10 TO TRY READING CHALLENGE (& BOOKS OF) 2022

This is year 5 in completing my local library's "10 to Try" challenge! It helps me expand my reading choices throughout the year so I don't just end up reading nothing but work-related therapy books. I ended up reading a total of 24 books, weirdly all of which fit into at least one of these ten categories in one way or another (that "Recommended by a friend" category was a savior because I included my assigned textbooks that were technically recommended by my professors, my book club books, and books recommended in my workplace). Bring on year 6!

1) Read a book where the cover is your favorite color

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Amelia and Emily Nagoski 

This is a recent, and yet already iconic, book that often gets discussed in social work circles - and for good reason. There are basic stress/coping and somatic factoids in this book that seem almost too conveniently bite-sized self-help suggestions... but they are true. And they work. Simplest and most helpful advice I have EVER received as far as self-care? Complete the stress cycle. Works every time. I embraced the power of exercise from this book, and how many times have people tried to convince humans to exercise?? I even embraced the power of crying. I'm better for it. And the cover is pink.

The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

I love love. I love love so much that I would want to spend my whole career around understanding and nurturing love. So I love to read about love, and I know this is one of the philosophical classics. There is a lot of value to take from this, however, its value has to be sifted through the fact that this was a man with intensely traditional, heteronormative and cisnormative values. Gender roles permeate this book, and you gotta dig for the wisdom that still stands in spite of this. My book cover was pink.

2) Read a book set somewhere you've wanted to visit

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

It's set in Italy!!! Which is at the top of my destination list. My sister has actually visited the small Italian town where parts of the movie was filmed. This is one of those books that make me remember why I love reading. It's pretentious, wordy, full of metaphors - but I eat it up. I saved quotes. It's pushing the English language to its fullest emotional potential - full of lust, yearning, and sensuality. The words are tactile, just like the images of the film. 

3) Read a book where the main character is over 50

Letters to a Young Therapist by Mary Pipher

This was assigned reading for my clinical social work class and I had a strong distaste for it. Maybe it was the generational difference between me and the writer (but that doesn't explain why I can stomach other texts by old people?), but as a reader it was pretty clear that this was a prejudice old white woman, despite her spending decades in the most empathic role humans can offer. I also find it weird that she was writing these letters to one particular graduate student in an odd display of favoritism. My classmates who were also reading the book at the time shared the philosophy of, "take what you like, leave what you don't." Ignore the parts that I disagree with, and take the useful parts into my practice.

The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom

This was the other assigned reading for my clinical social work class during our last quarter, and I enjoyed it far more than Mary Pipher. I was not expecting this, having my biases towards the fact that he was an old man in the field of psychiatry, which has far more roots in pathologization, institutionaliation, and of course, medicalization. But this man proved me wrong. As an existential therapist, he really defies all expectations and boundaries around therapy and discusses the value of being as authentically human as one can be as a therapist. I took so much inspiration from this book, and I am interested in reading his other works, as well as following up with other existentialists.

4) Read a book by an Asian or Asian American Author

Rich People Problems (Crazy Rich Asians #3) by Kevin Kwan

It took me years to get through this series. I loved the movie. I read the book and thought it was decent, but I preferred the movie due to its narrower focus on a singular plotline. The book felt far more like a soap opera with an ensemble of ridiculous, satirical characters. Then the second book I absolutely hated because it un-did a lot of the themes from the first book. Remember Rachel, our "ordinary" protagonist from the first book? Turns out she is also the heir of a billionaire. I had such a distaste for the series after that. I feel like I only read this third book out of pure stubbornness, because I don't like to start a book series without finishing it. To my surprise, I actually thought this book was decent. It still read like a soap opera with far too many characters. Nick and Rachel, the OG protagonists, were probably in less than 10% off the book. But I liked the themes of preserving the past and finding empathy for our ancestors, in spite of the vast generational and cultural differences we hold now. 

5) Read a book about a library or set in a library

It by Stephen King 

This is a 45 hour audiobook that took me six months to listen through. It's also the first Stephen King book I've ever read and I am entertained and confused. It was fun but just such a long mess of character and plot that I do not quite understand what I was reading. In truth, I much prefer the succinct storytelling of the films (which isn't even that succinct because they took two long films to tell the story). There was so much unnecessary detail here. Why were the kids having an orgy? What was happening with the turtle? I do not know. I'll just stick to the films. It did take place, in part, in a library, which is where the character Mike lived when he stayed in Derry. Mike is the narrator as well, so I think this counts.

6) Read a book set in another century

The Duke & I (Bridgertons #1) by Julie Quinn

I went through a really strong Bridgerton phase around summer of 2022. I had always mildly enjoyed the television series, but I don't know... something hit me and I became obsessed and needed all things Bridgerton, so I started reading the books. I decided not to read ahead of the Netflix series because, even though the book series far predates the television series, the television series is my canon that I do not want spoiled. I saw this reading experience as merely supplementary to the television experience, especially because I found the relationship dynamics in the book to be even more toxic and controversial than the show already was. The show did a lot of repair around this book, and I think the television series is much better. But, in the name of being thorough, I'm glad I read this "supplemental" material, as I will call it.

-The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons #2) by Julie Quinn 

My journey through Bridgerton continues, and it has become clearer how much the television series has begun to stray from the book series. The skeletal essence of the story remains, if that, but the details are wildly changed. I still prefer the Netflix series as my primary canon, though I will admit there are several deeply vulnerable moments in the book that I wish had come to life, primarily around Kate's fear of thunderstorms, and Anthony's fear of dying young (which was implied, but not explored as heavily in the series). Let's just be thankful they kept Newton the Corgi, he was the best part. Otherwise, I see why they made significant plot changes, given that the plot and characterization for Kate in the books was too stereotypical and similar to book one.

7) Read a book with a one-word title

 Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment by Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller 

This book is iconic - mention "Attached" to any mental health provider and they should know what you're talking about. This book came into my life at a pivotal time in which I have both personal (as I'm in my first relationship) and professional (as I'm exploring couples counseling as a career) interest. And it gave me an entire theoretical orientation to work from. As I go into a career of therapy, I have become not only increasingly invested in Attachment theory, but its cousins like Emotion-Focused Therapy (for both families and couples), or interpersonal neurobiology. Most child and family therapists already have an inclination for these theoretical orientations, but somehow they did not hit me as hard until I saw them in application to adult relationship dynamics. Now I feel like I have an entirely new therapeutic lens as well as personal worldview.

 -Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker & Jules Sheele

Queer theory is incredibly complicated, and by nature sort of paradoxical and impossible to define. This graphic novel attempts to distill it into easily digestible soundbites and does a very good job. It was assigned reading in my LGBTQ+ class and really helps readers get out of the weeds of identity politics and look at the larger picture of deviation from societal norms and the compulsion to identify.

8) Read a book recommended by a friend

Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change by William R. Miller & Stephen Rollnick

I took a class on motivational interviewing and this was the core required textbook. Motivational interviewing is an incredibly useful therapeutic skill and I am glad to have some training in it, and hope to continue using it in my sessions. The book alone cannot teach you Motivational Interviewing, you have to practice it regularly. I'm very fortunate to have read the book alongside practical training.

Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community: The Intersection of History, Health, Mental Health, and Policy Factors edited by Michael P. Dentato 

Another textbook assigned for my LGBTQ+ social work class. I have a feeling this textbook was required by the school to assign, and may not have been a choice of my professor's? I could be wrong. But the text was quite dull and stats heavy, missing the heart behind queer-related societal issues. It was also one of those textbooks that has an editor compiling chapters each written by different scholars, therefore offering a LOT of overlapping material, and also somewhat contradictory material. But I can say that I read it.

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

I read the first few chapters as a part of grad school and I wish the entire book was assigned! There are so many valuable somatic exercises throughout this book that are applicable across types of trauma, both racialized and otherwise. The book is focused specifically on racialized trauma and how it has been passed down through generations through epigenetics into our bodies, in addition to the ways our bodies have learned the culture of White supremacy and racism through environmental experience. His argument is that the only way to heal trauma is to heal our bodies, hence the somatic exercises. I would love to learn more about somatic approaches to therapy. There are a lot of exercises I will use on myself, let alone clients. That said, the book comes with some major trigger warnings include a very police-apologetic outlook (super valuable considering the need to heal trauma in both perpetrators and victims), but can be very upsetting to read. Second trigger warning is how often people are bluntly categorized into three slots - White bodies, Black bodies, and Police bodies. Makes no sense. Policing has its own culture, of course, but it is a choice in the ways that race isn't. It also just lacks a lot of nuance. As an Asian person, which exercises was I supposed to do??

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk

I started a book club for my social work cohort upon graduation, and this is the first book we selected! It seems that as myself and the rest of my cohort transition into our full time careers as mental health professionals, we keep in mind a foundation of self-care. This book explores the signs of vicarious trauma and burnout in the helping professions, while also creating a compass for how to protect yourself against burnout and treat yourself fairly. I liked the second half of the book for all its advice. The first half of the book, which was very focused on the impacts of trauma and the existential trauma of working in professions like social justice or environmentalism, was just anxiety-inducing and depressing. Glad the book had optimism to share.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

I first read this book in summer of 2021 as part of a reading circle with other students in social work and public health. A reading circle is a fantastic format for digesting this book, because it allows for the appropriate amount of verbal processing required for each chapter. The book also describes in detail how it's meant to be discussed in a reading circle. When I did this reading circle, I had handwritten my answers to every journal prompt for the first half. By the second half of the book, and as I started to fatigue from doing the work fast enough to meet the pace of the group, I dropped off on really answering the prompts for myself and vowed to go back and give it the proper attention someday - and I did! I have now journaled all of the prompts and absorbed the book in its proper depth.

No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz 

This was the second book we read in my book club! It focuses on Internal Family Systems, a therapeutic modality that I admittedly have a strong bias against. It feels proprietary, cultish even, and, as many empiricists would say, "woo-woo." With that said, I know there is a HUGE population of IFS therapists who swear by it. Reading this book both confirmed my biases, while also helping me gain a lot of value from the model. I did a lot of the exercises on myself and found that I gained so much self insight that I surprised myself. However, I'm also an imaginative person. I still don't see this model as fitting for everyone, especially kids who are still forming their sense of personhood. As with most therapeutic models, I refuse to be a purist. I'm more of the "take what you like, leave what you don't," and now can do that with IFS.

The Explosive Child by Ross Greene

This is an unfortunately named book, as its incredibly judgmental and labeling. Paradoxically, the content of this book is some of the most empathetic advice for speaking with children as equal human beings. It was highly recommended in my workplace. The book covers the "Collaborative Problem Solving" model for teaching adults how to speak with children about problem-solving, cooperation, and negotiation skills. This model is so simple, so intuitive, and so easy to remember. And yet so underutilized. I felt embarrassed having not been familiar with this model until recently, because it feels so fundamental to all work with children and parents.

Race and Social Change: A Quest, A Study, A Call to Action by Max Klau

This was a weird read. It was gifted to me by my sister - not because she recommended it, but because she didn't want it anymore. I still counted it under this category because I got it from her. I felt all sorts of uncomfy about it. I liked the model of racism as fractals. I liked the use of psychology and interpersonal relationships. But the experiment itself??? UNCOMFY. It surprises me that even in the early 2000s, it would have been allowed. I understand that the researcher did NOT create the experiment - it was a camp that already existed. He also felt uncomfortable about it and just observed and took data. But gosh... even that feels morally suspect. The camp leaders separated the camp members by race and made them inhabit stereotypical roles to see how long it would take for them to rebel. Traumatizing.

The Whole Brain Child by Dan Siegel - Ahh, my lifeline! I had been intending to read this book for so long because of my strong interest in Dan Siegel's interpersonal neurobiology as a theoretical framework of mine. One of my professors first introduced it to me in grad school, and it was highly recommended as essential reading in my workplace. I bought my own copy to continually reference, as I often teach these principles to parents. I love how interpersonal neurobiology makes so much intuitive sense to me, because it combines what I already know and take away from attachment theory, CBT, mindfulness, neurobiology, interpersonal relationships, IFS, and more - and it all fits together in the wholeness of our brains.

The Incredible Years by Carolyn Webster-Stratton

Another book HIGHLY recommended by my workplace, as its sort of the quintessential evidence-based parenting education book. That does not mean its the best. As an evidence-based practice, the Incredible Years model is highly behavioral - so much so that I think it can feel emotionally cold and distant, and not based in attachment like it says it is. It is also highly outdated, with traditional White and heteronormative family values, in families with neurotypical children. I think there is a lot of valuable skills to teach parents here - but as always, "take what you like, leave what you don't." 

9) Read a book that has won an award

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I keep forgetting I read this, despite it having such a profound impact. It's because the text itself was unexpectedly short, more like an elongated poem than a book. I enjoyed it so much precisely for this reason - every single word was so carefully placed, such as in a poem. This was not your generic text about the impact of structural racism on America. You can find that a dime a dozen, often written by White people. This piece is art.

10) Read a book recommended by KCLS staff

 All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks 

This is one of the most formative Black feminist texts of all time. It has been sitting on my book shelf for a long time, and it unfortunately took bell hook's death in order for me to actually get around to reading it, even though bell hooks has said herself how important it is for Black female writers to see the recognition of their own work during their lifetime. I am also in a very lovey mood and am drawn to anything and everything love-related, enjoying the highs of my first relationship. My main gripe is this book gets quite heavy into religious/divine love, which makes cultural sense as a Black woman, however, is not a place of love for me.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green 

When I made my book list last year, I mentioned that this would probably be the first book I finished of 2022. I read the first book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, right at the end of December 2021 and thought it was one of the best fictional books I had read in a long time. I rushed into the sequel. Aaaaand yet.... I found it not nearly as well-crafted. It took me a much longer time to finish because there were several bouncing narratives, with different chapters of the book written by different characters. The first book very neatly follows our protagonist, April, whereas this book brings several different characters to the forefront. While it made for a messier narrative, I would say that the thematic lessons of the book were just as strong, if not stronger, in this sequel. There are invaluable lessons in this book about capitalism, power, and human progress.