This is normally the part of the show where I come out and tell you that I’ve got multiple posts planned listing all the 5-star books I’ve read over this past year. But not this year. Despite reading 206 books, most of my 5 star reads were re-reads and I don’t count those for this post. On the flip side, I also didn’t have that many 1 star reads either. It was kind of an odd year.
So, without much more ado, the 10 best books I read in 2022.
10. The Sewing Book by Alison Smith
Sewing 101. I don’t sew. I don’t own a sewing machine. I didn’t start sewing after reading this book. But it was still a very helpful overview if looking to learn (or re-learn) the lingo of sewing. It is a how-to for reading a pattern, pros and cons of different fabrics, how to add collars, the different ways to finish seams, etc. I found it highly enjoyable but couldn’t tell ya if it is practically helpful.
9. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J.M. Nouwen
While very short, this is a richly profound look at the spiritual implications of Rembrandt’s painting Return of the Prodigal Son. It clearly came from years of reflection and gave me much to chew over. I think it is one I will have to come back to again this coming year.
8. A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
Want a clean romance that gives you the swoon-worthy drama of the Regency period without making you blush if your Mom picks it up? This is a fun, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers novel with a heroine who will do anything to marry a fortune and make way for her younger sisters. If I found the main villain a bit cartoonish, and the ending a little convenient, I will say that I rounded up to five stars for exceeded expectations. Just a fun, well-delivered novel.
7. The Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester
Writing fantasy novels 101. I don’t currently write fiction and I didn’t start writing fiction after reading this book but I found it fascinating. While specific to the fantasy genre, the writing advice transcends genres. This is a practical handbook and an engaging audiobook. It walks would-be writers through every part of the writing process (specifically focused on the fantasy genre) and provides examples of good and bad writing with practice assignments. I feel like a more informed reader after finishing this one.
6. The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
I suppose this is my YA recommendation for the year—a modern day retelling of A Christmas Carol! Holly is a failed Scrooge. She was visited by three ghosts but didn’t change her ways. As a result, she died and now works as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Except this year things are different. The Scrooge is a teenager, much like she was, and he doesn’t seem inclined to change his ways. She’ll have to figure out why she failed if she is going to give him a different ending. This was cute, creative, and I suspect a future Christmas re-read for me.
5. The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly
Considering the 2006 publishing date and the controversy this book sparked, I found it surprisingly relevant today. Easterly critiques the West’s application of foreign aid and stresses the need for local control in crisis problem solving. This was a practical, insightful look at the politics at play and the good intentions that frequently lead to more problems. It also really introduces some of the main players in the world of international aid. Definitely one of those books that continues to serve as a lighting rod for further discussion.
4. On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer edited by Christopher Scalia
This collection of writings by Justice Antonin Scalia surpassed my expectations because it includes reflections from those around him who either observed his faith or benefited from it. (Including his legal clerks, his children, and his fellow justices.) The additional reflections provide emotional depth to Scalia’s already witty and readable writing. I found it edifying and inspiring. It both celebrates and mourns Scalia’s passing, and in doing so, provides much needed emotional catharsis.
3. The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution 1945-1957 by Frank Dikötter
This is an engaging but gruesome look at the mass killings, starvation, and torture visited on the Chinese population as the communists took power between 1945-1957. I have heard a lot about Stalin’s genocidal regime but not as much about what happened in China. This book is particularly powerful because it spans both time and geography. While Mao’s growing power certainly changed the experience of Chinese communists over time, it was also a very different experience for those in urban locations versus those in rural areas. I highly recommend this one as an audiobook.
2. Facing Leviathan: Leadership, Influence, and Creating in a Cultural Storm by Mark Sayers
Mark Sayers has a really interesting life story and his experience with leadership and faith reminded me of the debates raging among the students when I went to college. I wish this book existed in 2012; we could have used the insight he offers. This book is part memoir, part leadership handbook, and part historical and philosophical look at the modern church. It took me a while to actually finish despite being relatively short because I kept pausing to highlight and chew on the text. There were a lot of really profound points about leadership, culture, history, literature, and faith.
1. Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter by J. Heinrich Arnold, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Wendell Berry, Henri J.M. Nouwen, Thomas Merton, N.T. Wright…and like fifty more authors of a similar vein.
This collection of readings for Lent and Easter ranges from the familiar and treasured (writings of Augustine, Chesterton, Lewis, Luther, and Sayers) to the odd (Oscar Wilde?!) to the new-to-me (Dear, Guardini, Howard, and Soelle.) It breaks into six parts: Invitation, Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and New Life. Some of the essays truly challenged and strengthened the way I thought about my faith. Others were more….okay or downright meh. But overall I would say this was a great find and I’m looking forward to re-reading it this coming Lenten season.
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