Hi friends! As you likely know if you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, I am a big reader. I often will try and share what I’m reading in my stories & keep a highlight but I rarely go back and update on my thoughts after the fact so every year I’ve been compiling a list of everything I read in the year and what I thought of them. So for this year’s books…
- Daisy Jones and the Six – This was such a good book to start off the year with. I really liked the style of writing as it was kind of written as an interview from quite a few different perspectives. While it did mean that there were a lot of characters to keep track of, it also made the book go by really quickly.
- The Bookshop on the Corner – For someone that seriously loves reading I have been struggling to find anything I want to read lately, and this was finally the breakthrough. This was such a cute book about an ex-librarian who opens her own bookshop (the dream)! It had love interests, a cute town and was all about a girl with a love for reading. I definitely want to pick up more Jenny Colgan books after reading this one.
- Sweetshop of Dreams – after enjoying the last Jenny Colgan book so much I thought I might as well pick up another one. I loved that this one also took place in a small town, it was just as sweet as the last!
- The Duke and I – This was such a quick and enjoyable read. I loved the Bridgerton TV show so I thought I’d give the books a go as well. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series now.
- The Viscount Who Loved Me – I personally loved Anthony and Kate’s season of Bridgerton and this book made me love them even more. The chemistry between the characters is even better than it was in the TV show. I seriously could not put this book down.
- An Offer From a Gentleman – This book started off seeming like a twist on Cinderella and I’ll be honest I wasn’t thrilled about it, but let me tell you it got so good. I read the entire thing in two sittings and it instantly became my favourite Bridgerton story thus far.
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Let me just say I simply love the Bridgeton books, I cannot put them down. This one again was so good and not to give any spoilers but I’m not very intrigued to see how they make a season out of this book.
- The Atomic City Girls – This was one of the most interesting books I’ve read in quite some time. It tells the story of young girls who were working on the atomic bomb without knowing what war efforts they were contributing to. It was such a good story and I loved how it was written.
- Spring Fever – This book made the perfect poolside read on my vacation. Despite being on the longer side I could not put it down. I’m a sucker for a good long-game love story and this one was just that. I loved (most) of the characters and there were so many sweet parts of this story. A perfect summer read!
- The Hating Game – Oh my goodness, when I tell you I could not put this book down, I mean it. It’s a classic haters-to-lovers story but was so fun to read. I read it in essentially one sitting and afterwards decided to watch the movie. I can confidently say that the book is much better!
- The Bookshop on the Shore – This book is actually technically a 2nd book to The Bookshop on the Corner, however, can be read independently. I’ll be honest I definitely didn’t enjoy the beginning of this one nearly as much as the other Jenny Colgan books I read. The end ended up being super sweet, but it felt like it took a long time to get to that point.
- Second First Impressions – After reading The Hating Game so quickly I knew I needed to read some of other Sally Thorne books. While this one was also a fun read I personally didn’t think that the characters had as good chemistry as in her other books. I enjoyed the book in the end but it took me a lot longer to get into it.
- My Life Next Door – This book started off very cute but it took some twists that I didn’t end up loving. While I always love a good love story book I definitely prefer ones that aren’t about high schoolers and this book had a weird darker twist later on.
- People We Meet On Vacation – let me tell you I LOVED this book. First of all, no love story gets me like a long friendship, and the chemistry in this book was written SO well. I also loved that this book took place partially in Victoria, it is always so fun to read about places you live in someone else’s story. I pretty much read the entire book in one sitting, I did not want to put it down.
- The Parisians – I thought this book was really interesting, it tells the story of 3 women living in Paris during the war all of which who have very different lives and are impacted by the war in very different ways. I thought it was really well written however it was also really depressing at times and I sometimes had to take a break from it.
- That Summer – I feel like I kept seeing people talk about this book but it didn’t really live up to my expectations. I liked that it was a book told from multiple perspectives however it did have some heavier parts to it that I didn’t particularly enjoy.
- To Sir Phillip With Love – Like all other Bridgerton books I could not put this one down.
- Beach Read – I absolutely LOVED this one. Another Emily Henry book that I just could not put down. I thought it was a cute idea to read a book about two authors who were feeling somewhat stumped and the adventures they went on to feel re-inspired.
- When He Was Wicked – This Bridgerton book was Francescas, I thought it was interesting because she is the Bridgerton character who comes up the least it seems like so I was excited to learn about her more as a character.
- Book Lovers – Another Emily Henry book I loved! I am so sad that she doesn’t have a ton of books because I think she might write some of my favourite books ever. I have always been a book lover, so to read a book about people who love books is always good.
- 99 Percent Mine – This was a fun little fluffy book. A super short and easy read, I find that Sally Thorne’s books are such easy reads and are always cute stories.
- It Ends with Us – I understand why everyone is talking about Colleen Hoover. I really liked her writing style, however, I feel like her books often involve really have topics which I typically don’t love. This book will make you CRY! It took a while for me to get into it, but once I did I couldn’t put it down.
- It’s In His Kiss – Another Bridgerton book down. This one was Hyacinth’s story and I enjoyed it just as much as the rest. I love how individual each of the Bridgerton characters are written.
- On the Way to the Wedding – I found that this one, Gregory Bridgertons story was slower than the rest. While still enjoying the writing style of Julia Quinn this one wasn’t my favourite. I was a bit sad to have finished the series though.
- Lessons in Chemistry – I really had no idea what this book was about before reading it, while it was a quick and enjoyable read I didn’t find it to be anything noteworthy. In my personal opinion, it has been really overhyped.
- Maggie Moves On – Okay I thought this one was cute and fun! It was very predictable but I loved the chemistry between the characters and I love a good house-flipping story.
- One Italian Summer – This book really kept me on my toes while simultaneously making me want to book a trip to Italy instantly! I understand why so many people were talking about this book and I would highly recommend this as a summer read.
- To Knotting Hill with Love Actually – this was a cute little quick read. Despite being cheesy and predictable it took some good turns and I very much appreciated all the movie references.
- It Happened One Summer – As soon as I heard that this book was loosely based on Alexis from Schitt’s Creek I knew I had to read it. It was a cute book, I love stories where you can see a lot of personal development in the characters in a way that actually seems plausible. It is also fun anytime you read books that take place in areas that you are familiar with.
- Harry Potter & the Sorcerers Stone – In the fall I love picking up the Harry Potter books again. They never get old.
- Evidence of the Affair – This is a Taylor Jenkins Reid short story. I love her writing style and always find her books so engaging. This is an interesting story about two people that connect after finding out that their spouses have been cheating on them together and the friendship that they develop.
- Malibu Rising – Just like all other Taylor Jenkins Reid books once I got into it I couldn’t put this book down. This one was really interesting because it really was focused on one night and would flip back to the build-up to that night. I love reading books that flip between multiple perspectives and really appreciated the beachy feel that this book had.
- The Spanish Love Deception – Once I started this one I simply couldn’t put it down. When Catalina realizes that her whole family thinks she has a boyfriend and he is expected to be attending her sister’s wedding, she realizes she needs someone to take. When a co-worker offers she’s forced to accept her only option and trick her family into thinking that there’s chemistry between them. I love reading books where you can feel the chemistry building as it goes and this did just that.
- The Hotel Nantucket – I felt like everyone was talking about this book this summer so I finally picked it up. I love the idea of a Nantucket summer and I loved that this book involved flipping an old hotel. There were elements of the book that were a little strange, but overall it was a good read.
- The Last Thing He Told Me – I’m typically not a big mystery book reader because I don’t like reading things that are too creepy before bed but this book I couldn’t put it down! It had the perfect balance of being suspenseful in a way that I wanted to keep reading it without making it scary. The story follows a wife and daughter after the husband/dad goes missing and their mission to try and find them. Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down and I would highly recommend it.
- The Christmas Swap – This was a really quick read, however, I didn’t find it all that festive and I didn’t love it either. In the end, the only reason I finished it was that it was so short otherwise I didn’t feel particularly inclined to finish it.
- The Christmas Room – I was really hoping to find some cute books to put me in the holiday season, and I didn’t particularly feel like this one had a big focus on Christmas. It was mostly about a family that had recently moved to Montana with a little Romeo and Juliet component. Despite starting off really slow, eventually, it picked up and got cute.
- The Christmas Boutique – Unfortunately this fell in line with the other Christmas books I’ve read this year that just didn’t do a lot for me. It was about a group of quilters, and I felt like was perpetual drama. Typically I really like when books are written from many perspectives however in this book every single chapter was told by someone different and often included many years of history which made it more difficult to follow and led me to not be particularly interested in any of the storylines.
- Christmas at Snowdrop Cottage – I finally found a Christmas book I loved! I read this on Christmas Day, cover to cover. Despite being very predictable it was a cute story of a girl who was left a cottage by her grandmother with whom she hasn’t had a relationship with in 20 years. When she goes to visit the cottage in December, she develops a relationship with the tenant who is currently living in the cottage. Would definitely recommend this for a cute Christmas read!
- Her Fearful Symmetry – I don’t know how to describe this book other than strange. And I don’t even think I mean that in a bad way. Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down, but I will warn you that it does involve talking to ghosts in ways that are just beyond weird. I thought the idea of a book about twins that were left a London appointment by their mum’s twin sister whom they had never met was going to be a cute story but this book took a lot of odd twists and left me feeling very odd in the end.
- I am Malala – I actually listened to this book, but I still like to include audiobooks. I truly think that this is a book everyone should read. Malala has lived such a dramatic life yet still has such a positive outlook on things. I constantly felt inspired while listening to this story.
Well, 41 books wraps up the 2022 reading. If you read any of the same books this year, or you read something in 2022 that you think I need to add to my to-read list, please be sure to let me know in the comments.
If you would like to check out what I’ve read in prior years here are some previous posts: EVERYTHING I READ IN 2021 & EVERYTHING I READ IN 2020
XO Cassidy Hannah
This is an interesting list, I really should look up “lessons in chemistry”, I am a Chemist😂😂, does it have anything to do with chemistry? Probably not. I enjoyed your list though, I love the way you described your list. I like reading, I don’t drink them in like I used to. Audiobooks do count!! That’s what I’ve done over the years.
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Thank you so much for the kind words! I completely agree, I have always included audiobooks in my reading lists. Lessons in Chemistry definitely included more chemistry than I expected based on the title. The main characters were both Chemists and a lot of the story takes place in their lab. I seem to recall learning a fun fact or two (for someone who hasn’t taken chemistry in 7+ years)!
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Lol chemistry is my daily bread.
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