To say 2022 was an off year for me would be putting it mildly.  The first ten months seemed to drag on forever, and the continuous onslaught of bad/depressing news and events, both personally and globally, left me feeling drained, anxious, and, at times, defeated.  There were so many times I would sit down to write a review to share with you, only to have my mind go blank, unable to put together a thought or reaction.  Thankfully things seem to be getting better, and I have made several reading and reviewing goals for 2023.

However bad this past year seemed at times, I  must say it was a great year for reading.  Maybe I’m just getting a bit more discerning as I get older, but the number of “very good” to “great” books I read was much higher than years past.  Trying to narrow down this list to  my favorites turned out to be a bit more challenging than usual, but here they are, my favorite reads (in no particular order) of 2022!

Fiction

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills by Jennifer Haupt

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide

The Devil in the Red Dirt by Michael P. Smith

Nonfiction

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

The Color of Water:  A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride

Code Talker by Chester Nez

The Way of the Rabbit by Mark Hawthorne

Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies

Beautiful Atrocities by Ross Jeffery (short story collection)

Into the Forest and All the Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo (poetry)

Spinal Remains by Chad Lutzke (short story collection)

They Were Here Before Us by Eric LaRocca (a “novella in pieces”)

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What were your favorite reads of the past year?  And what reading goals do you have for 2023?  I have my “must read” book cart set up and ready to go!

So, from my little corner of the world, I want to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year, all the best to you in 2023!

Happy Reading!  Glenda