Favorite Books - 2022

 This is not a story. Sorry. When not wanting to write, I want to read things other people have written. And I also want to talk about things other people have read. Here are my top 5 books of 2022. To be clear - I am always about 2-3 years late in books. So, these aren't the top 5 books that have come out in 2022, but the top 5 books I read in 2022.

5. Home, by Marilynne Robinson. I love Marilynne Robinson's writing. And I love the world of Gilead she has created. These books are simple and quiet. They are about small-town life. They are not fast-moving by any means but they really stick with me. 

4. Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi. Any of the top 4 books could easily have been my number one book of the year. Transcendent Kingdom was a book that moved me to ugly tears. I got to the last few pages and I just wanted to start over. I loved the themes in this book. It's about faith and science and talks about religion in a way that really connected with me.

3. A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik. I read a lot of magical fantasy books. It's probably my favorite genre. This book is the gold standard and what I will judge all magical fantasy books against for all time. One issue I have with fantasy is how much explanation is needed to build the world and the rules of the world's magic. I find it pedantic. This book does none of that and I respect Novik's respect for my time! You are dropped into the story and you will learn the rules as you go. It's fast paced and fun. There's a strong heroine, a little flirting, and danger at every corner. Bonus is it's the first book of a trilogy and all three books are now out - so if you start it you can finish it up with no waiting!

2. Normal People, by Sally Rooney. Nothing I can write will sum up how much this book means to me. I love the characters so much. There is one heartbreak after another, and I love every minute because it all means something. I love Marianne. I love Connell. I will definitely read this book over and over again. Bonus on this is the Hulu series is well done (although VERY NSFW - full frontal nudity both male and female multiple times) and has some of the best acting performances I have seen in a long time. 

1. The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. Any novel that Madeline Miller writes, I will read. I don't care the topic. Her books are my favoritest in the world. The Song of Achilles is a re-telling of the story of Achilles and Patroclus and the Trojan War. It tells of the friendship, love, and relationship between Achilles and Patroclus in such a true way. They love each other and are very caught up in that love. But in the end, they each have to create their own path in life. My favorite character is Thetis (Achille's mother, and a God) and the ending scene with her felt so beautiful and right. 

I am looking forward to my 2023 line-up so far. I have a LOT of series reading going on next year. I am loaded up on books from the following series: The Witcher, Outlander, Game of Thrones, A Deadly Education, COTAR, Crescent City. I have other books mixed in between all of these, but I'm looking forward to making progress on some of my favorite series.