Honourable Mentions 2022

[@Thebookerharlot]

Thank you for the recommendation of the advent calendar. My husband purchased it for me as a Christmas present and it is wonderful! I have added all sorts of new to me authors to my TBR, and I will be purchasing next year for myself and my bookish friends! Bravo Simon!

[@SavidgeReads]

So pleased you got it and you enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to lots of Canadian fiction next year thanks to it.

[@suehayward-ault3587]

reacquainted is the word you were looking for ❤ Happy and healthy New Year wishes 🎉

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha thank you Sue. If only I had had you on hand a few days ago. 😉 Happy New Year to you too.

[@95ndgrad]

You’ve shown up in my feed for a long while and I just never felt compelled to sit down and watch someone talk about books. Tonight, for some reason, I decided to try one of your videos, and I’m hooked! I’ve watched 4 back-to-back and love your recommendations! I also think you, personally, are absolutely darling! Thanks for being an end of year gift I wasn’t expecting!

[@SavidgeReads]

Awwww that’s so lovely… and such a turnaround I was a bit worried at the start of the comment and thrilled by the end. Welcome to the channel. I hope you keep enjoying it Shannon.

[@cindyhaiken5644]

I love this honorable mention list. Have read many of them. Will always be grateful to you for A Year of Wonder and have picked up Another Year of Wonder to learn more in 2023. Sending a bookish beary hug right back to you.

[@SavidgeReads]

Awwww thanks Cindy. Hope you’ve had a lovely day. Here’s to another year of wonder for us both.

[@ann-kathrinmeyenburg7265]

I send a big hug your way! Merry Christmas! 🌟🎄

[@SavidgeReads]

Awwww mutual big hugs, always a delight.

[@SarahSazSarah]

A great video so informative of some brilliant books. And books also I would not normally read. Looking forward to 2023 and the upcoming videos you have planned. Thank you.

[@SavidgeReads]

Awww thank you Sarah. That’s a lovely comment to get.

[@kaylacurrently]

You and your mom convinced me to read The Paper Palace this year as well as The Island of Missing Trees and I loved them both!

[@SavidgeReads]

So pleased you loved them both. The one of those two I didn’t mention in this video may well be in my books of 2022 video 😉

[@jenniferfyffe6949]

Thank you for this video, I now have a copy of The Bread the Devil Knead and will be starting 2023 with that read! I enjoyed reading many of your honorable mentions, and looking forward to reading with you (and Louise) in 2023🎉❤

[@SavidgeReads]

Awww thanks Jennifer. I have a feeling 2023 is going to be quite the year. Hope you enjoy The Bread The Devil Knead when you get to it!!

[@lorimiller854]

Bought Year of Wonder! I’ve always wanted to learn more about classical music but had no idea how to go about it. This seems do-able. Thank you, Simon! I love your channel. I love your mom’s channel too. ❤

[@SavidgeReads]

Oh it’s really doable Lori. I just love the way Clemency introduces the pieces of music. So excited to revisit it AND have new music next year too.

[@bookinwithdebra]

Thank you for the video Simon. It's been lovely to watch with my morning coffee on my day of rest and recovery day after making it through a couple of challenging days. I really want to read Seven Moons. I travelled around Sri Lanka a few years ago. Amazing and beautiful country with complex history and issues. Thank you for all the videos this year.

[@SavidgeReads]

I would love to go to Sri Lanka. Mum and I talked about going next year but now South Korea seems to have stolen our heads and hearts. Maybe in 2024. Hope your days have got less challenging.

[@Dani_Saurusrex]

You are a treasure and an absolute delight. Love your selection of books for this and always appreciate the way you talk about stories you liked - your joy and appreciation always get me. Hope you have a wonderful rest of 2022 and an amazing start to 2023. Can't wait to see what you'll do in the new year!

[@SavidgeReads]

Awwww thanks so much. That’s such a lovely comment to get and has made my favourite day of the year (Boxing Day) all the lovelier.

[@patricialux6197]

Hello again, just popping in to thank you for posting on Christmas day, I think that was quite cool. And I also think I'm filling up a notebook of books to read. Overwhelming and exciting! Very much enjoying your videos! 🤗🌲 🎄

[@SavidgeReads]

I’m glad you enjoyed it and liked the little Xmas gift in video form. Hope you have a lovely rest of 2022 and a fabulous 2023 incoming Patricia.

[@1book1review]

Agree on what you said about Sorrow and Bliss. While reading it I was constantly guessing what she had and was annoyed at the diagnosis being not named. But after reading it wasn't meant to be a specific one I thought it was rather clever as it would've reduced it to that one disease and added to the stigma, instead showing how hard life with a mental illness is and how it affects everyone involved.

[@SavidgeReads]

I can understand the frustration people have with it, it sort of misses the point though. I think it shows what we all have in common with Martha, which will also be different to everyone else, which is also really clever.

[@susprime7018]

I read Nightbitch and agree with your summation. I bought The Paper Palace but have not read it yet. Also, bought Memphis and looking forward to that read. I have a list of authors to look for in my next visit to a brick and mortar bookstore in February. I hate driving and long for a local bookstore in my little town.

[@SavidgeReads]

I was super excited for Memphis and then read about all the author drama which has put me off. Best avoided till after you’ve read it maybe. Ha.

[@lesleybradley9370]

Loved loved loved this vlog. Happy happy Xmas to you and yours. So chuffed that I've read so many of your list. You given us such joy over the year. Love Taylor Jenkins Reid, especially daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. Please please keep going with these videos they're fab. Xxxxxx

[@SavidgeReads]

Ha. I have no plans to stop doing videos in 2023. Maybe even two or three a week dependent on my diary. Though there won’t be another honourable mentions till the end of 2023. Here’s to a fabulous new year.

[@janethansen9612]

Happy Christmas, Simon. I'm currently trying to choose my top ten for the year but it's so difficult. I think it was the year of cosy reads for me.

[@SavidgeReads]

I don’t think I’ll be able to do a top ten. I think it’ll be a top twelve with some mild cheating.

[@rebecca.reader]

Thanks Simon, great list!! I've been really wanting to read Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on my bookshelf, so I will pick it up in the new year and go from there . Happy festive reading 📚

[@SavidgeReads]

And happy reading to you too! Here’s to many corkers in 2023!

[@readingbytheriver5752]

Fun list - thank you. A few books are now on my round-to-it list. The Short Story Advent Calendar - please give us a warning when and where they can be ordered next year. Cheers to you, Chris, and the fuzzy ones. May 2023 be a great reading year.

[@SavidgeReads]

I didn’t realise they were doing the Short Story Advent Calendar myself until quite late but they shipped it from Canada in like five days. Amazing. I need to remember to order it in early November next time though. Ha.

[@gillian6530]

I love the idea of getting favorite authors' recommendations. I finished The Paper Palace, which I loved. I felt the setting was like a character, with the pond etc. Of course, we've all stuck with you. 😻😻😻

[@SavidgeReads]

Yes! The place and atmosphere were such a huge part of the book they were characters and whole moods themselves. Totally.

[@GemofBooks]

I completely agree on all the WP longlisted that you mentioned, I really like all of those.

[@SavidgeReads]

Hurray!!! 🥳📚

[@bookishbedlam]

I started Seven Moons this morning. I am loving it.

[@SavidgeReads]

Hurray!

[@benreadsgood]

So glad you liked Other Names For Love! I’ve had it sitting on my bedside table since I saw it on your channel. Just By Looking At Him may join it soon… 👀

[@SavidgeReads]

Ha. Two brilliant queer books on polar ends of the literary spectrum in all sorts of brilliant ways.

[@Bessie-On-Wheels]

Thanks for posting I definitely want to read Just by looking at him at certain points we touch seven moons and more by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

[@SavidgeReads]

Hope you enjoy them all when you get to them Kate.

[@bibliosophie]

I want you to record "nightbitch" as a phone alert sound for winding down: at the allotted time, user's phone starts chirping "nightbitch" to let them know it's time to bed down

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahahaha. I love this idea. I want it to happen!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

I want to read several of these. Sorrow and Bliss, Seven Moons and Paper Palace are all on my radar. 😊💙

[@SavidgeReads]

I hope you enjoy them all when you get to them!

[@jenisalwaysreading]

I just finished listening to Sorrow and Bliss and absolutely loved it! All of the characters were so interesting even though we mainly got to see them through Martha's POV. Her and Patrick felt so realistic and I found myself torn at the ending but, ultimately, happy. I do agree with that it was better not to have the illness named. Like you say, it would've changed the book into a treatise on whatever illness was named and not about Martha and her family.

[@SavidgeReads]

I think sometimes people just like books to be very clear. I am not that fussed hahaha. Though if it’s super vague it loses me. What a fuss pot I am. Glad you enjoyed it too.

[@AnaMoShoshin]

I read Revenge this year and loooved it! I can't really think of it as only a short story collection tho. It's more of a novella of connected stories in my mind.

[@SavidgeReads]

Yes, I know what you mean. I sort of see it as snapshots into this one brilliantly twisted world.

[@wendyluvsbooks6537]

Two best books for me this year are Daisy darker by Alice feeney and the Murders at fleat house by Lucinda Riley

[@SavidgeReads]

Ooh I’ve not heard of those. I’ll look them up.

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

Hi Simon, nice to see you on this day I don´t do christmas ;)

[@SavidgeReads]

I hope you’ve had a lovely day whatever you’ve been doing!

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

@@SavidgeReads Thanks!

[@cathrineboysen1017]

💜📚🌞💜

[@carolewatson2113]

Ps I’ve had a rubbish Xmas Day on my own so thanks for this post!

[@SavidgeReads]

Hope this brought some company, joy and chatter x

[@shawkitty2524]

Regarding "The Bread The Devil Knead"--did you ever feel as though the trauma was sensationalized just for the sake of sensation alone? Did you think it hinted of hope at the end?

[@SavidgeReads]

I didn’t feel it was sensation for the sake of sensation alone, no. I wouldn’t be recommending it if I did as that’s not my kind of book. I thought it did have hope, yes. That said I don’t need hope in a book or it to need to have hope in to recommend it. I can like some quite bleak books.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Most of the books on my best of the year list , were published long before 2022. I read lots from my backlist TBR this year and found some great books. 🍀👋☘️🤗📖📚🤩📕☕️

[@shawkitty2524]

@jacquelinemcmenamin8204 The very same for me!

[@SavidgeReads]

I’m hoping to read more backlist in 2023. That said this wasn’t my books of the year list 😉

[@stacey__withanE]

Many faves on this list!! ❤

[@SavidgeReads]

Ooh good to hear!

[@carolewatson2113]

Still thing about the Paper Palace ending. You’d love earlier TJR eg one true loves

[@SavidgeReads]

I’m looking forward to going back and reading more TJR.