Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating look into the cultivation of language used by the leaders of extreme groups to lure and detain members. Amanda Montell describes how these leaders, whether they're Jim Jones or the latest Instagram influencer, use similar language techniques to bait followers into believing their message. The "cultish" language pervades our society and after reading this book, you'll begin to see evidence of these techniques throughout our culture. It's a must read for anyone interested in how someone might join not just extreme groups but any social group that has it's own language and charismatic leader.

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Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sea of Tranquility was one of my favorite books released in 2022. It's my kind of science fiction that focuses more on human relationships rather than an entire new world. It follows Edwin St. Andrew as he travels across the Atlantic in 1912, Olive Llewellyn on her book tour two centuries later, and Gaspery Jacque-Roberts, an investigator, who lives on one of the distant Moon colonies. All of the characters' stories mysteriously intertwine to attempt to answer timeless, existential questions like: what would we change if we traveled back in time? Would we help others or just ourselves? Would our attempts to change events create an even worse situation?

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I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're a fan of true crime, this is an impressively researched piece of nonfiction. McNamara not only wrote the book about this particular serial rapist/killer, but she also assisted in solving the 40 year cold case before her untimely death. The details of the Golden State Killer, also know as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker, are truly gruesome and awful, but McNamara handles the subject matter with respect for the victims which can be a difficult task for the true crime genre. Again, I would recommend this book for true crime fans but the details of the Golden State Killer's crimes are completely awful and disturbing.

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The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this sweeping and unforgettable "project" by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project asks important questions about this nation's founding fathers and their actions, or in-actions, when establishing the rule of law. Did they truly believe the words they were writing in our founding documents? In this project, as it's truly a project with contributions from numerous writers, Hannah-Jones sets out to demonstrate "the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative." Hannah-Jones argues our entire economic, social, and judicial systems were built on the backs of enslaved people who neither had access to these systems nor were they equipped with "inalienable rights." As a country, we've never truly faced the everlasting effects of chattel slavery on this nation and how it's been Black Americans who have continued to carry the burden of "making democracy real." It's an important read and should be studied for years to come.

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Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A beautiful work of art/lyrical poetry from Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin. It illustrates the story of a black family surviving the initial COVID-19 lockdowns during the spring and summer of 2020. It's a story we can all relate to: a family member sick, the constant barrage of the news, the BLM protests, and the extreme boredom coupled with a growing anxiety. It aptly identifies and acknowledges those feelings we had during those troubling months while personifying those feeling through beautifully constructed artwork. An important piece of art to commemorate a difficult time in our history.

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Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the author of Klara and the Sun, Never Let Me Go tells the story of Kathy and her close friends, Ruth and Tommy. These friends are attending what seems to be an elite boarding school, Hailsham, set in the beautiful English countryside where they appear to have an ideal setting for childhood. Although, Kathy and the others begin to notice strange occurrences around the grounds of Hailsham and question why they're forbidden to leave. They begin to reveal truths, not only about Hailsham, but about their very existence. Kazuo Ishiguro spins another excellent science fiction/mystery which relies more on character development than sci-fi to explore themes such as friendship and love, the perils of technology, and the reasons for our existence. It's truly another remarkable work from Ishiguro.

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David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Malcolm Gladwell uses the biblical story of David versus Goliath to illuminate how we often think of disadvantages and achievement. More often than not, we're intrigued by underdog stories like David vs Goliath where David is severely disadvantaged but overcomes against great odds, but Gladwell argues our disadvantages like size in David's case, attending a mediocre school, losing a loved one, facing discrimination, or dealing with a disability force us to overcome even greater obstacles in our future successes. It's a book about how the challenges life throws at us provides us an opportunity for growth and the ability to overcome more difficult challenges in the future. Although not as great as Gladwell's other reads, David and Goliath demonstrates how the most important accomplishments often come from the most adversity.

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