Books Read During 2022

This post is nearly a month late, but I have finally compiled the list of books I read in 2022, complete with dates finished. I am also including links to the full reviews on Goodreads (you may need to scroll down to see mine since the website won’t let me share them…) with each one, with just a brief review beneath each title. Those marked with an asterisk are books I would most definitely read again.

Books Reads 2022

1. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi* 1/1/22

I liked it, definitely want to finish this trilogy, but was majorly unimpressed with the writing style and “romance” in it. A bit of a letdown, honestly.

2. Till Death Do Us Part by Kamila Axgirl 1/10/22

I enjoyed it, don’t really remember it aside from it being a fairly clean enemies-to-lovers that I read to support a friend.

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo* 1/22/22

Absolutely loved this book!!! I ended up getting my own copies and read it twice in one year.

4. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo* 1/24/22

The sequel to Six of Crows, I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first one due to some content things and the fate of a character or two.

5. Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff* 1/28/22

What can I say? It’s Rosemary Sutcliff! And combined with the beautiful illustrations of Alan Lee…it’s a work of art.

6. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien* 2/14/22

This was a reread of Tolkien’s lesser-known but still brilliantly written books. If you enjoyed The Lord of the Rings, I recommend this one…possibly also with a notebook and pen to take notes the first time around. It’s intense.

7. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo* 2/15/22

Having watched the first season of the Netflix show and binged the Six of Crows Duology, I bought this trilogy on impulse and read it. The first book is okay, I liked it and will probably read again as it’s easy to follow, but her other books are better written. You can definitely tell it’s her first.

8. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo* 2/17/22

I enjoyed the sequel to Shadow and Bone a lot more. Out of the trilogy, this one was my favorite. The action and NIKOLAI were amazing.

9. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo* 2/21/22

As the final book in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, I read this one very quickly, and liked it better than the first book, but not as much as the second. The ending felt a bit anti-climatic and I couldn’t decide if it was too rushed or too stretched out.

10. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff* 2/28/22

This was also a reread for a Rosemary Sutcliff fan group on Instagram. I enjoyed revisiting the first Sutcliff book I ever read. This was my…fifth time reading through it, I think. It’s a great introduction to her work at any rate.

11. Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien* 3/2/22

This is a delightful little collection of Christmas letters and stories that Tolkien wrote to his children. Very endearing.

12. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr* 3/8/22

This is an interesting historical fantasy take on World War II. The writing style is something I’ve never read before, but definitely want to try out with a book or story some day. This book is also gut-wrenchingly sad.

13. The Memories We Painted by Caitlin Miller* 3/29/22

This was a debut from an indie author I discovered on Instagram. It shows a lot of promise and I enjoyed reading it. However, the introspection was way too heavy and repetitive (even for someone who loves introspection) and it wasn’t historically accurate in a lot of things. Had it been more thoroughly edited, though, it would have been perfect. Still well done for a debut, though.

14. Between Two Worlds by Cheyenne van Langevelde* 3/31/22

I reread this in preparation to annotate it for the one-year anniversary and giveaway. I know it’s not perfect, but I still love this debut of mine very much.

15. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas* 4/7/22

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of those classics that seems frighteningly daunting, but is well worth the read if you can get past all the crazy French names. The movie is garbage in comparison.

16. Then Comes a Drifter by Claire Banschbach* 4/10/22

I love everything I’ve read from Banschbach so far, and this western apocalyptic new adult novel was no different. Absolutely loved it, even though it’s grittier than what I usually read, and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

17. In the Glorious Fields by Emily Hayse* 4/16/22

This was the third installment in the Knights of Tin & Lead Trilogy and while it remains a blur to me, I remember loving it and it fed my soul in so many ways. I still haven’t recovered from it.

18. Endlewood by Alissa J. Zavalianos* 4/23/22

I technically read this twice as I was a beta reader and then read the final copy. It’s definitely a good read for any lover of traditional high fantasy that’s not heavy on the magic side of things, but I felt a little disappointed due to pacing issues and numerous proofreading errors. I’ve seen better work, but still think that Zavalianos has a lot of potential for future stories!

19. Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennet* 4/25/22

I read this as a sort of devotional in addition to my daily Bible reading and highly recommend it to anyone. It’s a lovely selection of prayers from the Puritans.

20. Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff* 4/25/22

This was a new Rosemary Sutcliff read for me, but I found the main character to be highly relatable. While it was shorter than Sutcliff’s typical books, it was still very tragic and beautiful and I loved it.

21. Moonscript by H.S.J. Williams* 5/4/22

After having so many friends gush about how good this was, I bought it during a Black Friday sale and it took a couple months to actually read it. That said, though, it is as good as everyone says, and I almost sobbed on page 429. If you know, you know.

22. Light Hunter by Haylie Hanson* 5/14/22

Having absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy, World Diver, I was excited to read this one. It has very spooky, foggy vibes, but it was so much fun to read and I’m highly anticipating the third book!

23. Fairest Son by H.S.J. Williams* 5/14/22

Since I loved Moonscript, I was looking forward to this one since people also recommended it highly. I typically dislike fairy tale retellings, but this one was a beautifully Biblical analogy and I love it very much. It’s also a very short read, which is nice for people who are intimidated by 400+ page books.

24. Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle* 5/16/22

I saw someone on Instagram talk about this book so I bought a copy and read it. It’s very insightful into the history of feminism slowly creeping into our western culture, and I learned a lot, but was disappointed that while the author talks about Eve in exile, she doesn’t really address how we turn that exile back into Eden, which I was expecting.

25. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah* 5/25/22

Having known the author on Twitter prior to her querying and then getting this book published, I was beyond excited to read this. Aside from some language which I censored in my copy, I absolutely loved this deserty fantasy and am looking forward to the coming books.

26. Tales of the Kingdom by David and Karen Mains* 5/27/22

27. Tales of the Resistance by David and Karen Mains* 5/28/22

28. Tales of the Restoration by David and Karen Mains* 5/29/22

This trilogy is a poetic and beautiful analogy of much of Scripture and was a major part of my childhood. I need to get my own copies some day. Highly recommend!

29. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo* 6/3/22

As the sequel to the Six of Crows Duology and the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, I was disappointed in how the author seems to keep dragging out the story just to make sales. I enjoyed Nikolai and Zoya, but the rest of it was rather boring. Nina was becoming more and more annoying.

30. From the Mouths of Sirens by Abigail Hair* 6/6/22

Absolutely loved this book. The premise to its execution was very satisfactory and reminded me of the books I used to devour on Wattpad ages ago. That said, a proper edit and polish could help this book go even further.

31. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen* 6/18/22

I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages and finally decided to do so. It’s probably my favorite Austen novel yet, and I remembered fondly the 1995 film adaption when reading it.

32. Dawn Wind by Rosemary Sutcliff* 6/25/22

Yet another new Sutcliff read and…this one is slow in comparison with her other books, but still excellently written and I teared up at several moments. This was my second favorite read of 2022, with As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow impacting me more. (Review for that below…)

33. The Ones with Gilded Bones by Nathaniel Luscombe* 6/28/22

This is a nice sci-fi novella and it reminded me a lot of the Piet Prins novels I read as a kid. It’s a very loose style to read, but relaxing as well and the author shows a lot of promise.

34. The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking 7/3/22

This was an insightful little book about the art of hygge.

35. Once I Knew by Victoria Lynn 7/11/22

I had a review for this book originally, but after the author blocked me on Instagram on all her accounts [among other things] (I had thought we were friends prior so this came as a shock) and refused any attempts at reconciliation, I took it down to stop the constant retaliation that felt untoward and was extremely detrimental. That said, this book showed promise, but the lack of editing etc. made it a struggle to get through and I was disappointed despite the hype on Instagram about it. It also had some content that made me uncomfortable, which is a shame considering its intended audience.

36. Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan* 7/15/22

This was a fun middle-grade read, definitely not what I typically browse, but I enjoyed it and appreciated the attention the author was trying to bring to child labor.

37. The Claw by Verity A. Buchanan* 7/22/22

This is Agatha Christie meets J.R.R. Tolkien and is one of those books I wish I could read for the first time. I love the characters and the underlying themes, and especially how the light is always there beyond our pain.

38. Letters of John Newton by John Newton* 7/27/22

I read this as a supplement to daily devotions and was very much encouraged by the words of this father of the faith. Highly recommend.

39. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal 7/28/22

I’ve been wanting to read this book for some time due to the beautiful cover and it being a desert fantasy. That said, though, the world-building was not properly introduced and I struggled to understand it. The prose was also overly dramatic and I really only read it as a distraction from some stressful events happening at the time. All the same, I am invested enough to finish this duology, but not enough to keep the book.

40. What is and Could Be by Katelyn Buxton* 8/2/22

This is a light Victorian-era fantasy and is a very sweet and wholesome read. Reminded me a lot of the books I read growing up.

41. When You Found Me by Anna Augustine 8/6/22

I had high hopes for this, having read other work by this author, but it was very weak writing and I couldn’t really get into the stories. The only one I actually enjoyed was the last one, and I ended up passing this book along to someone who might enjoy it more than I did.

42. Humility & Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray 8/20/22

This was a convicting read, but rather repetitive. The author spent more time theorizing about the concept of humility versus actually showing how it’s lived out and practiced. Being used to the richness of Puritan writers, I was surprised not to get much out of it.

43. A Crown of Chains by Erin Phillips* 8/20/22

I typically shy away from Biblical retellings but wanted to give this a go after seeing so many people talk about how good it was. It was utterly amazing and I binged it very quickly, which is surprising since it was a digital copy. Absolutely loved it and recommend it as an Esther retelling!

44. Mammoth by Brian McBride* 8/25/22

I’ve been wanting to read this for awhile, and finally got a copy after seeing a friend talk about it. It’s Indiana Jones meets National Treasure, and while totally different from my usual reading taste, I enjoyed it a lot and have yet to read the sequel.

45. From the Mountains to the Valley by Alissa Zavalianos* 9/12/22

This was an epilogue for The Earth Treader which I read from this author last year and enjoyed seeing a glimpse of these characters again.

46. Christ’s Call to Discipleship by James Montgomery Boice* 9/15/22

This was convicting and also very insightful.

47. Dìlseachd – A Stolen Crown by Cheyenne van Langevelde* 9/19/22

What can I say? This book is the treasure of my heart.

48. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh* 9/21/22

This was my favorite read of 2022. I don’t typically cry when reading, but this book had me sobbing not once but three times. I recommend reading my review of it before I infodump all my feels again that I have for this stunning debut.

49. Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson* 9/29/22

I had mixed feelings about this book, but it was one of the best things I read in 2022 faith-wise, and only wish I could have read it sooner.

50. Bleak House by Charles Dickens 10/6/22*

Having watched the mini series adaption, I wanted to read this book. It’s well-considered Dickens’ finest work, and aside from the slowness in the middle, was the fastest I’ve read a Dickens’ novel to date.

51. The War by Verity A. Buchanan 10/17/22*

I read the first draft of this on Wattpad years ago and getting to read the final copy made me so proud of this author and all she’s done. Plus the time I read it made it very much needed in terms of the message.

52. Whispers from Before: Tales of Myth and Legend by Various Authors 10/21/22

I don’t read anthologies much, but this was an interesting take on some folklore legends. Could have been better edited, and some of the takes made me uncomfortable so I ended up giving my copy away.

53. Illuminare by Bryn Shutt 10/26/22*

I absolutely love Bryn’s writing and was honoured to proofread this book. If you enjoyed Six of Crows, you’ll love this one as it’s much cleaner and even more poetically written.

54. Redwall by Brian Jacques 10/29/22*

This was my first chance reading anything Redwall or Brian Jacques related. But I absolutely loved it and am planning on reading and collecting the whole series.

55. The Book without Words by Avi 10/31/22

This book was an acid trip. I’ve read one of Avi’s works before and don’t remember it being this…weird. Also, I hate to say this, but this book had plenty of words in it. It’s just that none of them made sense.

56. Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes 11/2/22

This was a graduation gift. However, I didn’t end up keeping it since I disagree with a lot of the author’s incorrect theology and didn’t see myself reading this again.

57. Willow by Rachel Rowbottom 11/3/22

I read this because a friend wrote it. I struggled to get through it and only finished it to be nice and leave a review. That said, I love the author, and I’m sure her later writing is much better.

58. Crown of Sand and Sea by H.S.J. Williams* 11/4/22

I had been looking forward to reading more of this author since I read her work earlier this year, and this was very good and also fun to see more of Coren’s backstory that’s not shown in Moonscript. That said, though, the voicing was very different and it almost didn’t feel like it was by the same author.

59. By My Own Betrayal by Cydnie Trenholm* 11/5/22

This is perfect for any Marvel or James Bond fan who wants something clean and Christ-honouring to read. Absolutely loved it and am sad I didn’t read it sooner!

60. For the Record by Nicole Lam 11/7/22

I won this romance book in a giveaway and took forever to actually read it since I don’t typically read romance. I did enjoy it, however, but didn’t keep it since I’m sure other people would enjoy this a lot more. It also could have done with proper proofreading.

61. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo 11/11/22

I got a library copy after a friend warned me about some of the stuff that happens in this book because I wanted to finish the King of Scars duology. I suppose I can put it as briefly as I absolutely love Nikolai and Zoya, and absolutely hate Nina. That about sums this book up without giving away spoilers.

62. To Best the Boys by Mary Weber* 11/14/22

This book had a very interesting beginning and I almost gave up on it, but the rest of it was very fun to read and I’m glad I stuck with it.

63. A Wolf’s Rose by M.C. Kennedy 11/19/22

I read this for an eARC. I didn’t care for it, but it was interesting enough to finish it.

64. The Windward King by K.T. Ivanrest* 11/21/22

I read this for Write for Life’s bookclub and loved it so much I got a physical copy. (I had only gotten an ebook since I wasn’t sure whether I’d like it or not.)

65. Speak Truth in Your Heart by Sarah Mally* 11/22/22

Great devotional for teen girls and also older girls.

66. Operation Lionhearted by Maribeth Barber 11/27/22

I don’t typically read sci-fi, but I really wanted to like this one. Sadly, some of the content was a bit much, and I couldn’t stand the MC. From a sci-fi perspective though, it was really interesting.

67. Mossflower by Brian Jacques* 12/5/22

Second book in the Redwall series, I liked getting to see a bit of the history before Redwall was built. The adventures Martin goes on were fun to read, and I also loved Gingivere and am glad he got a good ending.

68. Marzipan’s First Christmas by Jordan Nilan* 12/6/22

This is an endearing children’s story about a cute bunny that gets rescued right around Christmas time. It’s absolutely adorable, just a pity it wasn’t better formatted.

69. Greywolf’s Heart by C.M. Banschbach* 12/9/22

I had my doubts about this book since the concept was kinda out there, but the book was as good as the cover is gorgeous. It’s my favorite that Banschbach has written yet! It’s also got Rosemary Sutcliff vibes.

70. Hear My Sorrow by Deborah Hopkinson* 12/9/22

I grew up reading the Dear America diaries, but hadn’t read this one yet. It was nice to delve into that part of history.

71. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy* 12/12/22

I also read this for the Write for Life bookclub and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s as good as the 1982 film adaptation.

72. Our Yellow Tape Letters by Caitlin Miller* 12/20/22

The author has clearly grown in style and technique and I enjoyed this book a lot more than her debut. That said, I still felt like it needed proper editing to really earn a 5-star rating from me, especially with better attention to historical accuracy.

73. Jahanara: Princess of Princesses by Kathryn Lasky* 12/20/22

I also grew up reading the Royal Diaries and loved revisiting this one!

74. Kaiulani: The People’s Princess by Ellen Emerson White* 12/23/22

Another Royal Diaries, I hadn’t read this one yet, but I liked it even though it was very sad.

75. Mattimeo by Brian Jacques* 12/28/22

Absolutely loved this next Redwall novel and it’s currently tied for favorite with Martin the Warrior which I read in 2023.

76. The Planets We Become by Nathaniel Luscombe* 12/31/22

Another sci-fi read, I really enjoyed this short story and it was a great way to end my 2022 reading year.

---

And there you have it, my reads of 2022! There are a couple books missing that I didn’t include solely because there were DNF’s. (Did not finish).

Did you read any of these? If so, which ones and did you like them?