I used to do end-of-year ‘favourite books’ posts before reading that many authors hated them. I guess missing out can be a disappointment. I’ve often commented that I’m pretty harsh in my ratings systems so my ‘fave books’ posts are usually short and sweet. Occasionally I’ve only listed 3 or 5. Never a top 10 or 20 or anything. Because then surely I’d skip something that I later regretted. And after all it is very very subjective.
Having said that, of course I’m going to share my favourite reads of the year(!!!). Noting I’ve missed some others have raved about, including more popular reads such as Jane Harper’s Exiles and Sally Hepworth’s The Soulmate.
Last year Jacqueline Bublitz’s Before You Knew My Name was the standout read for me and this year there’s ‘one’ again.
Denise Picton’s The Family String was so beautifully and poignantly written it destroyed me, making it easily the most memorable book of the year. I note in my review I comment that, ‘when you think your heart has broken more than it can possibly break, things get worse.’
And it seems it was my only 5-star read of the year.
I did have several 4.5 star reads though (including The Paris Apartment, Loveland, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, Carrie Sotto is Back, Salt and Skin, The Tilt, Dirt Town, Lying Beside You, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding and very recently Retribution). But now I look through the list the two that have stayed with me or had the most impact are:
Denizen by James McKenzie Watson, which is both beautifully written and shocking – managing to expose readers to psychopathology in a way that’s sympathetic but also very (very) confronting.
And then there is The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. I adored Gentill’s After She Wrote Him, published a few years ago. It was ridiculously clever and she offers similar here: a whodunnit – a novel within a novel and a tone that becomes increasingly menacing as the book progresses.
As for my reading stats, they’ve continued dropping from the 150+ I read 5 or 6 years ago to 130, then 120 and this year… I’m sitting on 110, so I might read one or two more but that’ll be it.
I’m happy with the decreasing numbers because I struggle to keep up with my reviewing and am conscious that I’m able to retain fewer memories of them the more I read. Incidentally, my mother is currently reading her 113th book for the year so far and no doubt will add some more in the next two weeks.
I’m thinking of changing my review patterns next year. Not just because I have a more intense day job, but also because I can see that publishers and authors are appreciating shorter and snappier reviews on Instagram and TikTok. Many of the media releases now don’t even mention ‘blogging’ just request they be tagged on social media. And my mother does constantly tell me my reviews are too long. Interestingly I’m long-winded or very brief. There is no in-between… so I’ll need to work on that.
I’d love to hear what books you’ve enjoyed this year. (Recognising of course that there are no non-fiction books at all on my ‘read’ list this year. As usual.)
* The books I’ve read listed by rating can be found here. (Also listed in the right side bar.)
December 15, 2022
My standout was not a 2022 publication – Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood (it’s a few years old). In terms of this year’s publications, I gave five stars to Found, Wanting by Natasha Scholl.
December 16, 2022
I’ve heard good things about Found, Wanting. I don’t think I’m really on Ultimo Press’s radar so though I get their upcoming release listings I’m never really contacted directly. (Which is interesting given two of the three books listed above are theirs!)
December 15, 2022
Thank you for your reviews, I enjoy them and read based on your recommendations. My top two reads this year are Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell and Matrix by Lauren Groff.
December 16, 2022
I think I actually received Hamnet for review but wasn’t sure it was my kind of read. Then of course I heard good things and I think I’d given it away by then.
December 16, 2022
I always enjoy your reviews and I often stand at a bookshelf and think ‘oh Deb reviewed this, I better see what she said…’ I haven’t done a round-up post yet with my faves, but will probably do so in early January. Thanks for linking up.
December 16, 2022
I wasn’t going to do one this year but ended up feeling my list was pretty cut and dried so went ahead. I do worry I might read something after publishing it but don’t think there are any upcoming releases before 2023!
December 16, 2022
Hi, Deb – Thank you for linking up with us at What’s On Your Bookshelf. I love that you consider yourself a harsh reviewer. That way, when you do rate a book as 5 stars, your followers definitely stop and take notice. I will keep a look out for The Family String (if my fragile heart can take it). 😀
December 16, 2022
The Family String is a gorgeous book. It ends on a happier note so you should be okay….
December 16, 2022
I have not long finished The Paris Apartment which I enjoyed.
December 16, 2022
Yes same. I know her previous book The Guest List was popular but I liked this one more.
December 16, 2022
It’s so funny I’m finding that people either really love Carrie Soto or they hated it… I guess I’ll have to pick it up myself and see.
December 16, 2022
It was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I wasn’t sure what I’d think. I would really like to read Daisy Jones and the Six as everyone raves about it.
December 16, 2022
I’ll definitely check out The Family String. You might like Alone with you in the Ether by Olivie Blake, it’s a very different perspective on heartbreak.
December 17, 2022
Oh I’ll have to check that out as I’ve not heard of it. The Family String is written from the viewpoint of a child and brilliantly done. (And I’m a sucker for a book written in a child’s voice. It’s hard to do well, but if it is….)
December 17, 2022
Hi Deb, I always enjoy your reviews. Like you I tried to cut back on reading this year – I can hear you gasp!! I am finding that if I read too many I can’t remember what I’ve read so slow and steady although I did read more than I had planned to. The Family String has been noted for my TBR list. The Woman in the Library was a bit of a let down for me. Still, I admire anyone who writes a book as I’m not sure I could. Thanks for joining us for #WOYBS 2022 and I hope you will have time to join us each month in 2023 as I value your thoughts and love of reading. Have a wonderful Festive season and a very happy 2023. Good luck with the new job. xx
December 17, 2022
Sue, so often I plan to join your link-up – and I even have a couple of drafts still sitting there – but then time gets away from me. I can definitely relate to the need to cut down on reading. I didn’t read as much as some book bloggers I know but I used to read about 150/year or so and realised I remembered so little of the books I felt terrible given how much authors labour over their work!
December 17, 2022
I’ve only heard of the library one. Interesting insight on the Socials. I have noticed everything seems to be on tiktok (which I’m not on but it gets fed into my Socials). Even hotels just seem to want a few pictures in a mini film rather than detailed reviews. Happy Christmas to you, hope you have a lovely time.
December 19, 2022
I know book stuff on TikTok is popular. I don’t tend to ‘listen’ to things so even if there’s a clip on Insta I only watch it if it’s got closed captions. I just can’t imagine adopting TikTok…
Thanks for your Christmas wishes and I hope you and your family has a lovely Christmas as well.
December 19, 2022
Hi Deb, like many others I always value and enjoy your reviews and we often are on similar wavelengths. I must say like it when reviewers are honest and if that means being harsh, then so be it! The Family String sounds a delight so I’ll definitely look out for that one. Thanks for joining us for WOYBS.
December 20, 2022
Oh yes you should definitely read The Family String. It’s heart-wrenching but delightful at the same time.
December 22, 2022
I’m impressed you can read and review so many books every year! I’m a harsh reviewer too (takes a lot to get 5 stars out of me). I’ll have to look but I don’t think I’ve had more than 2 or 3 5-star reads this year.
December 22, 2022
Yes Same Janet. Only one 5 star read for me. A few 4.5s though. (Though of course I have to then decide whether to record them as a 4 or 5 star on Goodreads….)