2021: The Year In Books

As we wrap up 2021, my first full year remote working, I managed to read a whopping 54 books, an increase of 31 books over last year and my first year completing the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge.  I surpassed last year’s total in mid-June, passed my best years, 2015 and 2016, in late August, and completed book 52 with two weeks left in the year.  I read (or listened) to 18,670 pages, by far my highest total of all time and only the second time I’ve passed 10,000.

Of those books, 16 were non-fiction and, of the 36 novels, 10 were tied to a TV show, either as the source material or as a tie-in.  None of the books came out of my dwindling “to-read” drawer, with 43 e-books and 4 audiobooks.  For the first time since I was a kid, I got myself a library card, which helped me procure 14 of the books.

Just less than half of the books I read this year were by authors I have read before. The 31 authors that I read for the first this year were:

  • Tegan Quin
  • Sara Quin
  • Lucy Foley
  • Jenna Fischer
  • Matt Haig
  • Eric Nusbaum
  • Jon Taffer
  • Charlotte Douglas
  • Susan Kearney
  • Fredrik Backman
  • Jeff Pearlman
  • Minka Kent
  • Alan Cumming
  • Megan Goldin
  • Molly Bloom
  • Barack Obama
  • Ali Wong
  • Timothy Ferriss
  • Issa Rae
  • Walter Tevis
  • Tess Gerritson
  • Gary Braver
  • Andy Weir
  • Matthew Walker
  • James Clear
  • Grady Hendrix
  • Simon Sinek
  • Jason Fung
  • Julia Spiro
  • Jon Pessah
  • Ruth Ware

Erle Stanley Gardner, Mary Kubica, Jeffery Deaver, Andy Weir and Karin Slaughter were the only authors that I read multiple titles from during 2021.

6 of the books I read were released this year, while 5 of them were released last century, with the oldest first published in 1933.

Finally, the breakdown by month, which was fairly consistent across the entire year.

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Book 27 (of 52) – A Promised Land

A Promised Land – Barack Obama

A child, born in Hawaii to an African father and a white, American woman, grows up to be a community organizer and a law professor in Chicago.  Much to his wife’s chagrin, a calling to live up to his mother’s teachings to change the world for the better leads him to become an Illinois state senator, a US senator representing Illinois, and, eventually, the President of the United States.

In A Promised Land, Barack Obama tells his story, focusing on his decision to run for various elected positions, his campaign for president in 2008, and the first two-plus years of his presidency.  He details the fight to right the economy following the housing market crash and the resulting failures in the financial sector, the battle to pass the Affordable Care Act. the crushing defeat the Democrats suffered in the mid-term elections, and the hunt for and eventual killing of Osama bin Laden.

Going in to this, I did not realize that the scope would not be Obama’s entire presidency. so 700+ pages to get about a quarter of the way through was a bit of a disappointment, but overall, it was an interesting look into the meat grinder that is the US political system.  I imagine part two will be released either this Christmas or next, so I’m sure I will be along for the rest of the ride.

 

Book 20 (of 52) – The Daily Show: An Oral History

The Daily Show (The Book): An Oral History – Chris Smith

On December 17, 1998, Craig Kilbon signed off from The Daily Show for the last time.  The following January, a new host, looking to bounce back after a failed late night talk show earlier in his career, took over.  16 years later, Jon Stewart said goodbye, changing the face of the show, and late night television, forever.  For this history of Stewart’s time with the show, Chris Smith interviews Stewart, the correspondents, writers, producers, and guests that turned a late night spoof in to an Emmy-award winning juggernaut that is the longest running program in Comedy Central’s history.

The history of the show covers all of the big news stories of the 21st century, from the disputed presidential election in 2000, to the 9/11 attacks, to the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and the rise of Donald Trump as a serious(?) candidate in 2015.  Smith gets stories from all of the contributors over the years, minus, of course, Kilborn.

I was a fan of the show when it first premiered with Kilborn.  When Stewart took over, I was just out of college and had lost track of the show, but eventually came back to it for the last few years.  The spirit of the show lives on, with John Oliver and Samantha Bee doing similar shows on a weekly basis and, of course, Trevor Noah continuing the flagship.

 

30 Day Picture Challenge Day 28 – A Picture Of Something You’re Afraid Of

It took me a long time to come up with something that I was afraid of, but, unfortunately, Tuesday night’s election brought things into focus.  Here’s a picture of two tweets that went out after President Obama’s re-election.  The fact that such bigotry and hatred still exist, and among what appear to be people so young, is both sad and frightening.

These people have the right to vote.  They will raise children.  And the cycle will continue on and on.  That is what I’m afraid of.

Election Day Crystal Ball

Eric Zorn and the good commenters at his blog are taking a stab at predicting 10 outcomes in today’s elections, both local and national.  I thought I would throw my hat in the ring and give out my predictions for those 10 races.

U.S. President: Mitt Romney (R) or Barack Obama (D)

I think President Obama will win a second term, and it will be a bigger victory than people are expecting.

10th Congressional district: Brad Schneider (D) or Bob Dold (R)

To be honest, I don’t know much about either of these candidates, but I have seen multiple attack ads for each one in the days leading up to the election.  I’m going to guess that Dold takes the race.

8th Congressional district: Joe Walsh (R) or Tammy Duckworth (D)

Tammy Duckworth is a war hero who sacrificed her legs for her country.  Joe Walsh, by all accounts, is a miserable human being.  So why does this race seem to be so tight.  I’m hoping human decency comes through and will predict that Duckworth wins.

11th Illinois U.S. Congressional district: Bill Foster (D) or Judy Biggert (R)

This is one of those races where you kind of hope neither candidate would win.  My guess is that Biggert takes it.

Indiana U.S. Senate: Richard Mourdock (R) or Joe Donnelly (D)

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