I’m a little late to come up with a winter reading list, but it’s always a good time to start reading more, right?! I’m the type of person who can binge-watch Netflix for 12 hours at a time. Not sure if that’s something to be proud of, but at least I’m self-aware. 😂 With that hobby, on top of working my 9-5 on the computer, and writing/editing on my laptop, I spend a lot of time on screens. So I’m making it a goal for 2022 to start reading more and cut back on the screen time.
My Reading Goal
My 2022 reading goal is to read 12 books. One book a month. It probably doesn’t seem like much to avid readers, but every time I set a bigger goal, I end up losing interest halfway through the year. So 12 it is!
Often, unless I really love a book… I’ll end up getting bored midway through and want to pick up a new book. I also am more drawn to non-fiction, so I have to kind of force myself to read fiction books. (Even though every time I actually like a fiction book I end up devouring it in 2 days…)
So based on those two understandings about myself, I’m going to pick 1 non-fiction and 1 fiction book to read at all times. I won’t let myself start a new non-fiction (or fiction) until I finish the one I’m currently on. But that still gives me a little leeway to pick up a different book if I get bored of the one I’m reading.
Side note: Every time I type “2022”, I end up wanting to type “2020” instead. Is that happening to anyone else? That typically happens when I go to type the year before instead of the current year (in January/February), but it’s like my brain completely skipped over 2021. Weird… Anyway.
The Winter Reading List
If I stick to my 12 books/year goal, I’ll need to pick 1 book/month (3 per season.) However, since I’m planning on reading both a fiction and non-fiction book at all times, I’ll just choose 2 of each for this season. If I’m still working on one when March rolls around, I’ll roll that over to the spring reading list.
Non-Fiction #1 – Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I read this book years ago before I started blogging or making YouTube videos. I remember really liking the book, but it didn’t resonate with me entirely because I wasn’t actually doing anything creative in my life.
I don’t have the best memory (especially when it comes to books) so if I reread something years later, it’s basically like reading it for the first time. With a few exceptions for points that really stuck out.
Elizabeth Gilbert is an amazing author and I always feel inspired after reading any of her work. I’m excited to reread this with a new appreciation for it, as someone who’s now living out her creative dreams.
Fiction #1 – Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The first book I read by Taylor Jenkins Read, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, was incredible. I blazed through it in a couple of days. It was about fame, scandal, and ambition, but still managed to incorporate friendship and love.
When I heard about Daisy Jones & The Six, I was immediately interested. It sounds like it has similar themes to Seven Husbands, but with a twist. It’s written as an “interview” years down the road of a bunch of ex-bandmates.
I’m so excited to get roped into one of Reid’s worlds all over again.
Edit: After looking into reviews, there’s apparently going to be a TV series based on this book too. I have extra high hopes for this now! You know it’s gotta be good when there’s a TV show adaptation produced by Reese Witherspoon.
Non-Fiction #2 – Spark by John J. Ratey
This one’s title says it all… Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. I’m excited to read this one because we always hear about how great exercise is for your heart, your energy levels, your mental health, etc. But you rarely hear about its benefits specifically on the brain.
This book is supposed to be focused more on cardio as opposed to strength training, which I find interesting. I love strength training and it’s gotten more & more popular in recent years, especially for women. Which I think is amazing and am really happy that that’s the norm now. But I think it also makes it easy to ignore the benefits of cardio. I know it has for me.
I’ve been getting more into running lately (a few times a week) and have already seen the positive impact on my mental health and focus. So I’m excited to see some scientific evidence to back it up.
Fiction #2 – Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
This is kind of a random choice for me, but it looks really interesting! I heard a lot of good things about Verity by Colleen Hoover and then started hearing about this book as well. If I like this one, I’ll probably end up adding Verity to the spring or summer reading list.
This is supposed to be somewhat of a heartbreak novel, where two people think they can hook up with no strings attached, but it gets messy. I’m normally not into plain old romance novels (nothing wrong with them, just not for me.) But this seems to be more dramatic and messy than a regular romance, so I’m here for it.
Final Thoughts
If you want to read any of these books along with me, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments if you end up reading one and how you liked it. It can be like our own virtual book club. 🤩
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[…] been posting a new reading list for every season this year (check out my winter & spring reading lists!) For the summer, I wanted to come up with some lighter beach reads, to […]