The 42 Books I Read in 2022
Hello and welcome to my first reading post of 2023, which is in fact a wrap-up of all the books I read in 2022. I am very excited to share with you the 42 books I read this past year. Honestly, I just feel like saying the number makes it seem crazy. Teenage me would be freaking out at the idea that adult me would be reading over 40 books in a year. I am pretty proud of this as I think it's quite an accomplishment especially since I was pregnant and gave birth this last year. I've found a new love and passion for reading over the last few years and I am so grateful for it. Reading helps me to unwind and I can just so easily transport myself into these books at any time and that's truly something special to me.
I just want to note before we jump in that I'm going to be giving just brief blurbs about the books as I do normally do a monthly "what I read" post where I go into a bit more detail about the books I've read. So in this post, I'll be sharing a small blurb, the format in which I read the book as well as how I liked it.
Without further ado, here are the 42 books I read in 2022.
1 - 6: Books 3 - 8 of the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
#3: Anne of the Island
#4: Anne of Windy Poplars
#5: Anne's House of Dreams
#6: Anne of Ingleside
#7: Rainbow Valley
#8: Rilla of Ingleside
The first 6 books I want to talk about are books number 3 to 8 of the Anne of Green Gable series by L.M. Montgomery. This was a series I started in 2021 and was so excited to move forward and finish in 2022. I read all of these books through Audible mainly listening during my chore time during the day. I absolutely loved these books. They follow Anne Shirley into adulthood and parenthood and the adventures are just as fun as when Anne was just a child at Green Gables. It also provides lovely stories and insight into Anne's children. The last two books focus mainly just on Anne's children. Absolutely incredible and I recommend these books to everyone.
7: The English Garden by Gail Gaymer Martin
This next book is actually a collection of four romantic novellas. I don't typically go for romance-focused stories, but these were excellent! Each novella was by a different author. It includes Woman of Valor by Jill Stengl; Apple of His Eye by Gail Gaymer Martin; Flower Amidst the Ashes by Diann Mills; and Robyn's Garden by Kathleen Y'Barbo. Each of these has its own unique love story set in different time periods, the first novella starting in 1631 and the last novella ending in the modern day. These were so cozy and fun to read. I truly enjoyed this collection! I read this book as a physical copy.
8: Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma by Karen Grassle
Another book I read this year was a memoir by the beautiful and talented Karen Grassle. If you don't know who Karen Grassle is, she is the actress who played Laura Ingalls' mother, Caroline AKA "Ma" on The Little House on the Prairie TV series that ran from 1974 to 1982. This memoir details her life, career, and struggle with alcoholism. It also reveals a lot of insight into the making of Little House which just so happens to be one of my top three favorite TV shows of all time. I really enjoyed learning more behind-the-scenes details of my favorite show and it was also very interesting learning more about the woman who portrayed the nearly perfect Caroline Ingalls. I read a physical copy of this book.
9: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The next book I want to mention is one that is close to home. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek follows the Blue People of Kentucky (AKA the Blue Fugates). I live in Kentucky so this book was of particular interest to me. Also in the book, the main character is actually part of a government program where she delivers books to people in the hills of Kentucky to encourage them to learn and read. This is close to my heart because my great-grandmother was actually part of this program in real life and delivered books on horseback. This story is very serious and has some dark moments but it is an incredible story. I read a physical copy of this book.
10 & 11: Books 1 & 2 of the Emily series by L.M. Montgomery
#1: Emily of New Moon
#2: Emily Climbs
The next series of books I read was the first two books of the Emily series by L.M. Montgomery. Once I had finished the Anne of Green Gables series, I wanted more and more of L.M. Montogomery's magical writing. I began listening to the Emily books on Audible and I must say, I really love the character Emily Moon. It still feels very Anne-ish. I like to describe Emily to be really similar to Anne only a little more practical. I read the first two books of this series (out of three) and they were really good!
12: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Why on earth I waited this long in my life to read Little Women, I'll never know. I'm not even sure I need to write a description for this book but at any rate, Little Women follows the lives of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as well as their dear neighbor Laurie. The adventures within this book are just completely enchanting. I think this book has made my top 5 favorite books of all time list. I read a physical copy of this book. I also want to note that I do not understand why people raved so much about the 2019 Little Women film. I found Jo, Amy, and Laurie to be portrayed as so insanely annoying that I couldn't even finish the movie. The 1994 version on the other hand? A work of art.
13: 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s by Sheila Hardy
The next book I read was one that was just about the history of the 1950s housewife in England. It was very interesting and I was very captivated by the way the author presented the information. I am just generally intrigued by the 1950s time period so this was a really fun read for me. I read this book on my Kindle which I believe was the very first book I ever read on my Kindle.
14 - 18: The Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury with Gary Smalley
#1: Redemption
#2: Remember
#3: Return
#4: Rejoice
#5: Reunion
Okay, these books I could talk about literally all day long, so I'm going to try to keep it short and sweet. I don't want to say these books changed my life but honestly? They sort of did. These are Christian adult novels that focus on the Baxter family. The Baxter family is made up of a mom and dad and their five adult children. The Redemption series focuses on different issues within the family which I realize may sound boring but the situations they go through are incredible. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll celebrate, you'll grieve, you'll be shocked, you'll be angry. I feel like the Baxter family is part of my family. I cannot recommend these books enough. The way the characters' faiths and journeys are written really helps to remind me of my own faith and to trust in God. I read the physical copies of this entire series. 10000/10 would recommend. This is honestly one of those series I'm sad that I will never get to experience reading for the first time again.
19: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Now I had to throw in some mystery. There's just something about a good mystery novel that is just so cozy and inviting to me. Lucy Foley does not disappoint. I had never read any of her work but I was super impressed. This book will just keep you guessing and shock you at every turn. I really loved this book and its writing style and since reading it, I have been gifted another one of her books and I'm so excited to read it! I read the physical copy of this book.
20: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
In my attempt to read more classics this past year, I turned to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I adored this book, it was so cute and just a wonderful story of children learning to be children as well as love being grown again. I think everyone should read this book. I read this book on my kindle.
21: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I'm a few years behind on this trend but I finally read Where the Crawdads Sing. My interest was sparked when I saw the trailer for the movie while at the theater watching the latest Downton Abbey film. I honestly really enjoyed the book for the most part, but can someone please tell me why the ending was so boring? I mean great book, with a great storyline, but the ending to me was pretty disappointing. At any rate, I did enjoy the book and think it was a very interesting story. I read a physical copy of this book.
22: Shady Hollow by Juneaeu Black
This year, I had moments where I was feeling very in need of a cozy mystery novel and this one may just be the coziest I've ever read. Shady Hollow is a riveting murder mystery, but the twist is that the characters are all different woodland animals which just makes it so cute and cozy. It reminded me of shows I watched as a child, like Little Bear or Franklin. Or children's books like The Berenstain Bears. Seriously so cozy and such a good murder mystery. I read a physical copy of this book.
23: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The next book I read was A Little Princess. I follow Ruby Granger on YouTube and I have for years, if you've seen her content, I'm sure you have heard her mention reading this book every year. It finally got to me and I decided to try it. I really enjoyed this book, though not as much as Burnett's The Secret Garden. It was still a good story about a newly orphaned girl who goes from riches to rags. I listened to this book on Audible.
24: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Why on earth it took me this many years to read an Agatha Christie novel, I will never understand. As I mentioned before, I was kind of in a mystery mood this past year. I saw a video online where it was a read-along and the purpose was to see if you could solve the mystery as you read the book. The book was And Then There Were None. So I decided to go to my local library and check out a physical copy of the book and try my hand at it. Well, I knew Agatha Christie was supposed to be good but not this good. Let's just say I thought I had it figured out when in reality I didn't have the slightest idea until the epilogue. THE EPILOGUE. Seriously, just read it. You won't be sorry. There's also a really good two-part series on Amazon to watch after you've read it.
25: Let Me be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
This year, I read my first book by Elisabeth Elliot. I have just discovered Elisabeth Elliot this year and have begun listening to a podcast that shares old talks and radio programs. I have been encouraged and learned a lot. This book specifically talks about marriage and just being a Christian woman in general. It is a collection of letters that Elisabeth has written to her daughter, Valerie when she was getting ready to get married. So this book is just full of practical advice and I wish I had it before I got married. I loved it so much I even bought my sister, whose due to be married this summer, a copy. I listened to this book on Audible.
26: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
The next book I read was Atomic Habits. Yes, after many years of hearing people rave and rave about this book, I finally read it and it did not disappoint. James Clear is well-spoken and gives practical advice on building habits and breaking them based on what you are already doing. His backstory I also found very interesting. This is a great read! I read this book on my Kindle.
27: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
This is precisely what it sounds like: a book of poems by Emily Dickinson. And I have to say, I wasn't overly impressed but I have been trying to broaden my reading horizons. It wasn't bad, of course not it's Emily Dickinson, but for me, I just wasn't totally enthralled. I read this on my Kindle.
Get The Poetry of Emily Dickinson here. I'm not sure if this is the same one I read since mine came from our local library but either way it is a collection of her poems.
28 - 32: The Firstborn series by Karen Kingsbury
#1: Fame
#2: Forgiven
#3: Found
#4: Family
#5: Forever
The next books I read are the Firstborn series by Karen Kingsbury. This is the second series about the Baxter family (the first being Redemption which I mentioned earlier). This series follows the story of the unusual journey of love between Hollywood heartthrob, Dayne Matthews and small-town theater director, Katy Heart. As well as focusing on the Baxter family as well. It's a series full of ups and downs and love and faith. I just adore these series and can't wait to read the rest. I read this entire series on my Kindle.
33: The Nutcracker and The Mouse-King by E.T.A. Hoffmann
During Christmas time, I wanted to read a book that was appropriate for the season. I've seen the Nutcracker ballet so many times over the years, so I decided to read the original Nutcracker book to get the full story. And um... yeah, it's creepy. Not really much else to say about it. It was good and I enjoyed it but it was really creepy. Really thankful the story is switched around. for the ballet performance. I read this book on my Kindle.
34: Connoisseur Kids: Etiquette, Manners, and Living Well for Parents and Their Little Ones by Jennifer L. Scott, Clare Owens
This year, I read a book all about manners and etiquette and living well by Jennifer L. Scott (AKA The Daily Connoisseur over on YouTube). This book is meant to be read with your children but my sons are far too young to understand it so I just read it myself and I have to say I was super impressed. I really enjoyed this book and the tips within it. It's got wonderful ideas in it to make daily life a little more classy even for our little ones. I really enjoyed this book. I read it on my Kindle.
Chapter Books I read with my Toddler
I wanted to add this section for my fellow parents or maybe even teachers out there. Reading is something we (very clearly) take seriously in our home and our 3.5-year-old has a very big passion for reading already. I wanted to share these chapter books that he really enjoyed this past year in case anyone is in need of ideas for their little ones. For reference, he was about 2.5 when we began reading these chapter books to him, in case you're wondering about the age levels. It really just depends on your child's level of interest and attention span. Also, in case it isn't obvious, we read the physical copies of all these books below.
35 - 40: The Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo, Chris Van Dusen
#1: Mercy Watson to the Rescue
#2: Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride
#3: Mercy Watson Fights Crime
#4: Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise
#5: Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig
#6: Mercy Watson Something Wonky This Way Comes
The first series of books I want to talk about for kids and toddlers is the Mercy Watson series. Mercy Watson is a pig, who goes on many adventures. She is a pig who is loved and cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Watson and enjoys toast, with a great deal of butter. These books are funny and adorable as well as have some beautiful illustrations. I initially thought Mercy herself would be very heroic and intelligent but she is a simple pig that really just happens to be in the right place at the right time and she normally gets there by trying to get something to eat or trying to get someone to play with her. They also include some of the best characters aside from Mercy which makes the stories even more fun. These stories are great for young readers and I highly recommend them as a place to start with read-alouds, especially if you have a little one specifically interested in animals.
41: Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package by Kate DiCamillo, Chris Van Dusen
Going off the series I just talked about, I also wanted to recommend trying out the spin-off series which is called Tales from Deckawoo Drive. I mentioned earlier the great characters in the Mercy Watson series and this spin-off series explores more about the characters individually. These are fun reads as well. The one we read this year was about my personal favorite character in the series, Eugenia Lincoln. A good next step if you and your younger reader enjoyed the Mercy Watson series.
42: Dinosaur Trouble by Dick King-Smith
The last book I want to recommend to you is one we kept going back for and that is Dinosaur Trouble. If you have a dinosaur lover, this one is for you. This is a story of an unlikely friendship between two incredibly different types of dinosaurs who in the end work together to save their families from a vicious T-Rex. This book also has some cute illustrations here and there and teaches some facts about the different dinosaurs. I highly recommend this one for the dinosaur lover in your life!
That does it for my wrap of books for 2022. I'm super shocked at myself for reading this much. It's by far the most I've ever read in a year and I think it's something to be proud of. My passion for reading is growing and I'm so thankful for it.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you found some inspiration for your TBR list for the upcoming year.
Until next time.
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