Best of 2022
A list of my favourite books of the year
01
In the Dream House, by Carmen Maria Machado
I don't read a lot of non-fiction but I'd heard that this was an inventive read. And. It. Was. This is a wildly clever and intimately personal autobiography that's totally original. Not because the author's life was so crazy you can't believe it, but because the way she tells her own story is a exploration of the craft of writing, and of healing. After I finished it, I felt that it was a read that would likely stay with me, and it has.
02
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
I found this really beautiful to read. It gripped me from the very beginning and didn't let go. This is at turns a play, a biography, and a dream like fantasy. It's poetic and heartfelt and feels like a piece of history in your hands, a story that had to be told - and luckily was. I'm so excited to read more of O'Farrell's writing, this was expertly done.
03
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Another book where the writing is so pretty you could frame it. I found the characters, the story and the whole aviation history truly fascinating, but the prose was astonishing. There's so much feeling behind the writing and so much originality in the language. A beautiful story told on an epic scale. Adventure and romance fill the pages, but at its heart the story seeks to explore what drives us.
04
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
This is incredibly absorbing. I listened to it as an audiobook (narrated by the author herself) and found myself so deeply engrossed with Jennette's voice. I've never watched iCarly and I didn't know who she was before this book came out, but she's clearly a talented writer. The title might come across as flippant, or as a tasteless gimmick to shock and entice readers, but this memoir doesn't feel like either of those things. It's personal, it's honest and, if it does shock, it needs to and should be heard.
05
The Martian by Andy Weir
Andy Weir balances the need for action and high stakes, with the reality of one man being alone on an inhabitable planet for a year and a half. I was really blown away by level of detail to the character and the situation. This is a hyper-realistic space mission gone wrong that's never boring, is laugh-out-loud funny, and has you fully invested the whole way through.
06
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
This was so much fun to read. The world is so easy to slip into. It's full of fairy tales and curses, loves and betrayals. At every page the story flips like a coin from warm and cosy, to dark and slightly sinister - a true fairy tale in that sense, and one you're not entirely sure what ending it will ultimately land on. The magic is vibrant, the story one adventure after another, and the ending will leave you desperate for more.
07
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
A brick of a book that is totally worth it. I had tears in my eyes after just the first chapter. This is an emotional read and one that is somehow easy to fall into. Even when I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the characters, their struggles and their dreams. Part of what makes the text so immersive is how the different cultures are shown to evolve with the characters over time. And so much time does pass - almost eighty years - including a world war and the dividing of a country.
08
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I was so intimidated to read this. The blurb didn't tell me much and, this being a classic beloved by so many, I was afraid I wouldn't click with the writing style. But the writing is beautiful. It's cinematic with details that stick to you like memory. I found this a haunting read, with utterly endearing characters and hope and tragedy chasing each other through the pages. A book about the love of books - if you love reading, it's impossible not to fall in love with this one.
09
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
This is an emotional book. It deals with grief and abandonment in thoughtful ways but never feels too heavy. There's hope and kindness here. A unique, heartfelt book with characters that feel like family by the end. Oh, and one of the main POVs is an octopus in case you were in any doubt about picking this up.
10
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
I flew through this book. The writing is brilliant - it would in equal measure have me fuming over the sexism, to laughing out loud because the characterisations were so picture perfect. A genuinely charming read. It starts as a meet-cute that spirals into an emotional ride. The ups and downs had me devouring the pages.
Other Favs
