Good, Better, Best: New Reads of 2022

I apologize that this post is later than usual! (I don't know if any of you were waiting for it with any level of anticipation, but I figured I'd better apologize anyway.) I wish I could have gotten it out during Christmas break, but I left my old notebooks (with all the books I read during the first half of the year written in them and nowhere else) at school, so I had to wait until I got back to actually add books from that list to the post! And we couldn't have a post like this only half finished, now could we?

This, while it can be a bit of an onerous post to write, is also one of my favorites of the year, because I get to reflect on my reading year, and put a bunch of my favorite books from said year all in one place for y'all to comment on! And it's been a good--if a bit strange--reading year! I read around 230ish books (less than last year, but still a respectable number in my opinion!). I reread a bunch of books, as well as reading quite a bit of nonfiction, and working on later books in several series, and as you may know, those books don't make it into this post. So, all things considered, this year's post might be a bit shorter than last year's, but I wouldn't hold my breath. ;) (And there's no shame in skimming. Just this once.)

(A few of these books have been featured in wrap-ups or other posts already, so I may draw from those posts in writing their blurbs. Just a heads up. ;))

Good

The City Between Series by W. R. Gingell
I'm cheating slightly by including this on the list, because I think I technically read the first book of this series last year? But the whole series was such a big part of my fall semester that it would feel weird not to include it. I listened to most of the audiobooks while I was working on studio projects, and it was perfect for the part of the semester where we got into production instead of design (production is all of the stuff where you're copying, drawing stuff you already know, coloring, or working in photoshop &c...all of which takes a lot of time...hence why I needed audiobooks, lol). Anyway, that's not actually my opinion of the books, just my positive associations with the books. I really enjoyed them! Pet was an engaging character to follow, and the Three Psychos were fantastic...especially JinYeong. I didn't understand why everyone loved him until, like, book 3, and then I was hooked on the whole thing. The series hangs together really well, and twists and turns a satisfying amount! My critique of it, however, is that it does have "that self-published feel", where sometimes (or even oftentimes) the climax doesn't feel climactic enough, and the books sort of start to blur together and/or feel like they're too short, and are just installments of the same story. I kind of feel like the whole thing could have been condensed, and then perhaps the overall climax(es) enhanced. 

Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care & Feeding of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson
This was a great airplane read at the beginning of the year, pretty much Georgette Heyer + dragons. Unlike Georgette Heyer, though, the narrator often pops out of the story to comment on the writing or the characters' actions or whatever in a very snarky ironic/sarcastic way, and I absolutely loved it. I also loved the MC, Mildred. She's a little bit like Anne Elliot in that she's a rather Shy and Retiring Person who has been cowed by her (younger) sister into a variety of things that she wouldn't have chosen on her own. Through the book, her slow growth was one of the real highlights for me. Also, the village vicar, Mr. Wiggan, is the sweetest of well-meaning, hard-working, absent-minded Anglican clergymen. I loved him. And his housekeeper was also the absolute best. There's a bit of a romance subplot, and it's built oh-so-slowly and sweetly in the best possible way. I did a review of this one (one of the few I did this year) HERE.

By These Ten Bones by Clare B. Dunkle
I don't usually read werewolfy or horror books (although I started to make a bit of an exception towards the end of the year) but Sarah compared this one to The Perilous Gard, and I couldn't resist. It's not Perilous Gard in that it's set in a small town in Scotland, but some of the same themes--love, and danger, and sacrifice--are there, also in beautiful ways. And the writing is really evocative. Even almost a year later, I can still picture some of the especially spooky scenes. Also, the two main characters are Just Good Kids, and that makes the book engaging...but that means the stakes are higher. 

Come Rack! Come Rope! By Robert Hugh Benson
I had been wanting to read this book, but unsure of what I would think of it, for quite some time. It's a fairly old story set among Catholics during the persecution of Catholics in England, which can be done really well, but also, older Catholic stories are often kind of...saccharine. This book may have had a trace of that, but overall, the writing was high-quality, and some of the parts and themes of the story such as have stuck with me for, well, almost a year now. There was one decision in particular that the main character made which I found really impressive, that would have been strange to make in the modern world, but which made perfect sense for the characters and the time that was handled really well, and which I have thought about a fair bit. (But it's spoilers, so...we'll leave it at that.)

The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out A Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
My theory that books translated from Scandinavian languages are just the best was pretty well borne out, here! For one thing, the writing style, my word. It's really hard to describe, but shall we say understated, ironic, slightly satirical, subtle? For another, it did an excellent job making the point that old people were not always old people, and even the ones who seem like a pain in the neck were once people who had lives beyond being in a single room most of the time, at least, if not interesting lives. The MC is the titular 100-year-old man, who's interesting, but the side characters are one of the sparkling parts of the book. Especially the elephant. ;) I reviewed this one, too, HERE.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
This was reminiscent of a Kate DiCamillo book, but without the weird twist that KDC books often have that makes me skeptical of them (more on that in a moment). All that to say, it follows several people (and one small ghost) who have problems and separate lives, but whose lives end up touching each other's for longer or for shorter. It's very sweet, with an element of bittersweet as well. I did feel like the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, but that's just a small quibble.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
I don't usually like time travel stories, but when time travel stories involve very tired and confused and time-lagged time travels from places with (if I recall correctly) overworked time travel staff, and also very irritated cats, and references to Gaudy Night...well, that I can certainly tolerate. And even enjoy. (Especially the time-lag-induced flights of fanciful language. That was phenomenal.) Overall, an extremely chaotic romp that even a crotchety time-travel hater can enjoy. 

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
I only read this book because there was a goat on the cover. True story. The goat did not disappoint, and in fact reminded me of one of the goats my family owned in our several years of goat husbandry, which was a lot of fun. (Goats can have weird personalities, is all I'm saying.) Anyways. Kate DiCamillo has a type, y'know? There was found family, and there was poignancy, and there was a quest against evil, and there was a foolish royal. And it was a lot of fun. But one of the things I've noticed about her books is that she just doesn't give her characters grace in the same way that I'd like. The king, I think, would have been willing to mend. So, read it for the goat, is what I'm saying.

Year of the Reaper by Makila Lucier
This was a sleeper of a book that ended up surprising me by how much I enjoyed it! The only problem now being that I don't remember exactly what happened...XD But what I do remember is a really fresh and real-feeling YA fantasy with an adorable slow-burn romance and Real Issues that Really Need To Be Solved, and not a bunch of fake ridiculousness. Also, there are realistic children? Which are basically my kryptonite.

The Dragon Variation by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
This series has been described to me as comedy of manners (read: Georgette Heyer) in space, and this first book definitely lived up to that description! (Okay, technically this one is an omnibus of three books, but that's #minordetails.) I don't think I've ever seen an author do such a good job of having a "clash of cultures" where an alien civilization was concerned, but without totally disconcerting the reader. And that alien culture's concept of melan'ti, or one's position and honor in different situations, is actually quite applicable to daily life (as my dad can attest). The second story in this book was my absolute favorite, and the couple involved is definitely one of my top OTPs. :) I will say that there are a couple of scenes which must be skipped, for propriety's sake. 

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
I don't remember oodles from this book, but I do remember the, as the kids say, "impeccable" ocean-undersea vibes, which reminded me of The Scorpio Races, the themes of finding friendship, the d/Deaf culture woven throughout, and the amount that I enjoyed the whole adventure. It was a lot of fun. :)

Four Aunties And A Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutano
This one makes it into this post mostly because I almost didn't stop laughing the entire time I read it. And that's a rare thing, folks. The plot and characters are kind of flat, and there are a few moments where I wish that swearing, innuendo, &c were not present, BUT the sheer hilarity is enough for me to recommend it if you're having a hard day. (With the caveats above.) 
I will say that I went back and read the first book in the series, and the humor just...was not doing it for me. Not nearly as funny. That could have had something to do with the fact that I was coming out of sedation for wisdom tooth surgery at the time, but anyways.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
This was a really interesting fictionalization of the compilation of a dictionary, following a young girl whose father is working on the dictionary. She realizes that the dictionary being compiled doesn't include the words of the common people and decides that she wants to collect those words herself. It definitely has a feminist slant, a certain amount of content (after all, those common words aren't going into the dictionary for a reason, and some of the time that reason is propriety), and a depressing ending, but just for the dictionary-assemblage-aesthetic (and the history--it's based on a real dictionary, I just don't remember which) I enjoyed it. 

The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor disconcerts me in the best possible ways (which may be why you can't get me to shut up about her, oooooops). And The Violent Bear It Away turned me inside out and upside-down, mostly by making me realize that in some ways, the imaginative heritage of the Church has changed so much, or been lost, that I can't recognize the authorial intent of the work properly until the whole book shoves me into it halfway through. Or maybe that shift of perspective was the authorial intention. Either way, it was very unsettling. 

A Candle For St. Jude by Rumer Godden
This book made me very happy in that the whole book is kind of a hustle-bustle of an attempt on an old woman's part to bring together a performance which really shouldn't work, and her sister-in-law is in the background the whole time, trying to help her, but also ending up being very put-upon. In the end, it does work, and the sister-in-law attributes the success of the whole circus to a candle she lit at the shrine of St. Jude--patron saint of desperate causes. XD So, in all, it's an homage to the power of intercessory prayer and divine providence. Also, it was about ballet, and so it reminded me of the Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes, &c books from my childhood. :)

Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross
I thought that the premise--dreams, nightmares, have begun to come true, and so dream wardens are needed to guard people from their nighttime adventures--was really unique! And I enjoyed the main character, Clementine, and all of her spunky brokenness quite a bit, as well as Phelan, her foil. The two of them definitely reminded me of Lizzie and Darcy in a way, and I really enjoyed the way their relationship was able to unfold. The ending felt a little more fairy-tale than the rest of the book, and maybe a tad anticlimactic (the whole book had a couple of problems with low stakes), but I still recommend it if you enjoy fantasy!

This Is Not A Drill by Beck McDowell
Based on the cover, this book looked like it might've been aimed high-MG or low-YA, but I'd say that's maybe a bit premature...it's about a gunman hostage situation in a school, which I think would be really scary for a lot of people. (I've never been to 'normal school', so that's not a trigger for me at all...#shelteredhomeschooler). But it's a bit hard to tell what level it's for, because the book itself wasn't overly challenging--I found it a good lazy afternoon read. The first graders were, from what I've heard from teacher(s) I know, incredibly realistic, and that was really fun, and watching Emery and Jake work out their issues under so much pressure was sweet. I enjoyed the way each of them told their story in brief flashbacks that didn't take away from the story, and that the reader gets to see each through the other's eyes. I thought that ultimately the book was a little bit too preachy about the Iraq war/conflict/thing, which I'm guessing was The Thing Of The Moment when the book was published--the last couple of chapters were really bogged down with that. But other than that, it walked a good balance, and I thought the ending was especially well balanced. 

Better

Father Brown Short Stories by G. K. Chesterton
I had never sat down and actually read any of the original (non-abridged) Father Brown stories. And boy, was it a treat! I think I only guessed the answer to one or two of the mysteries, but once they were explained, they all made absolutely perfect sense. Even though it's Chesterton, the plots were all so cohesive and easy to read, it was really rather astonishing. And Father Brown himself is really, as the Pevensies would say, "an old dear", and his scenes with Flambeau are masterpieces, both the serious ones and the funny ones.

Adventures With Waffles by Maria Parr
If you have ever wanted to read a story wherein a new dad is described in terms of a new dog, or a manure spreader is discharged on a couple dressed up as a bride and groom, this is the one for you. Also, if you've ever wanted to live in Scandinavia, eat waffles, or have a best friend who lived next door who would drag you into the above shenanigans. (In all seriousness, this is one of the funniest MG books I have ever had the pleasure of coming across AND it's translated from Norwegian, which should tell you all you need to know.) (I think it's been retitled Waffle Hearts, in case you want to find it and can't.)

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
I am not a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, most of the time, mostly because I find just straight mysteries boring, and I don't like Holmes (if I'm going to read a mystery, I have to love the characters, which is why I like Dorothy Sayers and not Agatha Cristie (or at least, not nearly as much)). So, I was skeptical. However, it was absolutely brilliant. It's a book that, kind of like The Thief, you need to go into completely blind, so I can't tell you much about it. But let's just say that Horowitz captures the feel of Holmes's world really perfectly, the writing style is incredibly well done, and it was a real roller coaster. 

A Severed Wasp by Madeleine L’Engle
I've loved L'Engle for ages, so I decided to try a few of her more adult books this year...she doesn't have much fiction that I would classify as 'adult', but this was one I hadn't read yet. It follows Katherine, a retired concert pianist, who has connections to some of the Austins (all grown up), and the Episcopal Cathedral from The Young Unicorns. It has a lot of the almost gravitas, the weight that's associated with stories about older people that I really like, and it gives a good sense of the way her history has shaped her, in a really beautiful way. Deep questions are pondered, time is spent in cathedrals, friends are had, and lessons learned...maybe. I will say, though, that it is certainly an adult novel, and I wouldn't let a child read it--it struggles with some big problems with intimate details, characters make immoral decisions, and while I wouldn't say it's necessarily inappropriate per se, it's...a lot. And sometimes the visuals--while gorgeous--are not ones you want. 

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
This was the first Brandon Sanderson I'd ever read (not counting The Rithmatist), and I was really impressed with it, with everything about it from the vividness of all the characters (even the side characters) to the magic system to the way the plot came to a head in a very unexpected way. The magic system, especially, is something I never would have come up with, with hard rules and boundaries, which definitely make the story more interesting. The MC, I will say, does have a bit of "chosen one syndrome", but not enough so to be irritating. :) If you like interesting magic systems with brilliant plots and lovable MCs and SCs...go right ahead. 

A Wish In The Dark by Christina Soontornvat
This was an MG retelling of Les Mis, which is not something I knew I needed, but totally did. The worldbuilding was so vivid, the pacing perfect, really everything about it worked so well. As soon as I finished it, I handed it to my then-10-year-old sister, and she loved it, too. I think the thing I find most impressive is that it manages to keep the original themes of the story (and yes, I've read the original...in twelve days. It was a wild ride) while modifying the actual plot to make it make sense with the worldbuilding and retelling modifications made. The whole thing was excellent, and managed to make me a little less salty about Newbury Honor books (long story). 

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes
I had the incredible privilege of getting to read this one as an ARC, and I REALLY enjoyed it! In fact, I think it's her best book yet. I did a full review HERE (one of the few I actually did this year), but just to recap: the worldbuilding of an alternate Netherlands is beautiful, the magic system is fascinating, there was a semi-allegorical thread that was never too allegorical, the characters were interesting, believable, and lovable, and the romance thread was adorable. :)

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
It's like Georgette Heyer meets Master & Commander meets some sort of MG magic adventure story, and it is an absolutely rollicking good time. Pirates, mistaken identity, a stolen magical item...it's got everything! I was expecting it to be, I dunno, some sort of more traditional magic story, so the Regency flair was a good surprise! (Also, there are cousins. Just saying. ;))

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
I kind of think I am always going to feel underwhelmed when I'm reading Shakespeare, just because his plays are meant to be performed? So, there's always a feeling of "well, this is a little flatter than I was expecting", because it hasn't been brought to life all the way. HOWEVER, I did enjoy Macbeth, especially since it's such a cultural thing; finally getting to understand all of the references I've seen made to it all my life was quite satisfying. I found the portrayal of Macbeth getting in deeper and deeper, until he felt he couldn't be pulled out, satisfyingly scary. And Macduff is just wonderful, and I like him a lot. 

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
I read this one after Hannah Coulter (which I'll be talking about in a moment) and while I didn't enjoy it quite as much, I still really liked it. I loved Jayber's love of place, especially of the river, coupled with his love of wandering, and how those two things are in tension and later in agreement. I also loved his relationship with God, and how his questions about God were slowly answered over the course of his life. Wendell Berry's books always, though, end on a sad note, because the beauty that has been portrayed, of an older, simpler time, is passing away, and that was no different with this book. That was frustrating--but necessary. 

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
My siblings had been nagging me to read Sanderson for a very long time, so when I finally acceded and picked this one up--it's LONG, by the way--they were thrilled...and then immediately insisted that I finish the five-book series. Not making any promises about that. But ANYWAY. This is epic fantasy at its finest, honestly, although the actual writing style is perhaps not as good as, say Tolkien. But the worldbuilding is all absolutely and completely original, not anything like any other fantasy I've ever read, down to details that are so well-thought-out it's actually kind of scary. And the characters are SO compelling! Especially Jasnah, the scholarly skeptical researcher, who reminds me of myself (except for her agnosticism), and the upright, moral, chivalrous Dalinar, who reminds me of Halt from Ranger's Apprentice, and also my dad. If you have hundreds of pages of time to spare, I definitely recommend this one!

Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner
This is a collection of short stories from the world of the Queen's Thief (which I profoundly hope is the last installment of the series, because if she keeps writing, I will be very irritated), and aside from a few minor quibbles, I really enjoyed this glimpse into little parts of some of my favorite characters' lives outside of the main six books. 

Kingfishers Catch Fire by Rumer Godden
This is the one Rumer Godden I read this year that was set in India--I know she has others, and I'm planning on reading them eventually, just not yet--and it was quite a contrast to her others, although still of the same writing style. The way everything was described brought it to life so vividly, and it was also really neat because it was set in an area of India which has gardens I've studied for one of my classes, and those gardens were mentioned in the book! Also, I liked how sympathetically she portrayed the mother and daughter in the book, both separately and together, even though they didn't understand each other very well. One thing I didn't know about this one, though, until I finished my Rumer Godden post, was that parts of it were based on real life. Including the poisoning attempt. Which was rather surprising. 

Five For Sorrow, Ten For Joy by Rumer Godden
I think I was expecting something a little bit more uplifting from this one, based on the title (which, let's be clear, is brilliant. Just tell me that doesn't make your spine tingle). But instead, it was Godden's probably most obvious take on the problem of evil, on repentance, on starting again, on forgiveness, and on God's grace. It revolves around a convent of Dominican nuns who specialize in prison ministry, but especially around the story of one particular nun's backstory, which is always leading her towards God, but...in a somewhat roundabout fashion. And it also brings in the story of a young girl whose life touches her own in a surprising way--and not necessarily a good surprising way. So do be warned, it's not for young readers. But the thread of repentance and grace is strong. 

Best

The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton
I have Theories about how authors will often express their nonfiction in their fiction, if they write both, and this book made me happy, because it was the fictionalization of the chapter in Orthodoxy called "The Flag of the World", about what love and loyalty can do for a place, a country...or a person. (Although it takes a bit of thinking to actually...get that out of the book. XD) But the book is about love of one's own place, and the things that make it itself, through the exploits of Adam Wayne, who, while living in a world where there's basically one big homogenous country, is encouraged to make his corner of London unique...and what happens next is an explosion of both chaos and beauty, in typical Chestertonian fashion. (It's also eons more comprehensible than The Man Who Was Thursday, if you needed a slightly less crazy Chesterton story to read next. XD)

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
I can't believe this year was the first time I read this book, because I already feel like the love I have for it has always existed. (That was excessively existential, but true.) I still don't really have words for why and how much I love it, although I did try in THIS post. The Prince, and the narrator, and the rose, and the fox, and the snake, and all the little moments, and the fairy-tale-ness, and just GAH. Go read what I said, because the ranting about it doesn't get any better. XD (It really did stomp all over my heart, though. And it still hasn't apologized.)

Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery 
This was the book that got me in trouble for walking while reading it and forgetting to swipe into the dining hall...whoops! But that maybe tells you a little bit about how enthralling it is. It's a really unique WWII novel, mostly about a family, and about what unconditional love means, and the transformations it can cause. (Kind of like Napoleon of Notting Hill, come to think of it.) But it's down to earth, too--the large family is absolutely realistic to what living in a large family is like! And then of course, there's Dym. Dym is indeed a great dear, and I like him very much (even if he is maybe a tad idealized...)

Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers
I know that the mystery in this one is not as up to snuff as some people would like, but as I think I've discussed previously on this blog, or even in this post, I don't read mysteries for the mystery. I read them for the characters. And I am TRASH for Lord Peter and Harriet, and thus, I loved this book an unreasonable amount. (To the point that I now have two copies, both used. XD) Also, the A. E. Housman references were ON POINT and I am a big fan of that (and Housman), too.

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
In a way that is is not very usual for books in general, Hannah Coulter is written from the point of view of an older woman recalling the story of her life. One of the things which I thought best done about it was the way that through her narrative, you could see the younger self she had been--she hadn't lost track with herself at 18, or 30, or 47, but those ages and selves were still a part of her somehow. Which is not a super great way to describe it, but I'm trying. XD It felt like sitting in a rocking chair on the porch on a the cool of a summer evening in your grandmother's arms while she tells you a story. But the thing that struck me most was the way that it was able to portray the beauty of marriage, of life lived in marriage and on a farm, day in and day out, despite difficulties and children moving away and the generally hard things of life, which were never sugarcoated. It was a quiet book, not much happened, but also so much happened. It was beautiful and peaceful and sad and amazing.

Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather
Willa Cather is also a more slice-of-life-y author, and it's also super compelling...some authors just have a gift for that. This book was set in Quebec in the early days of French colonization, and follows an apothecary and his daughter, and while not much happens...a lot happens. There's also this young bishop...and his transformation... The whole setting in Quebec was described so evocatively that I can still picture the images it conjured up, and it felt really homey in the context of the book. 

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I had really loved The Brothers Karamazov when I read it for literature class my senior year of high school, so I randomly picked this one up at a used bookstore, not sure whether I'd like it or not, or what. But I think the lesson I learned is that I actually...love Russian novels. (This hypothesis is backed up by the fact that I'm like 1/2 of the way through War and Peace right now and loving it.) So, yeah, I'm a weirdo. But hey. I'm having fun, so. Anyway, I found this book absurdly compelling, especially because of Raskolnikov, and all of his moral dilemmas and trying to figure out ways out of them, and Sonia and her family, Dunya (who, I noted when I wrote down my thoughts about this one, is an Objectively Good Female Character, and I stand by that), and the creepiness of Luzhin. I mostly found it just a very interesting book about people, and by extension, humanity. 

The Raconteur's Commonplace Book by Kate Milford
I talked about this book in my post on Books Which Should Be Read In October, and I stand by everything that I said about how wonderful it is. Kate Milford is awesome. And TRCB is extra awesome because it's actually a book that's referenced as a book in some of her other books! I.e., she wrote a book that exists her other books. It contains a series of stories told by travelers who have been stranded in an inn by a strange storm and flood. Each of the storytellers has a secret to tell (or keep), many of the stories are told around the fire, and not everything is as it seems...and perhaps there's a thread which holds each of the stories together. There's found family, there are creepy stories and heartwarming stories, and sad ones, and dancing, and music boxes, and I liked it very much.

Unfinished Tales by J. R. R. Tolkien
I was procrastinating reading this book for months, because I thought it would be boring (I know, I'm an idiot, you don't have to tell me...), and while there were parts which were denser than others, even the dense parts were really enjoyable. (Just try to tell me that reading Tolkien's list of the Kings of Numenor written in the style of the Book of Kings isn't fun. Just try.) And many of the stories were ones I couldn't believe I'd read--or even heard of--before, like the one of Tuor meeting Ulmo. That was incredibly gorgeous. And the one about Aldarian & Erendis, which is SO sad, but I liked anyway. They are unfinished, and some feel almost a little fragmentary, but still eminently worth reading. 

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers
This is probably one of my top three LPW mysteries ever (the other two being Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon, as established, for the Peter-Harriet content, and a few other reasons), which took me by surprise, because Harriet isn't in it. But the winter, and the setting in the remote-and-possibly-flooded-countryside, and the church, and the bells...plus, of course, the mystery itself, which was quite phenomenal. I found it beautiful, and now I want to learn more about change-ringing. 

The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
I don't think I'd known Evelyn Waugh wrote satire, before this? But he does. And what satire. It takes place mainly in a Sanitized, Posh Cemetery, which tries to hide death as far away as possible (and is where the title comes from--the deceased is called "The Loved One"). The plot follows one of the cosmeticians in her convoluted and high-society love life, which contains one of the only depictions of a love triangle I will allow--namely, because it is making fun of it the entire time. And then there's all the stuff about Brits in Hollywood... Anyway. It's great fun. 

All The Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
I had been concerned that this book would be problematic, because it supposedly had a "Catholic-based magic system", but I really, really enjoyed it! The desert setting is so vivid, even if it's not where I'd like to live, and so are all of her characters. Incredibly alive, and lovable, especially the cousins. I do love the cousins. Especially Beatrice. I actually don't think I can remember the last time I related to a character SO HARD. I spent so long as a young teenager, and even an older teenager, being The Girl With No Feelings myself, thinking that I was Strong because I didn't cry, and that I shouldn't cry because it was weak, and that feelings were overrated and logic was everything. And even though I'm getting over that, I still feel weird crying, and there are still days (or weeks, or even, on a notable occasion, months) where my feelings are so tangled up that I really don't know what I'm feeling. And having that in a character...it was eye-opening, and beautiful, and it even hurt a little bit. It was Good. 
Also, the prose is just gorgeous, and the pacing was much better than The Scorpio Races, in my opinion. And the Catholic aspect wasn't very problematic at all, although I do object to the title "saint" for the person who's doing the "miracles", just as I object to the title "miracles" for the magic system, because it's clearly magic, and not a miracle. But quibbles aside, I LOVED this one. 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This one was recommended to me by my dad and my aunt, both of whom have great taste in books and especially in scifi, so I was thinking it would probably be pretty good. But no, it was more than pretty good, it was EXCELLENT, and incredibly gripping, to the detriment of schoolwork in general. XD It tells the story of a world collapsed after a massive pandemic (so, yes, it might give one anxiety, be warned), and in that way, it's almost more of a dystopian, even though it's sort of marketed as sci-fi. In this collapsed world, the story follows a troupe of actors and musicians who are a travelling symphony/Shakespeare group, and who run into an...interesting...town that brings up some Issues. But beyond that, it's about the group of people who were in a production of King Lear right before/during the pandemic. And beyond that, it's about the people clustered around one man, who died during that production of King Lear. And beyond and in that, it's about a woman's passion project of a graphic novel that survives the pandemic by two (2) copies, in the hands of two very different people. So, it's about stories, in a way, too. (Also, there are a couple of Calvin & Hobbes references, if you needed more reasons to read it.)

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Wilder packs an incredible amount into a super short book! It follows five people under whom a bridge broke, tracing their connections, their vices, but especially their virtues. The whole book is an exploration of virtue and different kinds of love, some of which reminded me of Lewis. The role of providence is a major theme, affecting who dies and when, and possibly why. And the depth of character that Wilder achieves in such a short novel is really astonishing. 

The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
Graham Greene always makes me think A LOT, and this book was no exception. It tells the story of a man falling into an affair with a woman, and the aftermath thereof (this is also the basic premise of another of his books The End of the Affair, but believe me when I tell you that the two books could not be more different). And it's so interesting because it shows really compellingly how all virtues are connected, and you can't start committing grave sins against, say, chastity, without it starting to affect other virtues--honor, honesty, hope, piety--as well. In addition to all of that, there was a lot to chew on in terms of male-female friendships and relationships, whether someone can be responsible for someone else's happiness, and God's love. I found the way that the main character conceptualized and related to the Eucharist really interesting, and I've even come back to it a couple of times in prayer. But the ending! Reading Greene's Catholic novels is always an emotional roller coaster, and this one was especially so.

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani
I read Thorn by the same author a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, and on a whim decided to pick up the sequel and was extremely glad I did! It's got slightly Islamic vibes (which I appreciate, despite indications to the contrary, mostly because I took a really awesome class on Islamic gardens and architecture last year), has a unique magic system, an MC with a great relationship with her family (including plenty of sisters!! and also a cousin, if I remember correctly), who's also disabled (she has a club foot) and the way the disability is written is incredibly good--it's brought up as often as it would be an issue for her, so the reader never forgets it, but the reader also isn't ever allowed to see her as less-than. Plus, there's the mysterious thief with an extremely functional moral compass who pops up when he's least expected, and the tax clerk who's invaluable in crime investigations. It's just beautifully crafted and gripping all the way through.  (I will note that there is a cliffhanger, though...)

The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden
I'm still a little bit on the fence about putting this one, of all the Rumer Godden books I read this year, in the Best section. But I really did enjoy it immensely, and I thought that the plot was one of the best-crafted of the ones I read this year, so. (Thanks to Frodo for lending it to me randomly!) This one also revolves around an affair, but in this one, it's a woman, who leaves her husband and children to live with her lover...only, her children follow her, and then everything becomes a huge mess. The way the plot balances and expresses the woman's point of view made me a little worried about the ending, and it still surprised me in the extreme--definitely a twist--but the whole thing is so cohesive and compact! It is, to borrow a phrase we use in my landscape architecture class a lot, extremely effective. I will note that one of the big subplots is the woman's son going through puberty and trying to figure out what to do with his masculinity, so it may not be a book for children...but I thought that those themes really added to the cohesivity of the book. 

Whew! I am not going to admit to how long this took me to assemble. So, that was my 2022, more or less!

How was your 2022? What was your favorite new book this year? Least favorite? Any new releases you're really anticipating this year?