Reading List 2022
In 2022 I fell in love with reading again. After reading 68 books, 23,855 pages, I learned so much about my reading preference and favorite writing styles. I discovered many new authors and joined the Gem City Readers book club.
Everyone needs at least one book friend in their life. I read so many excellent books recommended by friends and family. Shout out to my momma, Kristin, my friend, Evelyn, and my sister-in-law, Claire! I LOVE getting book recommendations. Tell me your all-time favorite book in the comments below. As you scroll through, check out some of my favorite reads from 2022.
Favorite Book of 2022
“This is the best book I’ve read all year. Maybe even the best of all time. It’s heartbreaking, inspirational, and full of love and anguish. The writing is so incredibly well done. The story of a mother and her son escaping the violence of gangs and their excruciating journey migrating to el norte. I truly believe everyone should read this book.” – Meghen Murphy
Recommended by Kristin Welly
Most Beautiful Writing Style
“This is one of the most beautifully written stories I’ve ever read. It flows like poetry with seamless effort. I loved reading the non-linear story of a Vietnamese family and their traditions and beliefs. The author is eloquently spoken and has the perfect voice for her book.” – Meghen Murphy
Best Cry + Favorite Author of 2022
“Woah, man, I was not expecting this book to ruin me. It took me a minute to get into the flow of the narrative but I ended up loving the matter-of-fact tone throughout the book. Ove is incredible. The supporting characters are incredible. This was a heartwarming tale about the unexpected things that can happen in your life after loss. Highly highly recommend reading it if you’re looking for a good cry.” – Meghen Murphy
Recommended by Kristin Welly
Best Trilogy of 2022
Book #2 of the Beartown Trilogy
“I admit I’ve never really been much of a sports person. But this story really puts into perspective how vital a sport/team can be to a person for many different reasons. In addition, there are so many incredible interactions between the characters that Backman crafts so eloquently. It’s impossible not to empathize with every character as you read this story. It’s an incredible reminder to be kind to people because you truly don’t know what they’re going through.” – Meghen Murphy
Best Twist
“Okay, I seriously couldn’t put this book down. I read it in two days. I loved the writing style switching back and forth between the characters. Twists and turns at every point! Questions at the end of every chapter. Love the story about love and marriage. I really, really loved this one.”
– Meghen Murphy
Best Immersive Setting
“I LOVED this book! Very happy I went with the audiobook. There were a lot of Asian language phrases I would not have properly pronounced if I had read them myself. Everything from the clothing to the architecture to the food is so insanely detailed it puts you right into the middle of the story. There are many loveable characters and many insightful points of view on the challenges of everyday people mingling with the insanely wealthy. It’s still inconceivable what it would be like to have so much money. Now I need to watch the movie!” – Meghen Murphy
Best Thriller Mystery
“Wowowowow, what a story. I loved the straightforward harshness throughout this book. I felt queasy a few times while listening to the author’s descriptions. The kind of activities these 13-year-olds get into is so foreign to me when I think about my life at 13. It’s almost enough to make me never want to have children. Great mystery and plot twist at the end.”
– Meghen Murphy
Recommended by Evelyn Ritzi
Libby Library App
Every book I read or listened to was on Libby. Libby is an award-winning, much-loved app for libraries. All you need to do is connect your library card(s) to Libby to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. One of my favorite features in Libby is being able to define and search for words or phrases right in the app! It was really helpful while reading American Dirt so that I could translate Spanish phrases.
The more library cards the better! Libby automatically shows you which library has your book available or who will have one available the soonest. I found that the Toledo, Ohio library card had the most available books and the shortest wait time (shout out to Claire for recommending I sign up!)
The StoryGraph
One of my favorite things I did was log all of my books on The StoryGraph. This app is an all-in-one platform for your bookish needs. Create reading challenges and goals, preview content warnings, get book recommendations based on your reading preferences, and so much more! If you’re looking to distance yourself from Amazon, you can transfer over your Goodreads book list. I’m a data nerd and love seeing charts and graphs that highlight fun facts about my reading habits. Check out some highlights below.
If you’re a book and stat-loving nerd like me, make sure you add me as a friend! @DesignsByMeghen
Full Reading List
My favorite thing about The StoryGraph was the Reading Wrap-Up they put together. On top of some fun statistics and reading trends, they included a full image gallery of the covers of each book I read in 2022. I love how they look all together in one spot 🥹
If you have a question or want to know more about any of the books listed below, shoot me a message or leave a comment below.
