What I Read in December 2022
I finished the year strong, with 10 books read in December 2022. Although that's a high number, that's actually almost exactly my average month - since I closed out the year with a whopping 122 books! That is the most I have ever read in a year (my previous best was 102 books in 2017), and while taking time off work / lying around during IVF probably influenced it, I was proud that I kept the average up even in months where I didn't have that stuff going on. For 2023, I am keeping my goal at 100 books for the year, but I'm hopeful I will once again surpass it 🤞 5 stars: The Soulmate, by Sally Hepworth: Gabe and Pippa live in a gorgeous home, but one side of the yard backs to a cliff called "The Drop" - where people come to die by suicide. Gabe has become a local hero for talking people away from the ledge, but this time, a woman goes over the edge... and the woman, Amanda, is not a stranger, but someone Gabe knows. When Pippa realizes this, she wonders: what happened?! I loved this mystery and couldn't put it down. There were a bunch of interesting twists and turns, and the book is told from two POVs (Pippa and Amanda) to keep things moving. While I don't always … [Continue reading]
New Year, New Me
The most cliched title ever, especially for a January post, but... I think it's fitting. 2022 was hands down the worst year of my life. It wasn't one thing, but rather, one thing after another - where each time I thought I had found my footing, I lost myself again. The combination of the devastating Marshall Fire and burnout at work led me to take three months off work to deal with my mental health; then I went through IVF and had a huge overdose of estrogen that led to postpartum depression (even though I hadn't had a baby!). It took months to diagnose that as my doctors gaslit my feelings and symptoms, and also led to a bad breakup and complete heartbreak. In the fall, I got scammed by a contractor to the tune of $100,000 and had to take out loans to repair the damage, and then I made a mistake on the Town Board that led to me being raked over the coals by my neighbors and the press. And throughout the year, I kept drifting further and further apart from my friends - probably more my fault than theirs, as I knew I was a lot to take, and I didn't want to subject anyone to too much of my misery. What a year! Most years I love New Year's - looking back on the year that's … [Continue reading]
How Do You Measure a Life?
Last week, I read a really fantastic novel that was hard to put down - The Measure. The premise is that every adult in the world mysteriously receives a box with a string, and the length of the string indicates how long they are going to live. It's really interesting as people contemplate how the boxes and strings came to be, whether to open their box, and how society changes and people live their lives differently if they know when they are going to die. The book made me contemplate: would you want to know your date of death? Do you think it would better focus your energy on living your best, most productive, happiest, fullest life? As I read The Measure, it really surprised me that there were so many characters choosing not to open their boxes. To me, it seems like a no brainer that the more information you have, the better. Even if it's sad information (like that you are going to die soon), having that information can help you make better choices about the time you have left. Long time readers may remember that a few years ago, I had a health scare where I experienced aphasia - I lost my ability to write / speak for about 30 minutes, and was talking / typing gibberish … [Continue reading]
What I Read in November 2022
I read ten books in November, and am well ahead of my goal to read 100 books in 2022. In fact, I've already read 113 books this year - which is more than I've ever read, and there's still a month to go! I'm really excited to see where I end the year, especially with December break coming up. 5 stars: Chief Of Staff: The Strategic Partner Who Will Revolutionize Your Organization, by Tyler Parris: I recently became Chief of Staff for my company, and was recommended this book to better understand the expectations. The author has interviewed hundreds of Chiefs of Staff and their executives, and uses this to outline the many ways that the role varies from company to company (or even executive to executive at the same company) and how it can be effective. Although the book targets executives who may be looking to hire a Chief of Staff (and the reasons why you should / shouldn't do so, how to find the right person for the role), I found it incredibly useful as a Chief of Staff to see the various ways the role can go as I shape it for myself. This book helps me not only perform better in the role, but also better articulate my role to others. This was a really easy and high-level … [Continue reading]
