The start of a new year is often a great time to contemplate on your events of last year. talking about which I have an amazing collection of my best reads of 2022. In total I read somewhere around 115 books last year and here are the top 22 out of those:
22. The last tale of the flower bride by Roshani Chokshi
A book with stories within stories and a plot within the plot and an ending that you just can’t guess!⚡
The plot is gorgeously constructed with tales of found family, friendships and love. And not to mention the gigantic descriptions of mansions gardens and secretive places. A peculiar thing about the book that was a big yes for me was: before introducing an important clue of the big mystery a mythological tale related to it is told and then both get intertwined like 2 branches of a creeper plant. Some plots were expected but most of them were not, making it a unique reading experience and giving me so many topics to research upon. ( One of them being the Catskin story )
An amazing fantasy book with portions of gothic horror and paranormal incidents.
Genre: #fantasy #mystery #gothic #horror #paranormal #adultfiction
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
21. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
This twisted tale of Romeo & Juliet had me amused to its best!
There were elements of sci-fi mixed into a Classic Romance with sprinkles of mystery in it. At first, this seemed like just another good book to me, but once I had completed the Epilogue section- I feel it was great!
What did I love?
💘The main plot of Gang wars developed on the banks of Shanghai. There were instances mentioned from the actual history of the place such as the Opium Wars.
💘The protagonists meddling with each other’s lives is just lovely & heartbreaking at the same time
💘The side characters’ development: Kathleen and Rosalind, Marshall & Benedikt: has so much depth to it with contrasting characters that you never get bored.
💘This might be a retelling in terms of plot, but the storylines have a very different twist of events
& so I would give this a 💘💘💘💘💘/5
20. Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
“The monsters were never under my bed, they were inside my head”
The book was clearly a title pick for me. M not sure if I am glad to read this Or tensed by what I have put inside my head.
I had taken a week’s time to finish this! Honestly, it’s overwhelming. You get scared by your own thoughts, overthinking, and anxiety all triggering at once & so pissed when no one truly believes you even when you know you are right… or you may think you are right- but do you know for sure?
It’s a psychological thriller that I would recommend you all read because you won’t see the end coming.
If I say anything more it would be a Spoiler… hence would wrap this with a word rating(each word for each star)
🌬Insomnia
🌬Accidents
🌬Fate
🌬Déjà vu
Book Blurb:
Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane — like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.
Emma Averell loves her life — her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband — but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing — a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now.
Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she’s unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?
19. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson
Books about books are always a big yes in the story. Talking about this one, we’ll it’s raining hell down on Nora (the main protagonist) who is struggling to make ends meet with a job in publishing. ( Must I say it looks like a dream job to many but it’s not so fancy within)
Working in the corporate world myself, I could perfectly understand the difficulty Nora faced interacting with people and being awkward at social events 🙈. To top it up, it’s filled with hiring, firing, pay cuts and more day-to-day drama that I felt absolutely like a reality check!!!
Moreover, the book focuses on key messaging that people starting out with their career path need to know. It’s not necessary to know what you want to do with your life all the time OR have life goals. Sometimes it’s ok to go with the flow and build up things gradually with what interests you the most.
My fav quote from the book: “To feel so uncertain about her future. But some uncertainties in life are better than other certainties. Particularly if those certainties have to do anything with working at Parsons “
My reaction at the end of this story: “This is one of those books that make you feel like living the lives of characters yourself. I want a fresh start too!”
Needless to say, it was a 5/5 read
Will recommend this book to everyone. This just made me feel so happy.
18. The Sword of Kaigen by M.L Wang
When Historical fiction meets Fantasy, a Weapon is born.
What can you expect to love?
• The concept of “Chi” OR “Qi” evolving into some magical ability
• The detailed landscape description of Mountain, valleys, shores and places
• The stubborn little Mamoru believes the best and worst
• The fighting is described so well, you can see those warriors
• You will find that the book is about to end, but why are there so many pages left? — for a closure
What I just could not stand?
• The Kaigenese culture doesn’t allow women to do anything apart from being housewives 😤
• The Kaigen Govt. Was so much like N. Korea of today’s world
• Robbin — I could not relate to this character, nor did I feel much empathy
• Also, this is standalone, But I really want there to be a second part of this!!!
Overall I liked how descriptive the book had been & that was one of the reasons why it was so long 😅. Another part that I would appreciate is the way the story did not just end. It took all the loose threads & tied them together, to give the book a satisfactory closure.
17. We have always loved in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
So the book started with a description of Library books on the home shelf and I was immediately all in. However, as I progressed the story started unrolling itself around how everyone nearby hated the Blackwoods and I got so angry reading the way the girl was being picked n behaved when she went to the city!!! it’s nerve-racking.
This just does not end there, then comes another character Charles — who by far is the most manipulative, clingy, greedy and corrupt person of superlative degree!!! God, I have not been provoked by a character so much in a long time!
It was a short n crisp piece of work with a lot of spooky moments to get you in alert mode. Read this in a single sitting with a scowl on my face half the time — but it got bearable towards the end. I loved how effectively the plot and characters were able to drive out emotions from you. No matter how angry I felt towards certain things — I am sure a fan of the writing style in this book.
Genre: #horror #classics #gothic #fiction
Rating: 4/5
16. House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
Having read another book by the author I knew this would be something to look forward to.
The plot of this book is centred around Marion, who has accepted her fate to live a bleak life of hard work and poverty as a maid. Until one day when she finds an opening for a blood maid at a posh royal house (The House of Hunger). Eager to get rid of her past life she happily joins the new place only to find the new place full of mysteries and hidden dangers.
The writing and the pacing of this book are detailed enough to help you visualize not just the scenery, house and roads but also the floor she sweeps! The mysterious elements when mingled with the Gothic world create an ultimate spooky edition for you to devour in the Autumn season.
A 🧛 🧛 🧛 🧛/5 Vamps for its spookiness
15. Daughter of the moon goddess by Due Lynn Tan
The first book in The Celestial Kingdom Duology came out early this year and the blurb is so accurate that I wanted to share it as is with you guys!
🌑🌒🌓🌔Book Blurb🌕🌖🌗🌘
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream — striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
🎑 My reaction 🎑
The book above everything else is just too hard to put down for a fantasy lover. Unlike my last read, this wasn’t much predictable, but the fuming love triangle is something to root for 😅. I loved the characters so much that I had to go n research their character portraits too. Not to forget the book has #dragons too🐉, which is not mentioned anywhere 🤫
Eagerly waiting for the next part.
Genre: #fantasy #romance #retelling
Rating: 4/5
14. Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman
Greek mythology is retold with elements of modern-day society. Based in 18th century London, the book is about a Girl living with her uncle after her parents died, taking care of the shop that once was her parent’s prized possession. Aspiring to be a jewellery artist, she makes do with anything and everything available to her, but her Uncle’s weird behaviour towards the basement makes her suspicious. In the basement, she finds an antique vase with a lure. To know more she indulges the secret with a pursuing scholar Edward who wants to desperately be a part of the Archaeologist society.
There begins the unfolding of truths, how many lives have been lost and what is the secret behind this antique Vase which tends to be as ancient as mankind himself.
I loved the book’s tale-twisting technique that kept the actual Pandora story relatable and presented itself in a shadow form. It’s indeed another beautiful addition to my Greek Mythology shelf. A book that one can read and reread with time. (I do recommend my fellow readers to read the actual Pandora story before this for better understanding)
4.5/5 ⭐
Genre: #greekmythology #retellings #historicalfiction
13. How to kill men and get away with it by Katy Brent
Have you ever observed how some people are able to say harsh things — in a subtle manner without much difficulty, whereas we are struggling to find the right words to convey the same thoughts politely? That’s what happened here. The topics discussed in the book are quite heavy but the Author has managed to convey those points in a humorous manner. At times I felt astonished at myself to be laughing at the weirdest things.
A rather weird combination of Dark and Humorous, this book is set up in a modern world where we are 24*7 online, surrounded by dating apps, social Influencers, parties, and drugs and yet scared to be alone at night.
I did wonder how some murders described in the book can so easily be taken care of … But other than that everything was digestible. I am honestly amazed at the capability of this book to mix up two poles apart features of writing something dark yet funny. The foodie inside me would describe it as an Oreo that’s dark outside and white vanilla cream inside 😋
Disclaimers: Abuse, Anxiety, Sexual Exploitation
Genre: #genralfiction #mysterythriller
12. My Best friend Athena by Dana Hammer
When a boy bullies one of Fanny’s best friends (Gemma), she and Athena can’t take it anymore and the boy turns into a cockroach 🪳
An incident has happened and secrets are revealed 🤐. Her best friend Athena is not just an ordinary perfect girl, but a reincarnated version of the actual Greek goddess Athena.
Together the trio heads to right their wrongs and find the cockroach and turn him back into a boy, but Zeus has come to know of the magical mischief of his daughter, which he promises will not go unpunished!
A sweet little middle-grade book that adds a light fantasy element to the life of school-going children. The book gradually builds up the plot and brings in characters one after another, which kept the reading simplified + spent good 2 chapters to create a perfect closure to the book. Children between the age group of 10–15 will definitely have a smile on their faces reading this.
The book also highlights the aspects of honesty, standing strong against school bullies, facing challenges and some parts of feminism that bring out great takeaways for children.
Genre: #fantasy #fiction #middlegrade
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
11. Babel by R.F Kuang
Babel is that double-edged sword 🗡️ that will act as a thick pillow(814 pages) for your comfort and also be useful to hit someone who disturbs you while reading it 😅 (just kidding)
This dark academia work is a piece of literature. Though the majority of the book revolves around historical fiction — but some truths hit too close to home. After a long time, I have read a version of Oxford history from an outsider’s perspective (Non-White). The book captures the struggles of humanity for its existence to the core, not just the differences between people of different colours, but also the different races, ethnicity & economic backgrounds.
I will be honest with my readers that initially it just appeared to be historical fiction with hints of fantasy elements, but diving deeper all these thoughts dissolved. I fell in love with the part where the writing switched from conversations among characters to defining certain facts — made reading this book feel all the more real. Another thing I appreciate about this book is its act of closure, it ends perfectly and the epilogue acted as a tie-the-knot ceremony for those open threads of this story.
Happy to give a 4/5 ⭐ for this historic representation.
10. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Let’s start with the fact that I did not anticipate it to jump into my fav. Categories, considering my experience with Malibu Rising.
Yet, here I am… & here you are!
I loved the book not just some parts of it — but every bit of it. The book gives great depth to the main character. She is a proud person of every aspect of her personality, life and choices she made. Showcasing not just the positives but also the opposing sides with full Valor.
Often people are so delusional about their own personalities that they wouldn’t really acknowledge their real self to themselves. But once you do… oh human there isn’t an opinion that will matter to you anymore.
I loved the impact this book made & would happily give this a full 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 spectrum of LGBTQ
9. Disconnected by Emma Gannon
Life is giving us signals that so many people are moving away from the larger social platforms to smaller groups-
Disconnected was more of a program than just a book, where I enrolled myself to get a self-check done. The best part was I was my own analyzer, there are guides and prompts in the program that helps you do the analysis.
On the outer part, the book looks like more of a social media cleanser, but as you progress further you realize it’s a technique to differentiate & merge the real world with the reel world.
Once done, you leave with a better vision of where you are currently, what changes you want to make and the things that you are currently doing — are they enhancing your life? Helping you become what you someday want to be!
It’s a brief read of 192 pages jampacked with actionable items. I read this over a period of 2 weeks & now at least 2 portions are very clear to me:
1. What things I don’t want to do anymore
2. What new things I would like to give a try instead
8. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
This year has been a true bliss if I speak in the context of Books about Books. I started this year with ‘Must Love Books’ and mid-year through its Book Lovers 💕
Well, it’s not something very intense but it’s definitely that popcorn to your movie night. You read and love it!
The plot is around a female protagonist who works as a Book agent, fully devoted to her work & can also be called the Devil (from the Devil Wears Prada) or Cruella. She is business-oriented she is focused, authoritative & damn good in all her undertakings. Contrastingly her love life seems to be the passenger ferry ⛴️ everyone takes only to reach their destination.
On the sidelines, her sister convinces her to go on a small-town trip to change their monochromatic New Yorker lives! N there… Well just say things change but unexpectedly.
Halfway through the book, you know what’s going to happen but stay rooted it may or may not end the way you want. But, the feeling of sticking through is ultimate. I was happy the book wasn’t too brow-furrowing and just sweet and salty.
A cute little book revolving around the publishing industry making me root to get one of those editorial jobs🥲
Now I say this time and again on my page that I am not into Romance, but if I had to read them, this might just be the perfect example of what kind!!!
7. The very secret society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
“Alone is how we survive”
Setup in Britain the story revolves around a group of witches who only meet each other on certain occasions & otherwise carry out their regular course of life to avoid suspicions.
One day Mica receives an invite to be a tutor at a secret mansion & takes the leap of faith. There she discovers a lot of witch laws out of place & a group of inhabitants that will do anything for each other. Getting herself entangled in their lives and magical dust, she discovers the big trouble that awaits them. Stuck between the safety of herself and the longing for a troubled family she has to decide if the Gorgon is with calling to fight the Gargoyle.
*My experience*
The story helps you feel the sweet bitter place relationships hold in one’s life. How important a role does memory places to be attached to a person and leave a mark on the world?
This one was a fond family feeling with light happiness and magic dust sprinkled over like a cake. Though I guessed the story halfway through but I was excited to see the author’s take on how this will end.
A 🪄🪄🪄🪄/5 magic wands to a sweet n light story that keeps you smiling.
Genre: #witchcraft #magic #fanfasy
6. The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
This book is told from 2 perspectives — a human & a cat. Satoru finds a male cat one day and starts caring for him. Gradually with time & incidents flowing, they get quite close to each other. From here starts the journey of Satoru & Nana.
I haven’t read many cat books, but this one just made me fall in love with it for so many reasons:
🐈⬛The relationship between the 2 has been built with such eventful details, that there is hardly anything missed.
🐈⬛Their journey (the so-called Trip in Cat’s terms) to find Nana a new home took them to different places — only to realise there might not be another perfect fit like Satoru & Nana. Over their travel courses… they discover various aspects of nature, human behaviour & each other along with some insights into how Satoru knows all these people.
🐈⬛The book also gives us a lot of insights into how Cats want humans to think about them as Intellectual, choosy & smart — not just a furry cute balls that will smile at you.
🐈⬛I especially appreciate how the author did not end the book after a certain tragedy & went beyond to show us after the story too — quite a peculiar ending indeed
Overall this hilarious short book deserves a 5/5 to make me feel so much in just a little amount of time — & this is what I call a lite headed read!!!
5. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Alert: Mental Trauma, Physical Abuse, Toxic Relationships
How important it is to draw a line? To fall in love with a person and madly accept their every aspect!
🚶♀️The book starts with the story of a girl, trying to make something of her life that doesn’t sound like a Cliche to her name- Bloom. Taking courageous steps and risks to have a maybe happy life — Lily is going all out with her hand on her sleeve.
🤯*The book is so much more than just a love story*🤯
It reveals how things you witness in your life actually shape the version you become of yourself. Be it physical abuse, happy moments, death, or the toxicity that you let yourself bear through and forget to draw a line. Or sometimes (borrowed from the book) ‘We have a line but if we let ourselves go through too much we keep pushing the line a little more ahead. & before we know we have lost sight of how far have things been escalated’.
I have finished the book & now I am just left with so many questions in my head & so many “W-H-A-T — -I-F-S” just like Lily. I was sitting holding my head in my hands towards the end of the book when things hit you in the face… the last few pages honestly just felt blurred because you really cannot recover.
& so for a book that made me feel so much… I can possibly not give anything less than
💔💔💔💔💔/5
4. Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
I picked this up for a book club read @chikusbookclub for the month of #august & in my experience of book clubs, this has been the best read.
To quickly give you stats on what’s in here:
• Relatable characters & thoughts on their developments
• Clearly defined plot
• Despite the short length of the book it’s well described
• The author made sure most of your questions get addressed, n you are not left wondering why they happen
• Gave me a sense of emotional attachment, not just with a few characters but also with the Cafe
A 5/5⭐ read, & probably my best read since June!
You can check my detailed review here:
https://procaffeinatewithbooks.blogspot.com/2022/08/before-coffee-gets-cold.html
3. Imaginable by Jane McGonigal
An amazing non-fiction book that gives you the opportunity to explore all possibilities. Usually, we find the books in this category to be quite stuck to ground level. But that was not the case with this book.
What’s great about this book?
♟ The concept of a 10-year timeline
🎋 The mindset of waking up in the right state — minimum to maximum
🎋 The book will not just share ideas about a possible future but it will also enable you to imagine them via various test and exercise scenarios
🎋 The overall depth of this industry (game designing and future forecasting) is quite novel
🎋 It’s short and precise
Overall I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to explore something different- out of the ideal scenario world.
2. The Poppy War by R.F Kuang
It’s the 1st book in the trilogy of Poppy War.
The plot revolves around Rin the female protagonist who was a war orphan living in the south of the country with her guardians.
To escape her life she decides to prepare for the toughest exam in the country and to the surprise of people around her, she qualifies for it too!
But life in the Sinegard (the elite military school) isn’t any easier. She is constantly reminded of her background, social status and her dark skin. And if that wasn’t enough she is also years behind in training in various fighting techniques.
But as years of training start passing a hidden strength comes to light. She is not just an ordinary orphan but a Shaman who is somehow connected with their fire god.
On the other hand, the Nikara Empire has been in peace for many years from the Federation but the 3rd poppy war is about to knock at their doors.
Now on my part, 〽️ the epic world-building of the Chinese Empire, landscapes, and Military teams with mythical powers and Gods were already overwhelming but there is so much more here. This book acts as a base for the whole series with soo many details that I will recommend you all take your time with this one. Throughout the year I was looking for an epic fantasy that just blows my mind off and this book just was my perfect fit. I have heard so many good reviews about this one and now I know why… I know!
So If you are looking for some intense fantasy with hints of historical truth to it, go for it. Just a quick warning all the books in this series are a little chunky.
Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Genre: #epicfantasy #historicalfiction #chineasemythology
1. Gallant by VE Schwab
I sat across the garden’s ledge, staring at the grass, my eyes searching for the sprouting weed amongst the roses. Only to realise it was a dream — oh wait! It was a book 🥲
This book got me engrossed in its plot to a level that it was hard to place it apart from reality. Maybe that’s why I love the aspects of magical realism so much. There wasn’t a single character in this book who wasn’t developed with a lot of thought. Be it the main protagonist or the side matrons, ghouls and shadows.
Throughout the book when I followed Olivia, an obnoxious feeling kept haunting me around the journals, that somehow they are meant to communicate more than just words. The overall book has a creepy mysterious flavour to it that keeps you on edge. Even after finishing the book, the weird thoughts don’t leave you.
Overall I loved this book A to Z literally and I m happy to read this in autumn. Will recommend this book for Halloween reads too if you are looking for something spooky.
An indubitably 5/5 ⭐
Genre: #fantasy #magicalrealism #paranormal #horror #ya
You can also find my detailed blog on this book here: https://procaffeinatewithbooks.blogspot.com/2022/09/autumn-reading-prompts-and-book-review.html
Hope you find something of your choice here to pick up and make the best of #2023. Happy reading!
-Yamini
@procaffeinate-withbooks