My top 5 reads for the second part of this year, some done some still going through, and others looking forward to starting very soon.  Not sure why these have to be linked to 2022, they are great at any year really, but I guess it’s a good way to document at what phase in my life I found some of these topics interesting.

Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can – This gem by Phyllis L. Fagell may have a long title, but the text is straightforward and to the point. She goes through some of the awkward milestones and potentially more awkward events that may come up with your adolescent and provides easy to absorb concepts on how to diffuse and deal with the situations.  Before my son started his Middle School years I always thought this phase of life is the worst.  I certainly was heavily bullied around this time.  So when I read some of the perspectives provided here I am much more sympathetic to this age group of essentially what are still insecure kids but with new challenges and problems.  Even if you don’t have kids, this certainly provides a new perspective on what might be the most misunderstood demographic in society.

Story Of The Silk Road Magazine – Got this from my local grocery store; usually if it is not Time, Life, or National Geographic – I wouldn’t pick up the limited edition magazines, but I am always fascinated by the Silk Road.  This was a great find, I do know a lot bout the Silk Road as a self proclaimed History addict, but this one was more in depth and provided tid bits of information on the individual cultures along the Silk Road.  It made it easier to visualise how it worked and what life was like through anecdotes and little side bars, but also gave the bigger picture for those not familiar with the topic.  Lots of great imagery and maps to go along with it as well.

The Introvert Advantage: How Quiet People Can Thrive in an Extrovert World – after reading “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain I was fascinated by what I never knew about myself – being a full on introvert.  So I sought out more books and this one by Marti Olsen Laney  caught my eye.  Although older than “Quiet”, it provides a new angle, not only on what it means to be an introvert but how introverts are an essential part of our heavily extroverted society.  It certainly explain the need for introverts and the advantages they hold to getting things done.  Obviously diversity is key to any successful society, and introverts are no exception.  I’m sure you can appreciate those in your lives in a different way after reading this.

Where the Crawdads Sing – saw the movie, which I highly recommend, and all the rich and textured layers of the movie in showing the marshes and the environment made me curious how this translates as a novel.  Just to clarify the novel by Delia Owens came before the movie.  We all know novels and the written word are much more detailed and descriptive than what you would find in a movie, and because I loved the setting in the movie so much I wanted to experience more of it and was willing to read the story, even though I knew the ending, to get a sense of that.  Beautiful as expected, great character development, and even though I am not usually a fan of fiction, this was a wonderful exception.

2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything – major buffs of trends and social sciences, this one is for you by Mauro F. Guillen.  Very insightful and what made it fascinating is how what would be considered minor trends today would have major impacts for tomorrow.  Definitely a new perspective not on where society is headed but how the realities of today, as minor as they are, evolve into bigger things in the future.  Nothing too far off or sci fi about it, grounded on data and trends, this provides a picture of where we might be in the very near future (2030) – both good and bad.