An annual list of recommended books based on what I read last year - Part 1
Happy Gregorian New Year!
My annual book review blog is a two-parter again, broken into fiction and graphic novels in part one, and non-fiction (general) and memoir in part two. My hope with these recommendations is that folks can find five excellent books to read in the next year, but even just one is good.
Remember: The only book anyone should read is the one they want to!
May 2025 bring you stronger than ever community connections, great joy, and all the room you need to grieve and rage and grow.
A look through fourteen months of Avalokiteshvara thangka practice
I feel as though I am resting in a bardo, which is the Tibetan term for the liminal space between death an rebirth in Buddhism. Arguably, every moment is a bardo because change is constant yadda, yadda, but also, there are times in life that feel very distinctly transitional.
Last month I completed a depiction of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, which I started back in June 2023. For the past fifteen months I’ve shared posts about the work to my blog, but revealed very little of it elsewhere. This is the first public post where I share the completed image.
A list of recommended reading for when you are going through it
A Secret Librarian Post! In this post I offer up some books that are great if you are struggling (and struggling to read). Some are practical, some are a fun escape, some are a bit of both.
What are some comfort reads you turn to when you are going through it?
A guide for how to determine if a book is worth finishing
It's okay to not finish a book you're not enjoying. In 2022 I did not finish more books than I ever have before, and I also read more books than I ever had before!
Deciding not to finish a book isn't necessarily about a book being poorly written. There are so many reasons for us not to read something. With this piece I hope to give folks some insight into how to determine if a book is worth your time and energy. A book I didn't finish might just turn out to be a favourite for you!
An annual list of recommended books based on what I read last year
From my annual book blog:
Welcome to another installation of my annual book recommendations based off what I read last year! As ever, the intention of these posts is to move away from the idea that there are books that should be read by everyone. While I read a lot, I don’t think prolific reading or reading certain books is a measure of someone’s intellect or worth. Reading is something I do because it brings me great joy, and that should be reason enough to read something. When I write these annual posts, my hope is that you will be able to find even one book in this list that will delight, amaze, or speak to you.
This year I am offering up twenty books, two trilogies, and two author recommendations out of the 120 books I read in 2022.
The right book for the right person can be transformative but finding that book can be difficult. There are so many amazing stories and authors out there and a two star read for one person is someone else’s five star read. Writing is, after all, a form of art, and art is subjective.
Within this post I hope you find at least one book that resonates, and if you find five, all the better. The only book you should read is one you want to. There need not be any other reason than that.
Also, please leave a comment sharing any books you read in 2022 that brought you joy! I love a recommendation…almost every book on this list was suggested by someone I know or someone I follow.
An ode to one of the greatest living archivists of the QILT2BAG+ community in North America
New Secret Librarian post up on my blog about Alison Bechdel’s timeless and brilliant archival collection, The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For!
I recently reread it for the fourth time, and my appreciation for the historical record she’s made, as well as the continued relevance of so much of this book, is immense.
This blog is my humble attempt to express my gratitude for her craft.
Also, this is my job. Blog posts take anywhere from five to twenty hours to write, research, revise, prep and post. You can support my work by becoming a paid subscriber and / or by sharing the blog post with friends.
Second book written by a lawyer in a row - I suspect lawyers make excellent storytellers. I absolutely loved reading this collection by Harriet Mcbryde Johnson - she is VERY funny. I laughed out loud multiple times and could almost hear how these tales would sound in her Carolina accent. As well as being charming and funny, Johnson drops some mind-stopping wisdom bombs, like: “When bigotry is the dominant view, it sounds like self-evident truth.” FIVE STARS! This will likely make my annual Best Books blog at the end of the Gregorian year. ID: A paperback copy of Harriet McBryde Johnson’s book, “too late to die young” on a yellow surface. #SecretLibrarian #2021ReadingList #RepresentationMatters #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #DisabilityRights #DisabilityJustice https://www.instagram.com/p/CLzbG85hp6X/?igshid=fzstika34lbh
Finished reading “Just Mercy” by Brian Stevenson over the weekend. I’d seen the movie and know full well how effed up and rooted in racism and classism the so-called-“justice” system is, but still, this was hard to read. This was one of those books that radicalises a person. If I wasn’t already an abolitionist, reading this would have tipped me over. The system was built to benefit the wealthy, the white, the abled. We need a new system. ID: Paperback copy of the book “Just Mercy” sitting on a teal table top. #SecretLibrarian #BlackHistoryMonth #2021ReadingList #NoJusticeNoPeace #JustMercy https://www.instagram.com/p/CLm0-xchQxn/?igshid=4kaso1vqvkyz
