My Year of Reading One Book a Month

I’m not sure what it is about reading goals, but they have a certain allure for many of us that other types of goals simply never will. Perhaps it’s the sense of accomplishment and the ease with which we can choose our next adventure. So many books, so little time! Then, of course, it’s no help that just as we read through the year’s “best of” lists then here comes the most anticipated books for the next year. Add things like the Popsugar Reading Challenge and new book recommendation apps and pretty soon it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially if you’re a somewhat slow reader like myself.

So after a bit of thought last year I decided to set a goal of reading a book a month for myself. That’s it. That was the goal! No themes or prompts or page number requirements. Just one book a month for me, thanks. To some this number probably seems quite low, but for me it felt both attainable and like something I could actually stick to. I also created my own book tracker because nothing else seemed to fit. I shared and wrote about it here. I’m also happy to share that I did accomplish my goal! So without further ado here all of the books I read in 2023:

Rather than rate each as I went along in Goodreads style (that’s so, what, like three years ago, anyway, right?) I decided I’d wait to share my thoughts on each in a yearly wrap up. Here goes!

They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

I love a character with a devastating secret, and I was drawn to the New York City ballet world backdrop of this novel. It’s described as “a gripping and gorgeously written novel of heartbreaking intensity” that sees the main character, Carlisle, navigating her complicated and ultimately fractured relationship with her father. I didn’t dislike this book, but it all fell a little flat for me in the end.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

I’d heard a lot about this book since its 2018 publication, and for good reason: it’s brilliant. Laymon’s writing is both intimate and transcendent as he grapples with understanding his family all while trying to find his own place as a Black man in the middle of both personal and societal violence. I try to read everything he writes — most recently for The Bitter Southerner — but I highly recommend Heavy.

The Godfather of Tabloid: Generoso Pope Jr. and the National Enquirer by Jack Vitek

In the early months of 2023 I was doing a lot of research about the National Enquirer for a book chapter I was writing. I wasn’t planning on reading all the way through this book at first, but the fascinating history of the tabloid press alongside Vitek’s writing hooked me like any good headline would.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

There’s a BookTok trend of rediscovering once popular books, and The Secret History seems to have been this year’s pick. Last year it was Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, which I read and loved as well. I wasn’t loving The Secret History at first, but it quickly took over my life as I kept reading, anxiously turning the pages to find out what would happen to all of the characters within their insular collegiate world. It’s dark and weird and unexpected, and it’s easy to see how Tartt’s writing continues to captivate readers.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

I don’t read too many bestseller book club picks, but the cover of Pineapple Street and the Brooklyn Heights setting appealed to me so I gave it a chance. I’m also a sucker for multigenerational family sagas. Jackson really draws you in to her characters, and I was surprised by how much I ended up loving this book. So much so that I really hope she writes a sequel. I hated to say goodbye to the Stocktons!

The Servant by Robin Maugham

Somewhere along the way I discovered that people who set really high reading goals sometimes read short books to help reach their number. Why I’d never thought of that before, I don’t know! Reprinted by Valancourt Books in 2019, Maugham’s lesser known novella from 1948 is perfect if you’ve already read through all the Saltburn book lists. The Servant was also made into a film in 1963, and the titular character will remind you of Saltburn’s eccentric butler, clearly another of writer and director Emerald Fennel’s multi-layered influences.

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

This book reads like a true crime podcast, and if you’re a fan of that genre then you’ll love The Art Thief. I managed to read it on our family trip to New York City in July, finishing it on the plane ride home. The story of Stéphane Breitwieser’s multiple, brazen art heists is one that truly has to be read to be believed.

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Clearly a theme had emerged in my reading by this point, and I’d been meaning to read a book by Patricia Highsmith for some time, so I picked up what’s probably her most well-known novel at a local indie bookstore that was holding a Summer of Highsmith bookclub. The date came and went, and I didn’t finish Ripley in time. It’s just as well because I didn’t enjoy it. This is definitely a case where the movie is better than the book, in my opinion. Highsmith wrote four more novels about Tom Ripley, although I can’t understand why. Ripley is unlikeable, but unfortunately he’s also a bore. Of course this is the point and also why I’m glad I finally read it as its influence is everywhere.

Omega Farm: A Memoir by Martha McPhee

I decided to read this book kind of on a whim because the summary sounded interesting, and I was intrigued by the sample I read. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there. Family secrets, dysfunction, and drama bubble to the surface against the backdrop of COVID-19 and the determination to save the forest on her family’s farm, but overall I felt that McPhee relied too heavily on those themes standing on their own rather than uncovering a deeper meaning. It just felt like she left too much unsaid.

The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

Britney’s long awaited memoir was definitely the pop-culture zeitgeist book of the year. Every once in a while one of those comes along, and you feel like you absolutely have to read it or you’re going to be left out. If you’re my age (which is to say, you remember when the “…Baby One More Time” video dropped on MTV) then you’re likely more than familiar with Spears’ career and the saga of her conservatorship. Still, she’s kept more than a few secrets, and hearing it in her own words is a revelation. And I don’t usually do aubiobooks, but when I heard that actress Michelle Williams was the narrator I couldn’t pass it up. She brings Britney’s words to life in a way that perhaps nobody else could.

Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

I love reading plays, and this one is currently on Broadway with Sarah Paulson and Elle Fanning. I wish I could see it because Jacobs-Jenkins’ evocative writing and perfectively atmospheric setting must be a thrill to see on the stage. Set on estate in Arkansas following the death of the family patriarch, young and old generations clash when a sinister secret comes to light. It’s a brilliant commentary on race, legacy, and generational trauma.

Family Meal by Bryan Washington

This was the perfect novel to end the year on. Washington’s novel is told from multiple perspectives, and all of the parts truly come together to form the whole of the story. I loved that Washington gave each character room to be an individual, flaws and all. It was also comforting to read a story primarily set in Houston amidst familiar landmarks and intersections, where grief, love, vulnerability, identity, self discovery and rediscovery were allowed to seamlessly coexist.

Ultimately the most important thing about setting a reading goal is that it should be one that works for you. Reading more books is always great, sure, but life happens, too. For me, the pace of reading a book a month worked really well, so I plan to stick with it going forward. Happy new year and happy reading!