2022 Reading Challenge Results
“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you,” said author Mortimer J. Alder. As my favorite pastime, I happened to read a lot of books this year—some were brilliant, while others didn’t get through to me and are already forgotten. Below is my list (by author) with parenthetical notes to highlight the best and most memorable reading of 2022.
A. Alexie, Sherman—Blasphemy
Alvarez, Julia—How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (*Delightful)
Alvarez, Julia—Yo! (*I’d read anything by Alvarez)
Alberto, Jim—Daufuskie Daze
B. Backman, Fredrik—Anxious People
Barry, Sebastian—The Secret Scripture
Bennett, Brit—The Mothers
Berg, Elizabeth—The Story of Arthur Truluv
C. Conklin, Tara—The Last Romantics
Clear, James—Atomic Habits
Campbell, Jane—Cat Brushing (*Most impressive debut—by an octogenarian!)
Conroy, Pat—The Water is Wide
Cash, Wiley—When Ghosts Come Home
D. Doyle, Roddy—Smile
De Gramont, Nina—The Christie Affair
E. Eugenides, Jeffrey—Fresh Complaint
Enright, Anne—The Green Road
Ephron, Delia—Left on Tenth
Erlick, Nikki—The Measure
F. French, Tana—The Searchers (*An author I’d read again and again)
Foley, Lucy—The Paris Apartment
G. Garcia, Gabriela—Of Women and Salt
Garmus, Bonnie—Lessons in Chemistry
H. Heller, Miranda Cowley—The Paper Palace
Hildebrand, Elin—28 Summers
Hanff, Helene—84, Charing Cross Road
Haruf, Kent—Our Souls at Night (*Most fascinating premise)
Hoover, Colleen—Verity
I. Irwin, Jennifer—A Dress the Color of the Moon
J. Jackson, Joshilyn—Never Have I Ever
Jaswal, Balli Kaur—Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
Jin, Ha—Waiting
K. Kauffman, Rebecca—Chorus
Kelly, Martha Hall—Lilac Girls (*Best historical)
Kukafka, Danya—Notes on an Execution
Kline, Lisa Williams—The Ruby Mirror (*Favorite collection of essays)
L. Lahiri, Jhumpa—The Namesake
Lyons, Annie—The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett
Luiselli, Valeria—Lost Children Archive (*Top pick—the book I most admired in 2022)
Lange, Tracey—We are the Brennans
M. Mayhew, Anna Jean—The Dry Grass of August
Moore, Liz—Long Bright River (*Favorite page-turner with an unforgettable ending)
Miller, Sue—Monogamy (One of my top 5 picks)
Martone, McCaffrey—The Rabbit in the Moon (*Best novel-in-progress)
May, Katherine—Wintering
N. Newton, Heather—Under the Mercy Trees
O. Otsuka, Julie—The Swimmers
O’Nan, Stewart—Emily, Alone
O’Connor, Nuala—Nora (*Best historical based upon a real person)
P. Powers, Richard—Bewilderment (*One of my top 5 picks)
Pawelski, Tracy—One Woman’s Camino
Pink, Daniel H.—The Power of Regret
Penner, Sarah—The Lost Apothecary
Parton, Dolly and James Patterson—Run Rose Run
Pilcher, Rosamunde—The Shell Seekers (*Best re-read/classic)
Pipher, Mary—Women Rowing North (*Most inspirational)
Q. Quindlen, Anna—Blessings
Quindlen, Anna—Write for Your Life
R. Rooney, Sally—Beautiful World, Where Are You
Reid, Taylor Jenkins—The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Rooney, Kathleen—Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk (*Charming and highly enjoyable)
Russell, Kate Elizabeth—My Dark Vanessa
S. Scharer, Whitney—The Age of Light
Saunders, George—A Swim in a Pond in the Rain (*Best nonfiction/educational)
Shipstead, Maggie—Great Circle
Strout, Elizabeth—Lucy by the Sea (*Favorite author)
Simsion, Graeme—The Rosie Project
Simonson, Helen—The Summer Before the War (*One of my top 5 picks)
T. Towles, Amor—The Lincoln Highway (*One of my top 5 picks)
Tyler, Anne—Dinner at the Homesick Diner
Tyler, Anne—French Braid
U. Umrigar, Thrity—Honor (*One of my top 5 picks)
V. Vonnegut, Kurt—Slaughterhouse-Five
W. Wilson, Kevin—Nothing to See Here
Wilson, Antoine—Mouth to Mouth
Wood, Monica—The One-in-a-Million Boy
X. D’ApriX Sweeney, Cynthia—Good Company
Y. Yang, Susie—White Ivy
Z. Zhang, Jenny Tinghui—Four Treasures of the Sky