My favorite reads of 2022

Hi guys, it’s been a while. Consulting has affected my blog. when I have free time, the last thing I want to do is stare at a screen.

But I wanted to jump in to share some reading recommendations. In 2022, I read 32 books, which is about average for me. I usually read 30-35 books a year. Which is perfectly fine with me. I read for fun, and I’m not a fan of reading challenges.

In 2022, I read a lot more fiction than usual, which I want to continue this year as well.

Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2022.

Eleanor Oliphant is perfectly fine by Gail Honeyman (2017)

Eleanor Oliphant is quirky, reclusive and painfully socially awkward. But despite her social struggles, what she craves most is connection with other people.

I loved this book. By turns heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, I enjoyed every moment I spent with Eleanor, who is one of the most memorable and endearing characters I’ve come across in years.

The Narrated Life of AJ Fikri by Gabriel Zevin (2014)

The Narrated Life of AJ Fikry follows the story of widowed bookstore owner AJ Fikry as he struggles with grief and an unexpected twist of fate: single fatherhood. At its heart, this novel is an ode to books and book lovers.

This book is my first read by Gabriel Zevin, but it won’t be my last. Zevin also wrote Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which is currently sitting on my shelf. I’m excited to dive into it soon.

Kerry Soto is back! by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2022)

As a lifelong tennis player, I really enjoyed Cary Soto’s comeback. Carrie Soto is a world famous tennis champion in her thirties. But six years after retirement, he is watching his world record get taken away from him at the US Open and is vowing to get it back.

While Carrie Soto Back clearly focuses on tennis, you don’t have to be a tennis player to appreciate it; it also has a complicated father-daughter relationship that I enjoyed as well as a love story.

If you haven’t read Taylor Jenkins Reed yet, I recommend his work. Evelyn Hugo’s Seven Husbands and Daisy Jones and Six is ​​fun and an easy read. (I have yet to read Malibu Rising!)

Paper palace by Miranda Coley Harris (2021)

I sipped this at my cottage over a delicious summer weekend and it really was the perfect summer read. Set on Cape Cod, The Paper Palace takes place over the course of one summer day, when 50-year-old Ellie must face her past and all its secrets. A true page turner, I was dying to know what happened between Ellie and her childhood love, Jonas, all those years ago.

The only downside is the book contains a gruesome scene of child abuse that I wish I could skip.

Beowulf By Unknown (975 AD)

So this is a little out of left field, but in 2022 I finally read Beowulf. As a die-hard Tolkien fan, I’ve been wanting to read this Beowulf for years because it was such a big influence on The Lord of the Rings.

Beowulf is an epic poem about Beowulf, a Norse hero who frees the kingdom of Grendel, a monster that has been terrorizing the land for 50 years.

Since the book was written in Old English, I obviously read a translation, and I’m so glad I read Seamus Heaney’s. As a Nobel Prize-winning poet, Heaney brought Beowulf to life in such a powerful and never boring way.

A simple way wealth by JL Collins (2016)

In 2022, I set out to learn more about personal finance and investing. I have read many books on personal finance: The Psychology of Money, Total Money Transformation, I Will Make You Rich, etc. But the best of the lotteries was the Simple Way to Riches.

The Simple Path to Wealth is a personal finance book for people who are not interested in learning about finance and want to keep investing simple. Because of its simplicity and brevity, this is the best personal finance book I’ve ever read.

The king’s daughter by Philippa Gregor (2012)

In 2022, I hit Philippa Gregory big time by reading seven of her books. The Kingmaker’s Daughter is my favorite I’ve read so far.

The Kingmaker’s Daughter follows the story of Anne Neville, the one-time Queen of England and wife of the infamous Richard III. Anne began life as the daughter of Richard Neville, so-called “the kingmaker” for his ability to make (and not make) English kings.

I love Philippa Gregory’s books because they focus on medieval and renaissance women. So often, historical texts and novels highlight women and their achievements during this period. But it’s clear that, as with Anna, the women of this era deserve a closer look.

What was your favorite book of 2022?