My love of reading really backslid in 2021 as I struggled with sleeplessness, parenting, and that bloody pandemic, but I got back into it this year in a big way (cheers for being so easy to read, Bridgerton series!) So here are my favourite books for this year, in three categories – Fiction, Memoir and Non-Fiction. Yes, I know memoirs ARE non-fiction, but I read so many good ones that they deserve their own category. so without further ado, here we go:
MEMOIRS:
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
I love Kate’s work. She wrote the comic series “Hark! A Vagrant!” that tickles my fancy no end. This memoir has funny moments for sure, but it’s also so heartbreaking. Pretty much every woman who reads this will find it extremely relatable, and every guy who reads it will hopefully learn something. It’s so good. And the art is lovely – really captures the sparseness of the Canadian oil sands (which I haven’t visited of course but can now picture so clearly). Kate is such a talented artist and writer and I recommend this to literally everyone. It’s massive but y’know, it’s a graphic novel so you’ll zoom through it.
Tell Me Again by Amy Thunig
Okay, I technically finished this at the start of January, but I’m including it here because it’s bloody amazing. This is a memoir written by Dr Amy Thunig, a Gomeroi education academic. They tell the story of their life growing up in poverty in Australia with two addicts as parents. Despite challenges, Amy follows their dreams to go to university. A beautiful, nuanced reflection on a life where they were let down by every authority figure who should have been there to help and support them. It’s heartbreaking and powerful. I listened to the audiobook and it was lovely – Amy has such a serene voice. I will definitely be buying this to read it again at a later date, and to prominently display on my bookshelf so people can say “ooh what’s that one?” and I can say “oh gosh! Buy it! It’s beautiful!”
How We Love by Clementine Ford
This is another memoir that I listened to as an audiobook. I especially like listening to memoirs in audiobook form when they’re read by the author. It’s powerful. I have read all of Clementine’s books, I think she’s fabulous. How We Love touched my heart. It had so many relatable stories. There were several passages where I teared up because it was like she was speaking to my younger self, struggling with some of the same things she did.
Listening to how gentle she was to her younger self, how kind she was, it made me feel kinder towards my awkward, insecure, lonely early-teen self too. Which of course, then reminds me to be kinder to my modern self. We all need to be doing that, really.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I think everyone read this in 2022! I listened to it, it was rough! Her mum was a shocker. It was a fascinating insight into Hollywood and how child stars are often treated and let down by the very same people who are supposed to be looking out for them. Which we all knew already, but it put a lot into very sharp focus. Jennette’s story is so brutal, and yet she makes so many moments so funny. Awesome stuff.
Nothing Like I Imagined by Mindy Kaling
This was really funny little collection of stories from Mindy’s life that I really enjoyed, but the one about becoming a mother (“Help is on the Way”) hit different and make me cry. How dare you, Mindy. HOW DARE YOU.
FICTION:
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
This novel was such a stunning portrayal of anxiety and the challenges of being a young woman, especially being a woman of colour. Queenie is a fantastic character – she doesn’t always make the right/healthiest decisions, but you support her and sympathise with her. Watching her growth throughout the novel was a beautiful thing. Amazingly written.
How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
This is such a hard novel to describe. It’s like a collection of interconnected short stories, set after a brutal plague is unleashed from the melting Arctic ice. Some stories are heartbreaking, some weird, all excellent. A lot of them could be novels in their own right. It’s got its flaws – quite a few of the narrative voices are similar sounding – but I found it so compelling.
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
This is a story about a woman finding healing after grief… with the worst partner choice possible. This had some really mixed reviews on Goodreads but the cover was so pretty and the title so poetic, so I dived in anyway. It was worth it. I personally thought the characters were making terrible decisions, but the story was told in a way that made it totally understandable. It was also a really beautiful look at navigating grief. Another thing I really liked was the lead character’s refusal to get intimidated or pushed around by anyone. She was confident in her artistic talent, and I found that really appealing.
Idol by Louise O’Neill
A clever critque of influencer culture and the challenges of trial by social media. The main character is such a mess, so flawed and hypocritical. Her story, and that of her best friend, is so interesting. I flew through this in a couple of days, I found it so hard to put down.
7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo / Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I can’t choose which one to put on my list, so here they both are! Both excellent tales of old Hollywood. These have both been hugely popular. The characters feel so real. I’m so looking forward to reading more by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
NON FICTION:
Facts and Other Lies by Ed Coper
This was a smart and seriously funny look at misinformation and the strategies of how to push against it. Definitely worth reading for those who are science-minded! There’s even Simpsons jokes, which defnitely dates me as an early millennial but I don’t care. Five stars!
QAnon and On by Van Badham
Van Badham, and Aussie-based journalist, takes a deep dive into the insanity of QAnon. This was a rough read, especially the parts where she talks about the misogynistic online abuse she’s personally suffered, but the book is great. Really insightful, well-written, and genuinely sympathetic to the people who get caught up in the lies peddled by bad faith actors in politics, news, and entertainment. Smart stuff, go buy it if you want to know what all on earth all that weird conspiracy nonsense that your weird uncle rants about at holiday BBQs.
Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
A brutal but important look at the various misogynistic groups and viewpoints found across society and the internet, and how they all tie together. I’d previously read Laura Bates’s book Misogynation, which I found really smart and insightful. This was another winner.
How to be Perfect by Michael Schur
Michael Schur is the creator of The Good Place (and also one of the creators of my fave, Parks and Recreation), and this book is about the philosophical ideas he learned about when doing The Good Place, and how they fit into modern life. The chapter titles had me cracking up (e.g. Should I Lie And Tell My Friend I Like Her Ugly Shirt?) This is Michael’s endeavour to become a better person, and it’s a fun ride.
Five Books I Didn’t Get Time To Read in 2022 But Am Totally On For 2023:
- The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner: a Memoir by Grace Tame
- Needs Adult Supervision by Emily Writes
- Straight Up by Ruby Tui
- Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
- Joan by Katherine J. Chen
- Enclave by Clair G. Coleman
Oops, that was six. Too bad.
What’s been your fave book this year?
