October - December 2022 Reads
This is an extremely belated blog post to announce that I hit my 2022 reading goal of 50 books!
From being 5 books behind schedule at the end of September, I manage to claw myself back and read exactly 50 books by the time January 2023 hit. I achieved this while studying towards an MA in Publishing and working part-time, so it feels semi-miraculous, honestly.
Throughout October, November, and December, I read the following titles:
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Girlcrush by Florence Given
The Maid by Nita Prose
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Dear Dolly: On Love, Life and Friendship by Dolly Alperton
Olive by Emma Gannon
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Blurb Your Enthusiasm: An A-Z of Literary Persuasion by Louise Wilder
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin
Similar to my last reading update post, there were a few books here that I didn't love, namely The Spanish Love Deception, Girlcrush, and The Maid. My top 3 this time around was:
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
In hindsight, I’m not sure why I expected otherwise (maybe some some critical reviews I’d seen?), but this was a surprise win for me. The second romcom I’ve written myself is enemies to lovers, so I’ve definitely got a sweet spot for the trope, and I think Thorne executes it really well. Lucy and Josh are totally believable as rivals and their chemistry makes everything so fun. There were some things that bugged me on a minor level (I get it, Lucy’s short and Josh’s eyes are blue), and I admittedly find the nickname Shortcake a little cringe… but I think that’s more a me issue than any kind of reflection on Thorne’s writing abilities. The Hating Game is the only book I’ve read by Sally Thorne so far, and I’m definitely planning to read more in 2023!
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
As predicted, this book killed me. Klara and the Sun was one of my favourite July - September reads, and with some general knowledge of Never Let Me Go’s plot, I knew I’d love this one even more (despite the pain and heartbreak). I’m a sucker for any book that explores and examines human nature in an uncomfortable way, and the empathy Ishiguro manages to create throughout this novel is incredible. I read the book several months ago now, and my heart is still breaking for his characters. Reading Never Let Me Go was also my first time dipping my toe into dark academia, a genre I’m going to explore further in 2023 (I’ve already bought Donna Tartt’s The Secret History). I’m also now planning to read every single one of Kazuo Ishiguro’s books, so watch this space in 2023.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
My love for this memoir essentially echoes what I’ve seen other people say about it. McCurdy’s memoir is as shocking as it is heartbreaking, and as someone who grew up in the iCarly era, it all feels quite surreal in a lot of ways. I’ve got heaps of praise for McCurdy’s writing in itself because it’s so engaging, raw, and cleverly constructed—not once did I get bored or lost in the narrative. Although one is fiction and there are only some loosely connected themes, I found myself comparing McCurdy’s writing to Florence Given’s Girlcrush because both books are written by ‘non-writers’. I was disappointed by Girlcrush, while I’m Glad My Mom Died is a stellar example of how well ‘non-writers’ can write when they put their mind to it.
Books I read in 2022:
Never Kiss Your Roommate by Philline Harms
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlene
How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams
Just Like You by Nick Hornby
The Lock In by Phoebe Luckhurst
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Love, Locked Down by Beth Reekles
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Daisy Miller & The Turning of the Screw by Henry James
Starter for Ten by David Nicholls
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Beach Read by Emily Henry
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
The Runaway Girls by Jacqueline Wilson
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
Theatre of Marvels by Lianne Dillsworth
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Awaeke Emezi
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
Lives Like Mine by Eva Verde
None of This is Serious by Catherine Prasifka
Did You Miss Me? by Sophia Money-Coutts
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
The Staycation by Cressida McLaughlin
Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking by Marianne Eloise
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Girlcrush by Florence Given
The Maid by Nita Prose
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Dear Dolly: On Love, Life and Friendship by Dolly Alperton
Olive by Emma Gannon
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Blurb Your Enthusiasm: An A-Z of Literary Persuasion by Louise Wilder
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin