Greetings. Below are my reading stats and favorite books of last year. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really plan out my reading as I’m going along … I’m mostly a mood reader, picking up whatever seems good at the time. But it’s interesting to look back at the end of the year to study one’s own reading trail, and from my stats I can see that I overwhelmingly read fiction by female authors. Most of it I’d say is literary or contemporary fiction. I try to diversify mostly by race and country, but I still need to do more of that, especially in reading more authors from my adopted country of Canada.
One of the other things I notice from below is that for the first time ever my audiobook listens outnumbered the books I read, which seems a bit unusual. But I am a bit of a slow, meticulous reader, while I enjoy audios on walks with my dogs and doing chores like yard work. So I guess I was walking a lot last year (see the sunrise from my window), or doing laundry, lol.
I have included 10 favorite novels pictured below with links to my reviews. The Yoko Ogawa novel The Housekeeper and the Professor from 2009 was probably my sentimental favorite. I read it for my book club and thought it was a small, quiet gem of a story about a friendship between a math professor with memory issues and his housekeeper and son. Then I have five novels from 2022 on my list and I found it hard to pick which I liked best. But I think Lessons in Chemistry and Lucy by the Sea are at the top, followed closely by Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These. The others pictured are also quite excellent. Three on the list are Irish authors: Claire Keegan, Lisa Harding, and Donal Ryan. And lately Irish authors and Asian-born authors are knocking it out the park for me. I will look for more in 2023.
I’ve also included a picture of my top 5 nonfiction reads from last year. Granted, I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but the ones I do, I really like. The Daughters of Yalta is my top pick followed closely by A Spy Among Friends and The River of the Gods. I love compelling history reads and all three of these blew me away and took me far, far away to various incredible times and dynamic people. Also Ann Patchett’s essays These Precious Days and Michelle Zauner’s memoir Crying in H Mart are memorable books that indelibly put me in the author’s shoes and circumstances. I’d recommend these.
And now without further ado here are my numbers and books of 2022!
- 65 books completed
- 28 print or ebooks
- 37 audiobooks
- 51 female, 14 male
- 55 fiction, 10 nonfiction
- 17 for Publishers Weekly
- 48 for The Cue Card
- 47 white authors, 18 non-white authors
- 35 American authors
- 8 British authors
- 6 Irish authors
- 2 Canadian authors
- 2 Korean-American authors
- 2 Japanese authors
- 2 Chinese born/raised authors
- 1 Middle Eastern author
- 1 African author
- 1 Danish author
- 1 French author
- 1 Mexican author
- 1 India born/raised author
- 1 Scottish author
- 1 Australian author
5 Top Nonfiction
The Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War by Catherine Grace Katz (2020)
Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre (2014)
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard (2022)
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett (2021)
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner (2021)
Top 10 Fiction
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (2009 English translation)
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022)
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout (2022)
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (2021)
Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding (2021)
The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan (2023)
Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng (2021)
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar (2006)
The Daughter of Dr. Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2022)
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (2022)
Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (2016) – #11 pick, an honorable mention
That’s all for now. What about you — did you read any of these and what did you think?
I am seeing Lucy by the Sea on a ton of top book lists, but haven’t read it (yet?). I also really enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and still think about it.
The Kim Philby story is a super interesting one though I haven’t read the book that you listed.
Hi Helen: yeah the Kim Philby story is a betrayal true story that about blew my socks off. What a nut?! But terrible repercussions. He seems like a sociopath. I’d recommend the Ben Mcintyre book though it does take awhile to get through.
Lessons in Chemistry was a hit with me! I think you’d like Lucy by the Sea. Enjoy your week.
The Housekeeper and the Professor was a favorite of mine back when I read it a few years ago too.
I’m also looking forward to reading the Daughter of Dr. Moreau this year. Looks like you had a wonderful year of reading!
Thanks Heather. Yes it was a good year. And I’d recommend the Daughter of Dr. Moreau novel. It’s fun and good and I’d think you’d like it. And I agree the Housekeeper novel is a wonderful gem. Enjoy your January!
I recommended Lessons in Chemistry to my book club, and I am pretty sure they’d like Lucy by the Sea, too. I’m waiting for Small Things Like These to arrive, but I’m pretty far down the list.
I think I’d like to read River of the Gods in 2023.
Beautiful sunrise. Perfect time to walk and listen.
Yeah Deb. The River of the Gods is pretty fascinating — if you’re interested in the source of the Nile search. I was always intrigued by the explorer Richard Burton so this book helped me know more about him. It took me awhile to get through but it was well worth it.
I hope you like Small Things Like These. It’s very short but effective.
Have a great week!
Glad you have gone on the audiobook bandwagon as well. I rarely (never?) sit down and read. Without audiobooks, I wouldn’t get any reading done. The Housekeeper and the Professor and The Swimmers are favourites as mine as well! What did you read by a Danish author?
Hi Stargazer. I’m glad you liked the Housekeeper and Swimmers novels. We are liking some of the same books! The Danish one — was by that explorer. Remember when I read that book by Ejnar Mikkelsen about his epic 1909-10 journey in Greenland? Two Against the Ice from around 1957. I think he was there from 1909-1912. It’s amazing he survived and lived till he was 90 in 1971, according to Wikipedia. Hope you have a great week!
We definitely like some of the same books – not Small Things Like These, though 😉 And yes of course, I remember the Greenland expedition, now you mention it. Have a great week too!
thanks Stargazer. I’m hoping author Yoko Ogawa will write something new soon. I’ve liked the 2 books I’ve read of hers.
Meanwhile, are you inundated with Prince Harry news? Sigh it’s crazy. take care.
I think our reading tastes and habits are pretty similar! First the nonfiction – I bought Daughters of Yalta, but never got to it last year. I know I have a copy of Crying in H Mart, too. These Precious Days was a favorite in 2021. On the fiction side, Lucy by the Sea was my favorite novel of 2022 and I really liked Lessons in Chemistry. I listened to Small Things Like These, but feel like I should read it instead… especially after loving Foster. The Housekeeper and the Professor have both been on my shelf for years. just picked up a copy of Swimming Back to Trout River, too. My other really liked it, but I haven’t read it yet. A couple of others I need to investigate. Can’t wait to see what you read in 2023!
Hey JoAnn, yep it seems we always have similar reading tastes, which is great! I always look for your recommendations and then add them to my TBR. If you get to it, try The Housekeeper and the Professor this year … it’s a short novel but a bit mysterious and touching too. Did you read the same author’s novel The Memory Police ? — now that one is odd! but good too.
Wishing you a happy start to 2023.
You had a good reading year, Susan! I have only read two of the books on your lists, Swimming Back to Trout River and The Space Between Us and I liked both, especially The Space Between Us. I hope you enjoy your reading this week!
Hi LF, Those are two good ones you mention. I liked both quite a bit. I sort of need to read the sequel to The Space Between Us called The Secrets Between Us. Have you read that one by the same author? I’m almost scared to … because her books are usually quite sad or dark … like a rift in a family or a friendship that is never made right. But I eventually will read it … because I need to know what happens. Enjoy your week.
Beautiful sunrise photo, Susan!
Like you, I tend to read mostly female authors. Not sure why, especially when some of my favorites were written by men.
I remember when The Housekeeper and the Professor was first published. It sounded like something I’d enjoy, but I never got around to it. I’ll add it to my library list and see if I get to it this year. And, yes to Patchett’s collection of Essays. What a gem that one is! I get to read it again for my book club discussion in February, and I’m not complaining. I loved The Space Between Us, but didn’t care for Lessons in Chemistry quite as much as you.
You have several fiction favorites that I plan to read this year. Oh, how I love these year-end stats & summaries. Happy reading, my friend!
Thanks Lesley, yeah I really like knowing others’ stats & year-end favorites because it helps me get to good books I missed. Your list was helpful in that way. The Housekeeper and the Professor is a bit of an odd story (like a lot of Japanese lit is) but it is also short and a bit touching too. The same author’s novel “The Memory Police” is also an odd story about memory but good too. See what you think of these whenever you have time. Did you read the sequel The Secrets Between Us? I might get to that later in the year. Though I’m sure it’ll be sad. Enjoy the start to your 2023!
No, I never did read the sequel, but I think I might like to. I’d also like to read Honor, her most recent novel. Oh, and The Story Hour is on my list, as well.
I’m currently reading A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) for the second time. It’s such a marvelous story and one that I’m happy to revisit.
Hi. I will have to see about A Fine Balance. If you’re reading it twice that’s good news.
And I might pass on Honor for now — it might be a bit gruesome I hear, but I can highly recommend The Story Hour. I liked that one, and hope to sometime read The Secrets Between Us. Hope all is well there.
I definitely read slower now (by choice) and even take notes now. You have a pretty nice mix of books. I’m curious about River of the Gods and will have to take a closer look at that one methinks.
Hi Greg, yeah if you’re interested in 19th-century exploration books, I think you’d like River of the Gods. These explorers were so sick for a lot of their journey — mostly it seems with malaria and things like that, yikes.
I also write many notes on books I plan to review, especially if I’m reviewing a nonfiction book. I’d never remember all the details otherwise. Have a great week.
Several of the books that you mention would be among the favorites on my list if I made such a list. But I don’t. I read 102 books in 2022 and that’s about my usual record. I don’t consider myself a very fast reader but I do read every day and I’m looking forward to several much-anticipated books this year.
Hi Dorothy, you had a great reading year, congrats! Yeah I think I recall you liking some of these novels on my top 10 list. I would be curious of your favorites list. It would be quite hard I imagine to narrow it down to 10 … as you read a high number of quality reads. Let’s hope 2023 has as many good ones!
Congratulations on a great year of reading Susan, and thanks for sharing your favourites.
Wishing you a great reading week
Thanks Shelleyrae, I managed to get to my goal somehow at the last minute. You had a great reading year too. I will keep checking your site for notable Aussie reads. Cheers!
Just loved the Housekeeper and the Professor. First time I had heard about disassociative amnesia or anything related to it. I’ve since read several books with that disorder forming the plots of the novels.
https://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/
Hi Harvee, interesting I didn’t know about the disorder but loved the novel too. I’m glad you also liked it. The math teacher was great. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week.
I haven’t read any of your favorites yet but definitely have a couple at the top of my mind like the Claire Keegan book and Crying in H Mart. Thank you for sharing your stats. It’s always so fun to see where the reading year takes us isn’t it? Hope this will be another great reading year for you!
Thanks Iliana. Yes I’m always curious what my reading stats will tell me and what direction I’ve gone in. Do you like to keep stats? You might like Crying in H Mart. It’s a sad, poignant story and I sympathized with the author Michelle quite a bit. Much Korean food in that memoir! I hope all is well with you. Enjoy your week.