These yearly retrospectives have become harder and harder to write. 2022 is possibly the hardest retrospective to write, so let’s skip that and instead look at the books I read this year.

Fun fact. I began blogging more than twenty years ago and for the first many years, this blog was all about books. Granted, my taste in literature has changed over time. When I first began blogging, I was studying English Literature and tended towards reading (dead, white) male authors. As the years passed, I realised that I did not have to read books in which women were window-dressing or young students eager to have affairs with their middle-aged college professors. Yes, Tom Wolfe’s dreadful 2004 novel, I am Charlotte Simmons, left an indelible mark on my psyche. These days I read novels written by women for women. These books are full of female characters with agency and rich inner lives.

Fair warning. Most books I read are classed as “romance novels” — that means, people fall in love and work through their emotional turmoil to find a piece of happiness together. I like happiness. Happiness is good and wonderful, and we need more happiness in the world.

Here are some of my favourite fiction reads of 2022.

• Naomi Novik: Uprooted - This was a present that I got to relatively late. Drawing upon East-European folklore, this fantasy novel had me gripped from the first chapter. It’s about found family, about accepting your Otherness, and forging connections where you least expect it. I loved it. As someone who very rarely reads fantasy these days, Unrooted was a reminder that fantasy can be beautiful and horrifying while also honouring its female characters as more than decorative set-pieces. I have more books by Naomi Novik in my TBR pile.

• Lily Chu: The Stand-In - Gracie is stuck in a nightmare job which she needs to pay for her mother who’s in a care home. A chance encounter with a photographer changes everything. This is a warm, gorgeous Own Voice book about belonging, identity, fame, mental health, and family. I read this book while suffering from insomnia, and I adored spending a dark night with Chu’s novel for company. Its core message of hope really resonated with me.

• Katherine Center: Happiness for Beginners - The Bodyguard - Get Lucky — This year was the year that I discovered Katherine Center. Each of these books have a different plot, but they all feature marvellously complex characters making interesting decisions. Happiness deals with finding your own path and finding joy; Bodyguard is funny and shows how two people can begin to trust each other under strange circumstances; Lucky revolves around bad decision-making, being human, and letting go. These books might not work for everyone (start with Bodyguard) but I adored them for their humanity, their messiness, and their innate warmth.

• Jacqueline Firkins: Marlowe Banks, Redesigned — “WONDERFUL” I wrote in my book journal. The plot is simple, really: a costume designer works on a TV show and falls in love. But like most clothes, there are layers to this novel. The fears of chasing your dreams, the inner critical voices that mess you up, the value of vulnerability, and the slow burn of a hesitant romance. I adored this book for the anxiety representation, the many description of clothes and dress (and why they are important!), and dogs. It is also a lighter read than some of the other books.

• Alexis Hall: A Lady For A Duke - a queer romance that had me aching. Violet has only just begun living as herself, her old friend is recovering after losing his closest friend in battle, and slowly things converge. The book is complicated, dances on a high wire but manages to land elegantly. Alexis Hall is an author who is hit-or-miss for me (I did not gel with Boyfriend Material, Hall’s big break) but this novel has a razor-sharp focus and full-on commitment that shines through every sentence. A very good read.

• Elle Cook: The Man I Never Met - Hannah meets Davey due to a wrong number dialled. The Londoner befriends the Texan, and over time their friendship builds into something more. And then as they make plans to meet, life throws a spanner in the works. Reader, I sobbed into my pillow over this book. Some parts reminded me of the long-distance relationship I had with my now-husband (I’m so glad we are long past our virtual dates) while other parts just broke my heart into tiny pieces. And then all the references to one of my favourite films, A Room With A View. It is a lovely read.

• Rainbow Rowell: Scattered Showers - a collection of short stories from an author I’ve read for decades. Some of the stories visit old familiar characters from Rowell’s books; other stories are completely without context. The snowy, wintery feel to many of the stories ties this collection together, and the wistfulness inherent to so much of Rowell’s writing feels like a comfortable hug from a friend. I still haven’t read Rowell’s Simon Snow books, but they are on the TBR pile and moving up thanks to this collection.

Some honourable mentions: Constance Gillam: The Hook-Up Dilemma (Atlanta-based, gentrification discussions, Own Voice), Suzanne Allain: Miss Lattimore’s Letter (super-cute traditional Regency), Evie Dunmore: Bringing Down The Duke (feminist historical romance), Sophie Irwin: A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting (delightful and hilarious Regency with one of the best heroines I can recall), Lauren Kate: By Any Other Name (romance set in publishing; slow-burn & bookish), Katalina Gamarra: Ben & Beatriz (contemporary retelling of Much Ado About Nothing; Own Voice), Ali Hazelwood: Love On The Brain (STEM people with feelings and maybe a cat), and Kerry Rea: Lucy On The Wild Side (gorillas! gross animal facts! people out of their depths!).

Not all of these books were written/published in 2022, but books are patient and wait for a reader to discover them.

I’m currently on my 178th and 179th reads of the year, according to my reading journal. I have only counted fiction this year, but I’ll start adding non-fiction and articles to my journal starting in 2023 (the only non-fiction book I’ll mention for 2022 is Carrie Marshall’s memoir, Carrie Kills A Man. It was great). I have not finished every single book out of the 177 I’ve noted down — there were some real stinkers — but I’ve read at least 50% before deciding whether to DNF (did not finish) a book. If I’ve read less than 50%, it did not count towards my reading tally.

Don’t worry about the high number of books I’ve read. I rarely watch TV these days!

As for next year? well, I’ll be back at University part-time to pursue a degree in Art History, so that will have an impact. Right now I’m reading David Mitchell’s Utopia Avenue (Mitchell is one of my all-time favourite authors, but this book is an unusually slow read for me) and Candice Carty-Williams’ Queenie (I just started). Let’s see if I finish either this year.

(Finally, I’m slowly making my way through a first draft of a novel. I have no idea what I’ll do with it once it’s finished — other than edit and revise — but it’s a nice late-at-night project for me to have when the day is winding down.)

What has been your favourite reads of 2022? And have you read any of the books that I loved?