It’s that time of year when we all choose how we want to improve or adjust in the new year. We’re full of hope and ambition, the fear of abandoning our resolutions yet to creep into reality. Our resolutions tend to be pretty similar year after year. How many of us vow to read more, spend less money, watch less television, or pick up a new hobby? And how many of us, after weeks of good intentions, let those goals fall by the wayside as ~life~ gets in the way? You are not alone! And if your goals match any that I listed, you’re not alone there either.
According to statista.com, a lot of us share the same resolutions:
To help achieve those goals and stay on track longer than a month or two, maybe some of these books will be handy!
Once Upon a Town: the Miracle of the North Platte Canteen
by Bob Greene
Written in 2002, this is a portrait of the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska. From December 17, 1941 until the end of World War II more than six million GIs traveling in troop trains stopped in North Platte on their way to the Pacific coast. In this small city of 12,000, the young men and women were welcomed, thanked, and treated to a feast. There they enjoyed coffee, home-cooked food, and friendly conversation.
From 1941 until the canteen closed, 55,000 volunteers from 125 different towns, some 200 miles away, gave both food and time to make sure not one of these trains were missed and that each soldier was fed. Given the shortages and rationing at the time, it was a miracle. (The only federal funding received was a $5.00 bill from President Roosevelt. He had heard about the Canteen and wanted to help.)
The original idea for the Canteen came from Rae Wilson, a young salesperson at the local drugstore. The citizens of North Platte were expecting Company D.134th Infantry of the local National Guard unit to pass through the town on the way to the Pacific Coast on Christmas Day 1941. That day there was a Company D that came through, but it was a Kansas unit of the National Guard. The community shared what they had with those soldiers and decided to make it their mission to welcome all GI’s that passed through.
New Year’s Resolutions aren’t always easy to set…or to keep. Every year we start out with the best of intentions: to start a new exercise routine, eat healthier, or budget our money better. But by mid-February our best intentions can fall by the wayside.
About four years ago I discovered one resolution that I could keep: a reading resolution. Every year I follow along on a reading challenge (or two!) to push myself out of my usual reading rut. Taking on a challenge like the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge gives me the push I need to read outside of my favorite genres.
I’m a big fan of Book Riot’s format. The challenge consists of 24 tasks ranging from “Read a nonfiction YA comic” to “Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes.” Over the course of several year’s challenges I’ve read westerns, romance, and even science fiction. Honestly, I would never have picked up those genres if it hadn’t been for the challenge tasks.
I also try to set a goal for how many books I’ll read in a year via Goodreads. Sometimes I accomplish it, sometimes I don’t. If you’re interested in mixing up your reading habits this year, try one of the following task-based challenges. Recruit a book-loving friend or coworker to join the challenge alongside you!
Here at RRPL we have our own reading challenge to kick start your year with some good books! Winter Reading Bingo begins January 20, stop by or visit rrpl.org/winter-reading to join in on the fun!
On December 22, 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven debuted two symphonies (including perhaps his most famous, The Fifth Symphony), a piano concerto, and a choral piece, plus a few other favorites in a four-hour long benefit concert at the Theater-an-der-Wien, one of Vienna’s grandest theaters.
The concert was…not a success. From frigid temperatures to ill-rehearsed pieces to contentious relationships between Beethoven and the musicians, the concert was certainly one to remember, but maybe not for the reasons a composer would want!
Even though the concert may not have gone to plan, Beethoven did make a cash profit—his only of the entire year. Many composers were not revered in their time and only in their later years or even posthumously, were they appreciated and acknowledged for their talent.
Beethoven is probably one of the most famous names in composing and if you’re interested in some of the reasons he is so highly regarded, here are some books to learn more:
Beethoven: A Life by Jan Caeyers
The Great Composers: The Lives and Music of 50 Great Classical Composers by Jeremy Nicholas
How Music Works: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond by John Powell
Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound by James Rhodes
Time for another round of upcoming book to film adaptations. Whether you’re looking for shows involving witches, time travel, or murder, you may find a new favorite show to binge watch this winter. If you want to compare and contrast or just love a good spoiler, pick up the book to read before you start watching!
Dana’s torment begins when she suddenly vanishes on her 26th birthday from California, 1976, and is dragged through time to antebellum Maryland to rescue a boy named Rufus, heir to a slaveowner’s plantation. She soon realizes the purpose of her summons to the past: protect Rufus to ensure his assault of her Black ancestor so that she may one day be born. As she endures the traumas of slavery and the soul-crushing normalization of savagery, Dana fights to keep her autonomy and return to the present.
At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet’s body swinging from a rope. The next morning, an even greater horror comes to light. Someone has removed the dead man’s heart. Augustus Landor–who acquired some renown in his years as a New York City police detective–is called in to discreetly investigate. It’s a baffling case Landor must pursue in secret, for the scandal could do irreparable damage to the fledgling institution. But he finds help from an unexpected ally–a moody, young cadet with a penchant for drink, two volumes of poetry to his name, and a murky past that changes from telling to telling.
Based on the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter, Book 1 is Triptych
In the city of Atlanta, young women are dying—at the hands of a killer who signs his work with a single, chilling act of mutilation. Leaving behind enough evidence to fuel a frenzied police hunt, this cunning madman is bringing together dozens of lives, crossing the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries too. Among them is Michael Ormewood, a veteran detective whose marriage is hanging by a thread—and whose arrogance and explosive temper are threatening his career. And Angie Polaski, a beautiful vice cop who was once Michael’s lover before she became his enemy.
Based on the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series by Anne Rice, Book 1 is The Witching Hour
On the veranda of a great New Orleans house, now faded, a mute and fragile woman sits rocking . . . and The Witching Hour begins. It begins in our time with a rescue at sea. Rowan Mayfair, a beautiful woman, a brilliant practitioner of neurosurgery–aware that she has special powers but unaware that she comes from an ancient line of witches–finds the drowned body of a man off the coast of California and brings him to life. He is Michael Curry, who was born in New Orleans and orphaned in childhood by fire on Christmas Eve, who pulled himself up from poverty, and who now, in his brief interval of death, has acquired a sensory power that mystifies and frightens him.
Based on Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter
When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell’s happy ever after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she’s been gone. All her single friends are now married with children, sky-high rents force her to rent a room in a stranger’s house and in a world of perfect Instagram lives, she feels like a f**k up. Even worse, a forty-something f**k up.
There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight–the perfect place for a “chance” meeting. As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way–even if it means murder.
Returning to Catelow, Wyoming, for her great-uncle’s funeral, Abbie Brennan, raising her young niece and keeping her own family legacy alive, tries to avoid Sheriff Cody Banks, who had once blamed her for his wife’s death, until circumstances throw them together, giving them a second chance.
In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!
Uncertain who her allies are in the vampire stronghold of Revekka, Isolde, the newly coronated queen, contends with courtly intrigue while a deadly blood mist threatens all of Cordova and her trust in Adrian when troubling information about his complicated past comes to light.
An award-winning birder and science editor offers an easy-reference guide profiling the planting and care of the 100 best native plants for providing food and homes to local and migrating birds.
An updated guide to Italy includes maps, suggested itineraries, excursions and recommendations from locals to fit every budget and see it all, from designer shopping in Milan to visiting the Colosseum in Rome or hiking the Cinque Terre.
From fairy tale castles and alpine forests to quaint villages and modern cities, this exciting passport to Germany provides strategic advice, vital trip-planning tools, detailed maps and a wealth of information on what to see and do.
Provides the inspiration for planning an unforgettable Alaskan adventure with the help of strategic itineraries, which include unique experiences, honest advice and background information on culture, weather, wildlife, local laws and history.
Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Lovett, the daughter of the beloved Troublesome book woman, who must fight for her own independence with the help of the women who guide her and the books that set her free.
Known as Lady Death – a lethal hunter of Nazis, Mila Pavlichenko, sent to America on a goodwill tour, forms an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and a connection with a silent fellow sniper, offering her a chance at happiness until her past returns with a vengeance.
From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world.
When 27-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter – as well as a gift of saffron – to 59-year-old food writer Imogen Fortier, so begins an enduring friendship that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy and the unexpected in their own lives.
When Bud, the founder of JP Sullivan’s, drops dead, everyone in the Sullivan family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear, in this comedy of manners about three generations of a Chicago restaurant family and the deep-fried love that feeds them.
Organizing a matchmaking business together in spite of their differences, two women from 1946 London find their promising company endangered when one of their clients is arrested for the murder of another.
In 1917, Grace Banker from N.J., Marie Moissec from France, and Valerie DeSmedt, originally from Belgium, are recruited as a telephone operators, aka switchboard solders, to help American forces communicate between troops as bombs fell around them.
After losing everything inthe London Blitz, renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott heads tothe country where she inspires a local village sewing group to mend wedding dresses for both local brides and brides across the county, helping others celebrate love while searching for it themselves.
Inspired by true events, this part adventure, part historical saga and part coming-of-age love story follows Woodrow Wilson Nickel as he recalls his journey in 1938 to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo.
In 1907, after helping distribute clothing to those in need on Ellis Island, Molly discovers, through her policeman husband, that a murder occurred on the island that day and the suspect is the spitting image of her and feels strongly that fate wants her to clear this woman’s name.
We were supposed to choose our top ten, but some I read were in a series, so I grouped them together – cheating? nah, just a way to promote more books! Changes from previous years – I read a lot more nonfiction that I usually do – and not as much literary fiction, though there were a lot of enticing releases. Here’s the list, in no particular order.
This list of books is all about mom life. Whether is be getting the kids to read for school, what to make for dinner, how to make tedious chores like folding laundry more enjoyable, planning that family vacation, or catching up on the summer best sellers from 5 years ago….. Here are my favorites (or the most useful) picks for 2022.
Getting the kids to read:
Interrupting Chicken Cookies for Breakfast– by David Ezra Stein. This is the latest in the Interrupting Chicken series and makes everyone in my house laugh- and seriously consider eating cookies for breakfast!
Press Start! Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy! by T. Flintham is first in the Press Start! series that have helped young readers in my house get over that mental block from “I can only read picture books” to “I can read on my own!” They are short, easy to read, and have a fun video game theme. Most importantly, they look and feel like short chapter books and help building some reading confidence. The series is now up to 12 books.
What to Make For Dinner:
The Weekday Vegetarians by Jenny Rosenstrach. I subscribe to a local CSA (community supported agriculture) and was looking for ways to get my kids to eat more of what comes in the CSA bag. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a miraculous way to make cauliflower so my son will willingly feed it to himself. But I did appreciate this author’s approach to introduce more vegetables at the table with small plates and tastes.
Barefoot Contessa Foolproof– by Ina Garten. I have 2 other Ina Garten cookbooks and use them regularly. I find this one to be a little heavy of the seafood, which I don’t cook with much at home. But the soups and desserts in this book are delicious and great around the holidays. I love the winter minestrone recipe in this book.
Watched too much Bluey:
Big Little Lies– by Liane Moriarty. This is more like the Bluey antidote for when you need a story that is darker, more adult, and everyone’s hurt feelings aren’t resolved in 7 minutes or less. It is a suspense book full of scandal and bad behavior of parents in a close knit community.
Keep your hands free for household chores:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. In an attempt to make housework more tolerable, I started listening to the audiobook version of Ready Player One. It’s an action packed adventure to entertain you while folding laundry. Fans of Star Trek: TNG and The Big Bang Theory might get a kick out of listening to Wil Wheaton, who does a great job of making the audiobook not seem so audiobook-ish.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A hit among book clubs and I wanted to give it a whirl. It didn’t disappoint. And who doesn’t want to escape to the golden age of Hollywood while you are cleaning out closets!?!
Mysteries- my weak spot:
The Maid by Nita Prose. This is a good cozy mystery story with a unique narrator. The main character does a lot of growing while solving the mystery, making this a satisfying read.
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano. A likeable new series of mystery books. If you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich you will like this accidental sleuth who is trying to balance her career and her young family.
Go ahead, plan that dream vacation:
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa. If you are even thinking about a trip to Disney World I suggest you read up. There is so much to see and do it can make the planning process overwhelming. There are many guides out there to help you, but this one was my favorite.
Here are my favorite books from this past year, listed alphabetically by author. Click on the titles to place holds on the ones you’d like to read, and maybe they’ll become your favorites, too.
Read it or Weep 