2022 on Goodreads

28 books. The same as last year.

A link to the year's reading. https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/31898781

My favourites for the year were from Australian authors.

From the past, George Johnston and his magnificent novels My Brother Jack and its equally superb Clean Straw For Nothing.

Contemporary author Richard Flanagan was a read three times, with each book a pleasure beyond expectations. All three novels read had a differing theme other than the fact they were set in Tasmania.

Nature writing has never been something I had really thought I would enjoy, but Rogue Intensities by Angela Rockel was a joy.

I came into the possession of Misty Moderns: Australian Tonalists 1915 – 1950 that was produced on behalf of The Art Gallery of South Australia for an exhibition of Tonalist artists held in 2008 with this book produced by exhibition curator Tracey Lock-Weir. Love this coffee table style publication. A pleasure to look at the wonderful art from that period when the mood takes, and a book I will dip in and out of for many years to come.

2022 Awards for BooksJust a few award categories I thought up to make this a bit more interesting than just a “Top 10 of 2022” type post. Best Debut: [b:A Touch of Light 60154484 A Touch of Light (The Ashes of Avarin, #1) Thiago Abdalla https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642527564l/60154484.SY75.jpg 94676600] Best Bookclub/readalong: [b:We Are the Dead 42602296 We Are the Dead (The Last War, #1) Mike Shackle https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553351197l/42602296.SY75.jpg 66304228] Best Creature: [b:Of Blood and Fire 56750401 Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken, #1) Ryan Cahill https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611043983l/56750401.SY75.jpg 88695878] Best Cover: [b:The Seep 45448133 The Seep Chana Porter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556928267l/45448133.SY75.jpg 70212127] Book that came closest to making me cry: [b:A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell 61624249 A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell (Or, an Account of Catastrophe by Stoudemire McCloud, Demon) Luke Tarzian https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658289412l/61624249.SX50.jpg 97195341] Book that made me laugh: [b:The Kaiju Preservation Society 57693406 The Kaiju Preservation Society John Scalzi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624897234l/57693406.SY75.jpg 90049719] Most impulsive buy (read): [b:Dinosaur Therapy 57652959 Dinosaur Therapy James Stewart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618849951l/57652959.SX50.jpg 90303078] Biggest Heart: [b:The Last Gifts of the Universe 60103317 The Last Gifts of the Universe Rory August https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642529071l/60103317.SY75.jpg 94769767] Most effort to get through: [b:Crossings 25743715 Crossings Ashley Capes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526030291l/25743715.SY75.jpg 45584254] Darkest of Grim Scenes: [b:Gunmetal Gods 55777447 Gunmetal Gods (Gunmetal Gods #1) Zamil Akhtar https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624243972l/55777447.SX50.jpg 85052502] Don't Judge a Book by its Cover: [b:Pallas Lost 60758000 Pallas Lost Jake Morrison https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649212477l/60758000.SY75.jpg 95801205]For the more traditional ‘Top Books of the Year' list, see: [post incoming]For my top anticipated releases of 2023, check out my post here: https://aspectsof.me/2022/12/30/top-anticipated-releases-2023/

Short and sweet this year. Some made up categories, and my favourite book for each (plus a few honourable mentions), then some statistics, and my list of 5 star books from 2022.
Thanks all those who read and comment on my reviews, keeps me motivated to keep writing them. Happy 2023 everyone.

So first to the “Best of the Year” books I have read:

Best Travel - The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage, by Erika Fatland.
Second in this esteemed category: To The Frontier, by Geoffrey Moorhouse

Best History - Setting the East Ablaze: On Secret Service in Bolshevik Asia, by Peter Hopkirk

Best Military - Occupational Hazards, by Rory Stewart. Not technically military, but post-conflict is the central theme. Close second: Horrie The War Dog: The Story of Australia's Most Famous Dog, by Roland Perry

Best Biography - Stories of the Sahara, by Sanmao. Close second: Life, by Keith Richards

Best Science - The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, by John Vaillant

Best Nautical - Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocum

Best Mountaineering - No picnic on Mount Kenya, by Felice Benuzzi

Best Photography - Buller's Birds Of New Zealand; A New Edition Of Sir Walter Lawry Buller's A History Of The Birds Of New Zealand, by Walter Lawry Buller

Best Published by The Travel Book Club - Moved on! From Kashgar to Kashmir, by Paul Nazaroff. Close second: Mata Grosso, by Wacław Korabiewicz

Best New Zealand Authored - Sons for the Return Home, by Albert Wendt (Samoan author, but lets not split hairs)

Best Non-fiction Short Story Collection - The Changing Sky: Travels Of A Novelist, by Norman Lewis (an early collection, although not his best.

Best Fiction - The Glass Canoe, by David Ireland. Honourable mention: The Young Team, by Graeme Armstrong

Best digital read - The Spike, by George Orwell

And downer of the year:

Biggest Disappointment - The Land of Mist, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Professor Challenger #3 - a big disappointment, where Conan Doyle seems all caught up in his spiritualism, and not in the writing of this novel.

Some Statistics - Read 110 books this year, at a touch over 25,500 pages.

My average rating for books is a healthy 3.7 stars.

Longest book: The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver at 616 pages.

Of the 110 Books I rated:
20 books 5 stars
44 books 4 stars
40 books 3 stars
6 books 2 stars

Given the 3.7 average rating, and the high proportion of 4 stared books, 4 stars for the year it seems is most appropriate, once again.

So these are the five star books from the year (in order read):
Stories of the Sahara, by Sanmao
Mata Grosso, by Wacław Korabiewicz
Life, by Keith Richards
Moved on! From Kashgar to Kashmir, by Paul Nazaroff
Horrie The War Dog: The Story of Australia's Most Famous Dog, by Roland Perry
The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage, by Erika Fatland
The Young Team, by Graeme Armstrong
What has happened to me: The story of an Uyghur man who now lives in Japan, by 清水 ともみ, Tomomi Shimizu
No one will say the name of that country, by 清水 ともみ, Tomomi Shimizu
What has Happened to Me: A testimony of a Uyghur woman, by 清水 ともみ, Tomomi Shimizu
Occupational Hazards, by Rory Stewart
Travels in a Dervish Cloak, by Isambard Wilkinson
People of the Mirage, by Michael Campbell Ross
The Glass Canoe, by David Ireland
The Rivers Ran East, by Leonard F. Clark
Buller's Birds Of New Zealand; A New Edition Of Sir Walter Lawry Buller's A History Of The Birds Of New Zealand, by Walter Lawry Buller
Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocum
The Spike, by George Orwell
To The Frontier, by Geoffrey Moorhouse
The Spike, by George Orwell


Target reading list from during the year in spoiler
2022The Border - Erika Fatman1x from Norman Lewis omnibus - Dragon ApparentBarbara GreeneRory Stewart -Occupational Hazards1x Geoffrey Moorhouse - To the FrontierIstanbul - Orhan PamukThe Travels - Marco PoloHopkirk - Setting the East AblazeElspeth Huxley The Mottled LizardPoisonwood BibleGet ShortyPatterson - Tibetan JourneyProfessor Challenger #31x Bettina Selby / Anne Mustoe1x Freya Stark1x Fitzroy MacLean1x Asne Seierstad1x Alan Moorehead - Cooper's Creek (read Clune's DIG instead)3 Men in a BoatFlashman #21x Graham Greene1x Laurie Lee #11x Rohinton MistryA Passage to India - E.M. Forster1x Laurens van der Post - Venture to the InteriorRe-read: In Xanadu - Dalrymplescience x2 <2>1x Penguin Orange1x Penguin Cerise3x P60s < 2 >3x Idriess < 3 >2x Clune < 2 >3 on Circumnavigator books < 4 >12 TBC < 12 > 12 From Travel shelf < 15 >Read if desperate for a good book!Peter Pinney -Dirt on my ShoesSea People - Christina ThompsonCarried over from 2021* 1x Hans Hass* Simon Winchester - Outposts - can't locate it in my shelves...Carried over from 2020* Another John Man - Alpha Beta* Another Mathiesson - Not motivated

Another year, gone.

I was able to just eke out my 2022 reading goal, hitting it on the button at 84 books and finishing up on Dec. 31, an increase of 11 books from my 2021 totals. I read more than 23,000 pages and averaged a 3.9-star rating. I read a lot of Stephen King and T.C. Boyle - no surprises there, but I also devoured a lot of Kevin Wilson and consumed three novels by T. Kingfisher that I couldn't put down. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 24 best books I read this year, (everything that earned 4.5 stars or above) along with some other notables and nuggets.

4.5-star reads:

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan
River of Gods by Candice Millard
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
The War, Blackwater Book 4 by Michael McDowell
Talk to Me, T. C. Boyle
BadAsstronauts by Grady Hendrix
Sundial by Catriona Ward
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

5-star reads:

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
Piranesi by Suzanne Clarke
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards by Daniel Levy
The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis
The High House by Jessie Greengrass
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Ocean State by Stewart O'Nan
The House, Blackwater Book 3 by Michael McDowell
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

5-star Rereads in 2022:

Joyland by Stephen King (6th time - and, as was the case last year, no judgement!)
IT by Stephen King (3rd time)
Carrie by Stephen King (2nd time)
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (2nd read)

Biggest Disappointments:

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Summerwater by Sarah Moss
The Cartographers by Peng Sheperd

Repeat Authors (those who are on my “Yep, I'll read that without any additional information besides the fact that said author wrote something”) who don't appear in the lists above but still brought joy to my reading in 2021 with a new-to-me read:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Perfect Little World, Kevin Wilson
Now is Not the Time to Panic, Kevin Wilson
If the River Was Whiskey, T.C. Boyle
The Relive Box and Other Stories, T.C. Boyle
Drop City, T.C. Boyle
Matrix by Lauren Groff

As always thanks to my wife for reading along with me and being ready to talk books every single day. Thank you all for your engagement on this platform and for your insights and perspectives.
I wish you a safe, happy and healthy 2023 filled with great books!

I can't believe it's going to be 2022. It doesn't seem possible tbh but here we are. But it's also a good thing because it means we're one day closer to Gallant by VE Schwab and Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong aka my most anticipated releases of 2022 that I would literally sell my soul for.

Anyways, below are my reading goals for the year and a list of books I want to actually read. We're keeping it simple this year to try to achieve everything.

2022 Reading Goals
•I want approximately 15% of books I read to be rereads, no more. Aka read more books for the first time. Aka read the books that have sitting unread on my shelves for years
•Write my review/thoughts for every book I read even if it's just a sentence.
•Try to read 200 books this year, but also don't force myself to read 200 books this year. And don't be disappointed if I don't reach 200 books. Reading isn't a job, it's a hobby.
•Read outside my comfort zone more (aka read more than just YA fantasy and more like adult historical fiction)
•Complete the Popsugar 2022 Reading Challenge!
•Read more diverse books!
•Unless it's an ebook for my kindle, I don't want to buy books off Amazon. At all. It's February and I've already failed this.... it's just so cheap
•We won't talk about how much I spent on books last year, but it was a lot a lot, so I have a specific budget for books this year that I don't want to go over .

Books I want to read:
(I'm going to go through each month and mark the ones I have completed. If it's bolded, I've read them)

•The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
•The Secret History by Donna Tart
•Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
•Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
•Persuasions by Jane Austen
•The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
•Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
•The Winner's Curse trilogy by Marie Rutokoski
•Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard
•Shatter Me Series by Taharah Mafi
•Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin
•The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater
•The Diviner's series by Libba Bray
•The Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty
•Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco
Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco
•Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor
•Briar U series by Elle Kennedy
•Reread the Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Reread the Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (but not Heroes of Olympus bc I will not be able to emotionally handle Mark of Athena again)
• Reread Vicious & Vengeful by VE Schwab
• Read five Colleen Hoover books

I'll probably add more goals as I think of them, but that's a start.

Symbols: ⚝ ➤: Would re-read/considerable.♾️ ➤: A favorite book; surpassed my expectations. Reading goals (for 2022.): I honestly only had one; read 10 books. ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ Books read in 2022!∘₊✧──────✧₊∘January: 15 books. 1. [b:Monday's Not Coming 35068534 Monday's Not Coming Tiffany D. Jackson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507338175l/35068534.SY75.jpg 56363989] ⚝2. [b:Homeless Bird 243229 Homeless Bird Gloria Whelan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441606082l/243229.SX50.jpg 235647]3. [b:The Wake of the Wind 188242 The Wake of the Wind J. California Cooper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389205411l/188242.SY75.jpg 181956] ⚝-♾️4. [b:Heart Bones 51007311 Heart Bones Colleen Hoover https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580936060l/51007311.SY75.jpg 75856512] ⚝-♾️5.[b:Harbor Me 37584983 Harbor Me Jacqueline Woodson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526574263l/37584983.SY75.jpg 62648355]6. [b:Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story 34536956 Quiet Girl in a Noisy World An Introvert's Story Debbie Tung https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490543026l/34536956.SX50.jpg 55677841]7. [b:Book Love 39296114 Book Love Debbie Tung https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537722936l/39296114.SX50.jpg 60874701] ♾️8. [b:Happily Ever After & Everything In Between 52771262 Happily Ever After & Everything In Between Debbie Tung https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573919094l/52771262.SX50_SY75.jpg 73728567]9. [b:Reminders of Him 58341222 Reminders of Him Colleen Hoover https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627673942l/58341222.SX50.jpg 69199268]10. [b:What I Didn't Say 13366929 What I Didn't Say Keary Taylor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1355090370l/13366929.SY75.jpg 18595863] ⚝-♾️11. [b:Number the Stars 47281 Number the Stars Lois Lowry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630542426l/47281.SX50.jpg 2677305]12. [b:A Risk on Forever 58454417 A Risk on Forever N.S. Perkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628728961l/58454417.SY75.jpg 91753876] ⚝13. [b:The Diary of a Young Girl 48855 The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560816565l/48855.SY75.jpg 3532896] ⚝-♾️14. [b:Let Me List the Ways 35820010 Let Me List the Ways Sarah White https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508293459l/35820010.SY75.jpg 57321526] ⚝-♾️15. [b:The Ethan I Was Before 30037871 The Ethan I Was Before Ali Standish https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469210259l/30037871.SY75.jpg 45074389] ⚝February: 15 books.1. [b:Yes, Sirs 58789082 Yes, Sirs Cornelia Fields https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1629152503l/58789082.SY75.jpg 92570059] ♾️2. [b:Mosquitoland 18718848 Mosquitoland David Arnold https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402661616l/18718848.SY75.jpg 26584442]3. [b:Halfway to Harmony 52516023 Halfway to Harmony Barbara O'Connor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590445812l/52516023.SY75.jpg 78067486] ⚝4. [b:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 6310 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1) Roald Dahl https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309211401l/6310.SY75.jpg 2765786]5. [b:Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator 6687 Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Charlie Bucket, #2) Roald Dahl https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309211607l/6687.SX50.jpg 2615068]6. [b:Past Perfect Life 40653187 Past Perfect Life Elizabeth Eulberg https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541181741l/40653187.SY75.jpg 60162176] ⚝-♾️7. [b:Mañanaland 44575124 Mañanaland Pam Muñoz Ryan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556946674l/44575124.SY75.jpg 69184626] 8. [b:The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily 33413929 The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily Laura Creedle https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486771282l/33413929.SY75.jpg 49672525] ⚝-♾️9. [b:No Fixed Address 37683441 No Fixed Address Susin Nielsen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518441561l/37683441.SY75.jpg 59311826] ♾️10. [b:Word After Word After Word 7621049 Word After Word After Word Patricia MacLachlan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349060631l/7621049.SX50.jpg 10096116]11. [b:Against All Odds 25482714 Against All Odds Patricia Vanasse https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1438290971l/25482714.SX50.jpg 45256061]12. [b:Dreamland 4325 Dreamland Sarah Dessen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385861832l/4325.SY75.jpg 7995]13. [b:Return to Me 7514860 Return to Me Justina Chen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337400950l/7514860.SY75.jpg 9720594]14. [b:You Go First 35068526 You Go First Erin Entrada Kelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1502743191l/35068526.SY75.jpg 56363983]15. [b:Someone Like You 816953 Someone Like You Sarah Dessen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1336001301l/816953.SX50.jpg 802840] ⚝ March: 16 books. 1. [b:Say It Out Loud 56142113 Say It Out Loud Allison Varnes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606946069l/56142113.SY75.jpg 87451393]2. [b:Love, Aubrey 5982448 Love, Aubrey Suzanne LaFleur https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442769697l/5982448.SX50.jpg 6155858]3. [b:Frindle 439173 Frindle Andrew Clements https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344395824l/439173.SX50.jpg 1993854] ⚝4. [b:No Laughter Here 536811 No Laughter Here Rita Williams-Garcia https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440772203l/536811.SY75.jpg 838817]5. [b:Only a Breath Apart 39863269 Only a Breath Apart Katie McGarry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529602994l/39863269.SX50.jpg 60074106]6. [b:My Life Next Door 12294652 My Life Next Door Huntley Fitzpatrick https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394240144l/12294652.SY75.jpg 17271423] ⚝-♾️7. [b:Paperboy 15797693 Paperboy Vince Vawter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347585298l/15797693.SX50.jpg 21520597] ⚝8. [b:Copyboy 39182206 Copyboy Vince Vawter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520900030l/39182206.SY75.jpg 60764140]9. [b:If There's No Tomorrow 34225450 If There's No Tomorrow Jennifer L. Armentrout https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492387574l/34225450.SY75.jpg 48685490]10. [b:Archer's Voice 32822135 Archer's Voice Mia Sheridan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1656593818l/32822135.SY75.jpg 26343327] ⚝-♾️11. [b:Save Me a Seat 25311520 Save Me a Seat Sarah Weeks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447141137l/25311520.SY75.jpg 45042325] ⚝12. [b:Amelia Unabridged 53138069 Amelia Unabridged Ashley Schumacher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588959940l/53138069.SY75.jpg 72595664] ⚝-♾️13. [b:The Boy Most Likely To 18392495 The Boy Most Likely To Huntley Fitzpatrick https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429813857l/18392495.SY75.jpg 26015012] ⚝14. [b:Girl in Translation 7362158 Girl in Translation Jean Kwok https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347022887l/7362158.SY75.jpg 9152917] ⚝-♾️15. [b:Words in Deep Blue 31952703 Words in Deep Blue Cath Crowley https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487957561l/31952703.SY75.jpg 15339193]16.[b:Alone 49202861 Alone Megan E. Freeman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608477184l/49202861.SY75.jpg 74654706] ♾️April: 13 books.1. [b:Glory Be 11982396 Glory Be Augusta Scattergood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328836347l/11982396.SY75.jpg 16945862]2. [b:Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? 58142544 Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? Leslie Connor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1629935299l/58142544.SY75.jpg 74297502] ⚝-♾️3. [b:Better Than Perfect 17286787 Better Than Perfect (Wild Cards, #1) Simone Elkeles https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404863357l/17286787.SY75.jpg 18230950]4. [b:Wild Crush 13065338 Wild Crush (Wild Cards, #2) Simone Elkeles https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441044453l/13065338.SY75.jpg 18230963] ⚝5. [b:Dear Student 53337632 Dear Student Elly Swartz https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1625405997l/53337632.SY75.jpg 81925816]6. [b:The Chocolate Touch 88455 The Chocolate Touch Patrick Skene Catling https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347517424l/88455.SY75.jpg 85358]7. [b:Measuring Up 50997628 Measuring Up Lily LaMotte https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589287147l/50997628.SX50.jpg 75312255]8. [b:One True Loves 27189194 One True Loves Taylor Jenkins Reid https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559960507l/27189194.SY75.jpg 47225899] ⚝-♾️9. [b:Amal Unbound 36086513 Amal Unbound Aisha Saeed https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509102472l/36086513.SY75.jpg 45632570] ⚝-♾️10. [b:Omar Rising 57761271 Omar Rising Aisha Saeed https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1626964258l/57761271.SY75.jpg 90480302] ⚝11. [b:Addicted to You 55475442 Addicted to You (Addicted, #1) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601267875l/55475442.SY75.jpg 24945287]12. [b:Ricochet 55475465 Ricochet (Addicted, #2) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601268176l/55475465.SY75.jpg 25187508]13. [b:Addicted for Now 55475477 Addicted for Now (Addicted, #3) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601268350l/55475477.SY75.jpg 25187515] ⚝-♾️May: 2 books.1. [b:Kiss the Sky 60690784 Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters, #1) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648245449l/60690784.SY75.jpg 25803531] ⚝-♾️2. [b:Hothouse Flower 60690795 Hothouse Flower (Calloway Sisters, #2) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648245685l/60690795.SY75.jpg 25803541]June: 2 books.1. [b:Thrive 55475489 Thrive (Addicted, #4) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601268554l/55475489.SY75.jpg 26152432]2. [b:Prisoner B-3087 15756277 Prisoner B-3087 Alan Gratz https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1351101941l/15756277.SX50.jpg 21453751] ⚝-♾️July: 2 books. 1. [b:Addicted After All 55475504 Addicted After All (Addicted, #5) Krista Ritchie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601268792l/55475504.SY75.jpg 25803546] ⚝-♾️2. [b:Words with Wings 16192212 Words with Wings Nikki Grimes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398032410l/16192212.SX50.jpg 22112154]August: 5 books.1. [b:Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction 37822650 Hey, Kiddo How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction Jarrett J. Krosoczka https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529196573l/37822650.SX50.jpg 57294506] ⚝-♾️2. [b:Call It What You Want 40653162 Call It What You Want Brigid Kemmerer https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1540470013l/40653162.SY75.jpg 63080762] ⚝-♾️3. [b:Other Words for Home 35398627 Other Words for Home Jasmine Warga https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539183359l/35398627.SY75.jpg 56767524] ⚝-♾️4. [b:Falling Short 58385679 Falling Short Ernesto Cisneros https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637792152l/58385679.SY75.jpg 89657091] ⚝-♾️5. [b:Friend or Fiction 40126802 Friend or Fiction Abby Cooper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542846014l/40126802.SY75.jpg 62233860]September: 11 books.1. [b:The Notations of Cooper Cameron 34007177 The Notations of Cooper Cameron Jane O'Reilly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493017455l/34007177.SX50.jpg 55004367]2. [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass 24213 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass Lewis Carroll https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630487234l/24213.SX50.jpg 2375385]3. [b:Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There 83346 Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #2) Lewis Carroll https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359299332l/83346.SY75.jpg 45962572]4. [b:Tears of a Tiger 119838 Tears of a Tiger (Hazelwood High, #1) Sharon M. Draper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348102787l/119838.SX50.jpg 2373129]5. [b:Big Nate Goes for Broke 12092375 Big Nate Goes for Broke (Big Nate Novels, #4) Lincoln Peirce https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348560566l/12092375.SY75.jpg 17060786]6. [b:Big Nate Flips Out 15818127 Big Nate Flips Out (Big Nate Novels, #5) Lincoln Peirce https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1355992783l/15818127.SY75.jpg 21545733]7. [b:Big Nate: In the Zone 18917408 Big Nate In the Zone Lincoln Peirce https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389034367l/18917408.SY75.jpg 25337823]8. [b:Don't Die, My Love 32904189 Don't Die, My Love Lurlene McDaniel https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478544405l/32904189.SY75.jpg 2052615]9. [b:We Were Liars 16143347 We Were Liars E. Lockhart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402749479l/16143347.SY75.jpg 21975829] ⚝-♾️10. [b:Big Nate Lives It Up 22573833 Big Nate Lives It Up (Big Nate Novels, #7) Lincoln Peirce https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421011002l/22573833.SY75.jpg 42010732]11. [b:Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 36529 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388234247l/36529.SY75.jpg 1990110]October: 3 books.1. [b:Union 61646647 Union Sara Cassidy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1661866397l/61646647.SX50.jpg 97229701]2. [b:It Starts with Us 60393672 It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2) Colleen Hoover https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1644605295l/60393672.SY75.jpg 95171426] ⚝-♾️3. [b:In Love & Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together 54482758 In Love & Pajamas A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together Catana Chetwynd https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601825163l/54482758.SX50.jpg 85029168]November: 4 books.1. [b:How to Make Friends with the Dark 40755416 How to Make Friends with the Dark Kathleen Glasgow https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537464750l/40755416.SY75.jpg 63431994] ⚝-♾️2. [b:Forged by Fire 119832 Forged by Fire (Hazelwood High, #2) Sharon M. Draper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348870766l/119832.SY75.jpg 115374] ⚝3. [b:Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing 37741 Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Fudge, #1) Judy Blume https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630471264l/37741.SY75.jpg 879886]4. [b:Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great 80670 Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Fudge, #2) Judy Blume https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617549704l/80670.SY75.jpg 2908333]December: 8 books.1. [b:Big Nate Blasts Off 25816641 Big Nate Blasts Off (Big Nate Novels, #8) Lincoln Peirce https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1445789737l/25816641.SY75.jpg 45637654]2. [b:Superfudge 80674 Superfudge (Fudge, #3) Judy Blume https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617549748l/80674.SY75.jpg 160962]3. [b:Fudge-a-Mania 37737 Fudge-a-Mania (Fudge, #4) Judy Blume https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386922685l/37737.SY75.jpg 222372]4. [b:Double Fudge 80672 Double Fudge (Fudge, #5) Judy Blume https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617549811l/80672.SY75.jpg 2055054]5. [b:Sit 33988216 Sit Deborah Ellis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498076306l/33988216.SX50.jpg 54983246]6. [b:I Talk Like a River 52886132 I Talk Like a River Jordan Scott https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596476301l/52886132.SX50.jpg 73294122] ⚝7. [b:The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: How Greg Heffley Went Hollywood 7528717 The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary How Greg Heffley Went Hollywood Jeff Kinney https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328811516l/7528717.SX50.jpg 9767249] ⚝8. [b:The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter 34932591 The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary The Next Chapter (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) Jeff Kinney https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492835771l/34932591.SX50.jpg 55065908]

Total books read: 117
Total pages read: 33,964

Top 10 Fiction:
1. Nevermoor series, by Jessica Townsend
2. My Lady Jane & My Plain Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
3. The Martian, by Andy Weir
4. The Inimitable Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse
5. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
7. His Last Bow & The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
8. Emma, by Jane Austen
9. Memories of Glass, by Melanie Dobson
10. The Red House Mystery, by A.A. Milne

Top 10 Nonfiction:
1. What if Jesus was Serious series, by Skye Jethani
2. The Lord is My Courage, by K.J. Ramsey
3. Attached to God, by Krispin Mayfield
4. When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough, by Taylor Schumann
5. Having the Mind of Christ, by Ben Sternke & Matt Tebbe
6. Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
7. Two Funerals, Then Easter, by Rachel Joy Welcher
8. Reading While Black, by Esau McCaulley
9. The God of the Garden, by Andrew Peterson
10. Your Future Self will Thank You, by Drew Dyck

MEJORES LECTURAS 2022

Este año baje un poco el promedio de libros, a inicios de año estuve estudiando y dedicando mi tiempo a investigar y a hacer otro tipo de lecturas, para la segunda mitad del año no tengo excusa. Pero al final lo que importa es seguir leyendo lo que queramos.

Otra cosa que disminuyó fue la cantidad de libros con 5 estrellas, pero si tengo mi lista de favoritos.



- Claus y Lucas, Ágota Kristóf
- El fin del “Homo sovieticus”, Svetlana Alexievich
- Escrito con la sangre de mi corazón, Diana Gabaldón
- Drácula, Bram Stoker
- Misery, Stephen King
- Poeta chileno, Alejandro Zambra
- El verano que mi madre tuvo los ojos verde, Tatiana Țîbuleac
- Adulthood rites e Imago, Octavia E. Butler
- Paradero desconocido, Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
- El adversario, Emmanuel Carrère
- Del amor y otros demonios, Gabriel García Márquez
- Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

OTRAS MENCIONES

Tuve algunas lecturas de no ficción interesantes, primero mencionar a Annie Ernaux con El acontecimiento y pura pasión, tengo pendiente para el próximo año leer los años. También mencionar a know my name, si esto es un hombre y un verdor terrible.

En cuanto a clásicos, éste año no leí tantos, pero algunos que me gustaron mucho y no llegaron a favoritos puedo mencionar a El color púrpura, el bosque y ¿cuánta tierra necesita un hombre?.

DECEPCIONES Y PEORES LECTURAS

Creo que algunos lanzamientos esperados este año resultaron en decepciones. Este año algunas amigas decidimos hacer un club de lectura (no diré que fue el éxito esperado) pero a inicios de año nos pudimos poner de acuerdo en leer algunos libros juntas, y el del mes de enero empezó con la peor lectura del año y mi único libro con 1 estrella que fue un pequeño favor, en general no me gustan los thrillers y éste es malísimo.

Esperemos el 2023 traiga buenas lecturas.

I always look back on the previous year of reading at the start of the new one. 2022 turned out to be a rather mediocre reading year - whereas I usually get to an average rating of 3.5, 2022 only made it to 3.3 - and that also feels about right.I like to start a new year on a positive note, though, so I will concentrate on my reading highlights of 2022.Early in the year, I read the final instalment “[b:The Untold Story 57593991 The Untold Story (The Invisible Library, #8) Genevieve Cogman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631274967l/57593991.SY75.jpg 90197391]” of [a:Genevieve Cogman's 119888 Genevieve Cogman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1402702877p2/119888.jpg] “Invisible Library” series. It is a brilliant finale to a series about Irene, secret agent of the Invisible Library, permanently caught between the Dragons (Order) and the Fae (Chaos)... A wonderful blend of spy thrillers, fantasy, high stakes adventure with great characters, I've loved this series from start to end.»And here in the Library, even if our outer layer is order, we have an inner heart of chaos. We read too much for it to be anything else.«Another highlight came in February by way of the most misunderstood book of the year: [a:Heather Havrilesky's 397284 Heather Havrilesky https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1535559576p2/397284.jpg] “[b:Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage 61152428 Foreverland On the Divine Tedium of Marriage Heather Havrilesky https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1669082796l/61152428.SY75.jpg 91022043]”. Untypically for me, this is not fiction but a kind of memoir - the memoir of Havrilesky's marriage of 15 years at the time.The appeal to me was that Havrilesky is completely honest: There is no “happily ever after”.»Forever is two immortal elves, sipping pink champagne by a burbling stream, then exploring the wild, gorgeous woods around them in everlasting harmony. Forever is set in New Zealand, not New Jersey.«There will be issues and that - not the illusion of eternal happiness - is real. Acknowledging that along with the wonderful aspects of long-term relationships can really help.»I wrote this book to explore that tedium, along with everything else that marriage brings: the feeling of safety, the creeping darkness, the raw fear and suspense of growing older together, the tiny repeating irritations, the rushes of love, the satisfactions of companionship, the unexpected rage of recognizing that your partner will probably never change. And in writing this book, I discovered new layers within my marriage and myself, haunting and chaotic, wretched and unlovable.«I usually add only five-star reads to my review of the year but I'm going to make an exception for [a:Taylor Jenkins Reid's 6572605 Taylor Jenkins Reid https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1645653842p2/6572605.jpg] “[b:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 32620332 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1664458703l/32620332.SY75.jpg 46885151]” which got “only” four stars from me.It gets the honorary star for the LGBTQ* representation as well as doubling as a memorial to Elizabeth Taylor, one of the first and most extraordinary allies, unwavering to the end.»I'm OK with the fact that sometimes doing the right thing gets ugly. And also, I have compassion for myself. I trust myself.«I also didn't expect “[b:The Kaiju Preservation Society 57693406 The Kaiju Preservation Society John Scalzi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624897234l/57693406.SY75.jpg 90049719]” by [a:John Scalzi 4763 John Scalzi https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562613145p2/4763.jpg] to end up on this review but when I read it at the end of March, it was the perfect light read. But Scalzi himself said it best:»It's a pop song. It's meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you're done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face. I had fun writing this, and I needed to have fun writing this. We all need a pop song from time to time, particularly after a stretch of darkness.«Mission accomplished, John!Another wonderful surprise came up in April: “[b:Call Us What We Carry 56805404 Call Us What We Carry Amanda Gorman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627672473l/56805404.SX50.jpg 88721681]” by [a:Amanda Gorman 17342520 Amanda Gorman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1640521263p2/17342520.jpg]. I'll just lazily quote myself from my review because it's still true:“I'm not sure what to say or write about this collection of Amanda Gorman's poetry. Any words I could find would still fall short to describe how amazing and emotionally moving, intellectually brilliant, witty and intelligent this is.”It was June when I met my next great read (which might not yet have been translated into English): “[b:Bretonische Nächte 59902596 Bretonische Nächte (Kommissar Dupin, #11) Jean-Luc Bannalec https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1640089119l/59902596.SY75.jpg 94321103]” (“Breton Nights”) by [a:Jean-Luc Bannalec 5763576 Jean-Luc Bannalec https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] which is part of Bannalec's “Kommissar Dupin” series. This series by German author [a:Jörg Bong 5717 Jörg Bong https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is basically a “cozy” (I hate that term!) mystery about murder, secret gardens, rare birds and coffee!I'm also not sure if and when [a:Dörte Hansen's 13513496 Dörte Hansen https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1593346684p2/13513496.jpg] “[b:Zur See 61073953 Zur See Dörte Hansen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652273837l/61073953.SY75.jpg 96257659]” will be translated from its native German but it so much brightened an otherwise unattractive October and it made it to my favourite books of all time so it just must be mentioned here!Nothing else in my books of 2022 really demands being mentioned even though there were a few other really good reads! And just like that I've written myself into a good mood for 2023. :-)I wish you and yours all the best for 2023 and may there always be great books in your path! Happy new year!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrEnglish version: Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendamGerman version: Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

END OF THE YEAR BOOK OVERVIEW2022 – the year I got back into reading My thing this year (and the years to follow as I build my taste in books) has been people. Messy people. Strange people. Lonely people and misfits. Somehow this theme has aligned itself with the works of Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor, and the genre of gothic. More precisely southern gothic. A considerable number of books I've read this year were, coincidentally, set in the south of the United States. Besides the works of Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor (The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, and The Complete Stories respectively) I also read an emotional memoir, which I don't know how I stumbled upon but I am glad I did, of a man's journey away from his fundamentalist upbringing (the book that made me cry the most) and the journal of a journalist's quest through the Deep South to see for himself the struggles of African-Americans amid racial segregation.Other nonfiction books I read this year include an overview of the earth's history and a very interesting book on the origins of language (rocks and words, two of my all-time interest – readings on natural science are so fun)I also read some classics such as The Invisible Man, Lord of the Flies, and Animal Farm. And poetry. My first time reading proper poetry on my own enterprise. Brad Aaron Modlin and Pádraig Ó Tuama are two of the poets that graced my readings. Science fiction has made it on to the list again with the latest installment of an action-packed series I started in high school and Ted Chiang's collections of short stories.And talking about short stories, this has been the genre (apparently, I can call it that) that I enjoyed the most this year and has made a lasting impression on my taste in literature.The gothic novel The Devil All the Time (which I devoured) and the-most-beautiful One Hundred Years of Solitude (I couldn't imagine such a charming story could exist – I'm a rational person and all but a word permeated by magic like Macando doesn't sound bad at all) count among the books read in 2022. . . .Some conclusions I feel like this year I've been the most conscious and intentional with my readings and choices of books. I think it's safe to say that I've read the most beautiful literature of my life these past months and I hope this will be true in the years to follow as well.I've also extended my horizons this year, discovering some gems along the way and starting to build my taste in literature, and I learned some things about myself (or at least had them brought to my attention), which is definitely a win.In matter of books, this year has been a great one and I'm looking forward to the next one. . . .[bc:The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter 37380 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385265834l/37380.SY75.jpg 860196][bc:One Hundred Years of Solitude 320 One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel García Márquez https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327881361l/320.SX50.jpg 3295655][bc:The Complete Stories 25630779 The Complete Stories Flannery O'Connor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432988398l/25630779.SY75.jpg 886814][bc:The Dawn of Language: Axes, Lies,Midwifery and How We Came to Talk 58874484 The Dawn of Language Axes, Lies, Midwifery and How We Came to Talk Sverker Johansson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630157220l/58874484.SY75.jpg 71244753] [bc:Everyone at This Party Has Two Names 31851874 Everyone at This Party Has Two Names Brad Aaron Modlin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479244671l/31851874.SY75.jpg 52522532][bc:The Country Funeral 41713579 The Country Funeral John McGahern https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552103254l/41713579.SX50.jpg 65061353][bc:A River in Egypt 41713584 A River in Egypt David Means https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552103388l/41713584.SX50.jpg 65061357][bc:The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories 45791 The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories Carson McCullers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388247157l/45791.SY75.jpg 952665][bc:Black Like Me 42603 Black Like Me John Howard Griffin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1311696842l/42603.SY75.jpg 2444552][bc:In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World 23398580 In the Shelter Finding a Home in the World Pádraig Ó Tuama https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414558660l/23398580.SY75.jpg 42955181][bc:Dark Age 29226553 Dark Age (Red Rising Saga, #5) Pierce Brown https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525464420l/29226553.SY75.jpg 49464237][bc:The Name of the Rose 119073 The Name of the Rose Umberto Eco https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415375471l/119073.SY75.jpg 3138328][bc:Întotdeauna diavolul 55260466 Întotdeauna diavolul Donald Ray Pollock https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599495800l/55260466.SY75.jpg 15005760][bc:Lord of the Flies 55304668 Lord of the Flies William Golding https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599874805l/55304668.SY75.jpg 2766512][bc:Where the Light Fell 56637947 Where the Light Fell Philip Yancey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617074089l/56637947.SX50.jpg 88500928][bc:Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 23692271 Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind Yuval Noah Harari https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595674533l/23692271.SY75.jpg 18962767][bc:A Little Life 22822858 A Little Life Hanya Yanagihara https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446469353l/22822858.SY75.jpg 42375710][a few of the books I enjoyed - visible on the Desktop Version]

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I really only cared about hitting my reading challenge goal of 2022 with was 150 books. I smashed that by reading almost 100 more. I am a bit bummed with myself for not sticking to the 52 Book Challenge. However, it's more difficult to complete a challenge like that when you read mostly ARCs from NetGalley.

Resolutions for 2022
1. Continuing with what I started last year: I decided that I am allowed to buy a new book after I finished reading at least two books, in order to decrease my quite abundant paper tbr-pile (currently standing at 115 books). It worked so far, it just takes long.
2. Concluding the series that I have started and not yet finished, giving priority to books that I own in paper format:
- Midnight Breed (read 11 books out of 18)
- ASOIAF (reading third book - July 2022)
- BDB
- Night huntress
- Kate Daniels
- Legion
- Dresden Files
- Farseer trilogy
- Vampire Empire
- Throne of glass
- The falconer (updated on July 2022)
- Legends of the first empire
- Lotus war
- Mistborn era 2 (finished in December)
- All souls trilogy
- Heartstrikers
- Iron Fey
- Legend of Drizzt
- Daughter of the moon goddess - added on Jan. 2022
- Six cranes duology
- Moonbound clan
- Acotar - added on Feb. 2022, read the first 3 + novella
-Hades saga
I am curious to see my progress on the second point throughout the year. It is unrealistic that I will complete all the listed series, but I would be glad if I will conclude at least three of them. Also, I am a person who needs to change after sticking to the same world (aka, series) for some time.

January 2022 ⭐⭐⭐January reads:

[b:Vampire Hunter D|16599|Vampire Hunter D|Hideyuki Kikuchi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1302669309l/16599.SX50.jpg|18277] ⭐⭐⭐⭐