At the end of each calendar year I like to look back at my reading. It's fun to see how it changes year to year in regards to amount read, content, and ratings. My overall total for 2022 was 290 books, with most of those consumed via audiobook. My overall rating slipped this year coming in at 3.3. While this was a bit disappointing, given the way I rate books, that means it falls slightly higher than good (which is a 3 star read for me), so that's fine (every book can't be stellar and still be enjoyable in the moment). These 10 books were my 5 star reads for the year. To receive a 5 star means not only was it a great read, but it is one that I will think about for years to come! Without further ado, here they are:
#5 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus........I loved the protagonist in this one and the way she found a way to educate through cooking. I will think about her for a long time to come as the epitome of girl power in the era I grew up in.
#4 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.........Who would have thought I would fall in love with an octopus, but Marcellus was one of the best (and most unique!) storytellers of all time. I loved that the other protagonist was an older woman, although her storyline did end up a bit predictable.
#3 The Appeal by Janice Hallett...........What a unique premise, and I loved it! We follow along as two students try to crack a years old murder case. We as readers go through the evidence in the case (emails, texts, newspaper articles, letters, etc.) as though we were on the case. Can you solve it? So fun!
#2 Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng...........A scary and thought provoking look at how our country could end up if the wrong people come to power! Brilliant writing and wonderful characters nearly gave this the top spot.
And my favorite book of 2022 (drum roll):
Looking at this list, I think what stands out to me the most is that my top picks all had something that made them different than the average story. Maybe because of how many books I consume, this is something that appeals more to me now? Only time will tell.
If you've made it through this far, I hope some of these books will interest you, or have you already read them? What were some of your favorites of the year? Now onto 2023!
