Mysterious Indiana swamps to Texas mansions that may hold even more secrets. Far-flung future alien worlds to the historic battlefields of Revolutionary America. Curious doorways that lead to different realms where skeletons talk and others where the land, clouds, and even people are made of candy. Truths about men and women, and the conversations between demons. Ancient Greek gods working with and against modern demigods, and sourdough that takes on a life of its own. 2022 was a year that I fell back in love with reading, and all the wonders that it brings.
As I write this in mid December I’ve read or listened to more than 70 books this year, and I owe it all to a free app called Libby. Libby is the gateway through which local libraries all over the country distribute e-books and audiobooks free to their patrons – all you need is a library card, and the occasional bit of patience.
Prior to my good friend telling me about it, I was purchasing books on the Amazon Kindle store (like a fool). For the most part, Kindle books are highly affordable, especially if you visit their Gold Box deals on Sundays where many popular books are available at deep discounts, but it certainly can add up. Same goes for audiobooks, which are even more costly. I truly didn’t mind purchasing the books since I could get exactly what I wanted, whenever I wanted it, without the need to drive to the library or bookstore. But then came Libby.
With Libby, I could check out multiple e-books that I could then read on my Kindle, thanks to a partnership with Amazon (that I suspect is part of a deal they’ve made with regulators to ensure they don’t face antitrust hearings). In addition, I could also check out multiple audiobooks that are available to listen to right in the Libby app, which is surprisingly great! I haven’t found any limitations to how many books you can have checked out at once, but you do have the standard two-week checkout period per title that you often find at libraries – though I will note that they do just straight up remove it from your devices when those two weeks are up, so you can’t just forget to go to the library if you’re trying to finish up a title. The other thing to note, and is the need for patience I mentioned earlier, is that Libby works just like the library in that there are only so many copies of each title available. While it may seem silly that there is a limited number of digital copies of something available at any given time, I suspect that that is part of the deal that libraries have to agree to in order to supply books to people with this method.
While not every library system in the country offers books and audiobooks (and even magazines) with the Libby app, I know that hundreds do. To find out if your library uses Libby, just download the app from your App Store, and follow the prompts to see if yours is supported. If it does, all you will need is your library card to begin your journey. I can’t recommend this app enough.
Like I said earlier, I’ve read or listened to more than 70 books this year, and I figured it would be a great idea to run through some of my favorite books and series so that you can have a place to start with the app if any of these jump out to you.
The Inheritance Game Series (3 titles)
This three-book young-adult series just wrapped up in August of 2022 and I highly recommend it if you love rapid-paced mysteries. The closest thing I can compare it to is the movie Knives Out, but without James Bond sounding like Foghorn Leghorn.
The Wayward Children Series (Multiple titles)
Another young-adult series that is still going, yet each story can stand on its own. Mysterious doors open randomly for children who disappear into strange realms and come back forever changed (in one of the books they straight up claim that the Narnia series happened because of these doors, which is pretty great). Each book focuses on one of these children and their journey, but are all loosely tied together. The books were all fairly short, but well written and kept me hooked.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (5 titles)
Okay, I’m already starting to see the trend, yet another young-adult series. I’m sure I’m late to the game with these, but the good news is that the series is already done and I was able to easily get my hands on all of them when I wanted to. Such a fun re-imagining of the Greek gods and all the troubles they cause. Really looking forward to the Disney+ series whenever it starts.
Arc of a Scythe Series (3 titles)
While this is a young-adult series, it deals with a lot of heavy and hard subjects mostly revolving around death. I can’t say that I super enjoyed this series due to how hard some of the aspects of it was (don’t get too attached to any character), but I did like the story and how it caused me to think not only about life, but the future we seem to be building towards.
The Murderbot Diaries Series (Multiple titles)
These might have been my favorite series of books this year from a pure comedic/snark angle. I laughed a lot while following the journeys of a security droid that disables his control chip and goes off on his own, just wanting to watch television but constantly being inconvenienced by humans who need his help. Set amongst the stars, I started this series with a e-book but transitioned quickly to audiobooks that were very enjoyable.
Non-Fiction Books
- The Bomber Mafia – Malcom Gladwell’s dive into the rise of the bomber and how it transformed warfare.
- On Writing – Stephen King’s book on how he approaches writing. While he’s known for his horror novels, the dude writes so much in other genres and I can’t think of anyone better to learn writing from.
- You Never Forget Your First – Alexis Cole’s hilarious take on the myths and truths about America’s first president George Washington. I laughed and learned a ton.
- Building a Second Brain – Tiago Forte teaches how to use your digital devices to enable you to accomplish more.
Autobiographies
- Taste – Stanley Tucci’s life told through the lens of food. Best enjoyed via audiobook read by the author.
- Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey engaging life told with what feels like a bit of embellishment. His voice on the audiobook is so silky smooth, that you forget that he’s reading a book to you.
- You Can’t Lose Them All – “Cousin” Sal Iacono gambling-filled history of his life until now. Dude is straight up hilarious and I laughed a ton listening to his crazy stories.
Relationships and Self-Help
- The Alabaster Girl – Zan Perrion shares not only how to be a man, but how to think of and treat women. While I read several books on manhood this year, I think of this one the most. You walk away appreciating the women in your world with renewed reverence while at the same time appreciating yourself as a man more. Other books on this topic included The Way of the Superior Man, The Masculine in Relationship, and No More Mr Nice Guy – all of which I recommend.
- Extreme Ownership – Jocko Willink recalls lessons he learned as a Navy Seal that translate perfectly into the business world.
Fiction Books
- The Overstory – Richard Powers. I think about this book every day. A story of stories, but about trees and the people who both love them and interact with them. It’s somewhat hard to capture what I love about this book because I feel as though what someone takes away from it will be wildly different from everyone else. You walk away with a sense of togetherness as a human, and a deep appreciation for trees and nature.
- Bewilderment – Richard Powers. As much as I love The Overstory because of its expansive view of the world, I love Bewilderment because of its intimacy. The story of a father and his son tears at your heart, and helps rebuild it with love and understanding for your family and all of those children and parents and people all around you.
- The Killing Floor – Lee Child. The first Jack Reacher book had me hooked from beginning to end. Thrilling, sexy, and mysterious. Loved it and am looking forward to watching the series and reading other novels.
- Anxious People – Fredrik Backman. A fun crime mystery with a variety of people.
- The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang. Romance novel that was just fun. Don’t know if I’ve ever read one before, but this was enjoyable and I could just enjoy the story without thinking too much.
- Freckles – Gene Stratton-Porter. Gene’s world building and unrivaled and the way she writes her characters, you’d be hard pressed not to fall in love with them all and forever hold them in your heart. Freckles is the first in this loose series of books about the Limberlost swamp at the turn of the 20th century. Same world as The Girl of the Limberlost which I read last year and adored.
- Sourdough – Robin Sloan. I’ll tell you what my friend told me: find out as little as you can about this and just start reading. Its fun.
- Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens. Another book I’m late to the game on, but it’s worth the hype.
- This Is How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Written as a series of letters between two enemies that become lovers, the story is captivating and full of great descriptions of love.
- Elevation – Stephen King. If you want a story to capture Kind’s brilliance in story-teller but don’t want horror, this is a great short story. I’m not at all about horror, but really enjoyed learning more how he writes characters and crafts a story.
- The Power – Naomi Alderman. A strange and somewhat disturbing futuristic story about a strange mutation that happens to young women across the world that enables them to no longer be subjugated to men. It’s certainly a bit unsettling in what unfolds, but the story is thrilling and you find yourself wanting to know what happens next.
- The Giver – Lois Lowry. A classic that I somehow got through high school without reading, though wish I hadn’t. Really opened my eyes a bit to not only our society, but the pitfalls we may soon be facing.
- The Screwtape Letters – CS Lewis. A funny yet deeply spiritually touching series of letters between two demons as they try and ruin souls. While this was written over a hundred years ago, it is perfect to be read today.
- Nothing to See Here – Kevin Wilson. The first audiobook I listened to this year and the first book I went into absolutely cold. A young woman is hired by a politician to take care of two children that burst into flames whenever they get upset. Its funny and engaging and I just straight up enjoyed it.
I’m excited for 2023 and all of the journeys I’ll take via the written and spoken word, and who knows, perhaps I’ll further along those stories in my own heart that I can feel knocking to be let out.