Skip to main content

2022 Reading in Review

 I thought it might be fun to look at my reading challenge from last year and look at what I enjoyed the most. I picked my top 5 favorite books from 2022 to highlight one more time. Choosing only five was actually more difficult than I imagined, since I had a lot of favorites. It was also hard to rank them if I'm completely honest, but here is my list!

#5 - The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

I loved this book. I loved the whimsical storytelling style and the plot. I loved the characters and how they were developed. I loved how the author carefully crafted the foreshadowing and how she carefully guided you through the mystery of Xan's memories. Overall, this book was so well written. Even though it was a middle grade book, I found myself unable to put it down.

#4 - I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

If you've followed my blog, then you probably know that I don't usually care much for Ruta Septys's writing. It's not that I dislike the stories she tells, I just feel that she has some integral problems with her story telling style. I Must Betray You had none of the usual problems I have with Sepetys's novels. In fact, this book was amazing. I LOVED the intrigue of the story. The fear of the characters was palpable and carried through the story well. I loved the resolution, and felt that for once, the ending actually fit the story well. I loved the way she unraveled the mystery, and told a story that isn't told often here in the U.S. Overall, I again, found myself unable to put the book down. I enjoyed it so much!

#3 Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

My list would not be complete without a Brandon Sanderson novel on it. I was initially disappointed about the size of this book, as it was quite a bit shorter than the others in the series so far. As a sequel, however, it did not disappoint. I loved the direction Sanderson chose to take the story. It's led down a new path, with so many possibilities. I loved the characters, and I loved seeing Spensa grow further. It's crazy the amount of character development that has taken place over the course of the series, and I've loved it. I enjoyed the storyline, and the mysteries that Spensa is able to unravel. This one was another one that I couldn't put down.

#2 The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I have loved these books! I cannot wait to read the third installment, whenever I get around to it. I love the intrigue of the novels, and I love the characters. I love the way that Avery and the Hawthorne brothers unravel the mysteries of the past to discover who Avery really is. Barnes has a fantastic method for writing a mystery novel with twists and turns that are difficult to predict. I loved this story!

#1 All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

While I really enjoyed An Ember in the Ashes, I have to say that I loved this book even more. It was so drastically different than Tahir's fantasy, that I wasn't sure what to expect. This book did not disappoint. It was powerful and poignant. I loved the characters, and I groaned at every mistake Salahudin makes, knowing that it's going to come back and bite him, which it did. I loved unraveling what was happening to Noor. I loved that the characters had to pay for their consequences, and didn't just get off easily. This was a beautifully written story, and it's no wonder that it won several awards, including the National Book Award, because it is truly amazing.

I'm looking forward to 2023. I've already finished two books, the reviews for which will be coming soon! My goal for this year is to read 21 books. I know that doesn't sound like many, but with two kids, two cats, a dog, and a part time job, I think it will actually end up being quite challenging!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Forgotten Thoughts--Eragon vs. The Belgariad

I forgot to mention something I noticed about Eragon in my last post.  If any of you have read David Edding's Belgariad series, then you might have realized that many ideas about the workings of magic in Eragon follow along with the Belgariad .  For example, the "Be Not" principle is a very important one in book three of the Belgariad  and has some of the same effects that it does in Inheritance (book four of the cycle).  "Magic" in Eragon can be equated to "sorcery" in The Belgariad .  Magic in both series depends upon your personal strength.  You can't bring people back from the dead (this is a common rule throughout all of the magical fantasy).  Another similarity is that there are different kinds of magic.  Shades are spirits trapped in the mortal world in Eragon .  Eddings actually portrays basically the same idea as an actual demon.  Mispronunciation or breaking of concentration will cause the Shade or demon to destroy the ma...
2 comments
Read more

Brandon Sanderson: The Alloy of Law - Wax and Wayne (Mistborn era 2) book 1

 Again, I had this book finished quite some time ago (shortly after finishing The Hero of Ages ) and I just haven't had a lot of time to get to posting my review. I am now about halfway through the next book, and now that the term is over, I'm hoping I will have a little more time to finish that book. The Alloy of Law  by Brandon Sanderson introduces Era 2 in the world of Mistborn . No longer does the world of the Final Empire exist, but it has literally been remade by Harmony, or the character of Sazed and the Hero of Ages that readers might recognize from The Hero of Ages . In this world, Waxillium Ladrian is a lawman in the Roughs. At least he was, until his uncle and sister unexpectedly died, and Wax is forced to assume control of the noble house he is now heir to. He finds the city is no less in need of a lawman than the Roughs, and is soon embroiled in the investigation into The Vanishers. Once his fiancee is kidnapped, and his butler tries to blow him up, Wax is fully i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brandon Sanderson: The Emperor's Soul

As Elantris  is probably my favorite Sanderson book of all time, I was excited to see this novella that takes place in the same world. I listened to this on Audible, and it went really quickly (I think it's about 3 hours total). The Emperor's Soul  follows the story of Shei, a Forger, who has been arrested for Forging a copy of a painting in the Emperor's palace. Unbeknownst to Shei, the Emperor was injured in an assassination attempt, and his mind was broken. Knowing her great skill, the bureaucrats in charge of the Empire offer her a trade: her life, for a forgery of the Emperor's soul. This feat is nearly impossible, and Shei knows this, but she accepts the chance at freedom. Will Shei actually be able to recreate the Emperor? This novella was beautifully written. I loved Shei's personality, and the conflicts she had with the Empire. I found it fascinating to learn more about her, and her attempts to thwart being manipulated. I thought her story was fascinating i...
Post a Comment
Read more