2022 Reading List
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This year I read 30 books. All in all, not a bad year. I used to spend a lot of time reading when I was in college, but I don’t do that so much anymore because I don’t have professors breathing down my neck about it. In 2023 I’m doing a reading challenge with my friends and I hope that I will have a more diversified portfolio of books I’ve read! Here I outline the books I read by genre and describe some of my thoughts. My top three books this year were: 1) The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 2) The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, and 3) The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
Fantasy and Fiction
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. This series is another that I read almost annually. It’s one of my comfort series, and is a very easy read that grapples with some real traumas and difficulties. I always recommend this series to people (particularly women and girls in their late teens) who are getting into fantasy. This series is more adult than Throne of Glass, and while it gets a strong recommendation from me, it is worth noting that throughout this series there are some scenes that are very much rated R.
A Court of Thorns and Roses. This is a great start to the series, and I always love remembering where Feyre comes from and what world she inhabits before being whisked away to the fae continent of Prythian. Feyre is a fighter. She learns to test her limits in this book and the book is filled with a tantalizing tension between her and her love interest. There’s mystery and monsters (lurking in places you don’t expect) and love and sacrifice. A good, cushy novel.
A Court of Mist and Fury. This is where the series really picks up, in my opinion. Feyre is forced to face the choices she made in the first book of the series, she is made to truly look at herself and choose what kind of person she wants to be. When I was 17, I read this book eight times in a row because, for the first time, I really felt as though a fantasy author was able to write the experience of PTSD and depression in a way that I understood. I recommend this series almost exclusively so that the readers are able to read this book.
A Court of Wings and Ruin. Feyre has found her family, found her place, and found something worth fighting for. As war picks up in Prythian, she begins to make more and more choices that put her loved ones in danger. She learns to grapple with what sacrifice looks like outside of risking herself, and has to begin to accept that she cannot protect everyone, especially not from themselves. It’s a good book, a good finale. It’s not amazing, but it’s hard to follow A Court of Mist and Fury.
A Court of Silver Flames. This book takes place from the perspective of Nesta Archeron, the eldest Archeron sister. Feyre is in it, but if you’re looking for another book depicting Feyre and her mate, this isn’t the book for you. This book is about Nesta in all of her rage and glory. It is rated R, so this is not a book that I would recommend to those who are not interested in explicit sex scenes. The tension between Nesta and her lovers doesn’t overwhelm the book, and she does a wonderful job of navigating the very real realities of assault and hookup culture- it has an explicit connection to healing from trauma, rage, and hypersexuality as a result of different traumatic experiences. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has burned with (particularly feminine) rage.
The Bone Season Series, Samantha Shannon. This is my second time reading The Bone Season, and I remain impressed by Shannon’s ability to create a society as nuanced as any real world society.
The Bone Season. The first book in this series follows a heroine by the name of Paige Mahoney, known on the streets of London by her alias “The Pale Dreamer.” This novel is a fantasy novel that takes place in an alternate reality, using the history and politics of modern-day Europe to set the stage for a striking and bloody conflict between a race called the Rephaim from the Otherworld and a human race divided by class and clairvoyant ability. This book is certainly a good read, the first in a seven book series, four of which are published as of now.
The Mime Order. The Mime Order is the second book in The Bone Season series, and continues to follow Paige Mahoney as she learns her ability and where her power resides. The politics of this world are further revealed, as is a complex love interest that results in a wonderful (very) slow burn.
The Song Rising. This is the third book in The Bone Season series and explores the depths of power that are present in the parties at play. We track Paige as she must hide from an authoritarian government, hell-bent on wiping out anyone with clairvoyance. In this heart wrenching addition to the series, Paige loses and rediscovers who she is under pressure and with the weight of lives hanging on her.
The Mask Falling. The fourth book in The Bone Season series provides readers with a much needed reprieve for our main character Paige Mahoney. After the events of The Song Rising, I was glad to see Paige take a moment for self-exploration and healing. Her downtime in The Mask Falling does not make the book less interesting or exciting, rather it allows character growth for Paige and those around her, deepening our relationship with her. We are left on a cliff hanger in this book, but it’s not as brutal a cliff hanger as I’ve seen, so I was happy with the ending. This has been my favorite book in the series so far, I’m looking forward to book 5 of this series and more character growth from Paige.
Bridgerton: The Duke and I, Julia Quinn. I decided to give Bridgerton a try after watching the TV series, which I found to be both problematic and incredibly controversial when I watched it. The TV series on Netflix is interesting enough, but contains clear physical abuse at several points in the first season, which appear to go undiscussed by the characters within the series, as well as many of the critics that have written about Bridgerton, online. The book is… fine. From my perspective, it’s not all that interesting. It’s a very plain period romance with a questionable writing style and a thin plotline, focused entirely on the marriage prospects and naivety of the main character, Daphne. She is interesting enough for her opposition of traditionally imposed societal norms, but even her opposition to societal norms occur nearly exclusively with her mother’s permission. I found that I enjoyed the show more, some of the characters in the show that I had come to love were not present in the book, and the show clearly filled in some of the thin plotline with side plots and characters with more depth. I will likely read the next book in the series if I can find it at the library, but wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase it.
Crescent City Series: House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas. House of Earth and Blood is the first book in S. J. Maas’ new adult fiction series. It follows the story of Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae, half-human woman as she suffers the grief of losing her best friend in a bizarre and confusing incident. At its heart, it is a murder mystery. More than that, however, it is a tale of friendship, love, and loss. I found the beginning to be a little confusing, as it is a high fantasy novel set in a modern world, very different from the world building we have come to expect from the fantasy author. I was kept on my toes throughout the novel, and didn’t expect the ending. It was very interesting, if not gratuitous with the details of the murder. If you are grieving a loved one, this is a book that somewhat accurately represents a telling of grief, but I would steer clear of the book if gruesome details bother you.
Entwined, Heather Dixon. This book is a wonderful novel for young adult audiences. The book is a fantasy novel that contains magic, but it presents in a realistic way. The book is a take on The 12 Dancing Princesses fairy tale, but is wonderfully entertaining with its independent female characters and charming love interests. I read this book for the first time when I was in early high school, and it’s an easy and comforting read that captures the disturbing nature of Brothers Grimm while keeping you on your (dancing) feet about the next plot point. I would advertise this book for younger readers, in their early or mid teens, though the book’s own age rating is ages 12+.
The Forgetting, Sharon Cameron. I’ve read this book a few times now. I like it as a standalone novel that has a unique and in-depth ability to world build. This is a futuristic fantasy novel. It would be good for a young adult looking for an easy read that doesn’t take too much time or effort.
The Knowing, Sharon Cameron. In this companion novel to The Forgetting, The Knowing further explores the universe created in Cameron’s previous novel The Forgetting. In this book, we are introduced to main characters Samara and Beck. Set several centuries after The Forgetting, Samara is raised in New Caanan, an underground city divided by ability. As one of the Knowing, Samara struggles with her gift and quickly finds her life in danger as she seeks answers to the questions of her suffering. Beck is an aspiring anthropologist traveling through space to find Caanan and see if Earth’s experiment to create a perfect society has succeeded. Beck and Samara find one another and are deeply intrigued by the answers each has to the other’s questioning, but are bound by duty to keep certain information from one another. I really enjoyed this companion novel to The Forgetting. I felt as though I was deeply embedded in an expansive universe and really rooted for the well-being of the main characters.
The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon. The Priory of the Orange Tree is a wonderful read. I absolutely loved it. I think it’s getting some criticism on TikTok right now for the intricacies and writing style, but it is truly an amazing fantasy novel that has a diverse and inclusive set of characters. It’s Sapphic, it’s ace, it’s generously beautiful. The imagery is stunning, the interior conflicts are realistic and beautifully precarious. The writing is gorgeous, the setting is gorgeous, the cover is gorgeous, I loved it so much. So far, this has been my favorite book of the year. I would recommend it to people who read often and want a novel that is composed of substance. The book is long, it is verbose at times, it is a mystery for about the first 100 pages, but it’s the real-deal. It’s very, very good.
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings. I will be honest when I say that I didn’t intend to love this book, but it absolutely won me over. It’s slow to begin, and I would only recommend it to people that read regularly, this isn’t a beginner level book. The world is rich, the mechanics of the universe are unique, the characters are varied in personality and ability, and I’m in love with Kaladin (I mean, who isn’t?). I begin this book not feeling very connected to the characters, I find the beginning of the series to be a little disjointed. I was going to stop reading it when a family member made me swear to finish it, and I am so glad I did. This series is one that is of the high fantasy genre, but if you love adventure and unique writing, this is the series for you.
Words of Radiance. I tore through this book in two days, it was lovely and full of more of my favorite characters. I started off not loving every POV we read from, but by the end I was connected to all of the characters and rooting for a romance that I definitely did not intend to be rooting for. Kaladin goes through some internal struggle in this book, which I love. At times he’s downright unlikeable, but he, of course, comes out of it and I love reading realistic mental health struggles.
Edgedancer. This is where I began slowing down reading this series. Edgedancer is a 250 page novella about the young Lift, a character that is crass, silly, and 13 years old. Sanderson attempting to write from the perspective of a 13 year old girl is really interesting. I don’t love it, I don’t love that I had to purchase the separate novella as opposed to the novella being included as more of an intro to the third book in the series, I don’t love Lift as a character and I don’t think that it was a very fun read. I’m told that I definitely needed to read it in order to understand some of the events coming up in the third book, which I have not yet read, but that remains to be seen. I think it’s an example of Sanderson becoming sloppy with his plotlines, and I find it to be a little bit lazy that he didn’t sort them out enough to include this critical information in the third novel itself, but I’m generally opposed to novellas, so there’s a personal bias for you.
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass. I will be honest and unashamed of this fact, I read this series maybe twice a year. I’ve been rereading these books since I was 16, so this is my fifteenth time reading the series (I read quickly, this is about a book a day). I love this series. It has a very well-thought through plotline and the characters are rich and strong-headed. It’s a very good high fantasy/fluff novel that keeps the reader interested. Throne of Glass is the first book in the series, and follows assassin Celaena Sardothian along her path of trying to win a deadly competition in the King’s castle. It’s full of love and adventure, and the series only grows in its richness as it continues.
Crown of Midnight. Without any spoilers, this book continues the story of Celaena as she grapples with what her role is in her life and kingdom. There is romance, there is fighting, there are monsters, there is death, grief, and true friendship. This is where some more of the high fantasy/fae elements come into play.
Heir of Fire. This is my favorite book in the series, hands down. Calaena goes through massive, massive self-growth and exploration. S. J. Maas is known for writing romances that keep the reader engaged, and this is really where the love story picks up. It takes place in Wendlyn, the land of the Fae Queen Maeve, and incorporates some more of the juicy fantasy aspects readers of this genre tend to enjoy. I cannot emphasize enough that this is one of my favorite books of all time, and if I ever struggle with self-image or feeling down about myself, this is where I go to remind myself of my inner strength. In this novel, we are also introduced to two more main characters that immediately grip the reader’s heart in their hands and continue to thrill the audience.
Queen of Shadows. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is that we get to see the main character play the role of the swaggering assassin so beautifully. This novel takes place back in the slums of Rithfold, with daring rescues, steamy romance, and, always, the loyal friendships that readers of the series come to know and love.
Empire of Storms. I love the concept of Empire of Storms. The main character is at her full strength, she is fighting for what she believes in alongside those who love her, there is a pirate lord, mystery, fate, destiny, and, of course, fire. In my opinion, this is where the series peaks. This is a critique of someone who has read the book many, many times, but I find that the main character loses a lot of her larger-than-life energy after this book. She is on a continual upward trajectory for a majority of the series, and she plateaus, here. And deflates, after this book. I will likely write a blog post about my opinions regarding S. J. Maas’ series endings.
Kingdom of Ash. I did skip reading Tower of Dawn this go-around, I know all the information and Chaol is no longer a favorite character of mine by this time in the series, though Tower of Dawn has the redemption arc so many of us crave for his character. Kingdom of Ash is a very well-thought-out, well-written book. But every time I get to the ending, I feel unfulfilled. The battles are magnificent, the strategy is impeccable, the characters are bloody and exhausted and incredibly human… but the ending is devastating. Not devastating in a “wow, that’s realistic and I respect that” way. Devastating in a, “I actually think you should not have written it that way” way. I know that Maas does her best with her endings, but for all of the spectacular battling we experience in this series, I expected more from the main character in the end. We leave her exhausted. We leave her drained. Not my favorite way to end a series.
Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr. Wicked Lovely is a book that I read as a young teenager. I was pulled to open it back up again as a result of my memory of loving it, but have found that I don’t enjoy the book as much as I once did. It follows the story of a teenage girl who is gifted with the Sight (or ability to see the fae) . Her sight is something she keeps secret, but it’s a difficult thing to do with the fae constantly wreaking havoc in the city. She eventually tells her best friend and the two of them work together to decide what to do about the fact that two fae appear to be more than a little interested in her. The writing and plot has holes in it, and much of the book is filler. I will say, however, that it is a good fantasy novel for a young adult looking to read something easy and fantastical. It’s a love story, with enough tension to just hold your attention.
Poetry
An American Sunrise, Joy Harjo. Joy Harjo is the three time incumbent Poet Laureate of the United States, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, and an inspiration to poets and activists alike. Her writing is accessible for all people, poets and non-poets alike. I’ve linked an article I wrote for German company Study Smarter about the eponymous poem of this collection, as well as a biography I wrote of Joy Harjo.
Winter Recipes from the Collective: Poems, Louise Glück. I love Louise Glück’s work. She’s one of my favorite poets, and her work has always spoken to me. This collection did not disappoint, with it’s clear elegance and interwoven nature, I read and re-read these poems, coming to understand each poem’s intricacies. The poems are beautiful and majestic, if not slightly uncomfortable-my favorite kind of poetry. For more information on Louise Glück, check out this article I wrote for Study Smarter, as well as this poet biography.
New and Selected Poems Volume One, Mary Oliver. Mary Oliver, of course, is always a go-to for phenomenal poetry. I read this collection in bits and pieces, outside and indoors, while waiting and while rushing. Mary Oliver’s work is stunning and beautiful and haunting. It perfectly portrays the immense and finite human experience.
nonfiction
Crazy Brave, Joy Harjo. This book is a memoir written by Joy Harjo. I normally detest memoirs, I’ve actually never finished one, but I couldn’t put this book down. It’s written in a mode of storytelling, including mysticism, songs, poems, and more from poet laureate Joy Harjo. This memoir details the beginning of Harjo’s life, discusses the birth of her two children, and outlines the beginning of her career as a poet and artist. Harjo’s writing is intimate and explores a universality that many authors struggle to achieve in their work. Anyone can read Crazy Brave.
Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by M.D. Herter Norton. Letters to a Young Poet is, of course, one of the staples of learning to write and live love poetry and poetry in general. I like this translation, though I don’t think the translator’s meditations and background on each letter necessarily aids in the reading, it’s not excessive. Rilke is one to return to for the ages.
Poet Warrior: A Memoir, Joy Harjo. This memoir by Joy Harjo is a continuation and companion to Crazy Brave. I found it to be slightly more poetic in that the prose is interspersed with language and images that lend themselves to prose poetry. I enjoyed it, but reading it so soon after Crazy Brave (I read them in the same week) made it difficult for me to see the distinctions between the two novels, even though they are separate works. They seem to be two parts of the same body and, as with Crazy Brave, I would recommend this book to anyone.