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This year got away from me in more ways than one and I completely neglected this sweet little book blog.
Now, three days from 2023, I'm committing myself to getting back on track by revisiting my favorites of this year and promising to do better in January.
(Please don't ask how many things I promise to be better at in January. I have a long, unrealistic month ahead.)
If I finish the book I'm reading now, I will have read a grand total of 58 books this year. I'm okay with that number, though I would have preferred a round 60.
There were two books that I started and did not finish, which is still not easy for me to do. Life's too short to have to get through half a book before enjoying it, though. Here's to less book guilt in 2023!
Overall, I read a pretty good mix of fiction and non-fiction. 22 non-fiction, according to my haphazard list. It's pure coincidence that my top six of the year were a mix of both.
Because I failed to review these books as I read them, I'll spare you the extensive review now. But, here are a few thoughts about my favorite books of 2022.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
This book felt like a hug. I loved it so much, I don't even want to talk about it because it might ruin the magic. The basic gist is that it's told, in part, from the point of view of an octopus living in a Western Washington aquarium. He knows his time is short and he finds himself taking little escapades when the aquarium is closed in order to get better food than what they're feeding him. But, it's not just about an octopus. It's about family and loss and life and friendship - and, the woman who is the true main character of the book carries with her such grief you find yourself holding your breath that she can let it go. The way their stories tie together is so beautiful and emotional that I was bawling when I finished it. I tried to explain to my husband and sons, but as soon as I got to the octopus part, my 11-year old said, "Mom, are you reading a children's book?" A children's book could never. This is one of my favorite books of all time.
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
Everything Jamie Ford writes is perfection to me. It's not just because his wife and my sister went to high school together, he lives in my hometown, and I got to shake his hand once at Christmas Eve mass (though all of these things are super cool.) He just writes in a way that takes your breath away and he does it in this book even better than his books that came before it (which happen to be some of my other favorites.) This book tells a story across generations about women, mothers, courage, trauma... I can't describe it in a way that would ever do it justice, but I can tell you that if you read it, you will feel it in your bones.
Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and Battle for Truth
This book will break your heart and also make you so mad, you want to scream. Elizabeth Williams is a journalist who has reported on the aftermath of Sandy Hook for years. 10 years after one of the worst tragedies in American history, you still feel the ache of that day. This book is less about what happened that day, however, and more about what happened in the years that followed. Mostly, it's about evil monsters like Alex Jones who profited on conspiracy theories that further tore these families apart. I'm increasingly concerned and frustrated about misinformation and this book lit a fire it me that may lead to an entirely new career. An incredible book that is worth every emotion you'll feel while reading it.
The Winners
I'm noticing a theme as I'm writing this: every one of these books had me in tears. This one, I think I cried through the last 70 pages. The Winners is the last in the Beartown trilogy by the incomparable Fredrik Backman. It's the thickest of the trilogy, too. I recently heard Backman say in an interview that he knew where The Winners was going to end up when he started Beartown and that has me wanting to go back and read all three books again. If you're not familiar, Beartown is about a small town hockey club and the fans and players that color the town. The Winners ties up in a bow the storylines and characters that began in that first book. We've fallen in love with these characters and now we get to see why and how it all matters. And Backman's trademark foreshadowing is on display from the very first pages.
We Carry Their Bones
I heard this author on a podcast and had the book reserved at the library even before the interview was over. Erin Kimmerle's book is a fascinating look at how slow the wheels of justice often turn and about the intricate stories that often happen behind the scenes of national headlines. The Dozier School for Boys was a notorious school in Florida for "troubled" kids; it was also the scene of unspeakable horror that was covered up for decades. Kimmerle is a forensic anthropologist who was called in to help find the remains of children who died at the school and whose families were never given the whole story. Her book reads like a novel, as she paints a picture of the terrible things that were done to these boys. You hear of her team's painstaking work and also of the patience and persistence these families showed, just hoping one day to bring their boys home.
Hello, Molly!
Yet another podcast interview that I had to read more about... I've always loved Molly Shannon (I'm an SNL fan from way back), but I didn't know much about her story. Then, I heard her on two separate podcasts talking about this book. I loved the stories she told about the crazy escapades she and her friends went on as kids (stowing away on a commercial flight to New York - hello!). I also was moved deeply by the way she talked about the loss of her mother and the complicated relationship she had with her father after that. Even though I heard her tell these stories through a couple of interviews, the book was absolutely worth the read. Molly is such a joy.
So, there's my top six. I read a lot of great books this year that didn't make this list, but overall, I'm happy with the variety. I had a couple of books I finished in a single flight. I gave myself permission to savor some and not just rush through. I already have a nice stack on my nightstand and a bunch of holds at the library to get 2023 started.
Thanks for reading!
