8 Books I Loved In 2022 (And One That I Hated)
Despite this being an insane year, I managed to get quite a bit of reading done! Fantasy books continue to dominate my shelves, and that's the way I like it.
I started the year off with a bang thanks to our girl Sarah J. Maas.
Yes, the hype is real. As someone who had only read the high fantasy books my husband recommended to me, I considered my standards high. Late last year I listened to BookTok and read A Court of Thorns and Roses. The writing was so enticing, and I really cared about Feyre. On a rainy January train ride from Long Island to Brooklyn, I started A Court of Mist and Fury.
1. A Court of Mist and Fury
When the train pulled into our stop and I was forced to pack up my book, I looked at my husband and said, "I want to write a book like this one day." Sh*t gets REAL in the first few chapters of the second book of this series. I'm so thankful I was able to avoid spoilers for these books because having my emotions yanked around was so fun.
2. A Court of Wings and Ruin
This book is tied to another train memory for me. I finished this book while on a train back home to Long Island. My husband was basically steering me around during our few stops because I couldn't keep my eyes off the pages. Openly crying while waiting for one of our trains, I decided this had to be one of the best series I'd ever read. The way I cared for these characters was inspiring. I want to make people feel like that with my writing.
3. A Court of Frost and Starlight
The tiny blue book! This was kind of a low-stakes introduction to the shift that happens in the next book. I read it in two days because I couldn't wait to get to...
4. A Court of Silver Flames
Silver Flames could have gone very wrong. In this last book of the series, SJM gently shifts this epic story into something I never could've guessed while giving us all the steamy scenes we love her for.
Great fantasy books can transport you somewhere totally alien to teach you something about yourself.
Nesta's struggle spoke to parts of me I had long hidden from myself and brought me profound healing. No wonder that this book had me sobbing on the couch at 1 am as I finished it. There's a reason these books are so popular - they're extremely well done.
5. Darling Girl
I'm a sucker for a Peter Pan retelling, so I was all-in on Darling Girl by Liz Michalski. The first book in my three-month subscription to Book of the Month Club (not a sponsor) the bar was definitely set high by the ACOTAR series. That being said, I really did not enjoy this book.
None of the characters had my interest and it felt very rushed. My biggest complaint is that the author turned one of my most beloved childhood characters into a creepy, disgusting criminal. Luckily BOTM club redeems itself later in the list. Stay tuned!
6. The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
In contrast with her other books that I read on trains, I started this SJM series while sitting on the beaches of Nantucket Island. My husband's employers flew us there during Fourth of July weekend this year. While Doug was at work, I rode a bike down to the sandy shores with a blanket and some headphones. The weather was windy, grey, and rainy - a perfect backdrop for The Assassin's Blade.
“If you can learn to endure pain, you can survive anything. Some people learn to embrace it- to love it. Some endure it through drowning it in sorrow, or by making themselves forget. Others turn it into anger.”
-Sarah J. Maas, The Assassin's Blade
Celaena Sardothien instantly had my heart. This is technically a prequel to the Throne of Glass series, and I'm glad I read this book first despite seeing some people who said to read it after Throne of Glass. Five novellas introduce you to another iconic badass female lead character in a world where magic has been banished.
7. Throne of Glass
Best believe I ordered this book while we were still in Nantucket so that I could start reading it as soon as we got home. I find that the tone of these books is much darker than the ACOTAR series which is probably why I like it so much.
Sidenote: this picture isn't the version of the cover I have, but look how gorgeous it is!!?
When I had two chapters left in Throne of Glass, I drove to Barnes & Noble and bought the next in the series. Hooked is an understatement.
8. Crown of Midnight
Three days. That's how long it took for me to finish this 420 page book. The storyline that SJM has woven leaves me in awe. Crown of Midnight ups the spiciness level for this series, but again, no complaints here 🙃
Celaena is such a badass, and I really can't get enough of her. She scares the shit out of me, but at the same time I want to give her a really long hug. Comment who your favorite character is, and if you're team Chaol or Dorian (is that cringe? sorry.)
9.Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The second book in my Book of the Month club subscription is the only non-fantasy book I read this year. A fiction novel about video game programmers, this book exceeded my expectations.
Sam and Sadie will stay with me forever. This book was full of video game references and nerd culture that felt authentic and really true to the timeline. I learned a lot of words reading this book, so reading this on an e-reader that lets you look up definitions automatically might not be a bad idea.
I will recommend this book to anyone who has ever played and loved a video game. Calling it now, they'll probably turn this into a movie one day.
I'm proud of all the reading I did this year and love hearing what you've read too!
Comment down below if you've read any of these and with suggestions for my 2023 reading list!
