First of all, I am having a difficult time believing that I have been putting this list together since 2014. 2022 was another great year of reading for me and I hope you found some treasures in your book stack too. I've read 42 books as of publishing and most of them have been enjoyable. I only rated six books below three stars on Goodreads, and left four of them unfinished (yes, it's true, some of the books we read never make it to this blog because we don't think it's fair to review books we don't finish).
This year I started reading more comics again, which has been wonderful, but I haven't read as many nonfiction books or cookbooks as in previous years and that is definitely reflected in my favorites. As always, this list is not in order, but these are the books I've been recommending to people when asked. Be sure to click on the title to get our full blog review.
In her debut novel,
Angeline Boulley has written a love letter to her Native American
community and her family (she is a firekeeper’s daughter herself). The story of 18-year-old Daunis and her relationship with her tribe and her local community and how she navigates the challenges of both kept me riveted from beginning to end.
An action-packed fantasy adventure about Bree, a young woman attending UNC as an early college student who discovers she has exceptional abilities beyond her academic excellence and in fact, might just be able to save the world. Deonn weaves important commentary about the minority experience into her fabulous storytelling without missing a beat. I can't wait to read the sequel.
Cottom is smart, witty, and knows her own voice and
most importantly is unafraid to speak her truth in these pages as she shares
her reality of living as a black woman in America today. Whether talking
about standards of beauty, class mobility, ethnic diversity within the
black community, and much more, Cottom's essays are a mixture of academic
education and memoir; through her view as a black woman and a
sociologist, she paints a very vivid picture.
Favorite Graphic Novels:
An autobiographical graphic novel, Parenthesis was fascinating, as
Elodie Durand tries to understand her own trauma and confusion resulting
from tumor-induced
epilepsy. This graphic novel is her attempt to piece together the lost time- years- and figure out what really happened from the perspective of those whose memory was more reliable than her own. I can only imagine how terrifying the entire experience must have been for her. It’s a genuinely moving story & Durand’s journey is inspiring.
epilepsy. This graphic novel is her attempt to piece together the lost time- years- and figure out what really happened from the perspective of those whose memory was more reliable than her own. I can only imagine how terrifying the entire experience must have been for her. It’s a genuinely moving story & Durand’s journey is inspiring.
These were a wonderful surprise! I'm an old-school Runaways fan from whence they sprang from the imagination
of Brian K. Vaughn, then were carried on through the minds of Whedon
and Moore. Because of that I put off the Rainbow Rowell series for... years. I'm glad I finally picked it up though because it's an absolute delight. It may be tough for newer fans to follow at first, but it does a great job of honoring the older storylines while building its own path forward.
Favorite Audiobooks:
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin, narration by Sheila Reid and Rebecca Benson
Lenni is 17 and Margot is 83. They meet as
patients in the hospital and realize that together they have lived 100
years. To celebrate their century, they decide to make 100 paintings
about their lives. As these fierce women shared their stories, I
celebrated with them, laughed with them, cried with them, and
was amazed at their resilience. Truth be told, I can still hear the "voices" of Margot and Lenni in my head some days. Reid and Benson do a beautiful of job of bring Margot and Lenni to life, making it a pleasure to spend time with them and those around them.
Escapism at its finest. I love magical realism and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe delivers a plateful! It's
just a lovely story that will bring a
smile to your face. It's absolutely perfect for a weekend getaway or any
other time you need a little escape from reality. If you're looking for
a pick-me-up in your next novel, look no further than this one.
Best Vacation Books:
Each of the characters in Other Birds has secrets and something that they are holding on
to that keeps the spirits of their past tethered to present. The
residents of the Dellawisp come together to help and heal one another
and, maybe while they are doing so, also remind readers that family can
be found wherever you are willing to open your heart. Sarah Addison
Allen’s magical realism is endlessly creative and never fails to keep a
smile on my face as I read her books.
It's
easy to love a book about people who love books and Henry hits the mark
on this one- I did not want to put it down once I started reading. Another one to put in your suitcase (or on your Kindle) if
you're taking a trip. Book Lovers is a great book for a getaway. Fun and fast-moving with witty banter, the story will fly by just as quickly as your vacation.
Here's to another great year of reading ahead in 2023. In case you're curious and looking for more reading ideas, here's a link to my favorites lists from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Also don't forget to check out Amy's Favorite Books of 2022, too!
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