Reading List 2022, Part 2

Happy New Years Eve! 🎉

Can't say I'm sad to see 2022 end. It's been a rough year. 

One of the better parts was all the travel I was able to do in 2022. In addition to what I already posted about (here and here), mom and I traveled to Kansas City in November, Chicago and back to Denver the first and second weekends (respectively) in December. It's been a busy...well, September onward, really. 

Other news since the last time I posted - I have a new job, which is news to no one reading this blog. 😄 I was hired as an Administrative Aide by Senator Kolterman's replacement for District 24, Jana Hughes. I will begin working for her on January 4th. Since she's a new senator, we will most likely end up in the tower, somewhere on floors 8-12 of the Capitol. Specific offices aren't assigned until the new senators are sworn in, so we won't know till January 4th where we'll be exactly. I'm hoping for the 8th floor, so wish me luck!  

Sadly I didn't read as many books from June - December as I did in the first half of the year, but I brought the collective total to 36 completed reads and two stragglers. I've figured out the last couple of years that my depression progressively worsens starting around August and one of the most noticeable symptoms is decreasing motivation to read. Audiobooks aren't really my thing, but they saved me this year for book club, since when I wasn't feeling up to reading I was able to listen to them at work. 

My friend Katie (author of Once Upon a Pyne) put together a rating system that she uses on Goodreads. I asked her permission to steal it and have implemented it below.

Here is her (and now my) criteria: 

⭐: the worst piece of garbage I’ve ever read 

⭐⭐: overall bleh book, but some redeeming qualities 

⭐⭐⭐: liked it, but wouldn’t read again 

⭐⭐⭐⭐: liked it more and would read again 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: amazing and definitely should read again 

I've decided to add a + designation, which is basically a half star. 

1. The Sandman, Book One by Neil Gaiman  ⭐⭐⭐+
   Per Amazon, this first collection in Neil Gaiman's "genre-defining series about the Dream King" is issues #1-20. I wanted to read it before the Netflix TV show was released and have since purchased, but not read, Book Two. Some of the stories are very dark, but it's an interesting and very Gaiman take on certain stories and mythologies. 
   
   
2. Play (Stage Dive Series, book 2) by Kaylie Scott ⭐⭐⭐+
   Trashy reread from 2021. One of the main reasons for the plus is because I did actually reread it. Also it's a ridiculous and wonderful rock star fantasy. But seriously, don't ever date a rock star, even if they call you Pumpkin. 😊
   
   
3. The Likeness (Book 2 of 6, Dublin Murder Series) by Tana French ⭐⭐⭐
   Do we all have doppelgangers? Would you try to solve the murder of yours? While the storyline of In the Woods (Book 1) felt a little more realistic, I think I liked The Likeness more. The flow was better and it had fewer unresolved loose ends.
   
   
4. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien ⭐⭐⭐⭐
   I'm always amazed when reading LOTR related Tolkien. He created such a detailed and beautiful world. I hadn't read The Hobbit for over 15 years, so I'm glad Book Club decided to tackle it. I'd forgotten how silly (in a whimsical way) some of the elves could be and how little coverage there was of the Battle of the Five Armies! 
   
   
5. Upgrade by Blake Crouch ⭐⭐+
   I'll admit it out loud, I was disappointed. The ideas were interesting and it had a lot of potential for being a good story, but it just felt like an information dump. Unlike his last two novels, I won't be rereading this one. 
   
   
6. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐⭐
   A somewhat entertaining saga about mostly terrible people frequently making poor decisions. There were so many times I just wanted to slap people. There was also lots of surfing. I'm a little terrified they're adapting it into a TV series. 
   
   
7. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center ⭐⭐+
   This had the bones of an interesting rom-com, but leaned too hard on the typical tropes. It was entertaining enough to enjoy on vacation, but definitely not worth a reread. 
   
   
8. Troublemaker by Linda Howard ⭐⭐
   Another vacation read. Again this had potential, but ended up being disappointingly predictable. Oh no, the bad guys found him hiding in the tiny town, blah blah blah. Who saw that coming? 😐
   
   
9. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐⭐
   While I appreciate the interest in writing a Hispanic noir novel, this tried WAY TOO HARD and felt very forced. It really started falling apart once the supernatural elements began creeping in.
   
   
10. Friend Request by Laura Marshall ⭐⭐+
    While it had a couple interesting twists, the "I received a friend request from a high school friend I thought was dead (and it was my fault), so I went ahead and accepted it and have since compulsively obsessed about it" got old really quickly. 
    
    
11. Darling Girl by Liz Michalski ⭐⭐+
    I can appreciate a good retelling, but the hard left turn to change the lore of this children's story was too much. There were also too many little details that didn't add up, which always bothers me.
    
    
12. A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, Book 1) by Naomi Novak ⭐⭐⭐+
    If monsters are more likely to attack young wizards, it makes sense to create a self-contained four year school that protects them...and basically corrals them into a monster buffet...right? I enjoyed the rules of magic and character development, even if the basic premise was a little suspect. 
    
    
13. The Last Graduate (The Scholomance, Book 2) by Naomi Novak ⭐⭐⭐+
    You know what death, monsters, magic and wizards needs? Teen romance. Also teamwork, to avoid the whole death thing.
    
    
14. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien ⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Since I'm writing this after having read all three books, my comments here on Fellowship will be about the trilogy collectively.
    
    Like with the Hobbit, I'm really glad the Book Club decided to read LOTR. Mom and I rewatched the trilogy when I had Covid in January, and while I love them, by necessity they leave out so much of the books! I forgot a lot of smaller details (including how much dialogue the orcs have!) and very much enjoyed things like Gimli and Legolas' quirks and ever growing friendship. I also appreciated a perspective change in rereading them. When I was younger, I didn't appreciate all Eowyn endured, mistaking her trauma for angst. I definitely understood and sympathized with her more this read. She is a much stronger character than I gave her credit for previously. 
    
    
15. Two Towers by JRR Tolkien ⭐⭐⭐⭐
    
    
16. The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien ⭐⭐⭐⭐
    
    
17. Seveneves by Neal Stephenson 
    "The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason" is the opening sentence. 😳🌙 Broken up into three parts, I'm still in Part One and doubt I'll have time to put much more of a dent in it before the end of the year.
    
    
18. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
    Book Club's last choice for 2022! I've started it (am 3 chapters in?), but won't finish before Sunday. 

What are some good books you read this year? 

~ Katie Q. 🐧