My Favourite Books of 2022
My goal for 2022 was to read one book per month, totally 12 books for the year. I’m not sure how this happened, but I ended up reading 22 books! I’m pretty proud of this small achievement. It felt great to get back to reading so profusely. I wanted to review my favourites here. I rated them on a scale of 5 stars.
1. Wild at Home: How To Style & Care for Beautiful Plans by Hilton Carter
This visually stunning book is a great addition to my library. I learned a lot about how to be a better a plant parent. He includes useful tips about basic plant care and a few step-by-step unique ways to display your plants. It’s both inspirational and practical. Plus, I realized that my mother’s Peace Lily has been drastically underwatered.
3/5 Stars
2. Forever in Our Hearts: The Life, Faith, and Legacy of Christina Grimmie by Thomas Mockoviak
Christina Grimmie was an American singer best known for posting covers on YouTube and her appearance on The Voice in 2014. She was only 22 when she was shot and killed at the meet-and-greet of her concert in 2016. I have been a proud fan since 2010 and continue to listen to her music to this day. I came across a review of this biography on Instagram thanks to the algorithm (for once it was actually helpful). What most intrigued me was the focus on Christina’s Christian faith and how it played an intricate role in her life. It seemed like a fresh and interesting perspective. The writing itself is okay, but not outstanding. The author is not a writer by profession. This was his first (and so far only) publication. At times, it felt like I was reading a high school-level essay. Despite its shortcomings, it was a delight to learn more about Christina's beliefs. It was well researched. I'm so glad someone has published a history of short life to keep her legacy alive.
3/5 Stars
3. The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
I don’t often read general contemporary fiction, as you’ll see from this article. But I repeatedly saw this one on social media and the premise intrigued me. It was a quick and cozy read. The writing is very detail-oriented. No nook or cranny left unnoticed. Not a lot happens, but somehow that didn’t matter. It felt like I, too, was a welcomed visitor at the young couple’s cottage.
3/5 Stars
4. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 adaptation is my favourite animated film of all time. So, it was a quite the shock when I realized that it is actually a terrible adaption. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is still better. Miyazaki’s liberties are 100% improvements. One example I can share without spoiling anything is that Howl is a total jerk in the book and I don’t understand why Sophie puts up with it. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading it. Since the story was so different from the one I knew, I had no idea how it would end, which made it all the more interesting. It was a fun fantasy adventure with clever twists along the way. Also, I was gifted the Folio Society edition, which is gorgeous.
3/5 Stars
5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
For 99% of this book, I was honestly unsure whether I was supposed to be rooting for the first cousins to get together or if I was just a sicko. Apart from that plotline, Mansfield Park is your typical Jane Austen read. People visiting other people’s houses and obsessing over who’s going to marry whom. Pictured is the edition I own. It’s a pocket-sized edition with tiny font, but somehow it added charm to the reading experience.
3.5/5 Stars
6. Dr. No by Ian Fleming
I owe this great read to my brother, who took a chance and thought I’d enjoy reading a 007 novel given my lifelong appreciation for the movies. Much like Howl’s Moving Castle, the book was quite different from the 1962 adaptation (which was the first movie of the franchise). To start, it is the sixth book to feature British Secret Service Agent, James Bond, and directly follows events of the previous book. I had no problem following the plot, though, since he was given an entirely new case. My favourite part of the book was how much more depth James Bond has as a character. As readers, we are privy to his inner thoughts and emotions. He is much more layered and humanized than in the movies. Book Bond is not always calm, cool, and collected. He has moments of genuine fear. And to me, that instantly made him a more interesting character. Furthermore, the “Bond Girl”, Honeychile Rider, is also way more dynamic in the book.
4/5 Stars
7. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
This TikTok sensation took me by surprise. I hardly ever read contemporary romance. And when I do, I gravitate to Young Adult. But I was sad and in a bookstore, so I picked this one up on a whim and could not put it down. It follows an awkward PhD student who ends up in a fake relationship with another research scientist. It is super cute and silly and, for full disclosure, hot. I have never read such realistic depiction of intimacy before. The romance genre often feels exaggerated and over the top, but this story felt natural and realistic.
5/5 Stars
8. The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley
This is the second installment in Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mystery series. Think Nancy Drew for a mature audience. Flavia is an 11-year-old girl with a knack for chemistry and solving murders in her small town. Set in an English countryside in the 1950s, this was my favourite book of the year. It was a brilliantly woven mystery that kept me guessing. Flavia is witty and a delightfully strange heroine.
5/5 Stars
Now it’s time to dive into the ever-growing To Be Read pile! Happy New Year!
