Hey everyone!

2022 has been a big reading year for me. (Which sounds ridiculous considering I have been a life-long reader who majored in English and TAUGHT English for 13 years). But really, I didn’t have time to read voraciously until my life slowed down. Any way.

In the last six months, I’ve read around 70 books. Kinda crazy. I know.

And within those 70 books, I have read among a variety of different genres. Since it’s December, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past year and felt like talking about some of the books that I considered to be the best of the bunch.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments if you’ve read any of these or have recommendations! I’d love to discuss!!

Literary Fiction

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

It took me a minute to get into this book, but once I did I was hooked! The novel is about two friends who become video game creators, but it’s so much more than that. The story really dives deep into the world of creativity and creating, friendship, love…and there’s one line in the book that made me absolutely ugly cry. 10/10. Highly recommend.

Romance

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

I was almost embarrassed to admit how much I loved this book…but I loved this book. It’s about Olive and Adam, two scientists, who begin fake dating for their own personal reasons, only to end up falling in love. That’s not a spoiler. If you know the trope, then you know it was going to happen that way. And while the trope is done again and again in the same formulaic way, I found Hazelwood’s writing to be really compelling. Plus, I pictured Adam Driver as the Adam in this book…so…

Horror

I could not for the life of me choose between these two books. So horror gets two recommendations. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia and The Hacienda by Isabel Canas.

Both are gothic haunted house historical fiction stories with horror tropes set in Mexico. However, The Hacienda takes place in 1800’s while Mexican Gothic takes place in the 1950’s.

Both novels were fast paced with compelling narrative voices and terrifying descriptions of horror elements.

These books are both a 10/10 for me. You can’t go wrong with either. Trust me.

Non-Fiction

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA

I listened to this book via audible, and highly recommend the audio book. Sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski talk about the stress cycle, how society locks us in stress cycles, and give actionable steps for completing stress cycles. A super informational but digestible read that’s great for the New Year.

Chick-Lit with a Touch of Magic

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

I loved this book so much that I read it in one afternoon. I also love Rebecca Serle books in general because they all have a little element of magic to them. The writing makes you feel like you’re in Italy with the main character. But the story itself is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s about a woman who plans a trip to Italy with her mother, but after her mother passes, she decides to go on the trip and magic ensues. I’m doing a terrible job of summarizing this. Just trust me. It’s good.

What are you currently reading, or what are some stand outs from your reading year? I’d love to hear your recommendations and thoughts in the comments!

Until next week my friends, happy reading!