10 Books I Read in 2022
The 500 Things Project Ep. 2
I read 29 books in 2022, including eleven in the last ten weeks of the year. I didn’t focus well enough to read much while I was pregnant, so it’s been invigorating to get back into it. I have a hefty TBR (to-be-read) list going already for 2023.
This year I’m exploring new ways to retain what I read. I tend to be very present-oriented, so when I’m reading a good book, it’s amazing and I have thoughts about essays to write and things I’m inspired to do. Afterwards, though, it fades quickly and I’m on to the next read, always chasing some feeling and not remembering what. This year, I’m keeping a folder on my computer to hold quotes from my books and maybe some of those inspirations. I am also keeping a more detailed book journal with the dates I start and end each book and some notes on what I liked or didn’t like. It’s an experiment for now - we’ll see how these practices affect my reading life.
This year I did a lot of re-reading for comfort. I read mostly fiction, and the non-fiction made me wish I had started my quote keeping last year. Alas, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second best time is now. So it is with our rhythms and practices, and I’m looking forward to what might emerge this year.
Now, on to the books! This list of ten isn’t ranked or ordered, just ten that I wanted to share today.
10 Books I Read in 2022
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Re-reads were essential while I had morning sickness this spring. I needed something good. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a retelling of Beauty & the Beast involving faeries and if Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen was the hero. It’s a series1 and it reads as easy as chick lit, but the depth of characters, the true complexity of their relationships, and the high stakes plot are so good. I am required to inform you that these books are quite spicy, so now you’ve been warned.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
This is a beach read for sure - and I don’t think I’ll ruin much by saying it’s friends-to-lovers. It’s pretty - there’s lovely characters and interesting setting and backstories - but the punchline drags a little. I say about it what many others do: Emily Henry’s Beach Read was perfect and this was, well, not. Still a good one to throw in the beach bag. I haven’t read Book Lovers yet but it’s for sure on my list for the first weekend at the river this summer.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
I listened to this on audio. It’s a kids’ book told from the perspective of a gorilla who lives in a roadside circus and follows how his life changes when the circus acquires a baby elephant. It was fantastically narrated and I am looking forward to hearing Edward read it to Charlie in a few years.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I’ve read all the Jane Austen novels now. (Yay!) I want to rank them by enjoyability but I can’t bring myself to rank any of them last. I, along with the rest of the world, like Pride & Prejudice the best. Sense & Sensibility is well done but it’s difficult for me to read Marianne. The other three are tied below that. Now that I’ve read Northanger I’m going to go back and reread Mansfield Park. I remember it being a fun one.
Indestructible by Allison Fallon
This memoir about Ally leaving her first marriage and discovering her own heart is an absolute powerhouse. The first time I read it was when I was still figuring out that my own marriage wasn’t going to work, and I clung to her words and the message to “be in my life with my whole heart.” I went for the re-read when I needed some encouragement this year.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
I put this on my TBR back in 2020 and thought it was a book about writing, like Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, but as it turns out it’s a novel about a writer. Specifically, a golf prodigy turned writer, working as a waitress as she learns how to be a better lover and friend. Writers & Lovers did end up having some things to say about writing and about life, and I really enjoyed it.
Fires of Freedom by Brigitte Cromey
This is kind of a re-read, as I was a beta reader for Fires of Freedom while it was still in edits. I picked it back up during a really hard week of overnight nursing, and the story of friendship, trust, and hope was just right.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi is an odd story. It plays with a possibly unreliable narrator and a very unique setting that was difficult to visualize, but once I had a grip on those, I raced through the story. I originally thought this was a myth retelling similar to Madeline Miller’s Circe or Song of Achilles, but while it has roots in the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, it’s a brand new story and so well done.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Edward got me a set of John Green’s first four novels for Christmas. At one point I owned all of them, but they got nixed in the great and regretful house purge of 2019, so I was delighted to see them again. We read An Abundance of Katherines out loud together over Christmas weekend and if that sounds quaint and dorky, it was, and also so much fun. Katherines is told from the perspective of a high school prodigy who only dates - and keeps getting dumped by - girls named Katherine. Edward said repeatedly how well John Green captures the teenage boy perspective. The read was a fun trip down memory lane in a variety of ways.
These Precious Days by Anne Patchett
I adored Anne’s previous essay collection This is the Story of a Happy Marriage and wanted to send a copy to all my friends. These Precious Days and the stories in it made me want: want to experience a writing workshop, want to savor every good and hard thing, want to spend more deep time with real people - and made me cry because gosh darn it if I didn’t see the last essay coming. If you don’t find yourself with time for novels, pick up one of these essay collections. So. Good.
And that’s my 2022 reading wrap up. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What should I add to my reading list this year?
See you next week –
Love,
Amy
Okay, if you’re interested, here is the scoop on the ACOTAR series, as the Internet calls it: Some people find the first book a little slow (I did not), but then that the second and third book more than make up for it. The second and third book are A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin, respectively. The fourth book, A Court of Frost and Starlight, is a novella that spans the time between ACOWAR and book five, and in my opinion has zero plot and isn’t worth the read. If you get there, book five, A Court of Silver Flames, is Nesta’s story and it is so good. It is also the sexiest of the whole series - but the themes! The character growth! The examples of how time and constant friendship heal trauma! I’m a fan, can you tell?