I always love to look back at my reading year while simultaneously gazing forward to the fabulous books of my future.
My husband and I were finally were able to travel again, so I did not meet my usual reading goal of the hundo. I read 87 books this year, and I am proud of that. Here is a quick peek at the highs and lows.
Reruns
Not once, but twice, twice this year I purchased a book that I already owned. The first culprit is Camus. (Or as I like to call him, Famous Camus. I know that is not the correct pronounciation, but it makes my husband laugh and so I shall stick with it.) One of the finest bookstores out there is Shakespeare and Company in Paris. I love that they stamp your books. I saw The Outsider and snapped it up, along with a few other goodies. When I got home, I cracked open this new-to-me title. The story was...familiar. I kept second guessing myself; I even checked the Camus section of my library. I seriously didn't figure it out (well after reading it) until we were watching Jeopardy one night and a clue came up based on this story. A quick internet search minute later: in England the story is called The Outsider and here in America, The Stranger. I absolutely own and have read The Stranger.
Boy.
One of my reading goals is to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction. I downloaded A Confederacy of Dunces while getting on a plane. I read it on that trip, got home, and saw a physical copy in my library. The bookmark in said copy? From Dog Eared Books in San Francisco, another one of my favorite bookstores. So...I blame these amazing places for these shopping blackouts and faux pas. It surely can't be me.
I'm Here for the Banned Books
When I started seeing the book banners get all worked up,my spidey sense tingled and my TBR got longer. Hint to all of you bookshop owners out there: If you have a table titled 'Banned Books' in your store...I will buy something. It is a guarantee. This is how I came to read Maus by Art Spiegelman, one of the best graphic novels out there.
In Da Club
Many readers I know (self included) have a little (lot) of social anxiety. This was definitely exacerbated by the time spent isolated during the pandemic. I forced myself to be a joiner and found a local book club. It is definitely awkward, but there are drinks and food involved, and I have discovered many new titles thanks to the suggestions of my fellow bibliophiles.
And the Award Goes To...
After reading all of that nonsense, here are my most memorable reads from 2022. May we all remember the glory of this reading year, as every single author in the world penned a book whilst trapped at home. The bounty was plentiful.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Lived up to the hype!)
We are the Light by Matthew Quick (Heartbreaker by the author of The Silver Linings Playbook, one of my top five all-time movies).
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (Yikes. I had never heard of the actress, could not put this one down.)
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout (All hail Elizabeth Strout, she is an auto-buy for me and always worth it.)
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood (Science and romance? I am all in)
Memoirs of a Surgeons's Wife by Megan Sharma (I felt seen!!!)
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (English mysteries are my jam, Alice Feeney is the master.)
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot (My bestie in Florida sent this to me. Who knew that I, who is afraid of most animals, would adore these stories about a country vet!?)
James Patterson by James Patterson (The absolute best quick essays from a truly one-of-a kind author with the most interesting life.)
A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers (A solarpunk novella! So weird and good.)
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Genius, history making, hilarious. RIP Taylor Hawkins.)
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (This Korean American memoir made me hungry, sad, and introduced me to the author's band.)
People from My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami (Interconnected, strange little vignettes about one town.)
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (Insightful, clever graphic novel about the author's depression.)
Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman (The gifted author interviews his dad, a Holocaust survivor.)
Did you meet your reading goals this year?
Happy 2023 to you, may your year be filled with health, happiness, and endless books.
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