It’s the last day of the year, which means it’s time for an annual book recap! I’ve decided to pull these reviews directly from Goodreads to make this a little easier for everyone.
First of all, I’m so happy you’re here! If you are a reader, consider joining Goodreads and sharing your reviews with others. I enjoy reading the reviews from friends on Goodreads, so if you are part of the community, please come find me! Let me know if you have any questions.
The quarantine hobby
One of the benefits of 2020 was that I picked up reading as a “serious” hobby again. In 2020 I read 30 or so books, in 2021 it was 55, and this year I capped it all at 109 books, essentially doubling my reads from last year!
While one can’t really quantify the enjoyment one gets from a hobby such as this, it’s given me great pleasure to get back into a hobby that has been a huge part of my life since I was very young.
I never pictured myself sharing my reads but found that whenever I did, I felt more connected to all of you that do love to read, and additionally found (though others!) some of the best and most interesting books I have ever encountered. I highly recommend that you surround yourself with people (virtually or otherwise) that have different reading tastes than you. You might just find yourself becoming an accidentally well-rounded reader and learning something that you might never have imagined you would be interested in.
Recommended ways to use this recap
There are two sections to this reading list:
Mila’s 2022 Reads is a visual of all 109 books I’ve read this year in order from most recently read.
LIFE HACK: You can click on each photo to open up the individual book review in Goodreads.
2022 Book Reviews is all my book reviews from this year, starting with the most recently read.
LIFE HACK: If you know the book or author you are looking for, I recommend clicking “CTRL +F” or “Command + F” on Macs, then type in the specific book title, author, or phrase. That should bring you directly to the review you want and help you avoid scrolling through the entire reviews section if that is not your plan.
Below are all my book reviews for the books I read in 2023. Remember the hack - if you know what you’re looking for, click “CTRL + F” or “Command +F” on Macs and search the title. But also feel free to scroll ;)
At the beginning I wasn’t too sure about this one, but Larry is really onto something here. After the first few chapters, I was hooked. This is going back on my bookshelf to keep for reference.
I’m biased for sure because I know the author, but Rob Smiljcic is a true artist and his first poetry book, An Aura of [U]topia is nothing less than a truly one of a kind piece of art. Scattered throughout with copies of Rob’s own art, h...
Always love Marie Kondo’s books and this one is no exception! Konmari’s books are especially timely around the end of the year when I find myself getting into the organize/discard/donate phase. Nothing feels better to me then a fresh sta...
I was definitely expecting another typical time management book. But this one delightfully surprised me. Written during the pandemic (published in August 2021), I found Oliver Burkeman’s insights on time to be fresh and freeing.
I am incredibly interested in the topic of longevity - how best to care for our bodies, our minds, our health, our social lives and our world as we continue to evolve and get older.
This book was a solid 3 star read because while it wa...
I read this in one day. ONE EVENING to be precise. This was a completely messed up story and I still have so many questions….
4 stars because I read it in one sitting. Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a TWISTED suspense...
*NOVEMBER BOOKCLUB READ*
2.5 stars - my rating primarily reflects the writing style of the book. As the Wicked Watch follows crime reporter Jordan Manning as she interviews and connects the dots in a race against time to figure out who ...
So many interesting things. I love that I can keep my highlights on goodreads forever because I will definitely come back to them.
2 ideas that stuck with me:
- Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople - they are key to the tipping point
- ...
If you want to give yourself nightmares, go read about the Eugenics movement in the United States. Or don’t - just read this historical fiction piece instead.
It’s 1927 and Mary Engle is sent to work at Nettleton State Village for Feeb...
A completely unique read.
It’s very hard to pin the vibe of this book, but if I had to try….
It’s “Handmaids Tale” x “The House in the Cerulean Sea” x a Scottish and Gothic fantasy version of “Downton Abbey” where surprise, they’re al...
If you’ve ever watched and loved “The Good Place”, then you know the vibe of this book. Wonderful take on different branches of ethics and schools of thought on morality without any of the pretentiousness associated with either.
Litera...
Style comes from within - it requires personifying courage and an understanding of the art to sharing who you are.
Style is never in a rush, and pays no heed to passing trends or relevancy. Style is about “evolving, and growing and exp...
This is a deeply impactful book. Women should definitely read this book if/when they’re ready in their lifetime.
This is a long haul book. It’s extremely intuitive and you have to really dig deep to understand what she’s presenting in ...
The Myth of Sisyphus - a man cursed by the Gods to slowly, painstakingly, roll a rock up a hill for an eternity. Every time the stone reached the top, it would fall back down into the depths and Sisyphus would start his journey down anew...
For August book club, we read “The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease” by Marc Lewis.
The brain changes when you get married. It changes when you learn… well, anything. Marc makes the case that addiction is NOT a disease...
Jam-packed with knowledge and studies on everything food/health (optics, timing, foods that support a healthy microbiome, etc.), and at the same time…. It’s lengthy and was definitely repetitive.
So…likely would not read again
Very short essay that John Steinbeck wrote for Harper’s Bazaar in the 1950’s. This was pre excessive tourism in Positano. His essay sparked a ton of interest in Positano globally and the rest is history. Like most of his work, his musing...
Everyone can benefit from diving in and exploring their shadow - the things that cause them pain, the wounds that aren’t yet healed, the sneaky nostalgia convincing them that the past was better.
And in Surviving Winter, that’s exactly...
This kept me up late turning the pages until the end. I liked how deep the author dove into the characters and their back stories. The entire book takes place over 2 days but the flashbacks are extremely helpful for understanding the cha...
Someone I highly respect said that this was a book that had an enormous impact on her. I don’t take those type of recommendations lightly and resolved to read Maya Angelou’s first installment of her autobiography for myself. I can see wh...
Same type of world as “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series and similar in structure/plot/characters too. Despite its similarities I didn’t enjoy it any less and I will happily read the second one when it comes out this year.
This is a must read but I highly recommend you listen to the audiobook version.
Narrated by the author, Shannon Lee (daughter of Bruce Lee).
Most know Bruce Lee for being the little dragon. A Kung Fu legend. But few knew him for the ph...
Honestly a bit of a let down after the first book.
Can’t say anything else without spoiling something but not sure I’ll come back for the third book, at least not for awhile.
In the author’s own words to distill what she’s learned in the epilogue:
“Go outside. Often. Sometimes in wild places. Bring friends or not. Breathe.”
We know nature is good for us - it decreases stress, increases our effectiveness, is...
This confused me more than anything - I found myself rushing through it trying to navigate the different stories and wondering when and how it would ever connect. Wasn’t the most satisfying experience when it finally did but an interesti...
I immensely enjoyed the audiobook version of this book. Molly offers her unique perspective with an inspiring and data-backed message.
It felt a lot like listening to a favorite podcast - definitely recommend listening!
Wow. This book infuriated me, it triggered me, and it made me want to discuss vehemently. Though data heavy (of course) this book should be required reading in this day and age.
It’s absolutely terrifying… be forewarned.
tagged:
2022-reads
Goodreads cuts you off at 100 books total in their widget, so below I added my first 9 reviews of 2022. Thanks for being here!
Need a reading buddy?
You know where to find me! Come connect with me on Goodreads and discover or rediscover the magic of reading. Let me know in the comments below, what are you currently reading and do you have any reading related goals for 2023?
