2023 Q4 and Beyond Reading List

by | Sep 17, 2023 | Books

a block of book covers across genres mentioned in the second lunch blog post text

Let’s get reading! Sitting down this weekend to update my current reading list, see where I’m at for the year so far, and make adjustments for fall reading season!

I started with a shortlist of questions to check in:

How’s it going?

  1. How has my reading been so far in 2023? According to my GoodReads, I’ve read 34/52 books (just two behind schedule) although I have quite a few half read books.
  2. Are my categories the right ones? I still love reading YA, Scandinavian Noir, captivating non-fiction (true crime or thrilling history), fitness and health, mindfulness, brains and science, social and emotional learning, nature, creativity, and food writing.
  3. Are the length of books the right ones? The worst is when I find myself stalled by a long book where I’ve lost my attention span. I’ve been trying to have a healthy dose of fast reads to move the ship along.
  4. Have I gotten stuck anywhere? Usually I’m only stuck when I start reading too many books at once.

What can I improve?

  1. How do I make sure I’m learning in the areas that I want to be known for: Longetivity, Good Things, Social and Emotional Learning? Who are the top five authors in the fields that I work in?
  2. Are there noticeable gaps in my reading? I always find that I’m more inspired by memoirs and biographies, but don’t read them enough!
  3. Do I have dedicated reading time? My evergreen quest: read more, scroll less.

It’s here! I’ve been doing a quarterly reading list for the past several years that has somehow turned more into a book list for the whole year. (I have a lot of holdovers from last year that I’m keeping on here.) You can take a look through previous years here: (2022) (2021) (2020) (2017) (summer 2010) (Summer 2014) (Fall Cookbooks 2011)

a block of book covers across genres mentioned in the second lunch blog post text

Why have a reading list? This helps me make decisions about getting in quality reading without falling into decision making slumps. I aim to have a large percentage of my reading written by women, POC, and international writers; and typically read a handful of Man Booker short list titles. I typically make a list of my favorite categories, and then will supplement or swap as I find reading that calls out to me.

a block of book covers across genres mentioned in the second lunch blog post text

What if you just want to read something new and exciting? I make room for the synchronicity of just picking up any random title, but I always have a backup! 

The Marvel Effect: it’s easier to pick up a new book in a series than start something completely new. One thing that I’ve learned after a lifetime of reading: it really helps me to have series that I can blow through – long books that don’t require me to continuously learn about a new world and a new set of characters, as well as a smattering of very easy read books (usually middle grade fantasy, or RomCom) – things I can read reliably for a half hour or hour before bed even after an exhaustive day.

a block of book covers across genres mentioned in the second lunch blog post text

A few notes and observations:

Audio Books: yes, I definitely count audiobooks as reading. I process information better when on my walks and runs, and thus prefer listening to memoirs or non-fiction this way. It’s also easier for me to stay engrossed and follow along while I’m moving physically. 

Don’t forget FOOD! For the past several years, I read almost zero food memoirs, literature, or history – some of my favorite topics. So I made this one of my kitchen resolutions this year! (Again.) I’m also re-reading cookbooks. 

The library is your friend. While I always try to support local book stores – I’m also a huge fan of my local library – grabbing things off the Speed Read Shelf is my jam. Plus you can leave with a large stack and it always feels like I’ve won something. (You can also get Kindle books from the library through Libby. Having a list allows me to put more things on hold, because sometimes there’s a longer wait.)

As always, still working my way through my list of Personal Leadership Development Books, and the BBC Big Read. I also read quite a few business books for work – whatever I need to expand my ideas and sharpen my skills.

I’m always interested in reading things that stoke great minds. I read for entertainment, to rest, to inspire, learn, and to stoke my curiosity. Whenever I listen to a podcast episode, I’m always curious about what kinds of things the guest is reading (particularly when the book is completely outside of their topic,  or very niche in their topic.)

New: I’m trying to engage with my reading more by reading criticism, and more importantly, writing.

Categories to choose from: (I often choose outside these, but I find that when I’m in the mood for a particular feeling, it breaks down by this type of category.) 

Book Categories I Enjoy:

  • Fantasy (Adult, YA Fantasy, Middle Grade)
  • Scandinavian Crime (or Noir crime in general)
  • Fiction (catch all)
  • Memoir (particularly: comedy, leadership, business or political)
  • Non-Fiction (Psychology, philosophy)
  • Nature (and generally Science Writing)
  • Creativity
  • Work (Product Management, People Management, Sales)
  • Food Memoirs
  • Relationships (Hard Conversations, Boundaries, Joy)

Fantasy, YA fantasy or Children’s Fantasy

  • Tess of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
  • The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
  • Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
  • Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer Armentrout September 12th
  • A Fire in the Flesh (Flesh + Fire 3) by Jennifer Armentrout October 31st.
  • The Harbinger Series by Jennifer Armentrout (Storm and Fury, Rage and Ruin, Grace and Glory)
  • Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (2023, 496 pages)
  • King of Scars (2019, 527 pages) /Rule of Wolves (2021, 592 pages) by Leigh Bardugo
  • Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros
  • Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin (2019, 513 pages)
  • The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy) by S.A. Chakraborty (2017, 544 pages) – own on audible
  • In the Serpents Wake (Tess of the Road #2) by Rachel Hartman (2022, 503 pages)
  • Skyhunter by Marie Lu (2020, 371 pages)
  • Binti Series by Nnedi Okorafor (2015, 96 pages)
  • Mistborn Series Sanderson (will this be the year? 7 books)
  • ✅ The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
  • ✅ Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
  • ✅ Seasparrow by Kristen Cashore (great!)
  • ✅ Derkholm #1 and #2 by Diana Wynne Jones (and Howl’s Moving Castle #2) (2003, 328 pages)
  • ✅ Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (2022, 401 pages)
  • ✅ A Court of Frost + Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (2020, 272 pages)
  • ✅ City of Ghosts Cassidy Blake #1 by Victoria Schwab (2018, 272 pages), Tunnel of Bones Cassidy Blake #2, Bridge of Souls Cassidy Blake #3
  • ✅ A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking (YA kids)
  • ✅ ADDED: Jennifer Armentrout Soul of Ash + Blood, Shadow in the Ember, A Light in the Flame
  • Look out for new:
    • Kristen Cashore
    • Jonathan Stroud
    • Tamora Pierce
    • Deborah Harkness
    • VE Schwab / Victoria Schwab
    • Phillip Pullman
    • Sarah J. Maas
    • Zoraida Cordova
    • Tomi Adeyemi
    • Naomi Novik

Fiction, GENERAL:

  • Holly by Stephen King
  • Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022, 560 pages)
  • The Last Chairlift by John Irving (2022, 889 pages)
  • Persuasion by Jane Austen (1818, 249 pages)
  • Terry Pratchett – a few last Discworlds I haven’t finished – Fifth Elephant #24 (464 pages)
  • Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (BBC Big Read; I think I’ve read before) 453 pages
  • Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (2002, 255 pages)
  • In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
  • Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (and Practical Magic) (2020, 396 pages)
  • ✅ Fairy Tale by Stephen King
  • ✅ Thursday Murder Club #1 (Series) by Richard Osman (2020, 382 pages)
  • ✅ The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
  • Look for new:
    • Susannah Clarke
    • Erin Morgenstern
    • Stephen King
    • TJ Klune

Crime / Thriller / Gripping and/or generally Scandinavian

  • Hidden in Shadows by Viveca Sten (Are Murders #2) – Dec. 5th
  • The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg (2010, 393 pages)
  • The Island by Ragnar Jonasson (2019, 336 pages) – 2 in the series
  • My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018, 226 pages)
  • The Hunger by Alma Katsu (2018, 368 pages)
  • Death Notice (book 3, if they publish the translation) by Zhou Haohui
  • Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2016, 432 pages)
  • Pick a book by:
    • Henning Mankell
    • Jo Nesbo
    • Arnaldur Indridason
    • Viveca Sten (but I just read the newest in Dec.)
    • Lucy Foley

Memoirs / Non-Fiction Reporting 

  • ✅ Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (great!)
  • ✅ Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
  • ✅ Cultish by Amanda Montell
  • The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish (2017, 288 pages) (own)
  • Dear Girls by Ali Wong (own) (2019, 240 pages)
  • Broken by Jenny Lawson (2021, 275 pages)
  • Taste by Stanley Tucci (own) (2021, 304 pages)
  • Eat a Peach by David Chang (2020, 306 pages)
  • “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman (1985, 356 pages)
  • I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022, 320 pages)
  • Life Itself by Roger Ebert (2011, 346 pages)
  • Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe (2018, 518 pages)
  • A Heart that Works by Rob Delaney (2022, 196 pages)
  • A Book of Days by Patti Smith (2022, 410 pages)
  • Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan (2022, 423 pages)

Nature and Science:

  • The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (304 pages, 2015)
  • Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright (have on audio) (2017, 336 pages)
  • The Nature Fix by Florence Williams (2017, 226 pages)
  • How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (2018, 482 pages)
  • Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski (2015, 400 pages)
  • How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy: by Jenny Odell (2019, 257 pages) (on audible)
  • Tracking the Wild Koomba

Food and Cooking

  • Note, I don’t keep cookbooks on this list, but I try to choose memoir-ish cookbooks as much as possible.
  • ✅ Cooking as though you might cook again by Danny Licht (2021, 78 pages)
  • Elegy for an Appetite by Shaina Loew-Banayan (2022, 88 pages)
  • Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry (2022, 352 pages)

Romance/RomCom:

  • Bride Test by Helen Hoang (Book 2 – 2019, 296 pages), The Heart Principle (3)
  • Hook, Line + Sinker Tessa Bailey (2022, 365 pages)
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  • ✅ Happy Place by Emily Henry
  • ✅ A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon
  • ✅ The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (2019, 282 pages – done)
  • ✅ Red, White + Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019, 318 pages – finishing)
  • ✅ ADDED The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
  • Anything new by
    • Emily Henry
    • Rebekah Weatherspoon
    • Jasmine Guillory
    • Jennifer Armentrout

Leadership / Business / Finance:

  • ✅ Traction by Gino Wickman
  • ✅ 10x is Easier than 2x Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
  • Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (1983, 301 pages) – own on audible
  • ✅ 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (2021, 129 pages)
  • ✅ Automate your Busywork by Aytekin Tank
  • Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson (2002, 273 pages) (book and audible)
  • The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, Kaley Klemp (In-Progress 2015, 377 pages)
  • Connect by Carole Robin, David L Bradford (2021, 203 pages)
  • The Gifts of Imperfection – Brené Brown (2010, 208 pages)
  • To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink (2012, 272 pages)
  • Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards by Yu-kai Chou (own) (2015, 513 pages)

Creativity: Writing and Creating:

  • ✅ Big Magic Creative Living Beyond Fear (re-read) by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • The Practice: Shipping Your Creative Work by Seth Godin (2020, 274 pages)
  • Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon (2014, 225 pages)
  • Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon (160 pages, 2012)
  • How to Enjoy Art by Ben Street (2021, 160 pages)
  • Better Living Through Criticism AO Scott (2016, 282 pages)
  • Look for new:
    • Cal Newport
    • David Epstein

Fitness and Health / Mindfulness / Brains

  • ✅ Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (2021, 291 pages)
  • ✅ Outlive by Peter Attia
  • ✅ How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
  • ✅ Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson
  • Built to Move by Kelly Starrett + Juliet Starrett
  • Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection by Ximena Vengoechea (2021, 337 pages)
  • Unmasking Autism by Devon Price (2022, 304 pages)
  • The Body, A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson (2019, 491 pages) owned on audible
  • The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life by Piero Ferrucci (2007, 354 pages)
  • The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (2021, 231 pages)
  • Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller (2020, 256 pages)
  • Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (1992, 324 pages) (updated version on Audible)
  • Codependent No More by Melody Beattie (1986, 278 pages)
  • The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (1997, 163 pages)
  • Look for new:
    • Mary Roach
    • Bill Bryson

And that’s a wrap! Will I get to all of these? Absolutely not. Will I try to expand on the diversity of my thought and add things along the way? Yes indeed!

What’s on your shelf this year? What’s up next? Here’s to a year of good reading!

xo, Sam

The Second Lunch July Eats

by | Jul 2, 2023 | Lists, Meal Planning

Bowl of tomatoes and cucumbers and feta and salami and beans

After making myself an unusually good salad lunch (this bean salad above: ripe tomato, cucumber, feta, oregano, salami, and red wine vinegar), I sat down this weekend to dream up some summer meals for the month of July. .

I usually start with Mark Bittman’s classic 2007 article Summer Meals for inspiration. Most of the “recipes” are really just ideas – fresh, in season, simple meals. Lots of seafood. In the summer I need things to be easy, not get the kitchen too hot, and make me feel vaguely like I’m in middle school summer again.

Shopping is a little bit more relaxed – Trader Joes and Whole Foods for some basics, my farm share, and I like to pick things up at Farmers Market – I’m lucky to have a weekend market right down the street.

In Season (in Massachusetts)

  • Fruit: end of the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches mid-month. I’m still gorging myself on cherries (mostly Ranier), and typically buy whatever is on sale at the store. The melons starting – watermelon, cantelope.
  • Vegetables: Lettuces, Green Beans, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Kale, Chard, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Leeks, Peppers, Spinach, Zucchini/Squash, Tomatoes (at least hot house). My fresh herbs are all doing well in the planter: parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, oregano.

Cooking Projects:

  • Nan’s Gazpacho: my grandmother used to make large containers of gazpacho all summer long to take to Maine.
  • Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins. This classic recipe from Marian Burros in the NYTimes. I think of my grandparents whenever I eat blueberry muffins (although admittedly those were more likely to be from Market Basket or Costco.)

Recipes: (I mostly use NYTimes Cooking app for specific recipes outside of my own cookbook collection.) Here are a few I’ve bookmarked:

The List Summer Items:

  • Summer Corn + Tomato Salad
  • Cold Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Cucumber
  • Grilled Hot Dogs and Baked Beans
  • Kraft Dinner Mac + Cheese from Canada
  • Can of B+M Brown Bread with Nutella
  • Watermelon and Feta Salad
  • S’mores
  • Strawberry Shortcake
  • Köfte and Shepherd’s Salad, and cold Ayran
  • Fried Hamsi (little fish) with lemony salad
  • Fried fish tucked in bread

What to Eat When I’m Tired and Don’t Want To Cook:

  • Trader Joe’s Chicken Drumellas and a bag of broccoli never disappoints.
  • Tinned Fish Rice Bowl. If I’m a little more ambitious I can bake fish from this. Usually I add some cucumber, avocado, rice vinegar, seaweed, ginger. 
  • Taco salad. Ground meat from the freezer with taco seasoning. Cheese. Chopped tomato. Sour Cream.
  • Lobster Cobb: lobster, blue cheese, tomatoes, avocado.
  • TJ’s Lamb Vindaloo + TJ’s Cumin Marinated Chickpeas + Yogurt

Eating Out:

  • Lobster Roll Quest (I’ll aim for one every week or two.)
  • Pammy’s
  • Mochiko Chicken Sandwich
  • Rancatore’s Chocolate Shake
  • An Italian Sandwich (from Monica’s, DePasquale, or Linden St. Deli)
  • A cider donut (even though it’s early in the season)
  • A Flo’s Hot Dog
  • Barnacle Billy’s (Steamers and a Crab Roll)

What’s on your summer table?

Summer 2023 Lobster Roll Quest 🦞

by | Jun 25, 2023 | Uncategorized

Cedar Hill Dairy Joy Lobster Roll - on a picnic table with fries and an iced tea

I love a good project list, so this year, I’m enjoying working through my summer lobster roll list. Is there a more perfect food for a New Englander in summer? I think not.

Yes, lobster rolls are expensive. Yes, it’s cheaper to get lobster from Market Basket (and they’ll steam em for you!) But making a quest out of it ensures that my ratio of spend to enjoyment as I build my body of “creative work” – a.k.a. the review list is balanced.

The Lobster Roll Short List:

This is not an exhaustive list of lobster rolls in the Boston area. There are some that aren’t on here (notably, I’m not an Eventide lobster roll fan – although I love lots of other things there! And I’ve eaten a few too many Cottage lobster sandwiches).

There are many more I’ll probably add as I go along – feel free to pass me along a suggestion if you have strong lobster roll feelings.

I prefer a cold lobster roll personally (mayo based), but I’ll not turn down a good option if presented to me. Additionally, I’m a fan of lobster in other forms, including lobster salad, lobster sandwiches (including the Alive + Kicking sandwich making it’s way as an interloper on this list), and lobster pasta.

A shout-out to my friend Rachael who put in a lot of heavy lifting in giving lobster roll suggestions, and also joined me at Cedar Hill Dairy Joy.

  • Legal Seafood (while I prefer the crab roll, this is always solid) 
  • Beach Plum, NH – 10 ounce and Utz chips, eaten on the ocean
  • Rosewood Restaurant Bellingham MA
  • ✅ Cedar Hill Dairy Joy, Weston MA
  • Clam Shack, Salem MA – spend the extra $1 to get it on the brioche bun
  • The Village Restaurant, Essex, MA – a hidden gem 
  • The Knack, Orleans, MA
  • Neptune Oyster – Cold (I haven’t had this for YEARS, but it was spectacular)
  • Row 34, Seaport
  • ✅ Shaking Crab, Newton
  • Pauli’s, North End – 3 sizes
  • ✅ Alive + Kicking, Cambridge, MA (on bread) 
  • James Hook + Co
  • Saltie Girl
  • Yankee Lobster
  • Luke’s Lobster
  • Steamers, Nonantum
  • Shea’s, Essex, MA
  • Beachcomber, Cahoon Hollow Beach, Welfleet, MA 
  • Cousin’s Maine Lobster food truck – you can get CT (butter) or ME (mayo) style – they are small but very good and you can find them at different farmers markets around here (shout out to my high school alum, Jim Tselikis!

Keeping my Lobster Roll Quest notes

I keep a long note on my phone with updates. They look like this:

6/14 Dairy Joy, Weston Ma

  • Price: 25 + 5 included drink and very lovely fries! 
  • Small buttered and griddled. 4ish ounces. With lettuce. Light Mayo and cold. Just a super strong contender. View is greenery and road. And picnic table vibe. 
  • 4.75/5 🦞🦞🦞🦞 

5/14 Shaking Crab, Newton MA

  • Lots of lobster. Roll good not great. I found the filling too seasoned? Delivery: fries soggy but would be good crisped up in air fryer. Side of garlic noodles with shrimp.
  • 3/🦞🦞🦞 out of 5. 

If you’d like to join me on one of my quest outings, give me a shout!