Third year in a row I make this top, and once again, there will be a lot of honourable mentions because when life gives you good books, you honour them. As always, this is not a top of books published in 2022, but a top of books I read in 2022. If anyone is reading this and you are curious about the other tops, then here are the Top Ten Books of 2021 and the Top Ten Books of 2020. As always, this post is not gonna be too much about the plot of the books, but more about how they made me feel, why I enjoyed them and why they are on my list.
This year the categories are... a bit more whimsical because my reading was quite diverse this year. In no particular order, here's my top ten books enjoyed last year:
In the somewhat memoirs category we have:
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. I devoured this book. Let me start by saying I had no idea who Jennette McCurdy was before this book, but I quickly fell in love with her dry humour and raw honesty. I know probably everyone read and loved this book last year and she definitely deserves all the raving reviews.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Not a memoir per se, although heavily inspired from the author's life. This is one of the only books about depression that was actually fun to read, yet it fully captures the suffocating feelings and glooming pressure one feels in those moments when dealing with depression. It's stunningly written.
In the "this-book-feels-like-a-great-hug" category:
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. The entire series, not just the first volume. I loved them all! I cannot recommend them enough - this series perfectly captures those uncertain teenage years, the young love, the anxiety, the not knowing, the confusing feelings about sexuality. It has all those feelings and then some. Plus the art is super cute. Oh, and the TV show is panel by panel like the books and I loved them both equally.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. Last year I discovered Backman and I am in love. His writing style is so simple, so not complicated, yet he somehow packs so many feelings and it's so... authentic that I cannot help but love his books. I also read and loved A Man Called Ove, but Anxious People will always have a special spot in my heart. The best way to describe his books: wholesome!
In the dark academia category, we have two of my absolute favourite books discovered last year:
The Picture of Doarian Gray by Oscar Wilde. How did it take me so long to read this gem? I am definitely corrupted and this is an instant favourite classic. Oscar Wilde writes magnificently and I highlighted almost every page.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Same could be said about this one - how did it take me so long since it was published a year after I was born? Thank goddess for TikTok for bringing this book back into popularity! I both loved and hated this book at the same time and I could probably say the same about all the characters. But I cannot deny the hold it has over me and the fun I had reading it - even though I wanted to throw it against the walls sometimes. It is a bit too long, but the writing is on point!
In the "mothers" category we have two of my favourite authors discovered last year:
Vara în care mama a avut ochii verzi by Tatiana Țîbuleac. I do not think this book is translated in English, but it's available in French and Spanish and quite popular in French and Spanish-speaking countries too. I read all of Țîbuleac's books last year and loved every single one of them, but this one is a bit more special. As I was reading it I could picture every scene, smell everything, feel every description. I need someone to adapt this to film because it would be perfection.
The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. I finally read my first Ferrante and she conquered me from the first page. The writing, the descriptions, the details, the darkness, the observations, the mundane. Everything is pure bliss in Ferrante's writing. And I had no idea the writer writes under a pseudonym and nobody knows who she is. I cannot wait to read more Ferrante this year!
And in the "labyrinth" category... I read these books around the same time and while they are nothing alike, both have common symbols that made reading them, well, quite interesting.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. It's better to go into Piranesi without knowing anything about it because things will not make sense for a while when you read it but it will be an amazing journey nonetheless. It's hauntingly beautiful and peculiar and mysterious, but it's definitely not a book for everyone. People either seem to love it or hate it. I loved it.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. This book is massive and a monster to read, and it holds the award for the book that gave me the most nightmares - as in wake up sweating kind of nightmares. Same as Piranesi, it's best not to know much about it and it will not make sense for the most part of it, but it's a fun journey.
Before I go into honourable mentions, I must tell you that, although not a novel, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson deserves
the award for the best short story I ever read in my entire life and
the only reason why it's not in the actual Top Ten is because it's 12
pages long. It can be read for free on The New Yorker, where it was originally published. It might be a bit outdated and not as shocking nowadays as it was at the time it was first published, however it influenced a lot of great works and continues to do so.
And now, for the honourable moments:
My Shadow Is Purple by Scott Stuart. Last year I did not read as many kids picture books as I usually do (because I stopped reviewing books), but I found this book on TikTok - the author was reading it and I started crying so it definitely deserves to be mentioned here.
Best manga and romance read last year: Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa. To be honest, the first four volumes I read years ago, but last year I finished the entire series and absolutely loved it. It's a josei slice of life with an amazing art style.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. This romance made me laugh out loud from the first page, but it also made me cry a lot. It's an amazing book about second chances and it played with my emotions.
In the crime/thriller category we have:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. A cosy mystery with the best elderly characters as detectives. It was a joy to read and I am excited to continue this series and see what mystery our four octogenarians solve next.
The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan. I have such a love-hate relationship with Macmillan's thrillers. There is no middle ground - I either absolutely love her book or do not enjoy it at all. This one was a 5 star mystery - the atmosphere and the suspense was amazing, the red herrings and each reveal were on point and I simply had fun trying to solve this puzzle.
And now for a bunch of miscellaneous books that don't fit together in a neat category, but I must mention them as they made 2022 a great reading year:
Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou. Not really a memoir, more like life stories and life lessons in essay form. The writing is impeccable, of course.
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami. I have a feeling Mieko Kawakami is on her way to becoming one of my all time favourite authors. Focused on female body autonomy and reproductive rights in Japan. I loved how it naturally brings a different perspective and nothing is ever imposed on the reader. Full of female characters and their own journeys. It does spark great conversations on having children and especially on why we choose to have them.
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Definitely a fun read and the more you dissect it, the better it gets.
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello. This is not a non-fiction for everyone, but if you are curious about old Hollywood or Hitchcock, then it will be an amazing read. I definitely enjoyed it.
That's it for my reading in 2022. And here's to an even better reading year!