2022 Read Log

With only 12 on my list of completed books in 2022, it is my least read year since I started counting in 2014. But, while it is so, it certainly brings a compelling drive to read and search for more good books. Writings that are unique, thought provoking, relevant, and revolutionary – with in between indulgence of well-written chick literature.

Below is my 2022 Read Log.

12 – [Dec 26] The Courage to be Disliked (The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness) by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
11 – [Oct 04] My Mess Is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety by Georgia Pritchett
10 – [Aug 18] First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami
09 – [Aug 13] An Ugly Truth (Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination) by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang
08 – [Jul 23] The Storyteller (Tales of Life and Music) by Dave Grohl
07 – [Jun 22] Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
06 – [Jun 17] The Art of Gathering (How We Meet and Why It Matters) by Priya Parker
05 – [May 21] The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
04 – [Apr 09] Before the coffee gets cold (Tales from the cafe) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
03 – [Mar 16] Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Bréne Brown
02 – [Jan 26] Surrounded by Idiots (The Four Types of Human Behavior and How To Effectively Communicate with Each in Business and in Life) by Thomas Erikson
01 – [Jan 03] The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health – and How We Must Adapt by Sinan Aral

*** Indicated dates are completion dates.

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© rooks 2023

2021 Read Log

As uncanny as the past two years have been, even my choices of books has taken the unknown ride. I usually read with intention but, 2021 led me to read courageously. Some of the writings I have read the past year are unorthodox in themes, perspective, norms, style, etc. It is in fact very interesting and refreshing. And, I hope to find more of these reads in 2022.

Below is my 2021 Read Log.

19 – [Dec 23] Love for Imperfect Things (How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection) by Haemin Sunim
18 – [Dec 08] Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
17 – [Oct 10] Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
16 – [Oct 05] effortless (Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most) by Greg McKeown
15 – [Sep 13] The 5AM Club (Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life) by Robin Sharma
14 – [Aug 18] Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
13 – [Jul 24] Kaizen (The Japanese Method for Transforming Habits One Small Step at a Time) by Sarah Harvey
12 – [Jul 20] How to Lead Smart People (Leadership for Professionals) by Arun Singh & Mike Mister
11 – [Jul 12] Black, White, and The Grey (The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant) by Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano
10 – [Jun 08] Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
09 – [May 12] Shipped by Angie Hockman
08 – [Apr 27] Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
07 – [Apr 04] Girl Decoded (A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology) by Rana el Kaliouby with Carol Colman
06 – [Mar 31] Measure What Matters (How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs) by John Doerr
05 – [Mar 22] The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
04 – [Mar 07] Outlawed by Anna North
03 – [Jan 26] Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
02 – [Jan 18] This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
01 – [Jan 12] Eat a Peach: A Memoir by David Chang

*** Indicated dates are completion dates.

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© rooks 2022

2020 Read Log

In a 2015 TED Talk, American businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates said, “If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war — not missiles but microbes. Now, part of the reason for this is that, we have invested a huge amount in nuclear deterrents, but we’ve actually invested very little in a system to stop an epidemic. We’re not ready for the next epidemic.” Indeed, fast forward to 2020, we were not ready. We still are not ready. It is far from over.

Life has changed. The word normal has transformed itself into a definition of resolute adaptation to a reality that is distressing and perplexing. The boisterousness of social media despair is only a tip of the iceberg to the silent lethal pain of depression – unspoken and undisclosed. Little did we know that the vibrant goals of 2020 will be overturned to survival mode.

Aside from the company of family and friends, media has also been our companion as we endured the time loop of 2020. Though I consider 2020 as the year where I have watched and reviewed more movies than the past, my love for reading has a place of its own in my day. It remains to be a respite from the exuberance or gloom of content platforms and social media.

Below is my 2020 Read Log.

17 – [Dec 15] Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
16 – [Dec 08] The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
15 – [Nov 05] Becoming Superman by J. Michael Straczynski
14 – [Oct 04] Good Morning, I Love You (Mindfulness + Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity + Joy) by Shauna Shapiro, PhD
13 – [Aug 30] Asia’s Cauldron (The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific) by Robert D. Kaplan
12 – [Aug 29] Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
11 – [Aug 07] Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
10 – [Jul 17] Alibaba (The House that Jack Ma Built) by Duncan Clark
09 – [May 31] Talking to Strangers (What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know) by Malcolm Gladwell
08 – [May 14] One Man’s View of the World by Lee Kuan Yew
07 – [Apr 26] Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas
06 – [Apr 12] Fifty Inventions that Shaped the Modern Economy by Tim Harford
05 – [Mar 29] The Man Without a Face (The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin) by Masha Gessen
04 – [Feb 29] Charlotte’s Web by Elwyn Brooks White
03 – [Feb 26] The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
02 – [Feb 15] The Other Side of Happiness (Embracing a More Fearless Approach to Living) by Brock Bastian
01 – [Feb 08] Hit Makers (How To Succeed in an Age of Distraction) by Derek Thompson

*** Indicated dates are completion dates.

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© rooks 2021

2019 Read Log

In between Netflix, YouTube, movies, to daily life (personal & professional) is reading. Yet, reading needs focus and attention. And, it can always be temptingly set aside for later over pleasure viewing especially after a tough day.

Today’s conversations tend to circulate on what is trending on social media. It is a topsy turvy range of interests from politics, economics, entertainment, sports, etc. – where, feeds are flooded with more opinions and fabricated stories rather than facts. It is a deluge of information and misinformation. It is a circus where one does not want to be left out. With that, there is a tendency to be glued and consumed by the scrolling culture.

Thus, where do books and/or reading position itself from sunrise to sunset?
How does one in between all things place reading in one’s 24 hours?

Below is a simple guide that keeps me reading.
(1) Aim it. Set a reading goal. Give a number. 20 or 50 books a year.
(2) Schedule it. Set a specific reading time and period. 5AM, 1 hour.
(3) Log it. Take note of your reading accomplishment as you finish each book. I indicate completion dates.
(4) Share it. Have meaningful conversations with a friend/s about your readings. It does not matter if you have read the same books. In one way or another, you will find a common ground or will discover the wisdom of other genres.

Most importantly, make reading a lifestyle. It is a calming alternative that boosts brain power.

For 2019, below is my list. I am still aiming for 50 in 2020. Care to share your favourite reads of 2019? I am very interested.

19 – [Dec 24] Born a Crime (Stories from a South African Childhood) by Trevor Noah
18 – [Dec 14] The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
17 – [Nov 16] iGen (Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – And Completely Unprepared for Adulthood… and What That Means for the Rest of Us) by Jean M. Twenge, PhD
16 – [Nov 02] A Brief History of Japan (Samurai, Shogun, and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun) by Jonathan Clements
15 – [Sep 22] Well Met by Jen DeLuca
14 – [Aug 30] Gaudete et Exsultate (Apostolic Exhortation on the Call to Holiness in Today’s World) by Pope Francis
13 – [Aug 26] Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray
12 – [Jul 27] Start With Why (How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action) by Simon Sinek
11 – [Jun 30] Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
10 – [Jun 23] Leading by Alex Ferguson with Michael Moritz
09 – [Jun 15] The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
08 – [Jun 05] Shortest Way Home (One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future) by Pete Buttigieg
07 – [May 12] The Future of the Mind (The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind) by Michio Kaku
06 – [Apr 20] Why I am Catholic (And You Should Be Too) by Brandon Vogt
05 – [Apr 07] The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
04 – [Mar 24] Option B (Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy) by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
03 – [Mar 09] Istanbul (City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World) by Thomas F. Madden
02 – [Feb 03] 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin
01 – [Jan 07] Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

*** Indicated dates are completion dates.
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© rooks 2020

2018 Read Log

In earlier reading years, I prefer to read novels. And as I discovered and read the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey in my first year of college, I began to expand my reading preference to the media, psychology, motivation, biography, history, economics, science, leadership, fashion, politics, women empowerment, or anything that creates a stir or disruption from a local and global standpoint. The book was a turning point. I realized that there is more to the novel genre. I began to take interest. My mini library diversified. I am greatly drawn to the satisfaction of completing a read where learnings abound, silence is essential for reflection, a pen and paper to write, and the urgent desire to have a conversation with like-minded friends over coffee to share something impactful – life-changing.

In 2018, I discovered a number of brilliant storytellers. I am awed by the genius of Kutsukake, Bardugo, and Cleeton. As I was reading their work, my other side of consciousness was creating and hoping for a motion picture to be made. All three novels are page-turners.

As the new year walks through, the reading journey continues and the goal to read 50 from a variety of genres remains. Below is my 2018 list. I would be happy to have a glimpse of yours.

22 – [Dec 29] Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
21 – [Dec 27] Becoming by Michelle Obama
20 – [Dec 06] Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
19 – [Nov 25] Why I Love Being Catholic (How I Found Jesus In My 2,000-Year-Old Church) by Bo Sanchez
18 – [Nov 07] Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
17 – [Oct 28] Moonwalking with Einstein (The Art and Science of Remembering Everything) by Joshua Foer
16 – [Oct 19] Fight or Flight by Samantha Young
15 – [Oct 13] Unfu*k Yourself (Get out of your head and into your life) by Gary John Bishop
14 – [Oct 07] Leadership that Matters by Francis J. Kong
13 – [Oct 03] The Revenge of Geography by Robert D. Kaplan
12 – [Aug 26] The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting
11 – [Aug 05] The Inevitable (Understanding The 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future) by Kevin Kelly
10 – [Jun 30] How My Maid Became A Millionaire by Bo Sanchez
09 – [Jun 23] The Nordic Theory of Everything (In Search of a Better Life) by Anu Partanen
08 – [Jun 03] Irresistible (The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked) by Adam Alter
07 – [Apr 28] Side Hustle (From Idea to Income in 27 Days) by Chris Guillebeau
06 – [Apr 01] Leader Eat Last (Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t) by Simon Sinek
05 – [Mar 10] Heart Berries: A Memoir by Therese Marie Mailhot
04 – [Feb 11] The Translation of Love (A Novel) by Lynne Kutsukake
03 – [Jan 28] Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni-Eddo Lodge
02 – [Jan 13] Seeing What Others Cannot See (The Hidden Advantages of Visual Thinkers and Differently Wired Brains) by Thomas G. West
01 – [Jan 01] ISIS (Inside the Army of Terror) by Michael Weiss & Hassan Hassan

*** Indicated dates are completion dates.
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© rooks 2019

(2018) Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming, an autobiography by Michelle Obama will most probably be my last completed reading for 2018. And it is an honor to end my 2018 reading journey with an abundance of inspiration from the former FLOTUS. Published only last November 13, it became the best selling book in the US for 2018.

In her memoir, Michelle Obama does not mince with her words. It is funny, compassionate, enraged (for a good reason), and all the time heartfelt. It brings intimate scenes of her personal life before, during, and after the presidency of her husband, Barack Obama.

Amidst strict protocols, reasonable and sometimes absurd, she knew how to be human rather than be mechanical.

Intelligent and classy, the ugly blows brought forth by politics were met with a good combination of steadfastness, composure, and inner strength. As Michelle and Barack would try to live by and put it, “When they go low, we go high.” It instantly became my favorite adage amongst the deluge of wisdom the book could offer.

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© rooks 2018

Taiwan: Whose Books Bookstore

Though landmarks, tourist spots, and great food are always on the list to visit, I include local bookstores and Catholic Churches (if possible).

In an unexpected circumstance, I found this charming shop near a metro train station that is filled with books where the characters are familiar and at the same time, still foreign. For 12 years of my early education, reading and doing Math in these characters have in one way or another shaped me of who I am today. It was always easy to do Math when it was our Chinese teachers who taught us. I still remember Siensi Wisdy teaching us Trigonometry effortlessly and I understood the essence of it more from her. Indeed, the things we learn during our early years is fundamental and crucial as they remain and become us. And even after all those years seemed to be like centuries ago, I still remember how to write my name in Mandarin, pronounce it, count, pray, and speak some basic phrases (including the naughty ones, of course). It brings a sense of nostalgia. I will always be grateful.

Nota Bene
There is a story behind this photo shoot, but it will be for another time, perhaps.

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© rooks 2018

Leadership that Matters by Francis J. Kong

Earlier this year, I was asked to share my experience with young people in the workplace through an article that will be published in a local news magazine of a congregation. I obliged.

Writing the article was a combination of self-retrospection, discovery, affirmation, and a plethora of emotions that cannot be expressed in words but simply inhaled as an act of gratitude. I am glad to be chosen to share that part of my life. I am grateful.

Today, as I finished reading the book, Leadership that Matters by Francis J. Kong, I am brought back to the experience and lessons I have learned as a young aspiring leader. In this age where enthusiasm quickly subsides and creativity is hounded by skepticism, the last few pages of the book reminded me to carry on despite the dreariness of being a leader may bring. In the hope of all hopes, and in spite of personal lapses, I wish that in one way or another I have affected the lives of others even through casual conversations. My learning journey continues.

Indeed, as the last words of the book says, “Leadership is not a title, and neither is it an entitlement. Leadership is not a right; it is a responsibility. We all need to handle it well.”
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© rooks 2018

Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot

Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot is pain moving through the music of poetry. It is harsh, but honest and profound. Like a character in a movie narrating the lines as you read, absorbing the meaning and richness of a plethora of astutely formed sentences… With the conscious still aware that it is a life story – a memoir, you will be left with emotions to recognize and thoughts to ponder.

Mailhot did not hold back and her courage to artfully tell her story is a triumph for humanity, especially women; rising above life’s partialities.

Heart Berries is not for the faint of heart.

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© rooks 2018

Movies & Books

I love them both. There is a secret war between them for my attention. But the lure of good motion pictures is so powerful that they oftentimes covet my focus over the whispers of laid back pleasures in books. It does not mean though that I love movies more. They both are a good blend of recreation. The extrovert and the introvert of delight. Today, I find it surprising that the mellowness of reading is becoming the aggressor of my focus even if it takes my tired brain to exert more for comprehension. Indeed, in this complex cycle of changing amusements, it will make one wonder and be in awe of our innate capabilities for shifts and deviations to find meaning in our quest for wholeness.

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© rooks 2018