2023: The Year In Books

As 2023 comes to a close, my third full year of remote working, I managed to far surpass my previous records by completing a whopping 59 books, four books more than my previous high from last year and my third consecutive year completing the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge.  I completed the challenge in late November and surpassed last year’s total in mid-December.  I read (or listened) to 21,394 pages, by far my highest total of all time and only the fourth time I’ve passed 10,000.

Of those books, eleven were non-fiction and, of the remaining 48 novels, only four 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 53 e-books and two audiobooks.  I continued to take advantage of my library card, which helped me procure 44 of the books I consumed throughout the year.

Over 61% of the books I read this year were by authors I had read before. The 22 authors that I read for the first this year were:

Selma Blair Stacy Willingham Gillian McAllister Chuck Klosterman
Gabrielle Zevin Ronan Farrow Matthew Perry Amor Towles
Jason Rekulak Emily St. John Mandel Bonnie Garmus Thomas Mullen
Naomi Hirahara Maitland Ward Busy Phillips Elliot Page
Jinwoo Chong Maureen Ryan Minka Kelly Britney Spears
Emily Henry Rebecca Makkai

Jennifer McMahon, Karin Slaughter, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Erle Stanley Gardner, Grady Hendrix, Jeffery Deaver, Laura Lippman, Ruth Ware, and Stacy Willingham were the only authors that I read multiple titles from during 2023.

18 of the books I read were released this year, while only five of them were released last century, with the oldest first published in 1934.

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Book 56 (of 52) – The Woman in Me

The Woman in Me – Britney Spears

After appearing in The Mickey Mouse Club as a young child, Britney Spears made her initial splash in the music world at 17 when her debut studio album, …Baby One More Time, was released.  Portrayed as the perpetual virgin, Spears dated former castmate Justin Timberlake while maintaining her hold on the top of the pop charts.  Following her breakup with Timberlake, Spears married twice in 2004, the second of which resulted in two sons born over the following two years.  After divorce proceedings led to a acrimonious custody battle, Spears appeared to spin out of control, attending rehab for a day before shaving her head in public the following night.  These antics led to her being placed under a conservatorship, where her life and estate would be controlled by her father, in January of 2008.  Fast forward to 2021, when she is finally able to break free from the conservatorship and regain control of her life and her career.

In The Woman In Me, stripped of all PR flaks and under her father’s thumb for the first time in over a decade, Britney Spears is finally able to reveal her side of the story.  She tells the tale of her upbringing in Louisiana, with parents who seemingly hated each other and vacillating between middle class and poor, depending on how much her father was drinking at the time.  How despite losing her virginity at 14 to a friend of her brothers, she was portrayed in the media as a cloying virgin, leading to press speculation about her teenage body and sex life.  How a combination of post-partum depression and a nasty custody battle led to her family turning against her and taking over her life, putting her to work to fuel their own largesse.  One can’t help but feel sympathy for the now 42-year-old. who is trying to find her way back after a decade of abuse at the hands of the people who should have been protecting her.

 

Top 200 Albums: #119 – 129

We last counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library four years ago. Since that time, the world has literally changed, and my commute has decreased from 1+ hours each way to 25 steps. So, despite the decrease in potential listening time, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through the morning of January 1, 2022.

We continue today with the next batch of ten albums that I have listened to the most over the last 15 years, breaking the triple digit total play plateau with three compilations, and music from the 60s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.

#129: Various Artists – Fonzie’s Make Out Music
iTunes stats: 97 plays
Previous Ranking: 143

Six classic tracks from the 1950s, from artists such as The Flamingos, The Platters, and Fats Domino, powered a nearly 80% increase in plays for this compilation.

#129: Green Day – American Idiot
iTunes stats: 97 plays
Previous Ranking: 120

The seventh studio album from the East Bay punk band added 36 new listens to four of the thirteen songs from the album.

#128: The Beatles – Let It Be… Naked
iTunes stats: 98 plays
Previous Ranking: 115

Released in 2003, this remastered and remixed version of the Beatles final album, minus Phil Spector’s patented “Wall of Sound”, adds 34 new listens to the five different tracks that make up its total.

#125: Bush – Sixteen Stone
iTunes stats: 100 plays
Previous Ranking: 108

Five out of the twelve tracks from the band’s 1994 debut album totaled only 34 additional plays over the past four years.

#125: Bon Jovi – VH1 Storytellers
iTunes stats: 100 plays
Previous Ranking: 151

Ripped from the DVD of the band’s September 2000 appearance on VH1 Storytellers, the boys from New Jersey nearly double their total from four years ago.

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #71-79

It’s been 4 years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library.  Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at the artists that have entertained me the most based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2021.

We continue today with the next batch of 10 artists, with the 2 tied for 79th place followed by the single artists at 78th through 71st.

#79: Britney Spears
iTunes stats: 109 plays
Previous ranking: #71

The Grammy Award winner (surprised you there, didn’t I) sees a 79% increase in plays over the past 4 years while dropping 8 spots.

#79: Bush
iTunes stats: 109 plays
Previous ranking: #69

The winners of the American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Group in 1998, who I saw in concert back in 1996, picked up 46 additional listens while dropping 10 slots on the list.

#78: P.O.D.
iTunes stats: 112 plays
Previous ranking: #48

A big 30 spot drop for the band responsible for the entrance music for former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks.

#77: Fiona Apple
iTunes stats: 114 plays
Previous ranking: #81

Doubling her previous total enables the singer I’ve seen in concert twice to move up 4 spots on the chart.

#76: The Beastie Boys
iTunes stats: 115 plays
Previous ranking: #84

59 new listens in the last 4 years bumps the Beastie Boys up 8 spots in the rankings.

#75: U2
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iTunes Top 200: #60 – 68

itunes_image4 years ago, we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library. Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2020.

Today, we wrap up the final three songs with 37 plays and move on to the first group of songs with 38 plays, according to my iTunes stats dating back to late 2007.

#68: Cracker – Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 9/4/2019
Previous ranking: #141

A nice increase in the rankings, thanks to a more than doubling of its listens, for this entry which charted at number 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks, arguably breaking Cracker into the mainstream.

#68: Concrete Blonde – Joey
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 10/26/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

A strong debut for the band’s biggest hit, which spent four weeks atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart and hit #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

#68: Britney Spears – Toxic
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 10/25/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

A strong debut for the song that earned Spears her only Grammy award, for Best Dance Recording.

#60: Taylor Swift – Bad Blood
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 12/12/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

An impressive debut for one of Anthony Rizzo’s walkup songs, earning it a place on my Cubs victory playlist.

#60: Garfunkel and Oates – Handjob, Blandjob, I Don’t Understand Job
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 10/26/2019
Previous ranking: #96

A big jump for the comedy duo’s tune about never learning how to use their hands for foreplay during high school.

#60: Foo Fighters – Everlong
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iTunes Top 200: #89 – 98

itunes_image4 years ago, we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library. Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2020.

Today, we begin the second half of our countdown, breaking the top 100 with the remaining three songs with 34 plays before moving on to the first group of songs with 35 plays, according to my iTunes stats dating back to late 2007.

#98: The Breeders – Cannonball
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 8/30/2019
Previous ranking: #96

The first single for the new band fronted by former Pixie Kim Deal and her sister Kelley.

#98: The Beatles – Help!
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 10/27/2019
Previous ranking: #65

The title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album.

#98: Bad Religion – Infected
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 7/11/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

A nice debut for the tune which peaked at number 27 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.

#89: Travis – Baby One More Time
iTunes stats: 35 plays, most recently on 10/25/2019
Previous ranking: #141

A tremendous jump for this cover of the Britney Spears “classic”.

#89: Tegan and Sara – Walking With A Ghost
iTunes stats: 35 plays, most recently on 8/16/2019
Previous ranking: #65

Released in 2005 as the debut single from the So Jealous album.

#89: Nerf Herder – Buffy Theme
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Top 200 Albums – #109 – 120

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

We continue things with the next batch of 10 albums that rank between #109 and 120, including 4 studio recordings, 4 compilations, and 2 different collections from the Fab Four.

#120: Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison
iTunes stats: 61 plays
Previous Ranking: 92

The debut album from the former members of New Edition needed only 2 songs to make up this total.

#118: Def Leppard – Adrenalize
iTunes stats: 62 plays
Previous Ranking: 141

A big jump for the first Def Leppard album following the death of guitarist Steve Clark, which uses 5 songs to make up its total.

#118: The Beatles – Past Masters, Vol. 1
iTunes stats: 62 plays
Previous Ranking: 70

5 tracks from the remastered version of the album make up this total.

#117: Various Artists – Austin Powers
iTunes stats: 63 plays
Previous Ranking: 87

The soundtrack to the original Austin Powers film, featuring the work of artists like Strawberry Alarm Clock and Divinyls, makes this list thanks to 4 songs.

#115: Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 2
iTunes stats: 64 plays
Previous Ranking: 127

The second edition of this long running compilation series makes the list thanks to singles from Jay Z and Britney Spears, among others.

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #71-79

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

An eclectic group of musicians as we continue our march towards the top of the charts.

#79: Ludacris
iTunes stats: 58 plays
Previous ranking: #63

A 16 spot drop for the Atlanta-based rapper, despite 20 additional listens to his 3 songs over the past 3 years.

#79: Florence + The Machine
iTunes stats: 58 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

An impressive debut appearance, thanks mostly to their inclusion in last year’s road trip mix to placate Val.

#76: Ron Funches
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The comic makes his debut thanks to the tracks from his first album.

#76: Nancy Faust
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #57

The former organist for the White Sox drops 19 spots due to the removal of her final performance of Take Me Out To The Ballgame from my victory playlist.

#76: Bell Biv DeVoe
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #66

22 new listens for the former members of New Edition cause them to drop 10 spots in the rankings.

#74: Red Hot Chili Peppers
iTunes stats: 60 plays
Previous ranking: #84

A 10 spot leap for the California-based rockers due in part to 32 new listens over the past 3 years.

#74: Black Eyed Peas
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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #185-194

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

Today, we begin with the 10 songs tied for 194th place, along with the first 3 tied for 185th.  These 13 bands and performers are all newcomers to his list, thanks to its expansion to 200 artists since the last time we did this.

#185: The Juliana Hatfield Three
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Juliana Hatfield’s band after breaking up with the Blake Babies makes the list thanks to 2 tracks, including one from the Reality Bites soundtrack.

#185: Tony! Toni! Toné!
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The soul and R&B group split their total between 2 songs.

#185: Travis
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The Scottish band rode only 1 song, a live cover version of Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time, to this lofty position.

#194: 4 Non Blondes
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The one hit wonders have 2 songs contributing to their total.

#194: Dakota Fanning
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The actress covered a song while playing Cherie Currie in The Runaways.

#194: Great White
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The band probably more famous now for their role in a 2003 club fire that killed 100 people make the list thanks to only 1 song.

#194: Jill Sobule
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iTunes Top 200: #141 – 167

itunes_image3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 songs in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2016.

We continue today with the fourth, and final, grouping of songs tied for 167th place with 17 plays apiece and finally break into the group tied for 141st place with 18 listens since late 2007.

#167: The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – What You Feel (Reprise)
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 7/15/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

#167: The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – The Parking Ticket
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 1/18/2015
Previous ranking: #96

Two entries from the 6th season musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

#167: Blur – Girls & Boys
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 9/28/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

The first single from Blur’s third album, it reached #5 on the UK charts #4 on the US Modern Rock charts.

#167: The Beatles – Paperback Writer
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 7/6/2013
Previous ranking: #76

The single went to the number one spot in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, West Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.

#141: Waylon Jennings – The Dukes Of Hazzard (Theme)
iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 12/1/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

We finally move up in plays, starting with the theme song to the CBS staple of the early 1980s.

#141: Warrant – Cherry Pie
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