How has another year gone by already?!? I definitely didn’t get to read or blog as much as I wanted this year either. I managed to meet my reading goal by reading more short stories this year than any other year. Let’s take a closer look at my 2022 reading recap and goals from 2022 and goals for 2023. I’ll share some of my favorite and least favorite reads of 2022.
2022 Reading Recap
This is my fourth year doing a reading/blogger recap. Check out last year’s 2021 Blog Recap and Goals. I can’t believe we have been blogging this long. It’s interesting to look back and see how each year has been different. I love looking back at all of the books I have read for the year. It’s fun to see which books have left an impression on me, whether it’s good or bad.
Since I work from home now, I don’t have a commute anymore so I don’t listen to audiobooks as much. I still listen when cleaning around the house or on long trips but I don’t go through them as I use to. I also find it more difficult to blog after I’ve been working on the computer all day.
Now for the 2022 highlights. I will start with my least favorite and work my way to my favorite along with some statistics.
Least Favorite Book
Sorry to say this because I know some people have strong feelings for this book but my least favorite book was 1984 by George Orwell. It took me 170 days to finish the book. I read a couple of chapters and then stopped for a few months and almost didn’t pick it up again but since it is one of Kevin’s favorite books and a classic I decided to push through. The book was slow and boring and I was never sure of the direction it was going. I did end up giving it 3 stars because there were a few interesting philosophical points and I remember thinking some of the points made were really scary. It’s probably one you need to read through multiple times to better understand but I doubt I will be doing that.
Favorite Audiobook
My favorite audiobook that I listened to this year was Scythe by Neal Shusterman, narrated by Greg Tremblay. We listened to this on a long road trip. It’s a great story that kept me entertained the whole way. It’s a very original and unique story. Tremblay has a really good voice making it even better. I gave it 5 stars and highly recommend. We are currently listening to the second book in the Arc of the Scythe series, Thunderhead.
Favorite Sequel to a Book
I started off the year strong with A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair, a romance novel about Hades and Persephone. So I decided to end the year with A Touch of Ruin, the sequel to the Hades x Persephone series. They are both really good books with a lot of romance, mythology, and drama. I gave both 4 stars and have already started on the 3rd book. I’m usually pretty bad about reading books in a series back to back, sometimes I wait months or years to start the next book. But these are easy to read and keep me wanting to turn the pages.
Favorite Book
My favorite book this year was Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury. It’s an illustrated book about a panda and dragon being friends and their journey together. A friend gifted it to me and it was exactly what I needed. I gave it 5 stars, this book is perfect for children and adults. Very easy short read for anyone who could use a little inspiration.
Favorite Blog Post
Kevin had the fun idea to read the Forward Collection for Quill Quotes Book Club. I thought it was cool that we read a different short story each week and then discussed each one and then at the end we discussed the collection as a whole. It was a different twist to our normal book club books and discussions. We hope you enjoyed it too!
2022 Goals and Statistics
I set a goal to read and/or listen to 26 books in 2022 and I ended up finishing the year with 28 books! That’s 4,929 pages read and over 75 hours of audiobooks! I will admit that I read a lot of short stories this year to meet my goal. I’m hoping now that we are settled into the new house, I can get back into the swing of reading and start reading longer books again.
I used Kal’s spreadsheet from Reader Vorarious as inspiration to make the charts below.
2023 Goals
I set my Goodreads goal for next year for 27 books. I’m pretty confident I can make it but I’ve learned my lesson about setting goals that are too specific. I’ve also learned that a lot can change in a year. So as long as I’m reading and enjoying it I will count it as a win.
Final Thoughts on 2022 Reading Recap and Goals
Kevin and I have not been keeping up with reviews or doing book club every month so we would love to hear from you. How often do you like to see posts and what would you like to read/see more of? How did your year go? Any resolutions for 2023?
What was your favorite book of 2023?
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