My 2022 reading

We just passed the time of year when lots of folks trumpet their best or favorite books published during that year, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Barack Obama (who admitted some bias in including Michelle's latest book on his list). That seems pointless in my case as I only read two books actually published in 2022 during 2022: Bittersweet by Susan Cain ($2 at the book sale) and Plays Well with Others by Eric Barker, both of which I recommend, especially the latter.

 

Even if they weren't all the latest books, I did manage to read a book a week, on average, in 2022. I specify "on average" because one of them was Vikram Seth's 1,349-page tome A Suitable Boy (1993), which took me about six weeks to get through. That was one of only 11 novels I read in 2022, of which my highest recommendation would be Still Life (2021), Sarah Winman's "exquisite testament to life, love and art," which is not only set partly in Florence but also has an early scene there describing "the erotic sight of [a fig's] vivid flesh." My kind of book.

 

Of the many nonfiction books I read, I learned many useful things from Breath (2020) by James Nestor ($2 at the book sale), including what constitutes the "perfect breath" (always through the nose—5.5 seconds in, 5.5 seconds out, for 5.5 breaths per minute; use the Resonant Breathing app for practice) and the joy of sleep tape (practically no snoring and no more waking up with a parched throat that feels like "the inside of a motorman's glove," as one of my law school professors once said during a property lecture).

 

I also learned about bringing joy into our home through various "ordinary things," such as strands of Christmas lights and colorful polka dots, from Joyful (2018) by Ingrid Fetell Lee ($3 at the book sale). (Check out her TED Talk on "where joy hides and how to find it.") Mom ran with this idea, as you can see from the hand-me-down planters she repainted and now adorn our deck railing:

Four recommendable books I think of in pairs. The first pair is Tattoos on the Heart (2010) and Barking to the Choir (2017) ($1 and $3, respectively, at the book sale), both by Father Gregory Boyle (G-Dog!), a Jesuit priest who founded Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the world's largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program. There's plenty of God talk, as you'd expect, but the books are also very funny and profound. The other pair is Invisible Women (2019) by Caroline Criado Perez and Entitled (2020) by Kate Manne. Those are both eye-opening, in an infuriating though sadly not very surprising way, books exploring "data bias in a world designed for men" and "how male privilege hurts women," to quote their apt subtitles.

Since 33.33% of the sum total of my updated fatherly wisdom is to "Have Fun," I must recommend The Power of Fun (2021) by Catherine Price, her explanation of why having fun—which she defines as "playful connected flow"—is not frivolous but rather essential to human flourishing. If you want to hear more about it before undertaking to read the book, listen to Price lead Dr. Laurie Santos through a "fun-tervention" on a two-part episode of the Happiness Lab podcast (part one, part two).

Finally, arguably my book of the year was Four Thousand Weeks (2021) by Oliver Burkeman (looked for it desperately at the book sale but couldn't find it; $3.99 as a Kindle Deal of the Day though). The book is subtitled Time Management for Mortals, but it's not a traditional look at how to manage your time better. Instead, the basic idea is to accept that your time here is limited, which frees you up to make the most of the time that you are alive (roughly 4,000 weeks, or about 80 years, hence the title). In short, go have some fun while you can.

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Speaking of fun, I received a joy-inducing tortilla press as a Christmas gift and am now working at improving my technique for producing homemade tortillas. For Cassie's birthday, we had Vegetarian Tacos with Roasted Zucchini, Corn, and Tofu, which Dylan has also made on his own and liked. Then we tried the tacos below, with roasted sweet potatoes and an easy black bean spread, which I think we all liked even more. Cassie even took a page out of Mom’s book and pronounced them "heavenly." I'm now sure there are no tacos that are not improved by homemade tortillas, even if I still haven't perfected the method yet.

Vegetarian Tacos with Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Spread

Adapted from Gena Hamshaw via the Full Helping (Jan. 19, 2020)

Time: ~38 minutes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
~1½ pounds/680 grams (2 medium to medium-large) sweet potatoes
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Black Bean Spread
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
22 grams (1½ tablespoons) freshly squeezed lime juice
15 grams (1 tablespoon) balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon onion powder (depending what you think of onion powder)

Assembly
8 to 12 (5- to 6-inch) corn or wheat tortillas, heated as you like
Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Shortcut Taco Slaw or shredded Romaine or other lettuce or greens
Other serving options:Quick Pickled Onions (with or without jalapeño); hot sauce; coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

    1. For the roasted sweet potatoes: Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 400 degrees. Line a 13-by-18-inch (half-sheet) baking pan with parchment paper.
    2. Cut the unpeeled sweet potatoes into small cubes. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato cubes with the oil and season generously with salt. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread evenly in a single layer. Roast until the sweet potatoes are tender (the tip of a paring knife meets no resistance), about 25 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of your cubes), rotating the baking sheet after 15 minutes.
    3. For the black bean spread: Meanwhile, place all of the ingredients for the black bean spread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade. Pulse, scraping the bowl down as needed, just until the mixture is smooth and spreadable but still has some texture. If necessary, add water by the teaspoon to achieve the right consistency (I didn’t need any water). Taste for acid and other seasoning. (You can make the black bean spread ahead and keep it for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.)
    4. To assemble the tacos: Spread about 2 tablespoons of black bean spread over the center of a tortilla, then sprinkle on some roasted sweet potatoes, cheese, lettuce, and whatever other toppings you’re using. Serves 3 to 4.