Charlotte leaders’ favorite reads of 2022

Plus: Top local news of the week — New CMS school board re-elects Dashew as chair — CMPD blames staffing woes for longer 911 response times — Charlotte apartment development softens

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Planning to read more in the new year? Some of Charlotte’s top leaders recommend their favorite books from 2022; (Ledger staffers sneaked in some of our favorites, too)

Whether you’ve already started compiling a list of New Year’s resolutions or are waiting until it’s closer to Jan. 1, we’ve got a suggestion to add to your list of 2023 goals: 

Read one book a month. 

It’s no secret that most New Year’s resolutions don’t live to see February, but we’re determined to help you succeed. We asked some of Charlotte’s top leaders — including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Atrium Health CEO Gene Woods — to share their favorite reads of 2022, and we included some of our own recommendations. 

To add extra insurance that your New Year’s resolution sticks, we’ve even suggested which book to tackle each month. (But feel free to go in whatever order you’d like.) 

📗 January: Vi Lyles, mayor of Charlotte

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• “I am a big fan of fiction. In 2022, I read ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and it was such an extraordinary page-turner! Reid created a marvelous character with Evelyn. She’s charismatic, dynamic, fun and awful all at the same time. Evelyn’s an ambitious woman who wants to give and receive love, and through her character, Reid addresses many contemporary socio-political issues. If you’re looking for an intriguing and gratifying piece of historical fiction, I highly recommend this book!”

📗 February: Marcellus “MT” Turner, CEO and chief librarian of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

• Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey

• “I first heard of this poet and author a few years ago for her work in poetry and for her connections to Mississippi where I grew up. I am not a fan of poetry, so when I heard she had a memoir out, I decided to give it a try. Little did I know how much this story would draw me in for its Mississippi story line and interracial marriage in the South, Mississippi no less, and then for the story of the murder of her mother. It was more than I emotionally bargained for, but it was worth the read.”

📗 March: Gene Woods, CEO of Atrium Health

• Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

• “This book is an invaluable guide to the leadership qualities demonstrated by four of our greatest presidents and how they overcame major obstacles to accomplish signature achievements, including the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil Rights Act and Medicare insurance for the elderly. One of my favorite quotes from the book is: ‘More and more it seems to me that about the best thing in life is to have a piece of work worth doing and then to do it well.’”

📗 April: Terri White, CEO and president of Charlotte Museum of History

• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

• “The book that’s on my mind right now is ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Nigerian-American writer Tomi Adeyemi. It was published in 2018 and is the first in a trilogy. The final book is due out in 2023, so I’m re-reading the first two books now in preparation! They are in the world-building vein of Harry Potter but steeped in West African mythology and culture. After a long day of meetings and program development at the museum — or academic reading for my doctorate program — I want a book that I can get lost in. Ayedemi’s books do that for me.”

📗 May: Tony Mecia, executive editor of The Charlotte Ledger

• Deadly Declarations by Landis Wade

• “If you’re looking for a fun local read, check out this 2022 novel by Landis Wade, a former McGuireWoods lawyer turned author and host of the Charlotte Readers Podcast. The plot centers on a group of residents at an east Charlotte retirement community who band together to solve a mysterious death that’s linked to the history of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence — the ‘Meck Dec,’ whose murky origins are a matter of historical dispute. Enjoy the novel’s many local references, to places like the Captain Jack statue, the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, Green’s Lunch and uptown’s ‘America Bank’ building. It’s an entertaining read and will fill you in on a piece of local history — such as why May 20, 1775, ‘Meck Dec Day,’ is on North Carolina’s flag.”

📗 June: Douglas Hicks, president of Davidson College

• How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

• ​​“I commend Clint Smith’s ‘How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America.’ Smith, a Davidson College graduate, narrates his visits to historic sites across the country that played a role in the slave trade or enslavement. Smith invites readers into a public conversation about the reality and legacy of slavery. This fall, Davidson College’s common read was Smith’s book; I can attest to the compelling nature of the book and its success at sparking hard but valuable discussions.”

📗 July: Johnny Jennings, chief of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

• Unstoppable Teams by Alden Mills

• “It was really good. It is an excellent demonstration of facing adversity, defining yourself and pushing yourself to your limits to attain your goals. I found some of Alden’s personal struggles intriguing, and then the quest he endured to be the best and what it took to get there moved me. Alden is a true inspiration to all of us who want to reach a certain point in life and not let obstacles stand in their way.”

📗 August: Bonnie Titone, SVP and CIO of Duke Energy

• New to Big by David Kidder and Christina Wallace

• “[‘New to Big’] is a great read for anyone but especially for people who work at large companies in traditional industries. I’m responsible for the IT and security arms of Duke Energy, and the central message of New to Big is about inspiring the creative engine in teammates. Earlier this year, I helped lead a series of workshops with the company’s top executives to come up with bold, transformative ideas that would position us for success during our clean energy transition. Everyone was asked to read this book beforehand, and it set the stage well for those conversations. If you want to be inspired and innovate to solve problems going into 2023, 10/10 would recommend.”

📗 September: Cristina Bolling, managing editor of The Charlotte Ledger

• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

• “Don’t let the title fool you — this isn’t one of those ‘time hacks’ books on how to pack even more into your day. This book is more philosophical, about our relationship with time. There are some good lightbulb moments where Burkeman examines how our human relationship with time has changed over the ages, and how our current obsession with productivity (squeezing the most out of our 4,000 weeks on earth) has made our schedules fuller but our lives less meaningful. It’s not all navel-gazing philosophy; there are some good pieces of advice, including giving ourselves permission to have less FOMO and more JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out).”

📗 October: Mac Everett, former banking executive with First Union and its successor, Wachovia

• Red Notice by Bill Browder

• “[‘Red Notice’ is] a real-life story about Russian companies in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union. Browder is a hedge fund manager who invested in Russian companies when they were privatized. He sees firsthand how the oligarchs are taking advantage of the situation and begins to expose them. [There’s] much more to the story. [It’s] particularly interesting with what is currently happening with Mr. Putin and the Russian people.”

📗 November: Kandi W. Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont Community College

• The Speed of Trust by Steven M.R. Covey

• “Earlier this year, we asked all of our college leaders down through the executive director and dean level to read ‘The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything’ by Steven M.R. Covey. Further, we aligned the 60-member leadership team into smaller groups to meet and the discuss the book over a six-week period. Ultimately, we wanted to lay a foundation for deeper discussions on strategy and moving the college forward. We know that trust is an important characteristic of highly effective leadership teams and their ability to make good decisions and provide exceptional customer service.”

📗 December: Lindsey Banks, staff writer for The Charlotte Ledger 

• Normal People by Sally Rooney

• “Sally Rooney is one of my favorite fiction authors, but she’s an acquired taste. She doesn’t use quotation marks around her dialogue, and her books are character-driven, not plot-driven. ‘Normal People’ follows the relationship of best friends Marianne and Connell over a four-year period as they finish secondary school and begin college in Dublin. Their complex relationship, at times, both helps and hurts them as they discover who they are as individuals. There’s also a limited series on Hulu based on the book, which is always a plus.”  

—Compiled by Lindsey Banks

Share your book recommendation:

➡️ What was the best book you read in 2022? Ledger members can sound off in the comments:

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Today’s supporting sponsor is The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. Serving locally since 1904, The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte meets needs with services including supporting women and families experiencing homelessness; mentoring youth at eight Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs; providing Christmas assistance; disaster relief; and more.

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This week in Charlotte: CMS board reappoints Dashew as chair; Two people shot at Northlake Mall; Apartment construction slows; New pickleball complex opens in Ballantyne

On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.

Education

• New CMS board: (Ledger 🔒, Observer) Five new members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education were sworn in Tuesday, and the new board unanimously reappointed Elyse Dashew as its chair and voted new board member Stephanie Sneed as its vice chair. The board met in closed session Friday to discuss who will be the district’s new interim superintendent, but emerged with no decision.

• Magnet school express bus details: (WFAE) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced an express bus plan for a dozen magnet schools that would require some students to travel up to three miles from home to catch a bus, dropping the maximum ride time from two hours to 30 minutes.

Politics

• Cawthorn sued by own lawyers: (WRAL) Rep. Madison Cawthorn is being sued for more than $193,000 for what his former Indiana-based lawyers say are unpaid legal bills. Cawthorn had hired the firm to represent him after opponents sought to keep him off the May primary ballot. 

• Charlotte-area congressman urged martial law: (Insider) Newly released text messages show that U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican who represents Rock Hill and Fort Mill, wrote to President Trump’s chief of staff three days before Joe Biden was to be inaugurated to encourage Trump to declare martial law, saying “we are at a point of no return for saving our Republic!!”

Local news

• Northlake Mall shooting: (WBTV) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have a suspect in custody after two people were shot at Northlake Mall on Thursday afternoon in northeast Charlotte.

• Airport holiday travel: (CLT Airport) Charlotte Douglas International Airport says its heaviest holiday traffic days will be Dec. 22, Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, and expects as many as 71,000 daily travelers compared to the normal 66,000. CLT suggests arriving early and preparing for long security lines. 

• 911 operator shortage: (WFAE) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say staffing shortages are to blame for slow 911 response times. CMPD says 10% of 911 calls take longer than a minute to answer.

Business

• Apartment slowdown: (Ledger 🔒) Many developers are postponing apartment construction because of high interest rates and construction costs, which creates the risk that softening rents may not be able to cover the costs. 

• Tepper real estate bankruptcy ends: (Biz Journal) U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware expressed its intention to confirm the bankruptcy plan of David Tepper’s GT Real Estate Holdings LLC, and lawyers for York County and Rock Hill spoke in support of the plan, in which the county receives $21.2M.

Sports

• In memoriam: (Observer) Paul Silas, the former coach of the Charlotte Hornets, passed away at age 79. He coached Charlotte’s NBA team from 1998-2002 and again from 2010-2012. 

• Panthers headed to the playoffs? (Yahoo Sports) With the Carolina Panthers’ surprise win in Seattle on Sunday, the team can make the playoffs if it wins all four remaining games — which are against teams with losing records.

From the Ledger family of newsletters

Monday

• Painting school rocks: Several local artists in south Charlotte and Union County have started businesses painting school rocks. They are hired by parents to paint birthday messages for their students on the large rocks outside of elementary schools. 

• Mecklenburg ABC sales surge: ABC stores in Mecklenburg County have experienced an increase in sales over the past few months as supply has improved, although the “supply chain is not cured,” said Mecklenburg County ABC Board CEO Keva Walton. For example, holiday favorite Baileys Irish Cream might be hard to find. 

• Car-free apartment complex: Construction is underway on Cykel Apartments in the Seversville neighborhood, which is believed to be the first Charlotte apartment complex to prohibit residents from owning cars.

Wednesday (🔒)

• 🎧 New podcast on Charlotte real estate development: The Ledger’s Tony Mecia talks to David Ravin, CEO of Northwood Ravin, about his background in architecture and urban design and the outlook for commercial real estate in Charlotte.

• Final day for memorial parking deck: After 30 years, Atrium Health’s Blythe parking deck at its main Carolinas Medical Center campus closed this week and is expected to be replaced with a new medical tower.

Friday (🔒)

• Senior living communities extend into private homes: Some retirement communities in Charlotte including Southminster and Aldersgate are expanding their services to include in-home care for people who live off their campuses, following the national trend of seniors wanting to “age in place” at home. 

• Apartments in Camp North End? Last week, Camp North End received two building permits for what appears to be apartments located next to Southern-style restaurant Leah & Louise totaling around $65M in construction costs. 

• UNC club modifies toys for handicapped children: Carolina Adapts Toys for Children (CATCH) is a student organization on campus of UNC Chapel Hill that modifies toys to be more accessible for children with mobility issues, and on Wednesday, the club donated toys to Novant Health Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Atrium Health’s Levine Children Hospital in Charlotte. 

• Record haul at Good Fellows luncheon: The 106th annual Good Fellows Club’s Christmas Luncheon this week raised a record of $2M to assist those who can’t afford their rent. The previous record was set last year at $1.6M.  

• New pickleball facility in Ballantyne: The new indoor Pickleball Charlotte opened on Ardrey Kell Road in Ballantyne on Thursday, with seven courts, a pro shop and an event space.

Ways of Life (🔒)

• Photographer Krista Gantt has been snapping photos of premature babies in the NICU since 2016 — photos that are free of charge for parents during an emotional and scary time. 

Transit Time

• Year in review: Looking back at the year in transit and transportation news, Ely Portillo of WFAE says there was plenty of planning but little movement on answering unresolved questions on a comprehensive transit plan for the Charlotte region.

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project