd expected, but, man, this book bored me. I felt like it meandered and never really made its point. It's very unusual for me to opt not to finish a book, but I really felt like I was wasting my time reading this one. Sadly, I couldn't see a way for it to redeem itself. It's still available for purchase unlike some of his other books due to a scandal regarding his work, but I've opted not to link to it or include it in this month's book photo.
At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance - a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power by Danielle L. McGuire is an intense but interesting read. McGuire uncovers and highlights history that has been skewed to make it more palatable even though it also does a disservice to those whose stories are pushed to the sidelines of history. While not always easy to read, At the Dark End of the Street is important for having a more accurate and honest accounting of the history of the Civil Rights movement and what that movement accomplished. McGuire also reminds us why Civil Rights and women's equality are so important to have a strong and vibrant society through the struggles and determination detailed in the book.
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown is a simple but beautiful book. Brown brings both complexity and simplicity to nuance of emotional life. She illustrates her points with anecdotes as well as her research. She brings in resources and quotes to drive home her findings. Atlas of the Heart is a continuation of Brown's work and leans heavily on her previous books and research. She brings to light how the research has both supported and changed her previous findings. There is a call in Atlas of the Heart for us to speak our emotions more clearly by understanding the language of emotions and recognizing the nuances of those emotions as well as how expressing those emotions can connect us or disconnect us. As usual, I found it easy to relate Brown's work to my own life experience in ways that helped me better navigate my own heart and to put language to the emotions I was feeling.
Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore - I finally finished this book. It took far longer than I expected. Overall, it was an interesting look at the history of the city of Jerusalem. I often wondered if the author's biases as well as family ties affected his writing of this history in spite of his reassurances that they didn't. I continue to posit that none of the so-called leaders regardless of religion or nationality in this book come off looking good. All that said, in full disclosure, I have close ties to several Palestinians and have heard the other side of much of what Montefiore glosses over, i.e. the treatment of the Palestinians inhabiting the area. I found much of Jerusalem: The Biography interesting on multiples levels from the battles to the treatment of citizens to the interwoven dynamics of the people who have inhabited, conquered, ruled, lost, and desired Jerusalem. I learned more about the sexual proclivities of ancient rulers than I ever wanted to know, but much of what he talks about seems to be a mix of facts, beliefs, and conjecture based on spotty historical records. (BTW, he addresses this idea early in the book.) I really can't decide whether or not I'd recommend this book. There were many interesting points, and some others that truly seemed to have an agenda. And I wasn't convinced to change my mind about Jerusalem. If anything I believe even more strongly that all this struggle and killing over a city based on religious beliefs is manmade not divine.
Come As You Are: The Surprising Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski surprised me in myriad ways. I didn't expect it to make the science so approachable. Nagoski focuses on acceptance of once self without trying to force one's self into conventional roles. She explores the science of genitalia with the theme of "all the same parts, organized in different ways" repeatedly because of how it applies to various aspects of sexuality and sexual identity. While I knew this on some level, Nagoski brought the concept to life in a way I didn't expect. I enjoyed Come As You Are quite a bit but did wonder about whether or not new research had been done in some areas. It wasn't until I was writing this review that I realized I bought the 2015 version, so I don't know how much the 2021 version is updated on the science. Nagoski's writes about sex, gender, and sexuality in a way that is engaging, inviting, and nonthreatening yet still grounded in science.
American Grown by Michelle Obama inspired me to rethink our backyard garden and find ways to make it more productive. Vegetables fresh from the garden are so tasty and healthy. I want to grow more, but I often slack off because I want to enjoy other things. Obama and other contributors are very upbeat and optimistic about gardening. American Grown shows garden plans, the benefits of gardens, the benefits of moving more, and the benefits of eating more vegetables. I did, however, take issue with some of the nutritional information cited regarding other dietary choices as I know there is research that contradicts it. There are several recipes included in the book, a few would even qualify as vegan or vegetarian, and I plan to adapt some of them for my household and possibly my cooking blog, Vegan Cooking with TLC. I have yet to adapt these recipes but still plan to at some point.
Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau was an interesting read. I had long wanted to read both works, so I was happy to find them in one book. I really thought I'd read Thoreau in high school, but I didn't remember either of these works as I read them though some passages seemed vaguely familiar. Walden is filled with descriptions of nature that plopped me right in the middle of the forest with Thoreau. The way he used nature to drive home points about human arrogance and so-called civil society was both intriguing and discomfiting. Thoreau had some interesting thoughts on life and living. Both Walden and Civil Disobedience contained elements that felt like he was working through his own thoughts and positions on a number of issues of the day. While he often sounded confident, there were times when he seemed to contradict himself in regards to the positions he was discussing. I'd often heard people talk about his general anger toward government, but I can't remember ever hearing anyone discuss his disdain of governmental support of slavery and war. I found that quite interesting, especially for the times in which he lived. While I rather enjoyed the book and would recommend it, I was quite glad to finish it. I would also recommend reading it in doses. I got a bit anxious to finish it and wonder if I would've gotten a little more out of it if I'd taken a bit more time with the last 30 or so pages. Oh, well, I own it, so I can always revisit it at a later date...
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