I love books. Over the years, I find that I tend to listen to more audiobooks than I read, but I still have several physical books next to my bed and in the living room and at my desk that I've partially read. I've given up trying to finish everything, there are just too many.
Here are some that I enjoyed quite a bit this year. Maybe you will, too. Keep reading to the bottom for my favorite book of the year.
Cave divers are crazy, and that makes for excellent reading. Jill Heinerth's Into the Planet has such a variety of adventures. She also has an interesting podcast.
Keeping with the water theme, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt follows the life of an octopus and some people and weaves them together nicely.
For a sci-fi series that is told from the robot's point of view, check out Martha Wells' All Systems Red. It's a novella, as are four others in the series. The fifth book is full length. Desert Boy really enjoys these.
A mystery series with a very different setting: Colin Cotterill places his series that starts with The Coroner's Lunch in Laos in the 1970s, a time of communism. It's fascinating to see how different life is.
Another mystery series, set in the England countryside: M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series keeps growing on me. Agatha Raisin is middle-aged and a bit crazy. The cast of characters is colorful. Audible includes most of the early books for free. There are 30+, so I have quite a few to enjoy. There's even a TV series that I may eventually get into.
Jojo Moyes' The Giver of Stars ventures into Kentucky history and paints such a beautiful picture of the countryside. Some nefarious characters and plot twists add to the book.
Drumroll please, my favorite book of 2022: Matt Haig's The Midnight Library kept me thinking, why didn't I write something like this? It's ingenious. I loved how he tapped into our yearning for wanting to know how our lives could turn out if we made different choices. Ultimately, there is no perfect life, and the message he leaves the reader with is just right. I can see why this is a best seller.
If you need a few more, here are suggestions from 2021. I've made the switch from Overdrive to Libby (free library app), and am still getting used to it. I get most of my books from there, with a few bought via Audible and other sources.
Happy reading. And please let me know your favorites!
