Hello, and welcome to Twelve in Twelve.
I’ve written a little bit about this blog’s intentions in the “about” tab, but with this first post I’d like to go into more detail. I first had the idea for this blog after finishing John Green’s most recent title; Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection. I’ve been a fan of Green since I read The Fault in Our Stars in college. The book utterly ripped my heart out, as did almost every other book by Green I read after that one. This last one was honestly no different. The stories were more personal, more stark. The stakes of the lives discussed in the book were so high. I won’t spoil any of the book for you, but take comfort in knowing I found it so educational and so personal, that it made me want to keep reading.
When I say it made me want to keep reading, do I mean that I want to keep learning about tuberculosis? Kind of. Green gives a lot of good source material towards the end of the book, that he used as his own source material and research. I definitely will be flipping back through my physical copy to make note of those titles. But when I say the book made me want to read more, I mean it made me want to rediscover my passion and joy of reading. As a kid, I would stay up late into the night reading all sorts of books. My fondest memories of reading come from the midnight release parties that Barnes and Noble use to host of the Harry Potter books. My mom would let me dress up in second-hand graduation robes, find me a stick and witch’s hat, and we’d drive to our bookstore, wait in line and take home our very own reserved copy of the latest release. I specifically remember doing this with the last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I stayed up as long as I could reading that book after we got home. I think I made it to somewhere around chapter ten that night. And in the days that followed, I stayed in my room and read and read and read.
I don’t know exactly when I stopped reading for fun. Maybe it’s when I got to college and I couldn’t read for fun anymore, and had to mostly read for papers and presentations. I graduated with a degree in English, so you would think that I had a blast just reading classics and complex texts for four years. And you’d be correct – I did. But the books I was reading in college were much like Tuberculosis. They left me sitting with my thoughts; mulling over themes, context, and analyzing character intentions and motivations. I read from authors from all over the world. I read about hot-button issues that no one really seems to think are hot-button issues, but have such an impact on our global economy and our society as a whole. Having that spark ignite again while reading Tuberculosis was invigorating. And I want to keep that spark going.
So, thus came the idea of Twelve in Twelve. I want to read more this year and keep the spark alive. I want to discover new authors and celebrate literature and the artistry that is writing. Call it my 2026 New Years Resolution or whatever. I’m sure so many people had “read more” on their list of resolutions this year; but I really am dedicated to doing it. As stated in my “about” section, I’ll be doing this challenge mostly via audio books. Some would call that cheating. I call it working smarter, not harder. I’m a mother of two small children, and sometimes, my hands need to be as free as possible. As much as I love annotating a book, I think this will be a refreshing way for me to keep the spark….sparking.
Every month there will be a new book, celebrating that author and the theme for that month. We’ve already completed January’s title; Everything is Tuberculosis. And I will have my review of that one coming up shortly. Next month, we’re celebrating Black History Month with James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. I’m expecting this title to be a hefty read as well, given the ramifications of the novel. The themes will be emotional and insightful, I’m sure. I’ve always wanted to dive head first into Baldwin’s works. I’ve been so moved and inspired by his words and example for a very long time. I cannot wait to see what the novel holds for me.
I am hopeful that anyone reading this blog finds this little journey of mine wholesome. I don’t have any other goal than to ignite sparks in others, and reawaken passions that we’ve maybe forgotten along the way. Life moves so fast; too fast, sometimes. But I’m looking forward to finding little moments to slow down and keep my spark alive. I hope you will too.
Thanks for coming along.
Twelve in Twelve 