This year I read 111 books or 34,036 pages, of which 83% were by women authors and 67% by authors of colour. I spent $116.49 and saved $1,459.61 from read books not bought. But all those stats and achievements pale in comparison to the fact that: I read my favourite book of my life!! No, not just of this year or in a particular genre. It’s THEE one. If you follow me on bookstagram, my favourite will come as no surprise at all: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of tmrx3, which I binged the week I finished my Spring 2022 finals and left me in a book hangover for a month. Tbh I’m not sure I’ve gotten past it even now, half a year later! Cindy gifted me the stunning iridescent UK edition in paperback, which is currently out of stock almost everywhere. Almost 20% of my bookstagram posts this year were for tmrx3, and all two of my Reels were for tmrx3 (here and here). I made origami crane bookmarks with Hokusai printed origami paper (here and here). I bought three custom pressed flower bookmarks with tmrx3 quotes from Page Petal (here) — shout out to Macey for introducing these bookmarks to me! I got back into Tamagotchi (here). I delved into Gabrielle Zevin’s backlist, revisiting Elsewhere — one of my childhood favourites — and reading The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and Young Jane Young for the first time. And the tmrx3 train doesn’t stop there. In 2023, I hope to reread tmrx3 as well as A Little Life, which I found some similarities with, and also dip into Emily Dickinson’s Complete Poems and Macbeth, both which are inspirations in tmrx3.
Besides everything tmrx3, the other major bookish moment of 2022 was crocheting bookish accessories — all freehanded! 🤗 I crocheted this checkered tote; perfectly sized to fit a few library books, a reading journal, and a stationary pouch; not too big for my petite self and not too small to hold everything I need. It’s probably in my top 2 most frequently used bags. I crocheted this checkered Kindle sleeve with a cute fuzzy pink trim and perfectly sized to my Kindle Oasis. And I also crocheted a love letter book sleeve, which I’m doing an Instagram giveaway for next week — you heard it here first!
Crocheting also meant dipping into the mysterious world of audiobooks. I’m an amateur crocheter after all and need to keep a close eye on my stitches, so audiobooks (and podcasts) are much better suited for crocheting for me than Netflix. At first I felt really accomplished for blazing through audiobooks while also making amazing progress with my crochet projects, but I soon realised that I’m not the most active listener and I’m much more of a visual learner. There were some books in my honourable mentions that I listened to on audio that I think could have made my top reads of 2022 if I had read a physical copy, like Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which I intend to reread in 2023. But the best kinds of books for me to listen on audio were the books I didn’t really want to read and just wanted to get the gist of to understand what other people were talking about on bookstagram.
And now, drumroll for my favourite reads of 2022!
Top reads
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: An epic story of creative collaboration following Sam, Sadie, and Marx as they create their game design company. About love and friendship, art and storytelling.
I’ve lost count of the number of reviews that start with “I’m not into gaming but…” But this is a book about so much more than gaming. It’s about the heart that artists and creators of all sorts put into their work, whether it’s a game, a book, a song, a painting, an Instagram post. It’s about finding someone to do that with, opening yourself to intimacy, pushing each other’s ambitions. This is not a perfect book, but somehow, things that would bother me in any other book just worked for me here. This was the story of friendship I wanted A Little Life to be, what The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is for love.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: Bree Matthews joins a secret society of “Legendborn” students to hunt down magical monsters and figure out the mystery of her mother’s death — a King Arthur retelling.
I was so invested in the characters, each of whom had their own things going for them and their own goals. Deonn did an amazing job building the relationships between the characters and didn’t rely on miscommunication or fake conflicts, and I was absolutely gripped by the plot even though I barely knew anything about King Arthur legend and probably missed so many references. I preferred Legendborn over Bloodmarked, but was glad to have completed the duology and followed Bree to the end.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna: Mika Moon is supposed to keep her witchy powers secret, so in her Youtube videos she pretends to be a fake witch pretending to be a real witch, but perhaps her charade isn’t as convincing as she thought, because one day she receives a mysterious request to homeschool three young witches.
This cute and cosy fantasy romance was everything I hoped it would be and more! It’s about kindness, being your true self, and changing the little bit of the world around you. The perfect comfort read without sacrificing personality, excitement, or intrigue. The end wrapped up a bit quick, but overall, highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea — I liked TVSSOIW even more than THITCS!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Unknown magazine reporter Monique is given the opportunity of a lifetime when reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo seeks her out for an exclusive story.
This one lived up to the hype. No one does fictional celebrity romance like TJR! I was fascinated by Evelyn Hugo’s career moves and relationships. The book had ambition, drama, glamour, and so many different kinds of love — the grand Hollywood love stories with the highest highs and lowest lows, the steady loves and friendships.
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn: In the wake of a shocking act of random violence that disrupts his safe and contented life, a boy with a condition that makes it hard for him to feel emotions strikes an unlikely bond with a troubled teen.
As someone who struggles with mental health and is constantly assessing my emotions and what sometimes feels like the lack thereof, this one resonated with me deeply. This tender story made me feel hopeful, a reminder that human connection is always worth striving for, even when things feel painful or pointless.
Honourable mentions
Babel by RF Kuang, Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho, The Cabinet by Un-su Kim, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
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What was your favourite read of 2022?
PS: 2022 Q1 reads, 2022 Q2 reads, 2022 Q3 reads, 2022 Q4 reads