books
- The Name of the Wind
- Treacle Walker
- The Vanishing Half
- Spring Cannot be Cancelled
- Great Circle
2022: A year in books
Here are the books I finished reading in 2022. I didn’t set myself a goal, it’s not helpful for me. Instead I prefer to aim to read a little every day. The final count of 18 feels about average for me over the course of a year.
Of these titles, the standouts were:
Finished reading in 2022: Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake 📚
Finishing up the Gormenghast trilogy. I was really surprised just how much I enjoyed it and how long the characters have stayed with me. Really want to re-watch the BBC TV adaptation.
Finished reading in 2022: The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz 📚
Finished reading in 2022: Roseanna (The Martin Beck series, Book 1) by Maj Sjöwall 📚
It’s difficult to tell whether the functional language of this was due to the author’s style or the translation to English. Either way, I found it’s starkness compelling and a good addition to the atmosphere of the story.
Finished reading in 2022: Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver 📚
I’ve read a couple of other books by Kingsolver which, while I enjoyed I found overly descriptive. This was both an easy and enjoyable read.
Finished reading: Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Level 6 by John le Carré 📚
This might have been my first le Carré but it won’t be my last.
Finished reading: The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed 📚
Read this on my summer holiday. Thought it was excellent, more so because I knew nothing about it before reading so had a surprise towards the end.
Currently reading: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern 📚
I’m always mildly disappointed when the covers available in Epilogue don’t match the edition that I’m reading 😢
Currently reading: Sybil & Cyril by Jenny Uglow 📚
Went to hear the author speak tonight so high time I actually started reading this. More to follow on key points from the talk soon
Finished reading: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 📚
Been sitting on this for years waiting until I was in the right place to read it. Feeling both glad that I waited but also wish I’d entered this world sooner. Roll on Christmas and book two.
Currently reading: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 📚
I’m finally ready to read this which was a gift from a friend 5+ years ago. Only a few pages in and seeing the influence of Ursula le Guin makes me think I’ll enjoy it.
Managed to limit my spending in Barter Books 📚
Finished reading: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 📚
A really engaging read. Left me wanting to seek out Bennett’s debut novel, The Mothers.
Finished reading: Treacle Walker by Alan Garner 📚
Best book I’ve read in a while. Raced through it in just a couple of sittings (which is rare for me) — I didn’t want to put it down.
Finished reading: I Didn’t Do The Thing Today by Madeleine Dore 📚
I enjoyed reading this and frequently found myself nodding along. My copy is covered in sticky notes and I’m looking forward to going back to review the highlights.
Finished reading: The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis 📚
Is it a novel? Is it autobiography? Does it matter? Either way I didn’t really manage to get into it and have to admit to skimming it towards the end.
Finished reading: The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex 📚
Should have gone with my gut on this one and stopped reading before I’d committed too much to it. Meh 🤷🏼
Currently reading: The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex 📚
Always a little apprehensive when starting a book bought as a gift. Let’s see how this goes.
Finished reading: The Locals by Jonathan Dee 📚
Found this massively underwhelming, if not irritating. Dee seemed to start lots of plot lines and then just let them trail off. About two thirds through I asked my wife if anything happened before the end, she said yes… it did not.
Finished reading: A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry 📚
Another gem. I don’t know any other author who weaves poetry into the narrative like Barry does.