This last year has truly been the year of me fully diving back into my reading addiction. Since the start of 2022, I’ve already read 31 books which is definitely a record for me.
I know a lot of people want to get back into the habit of reading or even start reading for pleasure for the first time. I’m here today to help you all get back on, or begin, your journey by rating some of the books I’ve read so far this year.
Most of the books I’ve read this year I’ve loved, so even if one is low on this list it doesn’t mean I hate it, it just wasn’t as good as some other ones!
While I would love to rank all 31 books I’ve read this year, we unfortunately do not have time for the monster of an article that would be. To make things easier I randomly selected 10 books that I’ve read this year and based my ranking off of that.
Without further ado, here’s 10 books I’ve read this year and what I thought of them!
1. “The Song Of Achilles” by Madeline Miller
An astounding five out of five starts!
“The Song of Achilles” was actually the first book I read in 2022 and I honestly couldn’t have started the year off any better. That being said, it’s been a while since I’ve read this book and I have a horrible memory, so this is all based off what I remember.
To give a brief synopsis, “The Song of Achilles” tells the story of the ‘friendship’ of Achilles and Patroclus, two characters in greek mythology.
The romance build-up in this book is honestly amazing. Friends to lovers is a beautiful trope that is done perfectly in this book.
Putting the romance aside this book is by far one of my favorite retellings of a greek myth. I personally have loved greek mythology since I was required to study it in seventh grade. (I never read Percy Jackson though, please don’t hate me). The writing style in this book is perfect for the time it is set in and I honestly have nothing bad to say about this amazing read.
Can we take a second for the amazing quotes from this book also? I won’t spoil them, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
P.S. Can we please get a movie of this?
2. “Funny you should ask” by Elissa Sussman
Another astounding five out of five stars for this one!
This book honestly drew me in by its cover (pictured below), but I am so glad I judged a book by its cover because it was SO WORTH IT!
“Funny You Should Ask” tells the story of journalist, Chani Horowitz, and her encounter with the extremely attractive movie star, Gabe Parker.
The thing I love the most about this book is that it jumps between different timelines. One chapter you’ll be reading in present day about Horowitz’s reunion with Parker, then the next chapter your discovering more about what really happened when they first met ten years earlier.
I don’t want to spoil too much about this book because I feel like it’s a book you have to go into blind. I personally try to go into a lot of books blind, but if that’s not usually your style, I’d suggest trying it with this read!
(The photo below is also a shameless plug to my bookstagram that I’m restarting, go follow it for even more great recommendations!)
3. “The Two lives of Lydia Bird” by Josie Silver
Alright we’re getting down to it, this book I give four out of five stars. This isn’t saying the book is bad or anything, it just wasn’t one of the best books i’ve read this year.
“The Two Lives of Lydia Bird” is just as the title states. The book is about Lydia and Freddie, who had been together for over a decade – that is, until Freddie dies in a car accident on Lydia’s 28th birthday.
Lydia is obviously doubled over with depression and hardly sleeps, so her doctor prescribes her a sleeping pill that’s still being tested on. This pill suddenly grants Lydia the ability to choose – a fake, perfect life with Freddie or coping with loss and living in the moment.
This book had me in tears. As someone who has dealt with the loss of a loved one myself, I always think about the life I would live if that person had not passed on. Where would I be? Who would I be? This book really made me think about that and also helped me remember the importance of living in the moment and making the most of the life you are given.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is just getting into their love of reading as it’s an easy read but also a good one!
4. “The Devil wears prada” by Lauren Weisberger
I guess this is a bit out of order if you’re basing my rankings on the amount of stars I gave it on Goodreads, but nevertheless this book is staying in fourth despite its five stars on my profile.
The Devil Wears Prada is an amazing piece of literature that I really think everyone should read, and yes, the book IS better than the movie.
“The Devil Wears Prada” tells the story of Andrea Sachs, a young girl fresh out of college (with little to no fashion sense) who somehow lands the job “a million girls would die for,” as assistant to Miranda Priestly, the extremely high-profile and successful editor of the “Runway” fashion magazine.
From the crazy things Sachs is required to do, along with her transformation both inside and out throughout the book, it’s honestly a great read. It will have you screaming internally while also wishing you had the opportunity she had at the same time. If I could erase my memory of this book and read it again, I totally would.
And while the book IS better than the movie, who didn’t freak out when they saw Anne Hathaway (Andrea Sachs in the film) in a true Andrea Sachs outfit seated next to none other than Anna Wintour, who fans think Miranda Priestly was loosely based on.
5. “Beach Read” & “Book lovers” by Emily Henry
AH! I love Emily Henry! I’ve recently been in my romance trope era, which honestly isn’t common for me but I’m not complaining. I grouped these two together because I didn’t see a reason to waste a placement on books that are so similar, but both of these books get five stars from me.
I actually started with Henry’s newest release, Book Lovers. The title definitely drew me in and I had heard great things about Henry’s books on my bookstagram. So I gave it a shot, and then fell in love.
Something about Henry’s writing truly pulls you in, I can’t even explain it. Her books are on the longer side but it honestly took me less than a week to finish both of these books, that’s how good her writing is.
The romance also isn’t insanely predictable which I appreciate. Both books also feature a romance between authors, which I think is really cute, specifically in “Beach Read” where each character challenges the other to write in their respective genres.
I HIGHLY recommend Emily Henry books to readers of all levels!
6. “Darling girl” by Liz Michalski
I actually got this book from Book of the Month which is a subscription service where every month you get to choose from seven books to have shipped directly to you. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to authors you’ve never heard of, or books you never imagined reading. They also feature a lot of debut artists which I think is amazing! If you want to sign up hit me up, I have a referral code ;)
Anyways, I gave this book five stars on Goodreads, but reflecting on it I think I’d rather give it a three or four.
“Darling Girl” is essentially a published fanfic for the story of Peter Pan. It’s honestly a lot to explain but that’s the best way to sum it up.
The main character is a descendent of the Darling family, as in Wendy Darling, and Peter Pan is not the young hero you’d expect him to be, with the reason why slowly revealed throughout the book.
Overall, this was a great book from a debut author, and I highly recommend it. It’s good to support new authors versus the authors that keep pushing out book after book. It’s a great debut novel, and I expect more great books from her in the future!
7. “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood
Another five star book rated lower on this list…just proves to you that things can change when you look at everything big picture wise!
This book was recommended to me ENDLESSLY by one of my best friends (and former HCKSU president) Shelby. I can say I am very grateful for the recommendation at the end of the day.
I guess I’m just really in my romance novel era despite my claims that I am not the biggest fan of that genre, but almost every book on this list makes me seem like the biggest romance fan on the face of the earth…anyways…
Quick synopsis: Fake dating trope… that’s all I need to say.
This book was so good. Was it cheesy? Yes. Was it predictable? Also yes. Did I relate to Olive almost on a personal level? … Unfortunately yes.
I honestly think romances are great for a quick read. They draw you in quickly and are just fun and enjoyable to read, (especially if you’re single like me…)
8. :Red, WHite and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston
This book threw me for a loop…so it’s getting a 3.5.
“Red, White and Royal Blue” has the possibility to be a five star book if there weren’t so many random scenes that were just not needed at the end of the day. There was no reason to spend a whole chapter having one of the main characters explain their unlikely goal to re-gerrymander Texas, just for it to never be brought up again.
The political gargin was also just a bit much for me sometimes, a lot of parts could have been fine without it. I’m not a poli-sci major, and I doubt most of the people reading this book are.
At the end of the day though this book was cute and brought a tear to my eyes multiple times. Who doesn’t love an enemies to friends, friends to lovers, forbidden love trope?
I wouldn’t recommend this book to new readers, as personally I would get stuck when the unnecessary chapters came about and debate not finishing the book. At the end of the day I’m glad I stuck it through and i’d recommend it!
9. “Call Me By Your Name” by André Aciman
After hearing both good and bad reviews, I finally decided to read “Call Me By Your Name” this year, (although I still have not seen the movie for this one, don’t hate me…it’s not streaming!) I gave this book four stars, but my rating more accurately lies at 3.5.
While this read was sometimes a bit too over-descriptive or possibly odd, I would consider it a work of art overall. This is because of the writing.
André Aciman’s writing in this book is absolutely beautiful and drew me back to read more each time. The quotes in this book are unmatched, such as the one I have below, which is one of my favorite book quotes of all time.
Overall I highly recommend reading this, and I’ll watch the movie eventually!
10. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover
Hey! It’s our Her Campus Kent State Book Club read for October 2022! I already read this book before this month, but I reread it to be refreshed for our club meeting. Upon first read, I gave “Verity” 5 stars. Upon second read, and after hearing outside opinions on the book, I was able to take a more critical approach to reading. Now I’d give it 3 stars.
In my honest opinion, if “Verity” didn’t contain a romance plot then it would be a better book. The random romance and highly descriptive sex scenes simply were not needed. I get that Colleen Hoover is a romance writer, but maybe she shouldn’t have touched the “thriller” category if she couldn’t help but add a romance.
Overall I’d still recommend this book, especially to new readers. It’s very fast paced and has you on the edge of your seat most of the time, so I’d say still give “Verity” a chance!
Whew, that was a lot. I hope you all enjoyed my reflection on some of the books I’ve read this year, but there’s plenty more where that came from so feel free to reach out for more reviews! Don’t forget to give my bookstagram a follow as well: @snoopysbookshelf :)