Final Reading Update for 2022

You can see my reading goals for 2022 are here. 

Even if I didn't manage to complete all my goals, It was a spectacular year of reading. I read 288 books, 38 more books than my Goodreads goal of 250. 

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Hands down, the best book/best series I read last year and maybe in my entire life, was this one. I'm not really a fantasy fan, but N.K. Jemisin created characters and a world that gobsmacked me. It grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. If you haven't read this, then you should add it to your #MustReadList.

#MustReadIn2023Fiction Goal: 24/48 books

I finished 24 books from my fiction list.

Because this is from a curated list, all these books had received high praise before I read them. They were all good. A few that blew my mind include:

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, & Jamie Chang (Translator)

Korea has the worst gender wage gap in any OPEC country. Kim Jiyoung, a symbolic character, epitomizes this story of gender inequality. She represents the experiences of Korean women, especially those with a career who are married with children. Read my full review here.

The Red Palace by June Hur 🍁

Set in Joseon Dynasty Korea in 1758, this is based on the true story of Crown Prince Sado, an untouchable serial killer. Hyeon, a palace nurse, ends up involved in a clandestine investigation with Eojin, a young police inspector.

Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith 🍁

This book is full of humour, love, and heartache. It is pure Newfoundland. It’s 1995 and 14 year old Barry Squires is full of bravado and piss and vinegar. His life is complicated, but it won't stop him from joining the Full Tilt Irish dancers.

#MustReadIn2023NonFiction Goal: 18 books

I came close to meeting my goal from my nonfiction list - reading 17 instead of 18, but since I increased my goal last year from 12 to 18, I'm ok with this.

The best of these include:

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

Merlin Sheldrake is brilliant.

Not only is this book full of fascinating information about fungi, it is a delightfully entertaining read that's easy to digest.

An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives by Matt Richtel

This is an intimate, conversational, overview of the evolving science of how our immune systems works. Richtel integrates the science into the stories of four individuals. The most important thing about this book is how readable it is.

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow

This is a brilliant book that shakes up what we have been taught about the history of humanity.

I didn't do so well with meeting my goals of reading Canadian and Indigenous literature. 

Canadian Authors Goal 100 books 

I read 86 books by Canadian authors instead of the 100 last year. The list is here. 

Here are some that impressed me: 

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton 🍁 

When I finally sat down to read this graphic novel, I didn't stop till it was done. This memoir spans the years she spent working in Northern Alberta in the Oil Sands. Being one of the few women there made for emotionally exhausting and even traumatic experiences.

On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein 🍁

Naomi Klein addresses numerous climate crisis and extinction related issues in this collection of long form essays. I especially appreciate those articles that explain why we desperately need a green new deal, what it means, and how we can achieve it.

Zero Repeat Forever (The Nahx Invasions #1) by Gabrielle S. Prendergast 🍁

"Sixteen year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade, annihilating entire cities, taking control of the Earth."

Eighth is one of the Nahx. When his partner is killed, he roams wild, not wanting to follow his directive to, "Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall."

 Indigenous Authors goal: 25 books

Alas, I only read 20 books.

There are so many beautiful books on this list, I really hate to choose one over the other. Still, here are a few I adored:

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont 🍁

I'm been a fan of Dawn Dumont's work ever since reading Nobody Cries at Bingo. Nadine teaches traditional dance and has organized a tour of Europe with her troupe. When food poisoning brings Nadine and her dancers low, John's brother, the chief, manipulates John, a 30ish year old Cree man, into taking her place along with Edna, an older woman, and her niece, Desiree. Neither of them are dancers. Luckily, John is.

Dumont's work is loaded with humour and heart-aching sweetness.

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette 🍁

This was a hard book to read. It is a story about the pain and rage felt by indigenous women. It's about unconditional love - or the lack of it.

The Stone Child (The Misewa Saga #3) by David Alexander Robertson 🍁

Morgan and Eli are back in the land of Misewa, where Eli is close to death. Saving him means they have to destroy the portal, so they end up having to search for a new one.

Check to see how successful other readers were at Leigh Anne Eck's blog, A Day In the Life.