Books have always been an important part of my life. I consider myself a big reader, not voracious necessarily (I don’t know if I can read that fast), but it’s always been a part of my identity. However, between school and life, the amount that I read throughout any given year fell for a long time.

That sad fact of my life changed in 2022. I surprised myself by finishing thirty-two books last year, a feat that I haven’t accomplished in at least a decade, if not longer. I’ve been making books an integral part of my life again, and I’m happier for it.

Listed below are several of those thirty-two books that resonated with me (and a couple that felt like wastes of my time). I’ve been tracking them in a Notion database, which has worked out well and feels better than using Goodreads.1

My favorite books

  • Billy Summers by Stephen King.
  • The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. I was a big fan of Station Eleven, so I was predisposed to enjoying this book. I didn’t expect how enthralled I would be by its end. It may be the best thing I read all year.
  • Kissa by Kissa by Craig Mod. I love everything this person does, so supporting his work by purchasing this book about walking, Japan, and pizza toast was a no-brainer.
  • Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel. Their first novel. While it’s not as grand or affecting as their later work, I enjoyed the trip it took me on.
  • The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. This one took me forever to finish, but it was stellar. I’m so glad Donna Tartt is enjoying renewed interest.
  • Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami.
  • Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss.
  • Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. In the world of unique books, this one may be in the top three. I’ve never read anything like it. The experience of unraveling its mystery was one of the best I’ve had in recent years.
  • Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I don’t think this was quite as good as The Glass Hotel, but I blasted through it in a few short days and it stayed with me long after I finished it.
  • A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss.

My disliked books

  1. Thanks, Amazon… ↩︎