Hello book friends! I hope you are all well and have had a fab year overall. It's been far too long since I did a general blog post and this idea has been on my mind for a while. Looking back on my 2022 reading year has brought back so many good books along with all the excitement and emotions that came with reading them. I don't track my reading or set myself challenges but I like to look back and count the total number of books read for fun. In this post I'm going to feature my top read for each month (honestly some months were so hard to pick just one!) Whatever your reading genre is, I hope you find something new or relatable in this list.
As always, I would love to know if you have read any of these and if not maybe I can inspire you to pick up at least one book below :)
January - Out by Natsuo Kirino
A translated Japanese crime/horror with complex characters and an addictive plot. This was brutal and gruesome, I've never read anything like it. With a vivid glimpse into the backstreets of Tokyo, an unplanned murder creates a remarkable friendship between a group of women who are driven to extremes by the pressures and prejudices of society.
February - Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
A modern contemporary novel which centres around the interactions and relations between two college friends and their newly-formed friendship with a married couple. I can't express how beautiful Sally Rooney's writing is, the novel reads like a breeze and the characters internal monologue's are so raw and precise. An absolutely stunning book, exploring desire, belonging and blurred lines.
March - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Step in to this spellbinding fantasy-romance where the worlds of human and Fae collide. In this second book of the series, Feyre is battling her demons, recovering from her time 'under the mountain' and questioning her future as she comes to terms with her new existence. This series rekindled my love for fantasy novels and not to forget, the chemistry was phenomenal. A well-structured and easy to follow fantasy world with plenty of action, humour and an epic romance.
April - Ask again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
A gripping tale of two families in the Suburbs and a lifelong friendship and love between their children. This is now one my favourite books of all time, I was in awe by the story. It explores how a catastrophe or a single moment in life can impact so many people for decades to come. It also shows the truth of addiction, mental health and the power of persevering.
May - All My Mothers by Joanna Glen
An emotional roller-coaster which follows Eva's journey on her path of self-discovery and belonging. Since childhood she has known in her core that her mother is not her birth mother, over the years she travels the continents to find her origin, meeting many impressionable women and creating lifelong friendships along the way. A beautiful story with equal parts of pain and joy.
June - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The sweetest tragic young love story to be written. This is a go-to comfort read for me, I love the innocence, rawness and maturity of Hazel and Augustus despite their fate. It's all the little things in this book that make it so special.
July - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An exquisite historical fiction set in 1950's Hollywood. Evelyn looks back on her glamourous life as a Hollywood icon. But it's not all glitz and glam in the land of fame, baring her truth and deepest secrets in an exclusive interview Evelyn lets us into her life along with the story of her seven husbands. A unique, heart-breaking read with the biggest plot twist.
August - Another Mother by Susan Spindler
An addictive page-turner which explores all the standpoints around surrogacy from different perspectives. Ruth is a successful TV producer, living in a beautiful London home with her lawyer husband. Suffering from empty nest syndrome and feeling restless after her menopause, Ruth is given a chance of a lifetime to feel needed again. But keeping secrets always comes with a price. This one really opened up my mind and made me rethink some pre-existing beliefs of my own. I'd highly recommend this book if you're after something different and refreshing. So so good!
September - Twisted Games by Ana Huang
The second book in the Twisted series is a steamy forbidden romance between a princess and her bodyguard. An unexpected love develops with a slow-burn full of angst, I thought the heat between Bridget and Rhys was explosive and I was surprisingly invested in the plot. Bridget was a strong-willed female lead torn between duty and her heart. But why chose when you can have both? Rhys is the typical alpha hero forced to feel something other then anger. It also features a fantastic friendship group, some major politics and plot twists.
October - All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
A powerful story about forgiveness and healing. Misbah and Sal are two best friends who fall apart but are brought back together through shared grief. This multi-perspective story shows how past traumas and crushed dreams can unknowingly create monsters. How some burdens can't be bared alone, how anger can turn into hate but mostly how redemption can help to overcome the hardships of life.
November - The Herd by Emily Edwards
Bryony and Elizabeth are the best of friends, they know each other inside out and they love each other's children as their own - their children's safety being their top priority. Their families are inseparable. But they have different views on one certain thing. When Bryony tells a little white lie at a children's birthday party she doesn't think of the harm that could follow or how so many lives will fall apart. Unputdownable. I have no other word to describe this book.
December - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
A thought-provoking suspense novel centred around the things we do to be ourselves and the secrets we keep from the people we love. Lily and Asher are madly in love but then Lily is suddenly dead and Asher is being questioned by the police. This book was about everything that's important in life. It was about survival, truth, identity, love, genetics, how we react in the moment, freedom of choice, regret and jealousy. A haunting yet soul-touching story told with beauty and ease. I especially loved the symbolic meanings behind some of the writing about the bees.
And that's a wrap! Please always check trigger warnings before picking up any book. It's hard to say a lot without spoiling the story but all these books do contain sensitive topics. Happy reading!
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