68 books read
17,140 pages read
This year I discovered BookTube, and it opened up a whole new source of inspiration for reading material. Seeing how much people were able to read made me want to reprioritise, and I made sure I had a book in my bag whenever I left the house in 2022 – catching just ten minutes of reading at a bus stop, or in a queue, meant I was able to cram in many more books than a typical year!
With Goodreads’ help, I had initially made a reading goal of 40 books, and yet here I am closing the year with 68 titles!
Although it’s hard to narrow down the list, here are some firm favourites…
Best Non-Fiction Book
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook of The Anthropocene Reviewed. John Green narrates this book of essays with his trademark wit, covering everything from Dr Pepper to Canadian geese. Informative but chatty, it’s like sitting down with an old friend (for long-time John Green fans, it really is just that!).
Best Graphic Novel
A chilling story of mystery and monsters. I went out and bought volume two the very next day!
Best Children’s Book
All year I told customers at work that this was the new Harry Potter, and alas, it won the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year award. I’m smug but not surprised, as it wasn’t hard to imagine how this book will grow into an epic adventure series with a really strong cast of characters and an original, fantastical take on everyone’s favourite mythical creature. Counting down the days ’til the sequel!
A Year in Books
The Times I Knew I Was Gay // Eleanor Crewes
The Tragical Comedy of Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch // Neil Gaiman
The Girl Who Became A Tree // Joseph Coelho
There’s No Such Thing As An Easy Job // Kikuko Tsumura
Olive // Emma Gannon
Slay In Your Lane // Yomi Adegoke (and others)
Disconnected: How To Stay Human In An Online World // Emma Gannon
Maria’s Island // Victoria Hislop
Galatea // Madeline Miller
Fault Lines // Emily Itami
Gut Feelings // C.G. Moore
In The House In the Dark of The Woods // Laird Hunt
The Nakano Thrift Shop // Hiromi Kawakami
The Vanishing Half // Brit Bennett
Sorrow and Bliss // Meg Mason
Malibu Rising // Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Imagination Chamber // Philip Pullman
Midnight Sun // Stephanie Meyer
Tabatha // Neil Gibson
Big Magic // Elizabeth Gilbert
Beautiful World, Where Are You // Sally Rooney
Wendy, Master of Art // Walter Scott
Matrix // Lauren Groff
Something Is Killing The Children, Vol. 1 // James Tynion IV
The Runaway’s Diary // James Patterson
The Wind In The Willows // Dina Gregory
Sabotage // Emma Gannon
The Case Of The Lonely One // John Allison
The Dance Tree // Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic // Alison Bechdel
The Case Of The Good Boy // John Allison
Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life // Bryan Lee O’Malley
The Case Of The Unwelcome Visitor // John Allison
The Case Of The Team Spirit // John Allison
Skandar And The Unicorn Thief // A.F. Steadman
Bullet Train // Kōtarō Isaka
The Greatcoat // Helen Dunmore
Spring At Lavender Bay // Sarah Bennett
Witchcraft In Exeter, 1558-1660 // Mark Stoyle
Skip // Molly Mendoza
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, And The Horse // Charlie Mackesy
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman // Juliette Henderson
The Flat Share // Beth O’Leary
How To Kill Your Family // Bella Mackie
The Rental Heart And Other Fairytales // Kirsty Logan
The Madness Of Crowds // Douglas Murray
Hare House // Sally Hinchcliffe
The Trees // Percival Everett
Make Your Bed // William H. McRaven
Family of Liars // E. Lockhart
Fortunately, The Milk // Neil Gaiman
My Dark Vanessa // Kate Elizabeth Russell
Atomic Habits // James Clear
Piranesi // Susanna Clarke
Less // Andrew Sean Greer
Untamed // Glennon Doyle
Hometown Tales: Glasgow // Kirsty Logan and Paul McQuade
The Inugami Curse // Seishi Yokomizo
Carrie Soto Is Back // Taylor Jenkins Reid
We Were Never Here // Andrea Bartz
The Tiny Wife // Andrew Kaufman
Our Crooked Hearts // Melissa Albert
Heimat: A German Family Album // Nora Krug
In Waves // A.J. Dungo
The Anthropocene Reviewed // John Green
The Tattooist of Auschwitz // Heather Morris
You Be Mother // Meg Mason
Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients // Adam Kay
The Appendix // Liam Konemann
Next year I would like to read more mystery books (perhaps try some Swedish crime writers), and also tackle some of the books that have been sat on my shelf for a few months now. The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly and The Salt Path by Raynor Winn will definitely get their moment soon!
What books did you enjoy reading this year?
