52 Books in 2022
Hello, hello everyone! After an extended hiatus, I am back with an end-of-year blog post! As I've done in previous years (see 2020 and 2021), I've listed, rated, and reviewed all the books I've read this past year. We had some real gems and some real duds, but overall a solid reading year. Books that I think are worthy of your attention I've highlighted and books featured as part of the Useless Doctor's Book Club Podcast are linked.
As this is the third year that I've done such a post, I thought it might be cool to do a tiered ranking, revisiting some of the books I've read over the past few years. So stay tuned for a follow-up post!
Hope 2022 was a good reading for you and looking forward to what's in store for 2023!
The Rating Legend
🙅 - equivalent to anything less than 3/5 stars - Probably shouldn't have continued reading it.
😐 - 3/5 stars - It was fine. Nothing special to write home about.
🍪 - 4/5 stars - It was fun and I had a nice time.
🍦 - 5/5 stars - Fabulous. Amazing. Stunning. Remarkable. Other similar adjectives.
🎙 - Featured on the Useless Doctor's Book Club Podcast
☕ - My review, aka "The tea"
* - Worthy of your attention
THE LIST
Mystery/Thriller
☕: A husband and wife with many secrets are forced to stay in a secluded cabin in Scotland during a snowstorm. Literally, everything goes wrong.
☕: Gave me a lot of second-hand stress and had me guessing till the absolute end. But what was that ending???????
The Witness by Nora Roberts - 🍪
☕: Need a tv show based on this book ASAP.
☕: This is like a soap opera in a book and it was highly fun and entertaining.
☕: Idk how this author managed to make literal PARIS seem dull.
☕: Reminder that college really is a wild time. Who thought it would be a good idea to have a bunch of 18-year-olds living together?
☕: Tbh this book is only saved by the crazy grandma.
☕: All Good Twists Here.
☕: "Be gay do crime"
☕: Who knew you could find so much drama at the library?
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead - 🍦
☕: This book broke my brain. You should read it.
☕: The chaos of "Hot girl summer" embodied in a book.
Science Fiction
☕: Sci-Fi just isn't my vibe. I'M SORRY, I TRIED.
Cozy Mystery
The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker - 🍪
☕: Utter insanity and chaos presented in the most entertaining way possible.
A First Date with Death by Diana Orgain - 🙅
☕: Okay listen, mixing the Bachelor with a murder story sounds like an interesting idea. However, no.
☕: Maybe should've read the first book before this, but you know, everyone makes mistakes.
Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan #2) by Elle Cosimano - 🍦
☕: "Very Shenanigan-y"
☕: Disappointed that the sequel was not nearly as good as the first one.
☕: I literally don't remember what happened.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz - 🍦
☕: Very, very trippy. I see you, book.
Literary Fiction
Contemporary
☕: Very overrated IMHO. However, a decent read.
☕: Lots of good messages, however, However, HOWEVER, definitely did not need that many R-rated scenes.
Euphoria by Lily King - 🍪
☕: Am willing to read Lily King's grocery lists at this point.
☕: A great exploration of the human psyche? Check.
Mrs. Death Misses Death by Salena Godden - 🍦
☕: I cried during the introduction. So, make of that what you will.
☕: Who knew a book about a sport I know nothing about could become an absolute favorite?
Us Against You (Beartown #2) by Fredrik Backman - 🍦
☕: So. many. tears. were. shed.
☕: Was not expecting to read about a pandemic. Was not prepared.
☕: The movie was better. Sue me.
☕: You think YOU have problems? Think again!
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin - 🍪
☕: Cute sibling relationships, with a dash of heavy family secrets.
Millennial Fiction
Wahala by Nikki May - 🍪 (🎙)
☕: Read a lot of books about friendship. This was by far the most toxic-ly entertaining.
☕: Fun, summer read about adults dealing with the repercussions of being dramatic AF teenagers.
☕: Ugh, so entertaining to read about a bunch of rich people's lives spontaneously combusting because they just can't get it together.
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason - 🍦
☕: The best book I read this year. Change my mind.
Patricia Wants To Cuddle by Samantha Allen - 🍪
☕: Imagine a reality show gone COMPLETELY off the rails.
Romance
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall - 🍦
☕: Not much of a romance tbh, but it was a fun friendship book.
Birds of California by Katie Cotugno - 🍪
☕: A little too angsty for my taste, but decent plot and characterization.
☕: A book about wedding planners has to be romantic, right?
☕: Roses are red, violets are blue. I hated this book and I recommend you don't read it too.
Marriage on Madison Avenue (Central Park Pact #3) by Lauren Layne - 🙅
☕: Idk why I continued reading this. Like, I genuinely have no good reason.
Shipped by Angie Hockman - 🍪
☕: What company sends their employees to the Galapagos for a work trip, and can I work there?
Swipe Right by Stephie Chapman - 🍪
☕: The slowest of slowest burn romances. But well worth the wait.
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson - 🍪
☕: Secretly falling in love through letters? YES.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry - 🍦
☕: Best romance I've read. Period.
☕: A perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover. Just because the cover could be a beautiful piece of art I want to hang in my house, doesn't mean the book was good.
Just Friends by Holly McCulloch - 😐
☕: There was like barely a romance. It honestly felt like the main protagonist just decided, "yes, today is the day that I'm going to start liking this man."
In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk - 🍪
☕: This book had surprising depth and idk when I will get over that.
Horror
☕: I'm not a big horror person but I guess I enjoy books about suburban moms fighting a vampire.
☕: The idea of secret societies in books seems interesting, however, I've never actually liked a book with a secret society.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean - 🙅
☕: *Yawns*
Short Story Collections
Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby - 😐
☕: Interesting set of stories, but nothing to write home about. However, what a great cover.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So there you have it folks, the 52 books I read in 2022. Wishing you all a safe and healthy holiday season and I will be back soon for a special tiered ranking post of all the books I've read in the past 3 years!
