A Book-ish 2022: Looking Back

It’s 2023 and I am excited for the first full year post pandemic (?).

But before diving into 2023, I wanted to take a look back on 2022 at least, for one aspect of my life – reading.

If I’m to consider resolutions for last year, the major commitment I made was to reading a special set of books, one a month.

The full reading list was a specially curated set of books that I deliberately selected for each month and committed myself to completing the mission.

To be fully transparent, while I did my best to read all the books, there are at least two that I am still finishing up as of this writing. Separately I also overachieved and read additional books not on my original list, so I guess this is just to make up for lost time.

I want to take a look back however at four of the most impactful of the actual books I read in 2022.  If you were reading along, some of these may have also resonated, you can let me know in the comments.

As for my books for 2023, I plan to begin that list in February along a special thematic curve… more to come.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild

I can’t say enough about what this book did to me and how it forever changed my perspective on slavery, colonialism, how imperialism has and continues to impact the lives of so many black people (myself included). It clearly elucidated the decisions, the perpetrators and the outcomes of unbridled power.

King Leopold loomed large throughout this book and in my mind, hell is too good for him. The book served as the one piece of literature that connected all the dots for me about not just slavery but colonisation and what the African continent truly lost. I had delayed in reading the book for years because I was fearful of the more gritty aspects, but what got me wasn’t the violence, but the calculated efforts made by men from so many far flung places that has had far reaching impacts across so many generations.

I intend to reread the book at some point, not because I’m a glutton for punishment but because I know there are things I simply haven’t processed and need a reminder.

Motherland: And Other Stories by Wandeka Gayle

My reading list from last year contained two short story collections, one by my forever fave, Olive Senior, and Motherland by Wandeka Gayle who I am proud to say I attended undergrad with, many moons ago. By far this was my favourite due to its freshness of perspective and earthy characters who I could identify with in a meaningful way. The circumstances in which some of the characters found themselves, were of course well trodden territory but it was Wandeka’s ability to bring a balance of intensity and heartfelt knowing that made the characters feel real and so easy for the reader to root for. I recommended the book immediately after finishing it and will continue to do so.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston

I remember years ago reading press around the release of Barracoon, not just for its subject but the tale around its actual publication. The book was written by Zora Neale Hurston but the manuscript was never published. The foreword of the book hints at why – it was too visceral a depiction of slavery and the involvement of black people in the enslavement of their own. Black intellectuals of the time feared the narrative, though true, and its implications. The story they feared was a first person re-telling of the trans-Atlantic slave trade from villages and communities all over West Africa, to the state of Alabama in the United States.

Cudjo Lewis shares his story in the most human recollection possible and in exquisite detail that gives deep insight into life during the slave trade, for someone living on the African continent, in the 1800’s.

For those who always ask questions about the involvement of Africans in the slave trade, this book provides some nuance and context. It’s heartbreaking however when you consider that his story was repeated millions of time, over the centuries.

Bonus Read*

Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller

I am always excited to read the words of Kei Miller because he has a special way of telling even the simplest of stories and making them an entire universe. While not a novel I was ready to devour this collection of essays once I got my hands on it early in 2022. I immediately connected with every single one due to his clarity of voice and him simply “telling my whole life with his words.” The honesty and nakedness of his writing in the collection said so many things about being a Jamaican that I could never possibly express. I was able to personally thank him for the book and everything it meant to me.

I’m excited about the many a journey the books I read last year afforded me and I am planning to continue into this year. I’ll be sharing those plans shortly but in the meantime, let me know about some of your favourite reads from 2022.

Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

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Kevin