My Favourite Books of 2022

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I should have mentioned that Ohio features some pretty horrific descriptions of sexual assault. These are mainly in the last quarter of the book so it does lull you into a false sense of security regarding how bad it will get. I do think the discussions around sexual assault and consent are really well handled but just an FYI in case you want to avoid reading that sort of content.

[@valdeane6435]

I always like that your favourites are very different books to other booktubers! I am now very intrigued by The Arsonists' City and have had Crow Lake on my radar for a while. My favourites were A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum - if you haven't read it - it's a family drama that I think you will love. Also loved Still Life by Sarah Winman, Night Crawling by Leila Mottley, Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson, Know My Name by Chanel Miller and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Out of your favs I haven't tried A Woman if No Man or Yellow Wife so I'll add them to the list. I dnf'd Still Life and Nightcrawling. Read and absolutely loved Know My Name and read and quite liked Crying in H Mart.

[@catagoryfive1631]

I just subscribed and could listen to you talk about books all day. I appreciate that they are more esoteric than other book tube and Goodreads’ recommendations.

[@themusicsnob]

I loved hearing your review of Girlhood. I just read Body Work by Melissa Febos which is kind of part memoir and part writing craft book. I really appreciated a lot of her points and actually found the text quite academic. She references Girlhood a lot so I want to pick that up next.

[@exploringmegan]

You do such a good job describing the books!

[@andresmontielc]

Interesting reads! Thanks for sharing. I'm including some of these books in my to-read list. There’s a whole universe of books to discover. The last one I read was When Dying Is Not a Problem and I really liked it.

[@KendraWinchester]

Always love seeing your list! ❤

[@KendraWinchester]

PS I think you might like THE BOOK OF EVERLASTING THINGS by Aanchal Malhotra. It’s a multigenerational family drama set against the backdrop of the partition of India and Pakistan.

[@SavidgeReads]

So pleased you loved The Offing, a firm favourite of mine. Seeking Fortune Elsewhere is a collection I need to get my mitts on. I bought The Arsonists’ City and Ohio because of your thoughts, need to actually read them both now!

[@paigeobrien5709]

I read Roads Ends by Mary Lawson last year and loved it. I often think of it. Highly recommend.

[@heather_vee_reads]

I've added so many of these to my Goodreads! Great recommendations!

[@leeh4343]

I loved The Offing - think it’s time for a reread! 😊

[@elizabethmoloney6967]

Excellent selection of books. Most are new to me . All sound intriguing and you have definitely increased my tbr list 😏

[@caseywagner9484]

I read Crow Lake several years ago and STILL remember how well written it was! I recently read another book by the author Mary Lawson called A Town Called Solace- that was also great!

[@dollycatlin5077]

Quiet great reviews!

[@shelflife5213]

Added Mary Jane and Crow Lake to my TBR :)

[@bettyreads222]

Crow Lake and The Strangers sound so intriguing, definitely going to give them a try. One of my favorites from last year was What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo which is her memoir around her journey on figuring out she has complex PTSD. Appreciated its honesty.

[@foxedfolios]

Not sure if you have read any of Saidiya Hartman’s work, but would recommend ‘Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments’ to you. One of my top reads last year.

[@foxedfolios]

(Oh, and not sure if it’s a book you would enjoy, but my top read of 2022 was Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting by Penelope Mortimer. A suffocating, claustrophobic look at suburban despair, loveless relationships, unfulfilled lives. It is fantastically good.)

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Thanks for both of the recommendations. I'll look into them :)

[@lorimiller854]

You have completely convinced me that I need all of these in my life, so on the wishlist they go. They have to go on the wishlist because you also inspired me to read down the books I already have. 😂 I have Ohio (based on you talking about it earlier) and love the idea of reading it then listening to it. I do that often. You describe books so well. Thank you.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Hahahha, I feel bad for inspiring such conflicting emotions!

[@nuraitheodora]

oooh Girlhood and Ohio are going on my to-read list! Have wanted to read the Arsonist's City for a while so hopefully I'll get to it soon! You might have already done this, but I would love a video with recommendations of books that do that shift in pov that makes you look at a character completely differently, I love that in books too! Some of my favourites of 2022 were Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, Women Talking by Miriam Toews and Trust by Hernan Diaz.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I haven't but I've had it on my list of videos to film for about two years, haha. So I'll definitely get to it in the next few months :) I was interested in all three of those books but now you've mentioned the shift in pov I'm even more excited to get to them!

[@evam6961]

thank you for this video

[@KittyAndTheBooks]

Such an interesting list of books, definitely put some on my wishlist. One of my favorite books was Pachinko, just so good.

[@thebritishbookworm]

Great list! Seeking Fortune Elsewhere sounds right up my street and it passed me by last year. I'd definitely like to read that this year! So happy to see The Arsonists' City on there, one of my favourites too! Can't wait to see what Hala writes next. I think you should re-read A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza because parts of it are similar in themes and tone.

[@janethansen9612]

I'm intrigued by the Stephen Markley books, but can't get them locally so may have to include on a future online order. Your non fictions reads sound excellent too.

[@juliettechaplin2685]

my favourite books this year were The Bell Jar, that I had somehow never read before this fall, and absolutely loved; I want to read it again and again, and Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, which brought me so much joy when I listened to it in the spring, during what was a really hard time for me and my family.

[@solomonbrewer571]

I just read the bell jar for the first time too, it was soooo good!

[@Gagging4Lit]

Was lovely to hear that you enjoyed Seeking Fortune Elsewhere after being initially put off by the cover. I felt the same about Less by Andrew Sean Greer. I thought that book was so good. Ohio definitely sounds ace.

[@nonisnest9718]

I’ve added them all to my wishlist!

[@bethanamyh]

I've read 3 Mary Lawson Books. I just finished The Other Side of The Bridge and it had me in tears at the end. I enjoyed Crow Lake although it's my least favourite of the 3 I've read (I wasn't a fan of the 'present day' timeline). But A Town Called Solace is my absolute favourite. Simply perfect, her characters jump off the page. Clara is one of my all time favourite characters. I only have one left now to read and then I'll have to wait a bit as she takes about 5+ years to write each book.

[@barbaraschmitt85]

They were released quite a few years ago so don't know if you have already read them, but I recommend Jon Krakauer's Missoula and also under the banner of heaven (trigger warnings for both of them, they tell everything in pretty graphic detail). Also catch and kill by Ronan Farrow (there is also a podcast if you want to hear their stories not just read them).

[@foxedfolios]

Krakauer’s books are fantastic. I still have Missoula to read (building up to it), but I’ve read all his others. His ability to write compelling narrative non-fiction is 🙌.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't read any of Jon Krakauer's books. I definitely need to fix that this year!

[@anaovejero103]

What a great list! I read "What my mother and I do´nt talk about" bevause of your rec and it's amazing!!!! Thanks a lot! Do you know any other book with a similar theme?

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I'm glad you enjoyed it :) I had such a great time reading that one. I don't have any similar recs in terms of essay collections but three of my favourite memoirs where the author really examines their complex relationships with their mothers are Heavy by Kiese Laymon, How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones and Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden.

[@anaovejero103]

@@MercysBookishMusings thanks a lot!

[@ameliabarlowbooks]

I'm saving Ohio for a really long and luxurious weekend, I can't wait. definitely need to pick up Girlhood soon! 🌼💖🌼

[@p_p_p_p_7732]

Clicked on this video so fast! Seeking Fortune Elsewhere sounds great! Would you ever do a video on your all-time favourite books? :)

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I did a video a few years back where I looked back on my previous favourites of the year and chose the best of the best. I would love to do a proper all time favourites video but I need to reread all my favourites to decide :)

[@FHMS97]

Mary Lawson's writing sounds amazing! im hoping to read at least one book by her this year. 👀 for fantasy i cant recommend The Stars Undying by Emery Robin highly enough!! i think its the kind of fantasy that youd really enjoy: slow paced, beautiful writing, and very character focused with some fascinating themes. to me it read like the perfect blend of literary and fantasy. another fantasy series i LOVED was the Daevabad trilogy (the first book is City of Brass) by SA Chakraborty. the perfect immersive, escapist fantasy series with some really great character development and worldbuilding ☺️ i had a lot of literary fiction favourites from last year but two standouts were Trespasses by Louise Kennedy and The Other Mother by Rachel M Harper ☺️ i hope your 2023 reading year goes well!! cant wait to hear all your thoughts and reviews!

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll give The Stars Undying a go :) I actually dnf'd City of Brass. For me it felt a bit simplistic in terms of the writing style and a bit like a ya book with the hints of upcoming romance. Such a shame as I know lots of people love it. I enjoyed The Other Mother and have Trespasses lined up on audio :)

[@FHMS97]

@@MercysBookishMusings yay i really hope you enjoy The Stars Undying!! it was such a beautiful novel, plus super underhyped from what ive been able to tell. and sorry to hear you didnt get along with City of Brass! i do agree that the first book has its problems but the second and third ones really brought the whole story together for me (then again theyre very long books so i totally understand DNFing lol)

[@FHMS97]

@@MercysBookishMusings oh also i started reading this book recently that i feel like is right up your alley! its called O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker - child narrator, focus on girlhood, lovely nature writing/very atmopsheric. ive seen really positive reviews of it so i thought id mention it ☺️

[@katrinaandallthebooks7993]

I finished Mary Kate today and wondered if you’d read it.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

I’m currently listening to Deluge by Stephen Markley I loved Ohio. The audio of the new book is 40 hrs ! Loads of characters with different voice actors for each. I’m about 14 hrs in and I’m not sure I how it’s going to work / come together. I wish I had a text copy to keep hold of the many characters.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I'm listening along while I read and the audio is great :)

[@arlissbunny]

I’m definitely picking up Seeking Fortune Elsewhere. Sadly, the US edition has the same hideous cover. My book of the year has multi perspective, dual timeline, deep dives into both the perspective characters and corporate evil with the slowest burn thriller in the history of literature. Written for the Japanese market by Kaoru Takamura, it’s Lady Joker*, Volumes 1 & 2. Takamura is just getting warmed up crossing the 900 page mark but every minute is worth it. * In no way related to the Marvel character.

[@vesnastihovic7014]

96 books? 📚

[@a_bookish_gemini]

Starting “Ohio” as soon as I’m done with what I’m currently reading ❤

[@animeeddie2104]

I read Ohio based on your recommendation , I personally gave it 4 stars even though I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was SO overwritten and pretentious, I felt it got in the way. I actually laughed out loud at some sentences where I don't think that was the authors intention!

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Hahahaha, I completely get that! It is very pretentious. I felt he'd earnt that but I completely get why you feel that way!

[@azu_rikka]

I just finished "A town called Solace" by Mary Lawson and I was rather disappointed 😥. I loved "Crow Lake" and read it in one go, so naturally I thought the author would have gotten even better, which sadly was not the case. I didn't warm to two of the main characters and the story felt shallow in many places.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Oh no, that's a shame!

[@azu_rikka]

@@MercysBookishMusings I forgot to mention that maybe, if you liked Crow Lake, you might like Yaa Gyiasi's Transcendent Kingdom. It is also about a young female scientist that reflects on her past. It also addresses guilt and shame, accountability and the way we see the world around us. There are also mainly two timelines. The book is not as easy to read as Crow Lake, I found, it had packed more in it than just the written word. I think what I liked about Crow Lake most was the feeling it gave me, the mood it put me in, whereas with Transcendent Kingdom there was that PLUS a lot of thought provoking scenes that stayed with me.

[@sellery6369]

I was enjoying your talking about books and getting interested and involved into the world of the stories you had read, but 36:10 er... did you just swear? :-/