My Reading Stats for 2022 – A Bookish Overview!

Yes it’s that time of year again where geeky bookworm girls get excited about stats… so let’s just skip the preamble and get right to the good stuff!!

Once again I’m realllly happy with my ratings. I mean, 3.7?! That’s way above average!! And I’d like to take the credit for this- but clearly the actual credit goes to the wonderful books I’ve been reading! 😉 (mostly I did also DNF a lot more books this year, which no doubt affected my ratings!)

The BIGGEST shift in my stats is definitely the steady decrease in YA. Year-on-year, I’m clearly choosing to read fewer books for teens (and is not that surprising considering year-on-year I get further from my teens 😂).

Amazingly there were no massive changes in the genre of books I read. I normally do see a shift here, so I was surprised to see no standout changes.

I also read about the same number of library books- at a whopping 76% of books! (basically libraries are my book-supply-lifeline and I couldn’t live without them!)

That said, there was one other MASSIVE change- and that’s the number of audiobooks I’ve read. It’s gone from a mere 25% to 48%!!!!!! That’s almost double!!! And to be honest, I’m not surprised by this shift. Not only do I think audiobooks are *AWESOME* (since I have (re)discovered the joy of being read to) I also know that I wouldn’t have done much reading at all this year if not for all the audiobooks I consumed (/devoured like a craven audiobook fiend).

So yeah, while a lot of things have stayed the same, there have been some BIG CHANGES!

Still, sometimes it’s the little things that count, such as…

Starting off this list with a small pleasure.

A HUGE slog (but not as bad as the last time! I gave it an extra banana… granted that was still only a total of two bananas- but that’s an improvement nonetheless!)

I’m pretty torn about this one, not because the book I’m choosing is in any way good (it’s not), but because I actually hated Time Traveller’s Wife more… I just couldn’t bring myself to finish it! So Constant Princess wins- purely because I suffered through it till the bitter end! 😂

This book cut DEEP!

23!! Isn’t that incredible?! (if you’re into DNFing that is 😉 ) Honestly, I’m so proud of this- you can read all about my DNFs in detail in my post!

12- way up from previous years! I’m super pleased about this, because I used to reread all the time and am resurrecting the habit. I feel like it’s a way to just show appreciation and love for a good book (and also rewarding myself with a memorable and comforting treat!) After all, what could be better than reading Lord of the Rings and Austen?! Somehow I managed to enjoy all these books more than the first time I read them!

(Granted on a funny note, I reread Looking for JJ and Selfie by accident cos I thought I’d never read them before)

Well duh!

Total waste of time. It feels like a book that desperately wants to say something profound whilst not saying much of anything at all.

I can understand this (considering I also rated it pretty high)

I quite liked this! not an amazing book, but it does what it said on the tin, so I think this is pretty harsh!

This was so hard to choose!!! I’m going to give you a few (you’re welcome 😉 )

This was a year of some super special non fic!

And that’s a wrap! So how was your reading year? Have your ratings been good? Did you discover any brilliant books? Let me know in the comments!

My Top Ten Books of 2022!

IT’S TIME!! The one! The only! The best books I read this year!!

AAHHHHHH!!

(can you tell I’m excited?!???!!?!)

Seriously, I LOVE doing this post every year- because it’s time to celebrate all my new favourites and share them with you lovely people!! So without further ado, here’s my top ten for 2022…

This Woven Kingdom– I’m actually in shock I haven’t been going on and on about this book since I read it! Because this was a beautifully crafted fantasy inspired by Iranian mythology. I was captivated by the romance and absolutely intrigued by the characters. A stunning start to a series!

Cytonic– I was hesitant to continue the series after Starsight, but this swept in and saved the series for me! Largely, this is down to the plot really taking off and getting more and more out of this world. And I’m super keen to continue now! I can’t wait to see where it takes me- hopefully to infinity and beyond! 😉

The Wild Silence– a stunning sequel to the Salt Path, it takes us away from the UK into even more ethereal landscapes of Iceland. Tying itself to time and history, it is clear Raynor has found her voice and has so much more to say.

Gilded– this retelling of rumplestiltskin was pure gold. Focusing on stories within stories and telling tall tales, I loved how this span something entirely new from a well-worn fairy tale. I loved every second of it and can’t wait for more!

Carrie Soto is Back– Reid is always a winner for me. I mean, I knew it was going to be the book for me- it’s set in the nostalgic 90s and it’s about TENNIS for goodness sake! But I still couldn’t get enough of this sports comeback story. The characterisation was raw and on point; the relationships make you want to pump your fist in the air. And of course, Reid has become a master at historical settings. I just want to cheer on everything she does at this point!

The No Show– Beth O’Leary’s best yet. She absolutely turned up with this layered romance! As much about the character’s individual journeys as a romance book, I was still swept up in the ***ADORABLE*** love story at the heart of this. I swear her books get better and better! This was a showstopper!

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting– if you’re looking for an Austen-tatious regency romance, this is sure to get your petticoat in a twist! A delightful romp in regency London, this unconventional love story will have you clutching your bonnet and falling head over heels. With a schemer for a lead and a stiff gent as her foil, we know who we’re supposed to be rooting for… because a schemer’s not supposed to get her way, is she? 😉

An Unkindness of Magicians– the best kind of urban fantasy, this keeps one foot in the real world whilst taking us out of the ordinary. Set in an alternate version of New York, this striking novel was an awe-inspiring adventure, filled with heartache and dark intrigue. A brilliant concept, beautifully executed- I definitely suggest picking up this underrated standalone.

Dark Queens– it’s rare that I find a non-fiction history book that reads like the most thrilling fiction- but this was it. A powerful and timeless tale of murder, revenge and political intrigue, it’s a slice of forgotten history. Obscured through time and mythological retellings, this real story is impossible to forget. A vivid book I cannot stop thinking about and one that I would recommend to everyone!

The Sword of Kaigen– ahh this cut me to the quick! No read has made me more emotional this year. A memorable and sharp fantasy, I was swept up in this epic intergenerational tale. And while the magic system and the world building are both very cool- but it’s the characters and their relationships that burn brightest.

And that’s all for now! Have you read any of these? Did you enjoy them as much as me??? Do you plan on giving any of them a go? Let me know in the comments!!

Just *Some* of the Great Books I Read This Year

Because one post of great books is never enough!

Let’s get warmed up with Dear Fahrenheit 451, which was a reader’s ode to books. Then I Must Betray You proved a powerful historical YA. Easily the best YA contemporary I read was Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s backlist proved to be as brilliant as some of her current books, with One True Loves leaving me smitten. Of course, I have to include the fab fantasy books Book Eaters, Gallant and Ballad of Never After! A really special way to end the year was to pick up the first in the Regency Faerie Tales series- Half a Soul. And last, but certainly not least, Island of the Missing Trees to transport you to historical Cyprus.

And that’s all for now… can’t wait to share more!!