I very lucky in that I tend to know the books I will enjoy and so rarely read a book that I can not finish! So you won’t be surprised to fins out that I read some fantastic fictions reads in 2022. Here they are, in no particular order.
Lessons by Ian McEwen
This I will admit is not normally a writer that I am drawn to, but I was lucky to be offered a place on the blog tour! I am so glad I did, because it is stunning, both the story and the writing. I indulged in hours of reading, where the troubled world around me receded into the distance and the story of one man’s life became my world for a while.
The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
When I received the email offering the opportunity to read and review The Little Wartime Library I jumped at the opportunity. It ticked so many boxes. Its set in one of my favourite periods of history, World War Two, then there is the fact that the story revolves around a library, in the underground which is run by two female librarians. It literally called out to my bookish heart and I couldn’t wait to dive in. I wasn’t disappointed, was a total joy to read.
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
Magical and delightful, this is fantasy writing at it’s very best. Full of adventure, I found it impossible to put down, becoming lost in the richly imagined story of a quest, that leads one man to uncharted Peru. Here he finds, friendship and the answer to his families connection to this place of wonder. One of my favorite writers, Natasha Pulley delivers another stunning story.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Plucked off my to be read pile, I delved into this book having loved Malibu Rising. This was a fascinating story of falling in love with the wrong person in pressure cooker of Hollywood fame. It is a splendid read from one of my very favourite authors.
Mr Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo
I adored this story about the tale of an older man who has hidden his sexuality all through his life, married and had children, all because he faced rejection from the community he loves. What he wants is to live his life honestly, escape a marriage that is making him and his wife miserable and move in with Morris, the love of his life, but does he have the courage? I loved the complexity and honestly of Barry as a character and the way Bernardine Evaristo brings to life the very real struggles he still faces in overcoming his fear of rejection.
The Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Mcneal
Circus Of Wonders was the first book I finished in 2022 and it was the perfect start to my reading year. It is magical, moving and thought provoking, with a cast of characters of wonderful characters.
Dear Mrs Bird and Yours Cheerfully by A J Pearce
Dear Mrs Bird and its sequel Yours Cheerfully are one of the reasons I don’t compile my list of favourite reads until the end of December. Read over the Christmas holidays, they were moving, funny and beautifully written.
Black Hearts by Doug Johnstone
Black Hearts the fourth in the Skelf’s series is abundant proof of why author Doug Johnstone’s books not only appear on so many prize lists, but also why the series has been optioned for development into a TV series. It is a thoughtful, touching book, full of moments of sorrow and excitement, all mixed up into one of the best drama’s available to read.
The Blending by Johana Gustawsson
For a dedicated fan like myself any new novel by Johana Gustawsson is cause for excitement! So, when her new novel arrived, I cleared my calendar and dived right in. The verdict, it is marvelous, in fact the best word to describe it is breathtaking.
Nothing Else by Louise Beech
There are many reasons I read and as perverse as it sounds to a non reader, one of reasons I do is the delicious pain created deep in our souls about characters we have come to love? An inborn sense of yearning for a character to find peace or if they can’t, that we understand and embrace our hearts being toyed with and this is why I loved this novel.
The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave
This a novel from the pen of an author whose books don’t need statements such as ‘you will never see the twist coming’ flashing from the front cover, his writing speaks for itself. It is superb and you really need to add it to your book collection, thriller reader or not, because words are used as weapons, not stickers and endless hackneyed over used phrases stuck to the front cover.
Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F Ross
The humour is dark, often incredibly so and I loved it. I laughed, I cried and I never wanted it to stop. You laugh because you care, you laugh because you know that within life, humour is often found at the darkest and most absurd of moments. In a book that deals with addiction, violence and so much more, by sometimes turning tragedy into laughter, means you are exploring human nature during its most vulnerable of moments and doing so, not to make light of a dark subject, but to give it a sweeter sense of pathos.
I read so many wonderful fiction books this year and I can’t wait to see what wonderful stories I will lose myself in, in 2023.
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