The Curator: reflections on a [reading] year
fighting anxiety, reading goals, and appreciating the things, big or small.
It’s dead week. The week between Christmas and New Year’s where everyone tries to do the least. The least work, the least thinking, the least putting on clothes with zippers. Not everyone has that privilege - up until February of 2017, I sure didn’t (service industry I see you). But for those of us who do, what do you spend this week doing? Resting, vacationing, rotting?
I always say I’m going to read all week and finish like 18 more books but what I actually do is start anxiety projects. Yesterday, a normal shower turned into a 20-minute ordeal involving a tile grout brush and vinegar. Today, the overflowing sweater shelf is begging for an Abercrombie-style refold.
If this feels like doing the most to you, I understand. It’s not about the cleaning (is it?) but about allowing my mind to float and wander and reflect. I’m not a Resolutions Girl (except for the year I made flossing every night my resolution. That was a bang-up year). Reflecting on my wins is something I actively try to do ever since my friends threw me a surprise graduation party and I realized how mean I was (am) to myself (completing a master’s degree IS a big deal).
I spend so much of my time reading books, thinking about books, writing about books, buying collecting organizing photographing books that I forget its niche and special. I love books! I read 52 of them this year. I don’t know and will not count how many I purchased. I could also think all about the books I didn’t get to, or the ones I DNF’d, or all the time I spent scrolling my phone instead of reading.
But that’s boring.
I visited 52 different worlds this year. Over 19,000 pages of novels, true crime, and memoirs. I wrote 41 Substack newsletters. I got married, got a therapist, lost a best (cat) friend, and became a kitten mom. I didn’t leave my day job (although I did cry an unfortunate amount). I learned how to make lasagna and what it means to sacrifice. Some things suffered (god 10k steps a day is HARD and why is there always hair everywhere??), but I’m proud of it all.
Of course, I’m already looking forward to next year because the train can’t be stopped. I’m very bad at being excited about books unless I’ve seen their covers around at least five times, but I already have a running list of a few to share with you, along with the ones I just picked up (ahem) at the B&N hardback sale. I’m thinking about how to purge books, why Lady Gaga’s classmates hated her, and if the Pauls really deserved all those book award nominations. I will keep bringing the wild theories and opinions to all 215 of you every week. And cat pictures, too.
Cheers 🥂 and happy New Year, book friends!
READING →
I gave in to my deepest desires and finally started King’s The Stand. My copy is 1,153 pages and I had resigned myself to letting it take a long time. After two days I am 20% finished and I’M IN LOVE.
WATCHING →
The Netflix documentary Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare. We’ve probably all seen at least one Maury episode where a troubled teenager was sent away to military-style reform camps in front of a live TV audience. But did they ever think about what these children really needed? Welcome to the traumatic consequences of parental ineptitude!
BOOK NEWS →
The blurring of genre and literary fiction is great, but genre fiction is great too.
RESTACK OF THE WEEK →
I rewatched this movie with my husband. He fell asleep in my lap and I sobbed uncontrollably.
AND CATS →
Because I think we all wish we could be sleeping this much and this comfortably.
LET’S CHAT →
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? What are yours for 2024?
Celebrate some wins from 2023 - what makes you feel warm and fuzzy when you reflect?
What 2023 or backlist books are you hoping to get to in 2024?
In Case You Missed It
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See you around the bookshelf!
Natalie
Happy New Year and thanks for another engaging issue. Enjoyed the click-thru New Yorker piece on literary and genre— I missed it earlier. Got to agree it’s not dissing to genre/commercial to say it’s not the same as literary fiction. Mostly a debate to give culture critics—god bless them—something to write about. For years I have been trying to remember a writer/novel I had a vague memory of reading 30-40 years ago. I recently clicked thru on Literary Hub and there was my answer: James Salter’s All That Is. I’m half way through a reread. It’s wonderful. Definitely literary fiction.
I love how you acknowledge your cringe re “problematic parents” reads and then pivot to watching Hell Camp. Hmmmm...
Happy New Year - your recommendations came into play in our NCal gift exchanges this season. Keep em coming!