My 5 Favorite Books of 2022

Hello, everybody! If you are reading this, thank you so much for being here.

2022 was a fantastic year when my life changed for the best. After spending 2020 and 2021 in the biggest reading slump of my life, where I read zero books in two years, I decided to bring back reading to my life, as a central activity, given that it is something I have always loved and cherished.

I have a Degree in Literature, which should mean that I read many books, but that was different. Taking the degree took a toll on me. My views about literature and reading sent me far away from what initially drove me to read. I just wanted to read for fun when I started, and that’s what I was missing at the university. I felt like I had to read “real literature” and hard books that were not easy to understand without wasting time to have fun with the books I liked. There were so many things in that experience that I had to get over to get back to reading just for fun.

After two years in a reading slump, I bought a few books in march 2022. After that, I made this blog in April, and I have constantly been reading ever since.

Around September, I bought a Kindle and started reading manga like crazy. Having manga available in the palm of my hand on a quality device special for reading changed everything. I mainly read Manga volumes this year, almost addictively.

Also, in 2022, I finally got into audiobooks and started listening to many different books as I did my tasks, which made me read even more books than I would usually do.

I had set a goal of reading 8 books in a year because, after two years in a reading slump, that’s all I thought I could aim for. I ended up reading 101 books, mostly manga, but I am very proud of myself.

To wrap up 2022, I want to share my favorite books of last year.

5 - Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami (2013)

The story revolves around Tsukuru Tazaki, who had four best friends in high school and belonged to that group until all the others suddenly isolated him. Years after the events, he returns to talk to each of his friends and discovers the revolting truth that led the group away from him.

I heard it as audiobook, the narrator was amazing, and I got myself lost in the story as I attempted to do other tasks simultaneously.

I was haunted by this book from the first moment I read it. I quote my review on Goodreads after I finish reading it.

“Yes, yes, yes, absolutely yes!

I was shattered inside, devastated, and ripped apart by this book! It hurts me inside with knives. I just want to go into a corner and die. I loved it!

This is exactly what I love to read, I did not know Murakami before, and I thought it'd be nice to try it in one of his books. I tried this one, and now I am in love completely.

I can't wait to read more of his books. I am buying his first book to have a physical version of something he wrote.”

I fell in love with Murakami’s writing. It is literature at its best. I can’t wait to read more from him.

This book is a massive essay on abandonment and the effects of isolation. One of my favorite reads of 2022.

4 - The Priory of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (2019)

This should be no surprise. I even made a whole post on the blog about it. I loved this huge book. I can’t wait to read its prequel. 

This one I got from the library and read through its more than 800 pages while fighting with the deadline to return it in time.

I will quote my comment from Goodreads on this book from the time I read it.

“What an amazing fantasy book. I chose to read this because I saw booktuber The Book Leo recommend it, and right after that, I stumbled upon it at my local library. The funny thing is that I picked 4 books at the library the same day and decided to leave Priory as the last one to be read, so I had to rush the reading and missed the library deadline.

It was worth it.

I was in love with most of the characters, with Ead and the Priory of The Orange Tree plot being my favorites.

The way the East had a different perspective about dragons was exciting. I felt like the world-building was great for a stand-alone fantasy book.

By the way, I greatly recommend it as this is a stand-alone fantasy book. It may be great for those beginning to read fantasy like myself.

I loved the take on sexuality and gender that the book proposes. The idea of being a feminist retelling of St. George and the Dragon, set in a world with no gender inequality, adds a lot to the whole deal.

It's refined fantasy with a touch o contemporary.

I have been giving away too many 5 stars, but here goes another one.”

3 - One Piece Vol. 1-12 by Eiichiro Oda (1997 - present)

The story of Luffy, an energetic goofy kid who’s decided to become the King of Pirates and search for a legendary treasure named One Piece.

I was astonished by the idea of a series that keeps going for 20 years, it has more than a thousand chapters, and according to its readers, it sustains the quality.

I have read twelve volumes so far, and I love it. The art is stunning, and laughter is guaranteed. I will be going forward, and someday, I hope to get up to date with the current state of the manga.

It became one of my favorite manga.

2 -Berserk Vol. 1-8 by Kentaro Miura (1989 - present)

This is the most astonishing art I have ever seen in a manga.

Guts, a character of questionable morals, spreads violence with a gigantic sword, and he tries to understand the world around him and himself.

This beautiful fantasy manga with a dark plot stands up to any high fantasy book.

I never recommended anything as much as I recommend Berserk. Everybody should give it a chance and go on a journey with this beautiful artwork.

1 - I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022)

This book greatly impacted me.

Jennette’s memoir retells her childhood and early adulthood, living and recovering from an abusive parent and struggling with addiction.

She narrates the audiobook herself, she has an amazing storytelling ability. It was very easy to get emotional with her as she told the story.

I could relate to so many things, and this book was a class on writing for me. The way Jennette went through such private topics in such a raw way in her book touched her wounds and let her writing be a space for healing.

I started journaling after reading this book and have not stopped ever since. It is the most beautiful and haunting memoir I’ve ever read.

I would recommend this more, but it is really heavy and can be very emotional, and I would recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving into this book.

Besides that, I’ll carry it in my heart each and every day of my life. Thank you for this masterpiece, Jennette.

Honorable mentions: Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto Vol. 1-11 (2022 - present)

I have to mention the first part of Chainsaw Man. It was bonkers. There was so much hype about it.

Teenager Denji, who lives in extreme poverty to pay off the debt built by his dead father, has his heart replaced by a chainsaw devil after being murdered, and now he is the Chainsaw Man.

The story is as insane as it sounds. The art is beautiful and fast-paced, and everything you could ask for in a manga is good. It could not go unmentioned.

Conclusion

Those were my favorite books from 2022. I am progressing with some of the series I have started and read new ones.

I hope to be back with shorter and more frequent posts and integrate my Goodreads reviews with the blog.

It has been a fantastic experience to write here. Even though nobody reads this, I enjoy myself a lot.

I hope to overcome my 2023 reading challenge of reading 80 books. Stay tuned for the results.

Cheers to myself!