Merry Christmas and happy holidays! I hope you and your family have had a fantastic season. This year was a great year of reading for me. I had a slow start, but by the summer, I was reading like crazy. I consciously tried to replace mindless scrolling on my phone with a book, and it felt great. I read some of my all time favorite books this year. In 2016, I started tracking how many books I read in a year, making this year’s goal 20. I exceeded that goal by reading 35!! That’s the new highest for me. I’ve never been a trackable goal person, but I want to put more effort into that for 2023 because it feels incredible to check this goal off!
If you missed my November Book Review:
Now on to my honorable mentions for 2022:
First, I will start with TWO HONORABLE MENTIONS, then go into my TOP THREE books of the year…
5. The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm by Hilarie Burton Morgan
I loved this one!! Hilarie is adorable, and I want to be her best friend.
This book was one I didn’t realize I needed until it was over. Burton’s story shows that taking risks and embracing hard work can lead to a fulfilling and meaningful life. She shared everything from her pregnancy struggles, choosing family over Hollywood, running their farm, and the importance of their community. I found her story so light and charming. I love when you find out a celebrity prefers to step away from all the glitz and glam to seek something more down to earth. On my bucket list, I still have to visit Rhinebeck, New York, for their Sinterklaas Christmas Festival! For my full review, check out my May Book Review!
4. Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
I did not expect two memoirs to make it into my honorable mentions! Stanley Tucci is sarcastic, charming, and absolutely invited to my theoretical celebrity dinner party. I could listen to Stanley read a Chinese take out menu and enjoy it. I loved all the behind-the-scenes details of the filming industry and even his perspective on food on set. He talks about movies, living in London, sharing food with his late wife and current wife, and his greatest fears when battling his cancer diagnosis. This book felt authentic, made me hungry, and made me want to return to Italy! For my full review, check out my September Book Review!
Now on to my top three books of 2022:
3. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book! It’s spicy, cute, and fun. (Warning: rated R) I totally judged this book by its cover. I was a bit worried when I started because Piper is quite an airhead, and I didn’t know how that would translate into this rom-com. However, I LOVED this story! I even read that the author used inspiration from one of my favorite tv shows, Schitt’s Creek, and I totally see the connection. Once I made that connection, I could laugh at all the silliness. This grumpy sunshine trope was as adorable as can be. It was hard for me to choose between this book and its sequel because I immensely enjoyed them. For my full review, check out my June Book Review!
2. Verity by Colleen Hoover
Before I start, I want to give a warning. I want to clarify that I am okay with strong language and sexual scenes in most books. However, I think this book has so many unnecessary sex scenes that I almost gave up. (Warning: Rated R) Now that you’ve been warned – I felt so conflicted when I first read this book, and I still feel conflicted. I felt too unsettled because of the dark themes, but I haven’t stopped thinking about this story.
This book is either the best book I have ever read or the absolute worst. I included it in my top books of the year for one reason. By the end of the story, the author was able to manipulate how I felt by making me question EVERYTHING I had just read and believed. I felt confused and angry and wanted more. I have never had that happen before. The ending will forever haunt me. Even after asking all my friends what their thoughts were, I STILL DON’T KNOW WHO TO BELIEVE! For my full review, check out my November Book Review!
1. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
This book may come as a surprise for being my top book, but I loved it! This story was the first book I have ever read where one of the main characters had a disability. I never read the back of the book where they explained that, so I was utterly shocked when I found out. Seriously, I had no idea and found out when the other main character found out. I loved the representation of the disabled community because I don’t see many authors doing that. The author kept me guessing the entire time. From how the characters met to the plot twists, I was hooked. For a Colleen Hoover twist, this book was a 1,000x lighter than Verity. This love story gave me butterflies, frustrated me, and felt raw. (Warning: PG-13 to R) For my full review, check out my June Book Review!
Woohoo! I love book review day and I hope I gave you some good recommendations going into 2023!
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