2022 Recap: Books

I can proudly say that this year was a big year for reading for me! As I’ve mentioned before, I started my adult reading journey in 2020 as part of the 101 in 1001. My original goal was to read 10 books over the course of 1001 days but achieved that goal before the end of 2020. In 2021, I had a goal of reading 15 books and actually read 31. In 2022, my goal was to read 36 books but as of writing this post, I’ve read 91 books this year!! I know – it’s hard for me to believe too.

This year, I purchased a Kindle Paperwhite for our honeymoon trip, and yall – it has changed my reading game! I used to read ebooks on my phone but I wanted a separate device so I could “disconnect” while reading. The Paperwhite was the perfect solution! I may do a separate post to review it, but in short, I LOVE IT! This addition has helped me read a lot more without getting burned out from screen time.

In the spirit of 2022 recaps, I thought it’d be fun to summarize my reading journey and round up my favorite books of the year! I’ve included my favorite 5-star books from this year and a few honorable mentions as well.

Reading Stats

Total # of Books Read: 91 books

Total # of Pages “Read”: 29,771 (per Goodreads, but I did listen to many audiobooks this year)

My Average Rating: 3.6 out of 5

Top Genres: Celebrity Memoirs, Mystery/Thriller, Self-Help

My Top Books of 2022

1. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Read if you like: Mystery/Thriller, jaw-dropping plot twists

When I tell you my jaw was on the floor while reading this book…MY JAW WAS ON THE FLOOR WHILE READING THIS BOOK. What starts as a weekend away to Scotland for Adam, a screenwriter who lives with face blindness, and his wife Amelia, ends with a twist you will NEVER see coming. I listened to the audiobook and it takes you on quite a journey. It was the perfect mix of thrilling with a hint of creepy that will keep you wanting to know more. This was the only 5-star I actually left a Goodreads review for and even posted about it on my Instagram.

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Read if you like: Productivity, habit building

This was my book club pick for 2022 and I loved it! James Clear provides practical strategies that will help you form good habits, break bad ones, and outlines the steps for everything in between. I had many “ah-ha” moments from this book and made soooooo many annotations to help me build new habits. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a concrete framework on how to build habits and create a routine. I even created worksheets as part of our book club discussion!

3. Mean Baby by Selma Blair

Read if you like: Celebrity memoirs, self-reflection; TW: Sexual assault, alcoholism, child abuse

The first (of many) celebrity memoirs of the year that made me say WOW. I’ve only known Selma Blair as the actress that played Vivian Kensington, the foe-turned-bestie of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. However, in this memoir, Selma takes you through her adolescence and the challenges that she’s lived through in her adulthood so far, including abuse, addiction, and MS. While her journey is admirable in itself, Selma’s “storytelling” and writing are heartbreaking and yet endearing and inspirational. A must-read for the year!

4. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Read if you like: Celebrity memoirs, self-discovery; TW: Child abuse, eating disorders, addiction

If you haven’t heard of this book, I hate you break it to you, but you’ve been living under a rock. You may know her from her iCarly days, but Jennette McCurdy is more than just a Nickelodeon star. From the title alone, you know that this memoir is going to be heavy. Jennette heartbreakingly and beautifully recounts her struggles as a child actor and how she’s coped with the consequences. The way Jennette discusses her life story makes it feel like you’re along for the journey rather than reading about it. I was rooting for her the entire time and felt oddly proud of her by the end of it. I also went into a deep dive into her interview circuit (including Red Table Talk and Drew Barrymore) and respect her so much!

5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Read if you like: Women empowerment, science, historical-y fiction

Another 5-star book club pick! Set in the early 1960s, this historical fiction-y book takes you back in time to follow the life of Elizabeth Zott. Elizabeth is a chemist navigating life as a female scientist while challenging the status quo. This book made me laugh, cry and feel inspired that there were (most likely definitely) women that stood up to “the man” and paved the way for equality. There were moments that I disliked, mostly around all of the sexist and misogynistic storylines, but I overall loved this book!

6. Finding Me by Viola Davis

Read if you like: Celebrity memoirs, How to Get Away with Murder, actors’ journeys; TW: Sexual abuse, child abuse

My love affair with Viola Davis began when she played the badass female lead in Shondaland’s How to Get Away with Murder. I honestly had no idea about her background or the struggles she faced growing up. I listened to the audiobook for this as narrated by Viola and you could hear the pain, heartbreak, and resilience in her voice. This book was very inspirational and is another must-read!

7. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Read if you like: Self-discovery, the Obamas, behind-the-scenes of politics

I am late to the party on reading this and I 100000% missed out. While I have always thought of Michelle Obama as a woman who on her own was accomplished and established, her memoir made me respect and admire her even more. She discusses her upbringing in the South Side of Chicago, her journey to become a lawyer, and her life as the First Lady of the United States. While this is a memoir, there were so many lessons to be learned from Michelle’s experiences. Another audiobook listen, I would highly recommend putting this book at the top of your list for 2023. I’m already excited to dive into her latest book, The Light We Carry.

8. The One by John Marrs

Read if you like: Thriller, plot twists, multiple parallel storylines

I picked up this book after seeing one of my Goodreads friends rated this a 5-star and OMG. Multiple times throughout the book I was SHOOKETH. Imagine a simple DNA test that could help match you with your perfect partner. Now imagine if you were one of five people who has been matched with their soul mate and could meet your one true love. This fictional thriller is written in the first person of those five people and keeps you on your toes. You couldn’t even GUESS the twists and turns that happen throughout the book. I finished this one in a day and was a great way to end the year!

Honorable Mentions

Here are a few 4- and 5-star books that I think are still worth mentioning! As you can tell, I really enjoyed reading non-fiction books this past year and am looking forward to reading more in 2023.

9. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

10. How to be Perfect by Michael Schur

11. What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

12. Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski

13. The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Igor

To see all 91 books I’ve read and my ratings on each, you can look at my Goodreads profile! For 2023, I’m planning on setting a goal of 50 books. I’m not sure I can commit to 100 books (yet), so 50 sounds like a great starting point. Hopefully, this helps inspire you to read more. I’d love to know of any books you’d recommend as well!

Happy reading!

Vivian