After getting back into reading last year and spending a small fortune on books, I was determined to keep reading. I set a goal of reading 20 books this year and completed this goal with a week to spare and even read 3 more books! If you’re trying to read more, here are 6 tips that helped me go from reading 6 books in 2020 to 26 books in 2021. I also started a book club this fall with a few friends, which kept me accountable for reading at least one book a month. If you’re interested in joining, let me know!
Below are my book reviews of everything I read in 2022. Click here to see my 2021 book reviews.
Goodreads is a social platform for reading where you can find book reviews, recommendations, and see what your friends are reading. I keep track of all my books and reading progress on it, feel free to add me as a friend! All Goodreads ratings below are current as of December 2022.
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MY 5-STAR READS
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 stars | Goodreads: 4.46 stars
This book was very entertaining! It had me hooked from the first few pages and never really let the pace fall. I read it in 4 sittings. As I live in LA, I liked all the mentions of iconic LA locations, and it made me want to go to all of them. The marriages did seem a little rushed haha but I liked how complex Evelyn Hugo was. I also like when a book successfully ties everything together in the last few chapters and I cried at the end. This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I think she might become one of my favorite authors. In a way, this story gives me Last Great American Dynasty vibes, if you know, you know. If you’re trying to get back into reading, this would be a good choice!
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 5 stars | Goodreads: 4.19 stars
This book explores how success isn’t just based on an individual’s actions, it is the product of a variety of factors, many of which are beyond a person’s control (like what month you’re born in). Malcolm Gladwell explores the history of what determined the success of Bill Gates, The Beatles, famous lawyers, and many more. I took away that a lot of success is due to luck of circumstances, which wasn’t revolutionary to me, but I still enjoyed reading all the different stories. Each chapter has smaller vignettes within them, and I found all of them interesting. I also like that Outliers was written in a conversational manner and “breaks the fourth wall,” so it’s not like a textbook. This book will make you think and reflect, and I would recommend it to anyone!
MY 4-STAR READS
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4.5 stars | Goodreads: 4.08 stars
I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and her take on Los Angeles nostalgia, but it also gives me Great Gatsby vibes. If you liked Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, you’ll probably enjoy this novel as well. There is so much to unpack, it’s a story of family, love, survival, and fame and there are so many interesting characters. I feel like this book could’ve had 200 more pages and it still would’ve been entertaining. I was kind of sad when I saw I was getting to the end. I don’t always love when authors weave different time periods together, but it was done artfully and neither plot got boring or confusing. The imagery is strong and made me want to go to Malibu. I know I say this about a lot of books, but Malibu Rising would make such a great summer movie.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
My rating: 4.5 stars | Goodreads: 3.95 stars
This was a really sweet story, I love a friends-to-lovers trope. For me, it was definitely a slower read than The Love Hypothesis, but it did give me all the character development I wanted. I liked both Poppy and Alex, and it wasn’t too corny. It took me about 200 pages to really get into it, but then I couldn’t put it down. It was such a feel-good book and it made me miss traveling and all the random decisions you make and the people you meet.
The Defining Decade by Meg Jay
My rating: 4.5 stars | Goodreads: 4.11 stars
I think The Defining Decade definitely gave me a bit of anxiety that I am running out of time to do things, but kind of a good anxiety? Like it’s a push that I need to start living my best life and building the future I want. I don’t know if it would’ve hit as hard right out of college, but at 25, I resonate with a lot of the book. I definitely have thought to myself “oh, I can just do that in my thirties,” and I”m realizing that I could, but maybe I shouldn’t be thinking that way. I know I will for sure be coming back to the 29 Conversations chapter of the book.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 4.5 stars | Goodreads: 4.60 stars
I am not a fan of historical fiction or war books, but The Nightingale was not battle or weapon-focused. It told the story of two sisters’ different struggles during World War II in German-occupied France – we love strong female leads! I feel like it was more of a historical chick lit. I enjoyed it for the story but cannot vouch for the historical accuracy. Hats off to Hannah, I was interested in all of the POVs/characters, and it only took ~30 pages to hook me in and the pace was great throughout the 400 pages. Similar to All the Light We Cannot See that I read last year, I was satisfied with how all the questions were resolved in the end and am looking forward to the movie with Dakota and Elle Fanning.
Rest in Power by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 4.45 stars
This book was very powerful. Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, FL in 2012 when he was 17 years old. I was in middle school across the country when he was killed, and never knew too many of the details of the case until reading this book. The sections alternated narrators between Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. The story is heartbreaking and frustrating, covering Sybrina and Tracy’s relentless pursuit of justice. It was sad to think that not too much has changed in America and there still have been so many unnecessary, unjust deaths since then. The last third of the book detailed exactly what was said at the trial and court proceedings, making the book feel long, which probably illustrated of how the trial felt for Sybrina and Tracy. For that part, I wish their lawyer was a third narrator to get his perspective, but understand this book was rightly focused on Trayvon’s parents. I definitely want to read Sybrina’s essay that was published this year, “Trayvon: Ten Years Later.”
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 4.14 stars
Malala and I are the same age, but our lives could not be more different, although we both read Twilight in middle school. She was on local television networks advocating for girls’ education when she was 11 and getting death threats for the Taliban at 13. Most of the book is about her childhood and the last 70-ish pages are about the shooting and hospital drama. It was very interesting to hear her perspective on social, religious, and political life as a child growing up in Pakistan. Her early passion for education is incredible to read about, and I believe that she would’ve changed the world with our without the shooting and global recognition.
Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 4.03 stars
This book was a rollercoaster! While technically, it’s non-fiction, Nick Bilton writes the Twitter founding story like a thriller with cliffhangers and all. He also really paints Jack Dorsey in a bad light, so I wonder if that’s really the case. The only thing I didn’t like was that towards the end, the book focused on the drama, meetings, board members, and backstabbing. I would’ve liked to know more about the product development, problem-solving, and conversations around advertising that led to profitability. Overall, it was a fast and fun read, and I’d recommend it to anyone not just people interested in tech. I thought The Social Network was wild with the Winklevoss twins, but what goes down between Evan, Noah, and Jack is much wilder. Why hasn’t this become a movie yet?
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 4.26 stars
This was a fast and fun read! I liked the scientific/collegiate setting and it was less cheesy than other romcom books I’ve read. The main character was silly and awkward but she had relatable thoughts. However, I still felt like the character development was lacking, like all they talked about was her food preferences and her brief family history. The other characters were also a bit flat. I actually think if this was a movie, it would be better than the book.
Good to Great by Jim Collins
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 4.13 stars
This was an interesting book and a must-read for anyone trying to start a business. Jim Collins did a deep dive into companies that were doing okay and then achieved 15 consecutive years of sustained growth to see what a company needs to become a great company. He and his team found several commonalities that aren’t obvious from the outside. I think I would’ve found this book more exciting if I had read it at the time of publishing back in 2001, because now in 2022, I didn’t recognize half of the companies that were analyzed. Some of them certainly don’t seem that great anymore; however, I think all his research findings are probably still applicable to modern successful companies. The summaries at the end of each chapter contain all the big takeaways and are the most helpful part of the book.
Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 4.47 stars
Educated is a memoir about growing up in Buck’s Peak, Idaho, in a radical Mormon family and never receiving formal education until college. Part 1 took me a long time to get through. Tara Westover’s life was HARD and some insane things happened to her. It’s crazy that she is still so young and her family had these beliefs in the 90s and 2000s. The book had a clear beginning, middle, and end, and it was cool to see Tara’s mindset shift and grow as she got older and more educated. Her story is unique and worth reading about, so overall I would recommend it, but I didn’t actually enjoy reading it because of all the violence and other kinds of abuse.
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer Smith
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 3.90 stars
This book will make you want to go on a cruise to Alaska! I thought the main character was sympathetic and harbored the same fears and insecurities that most people do, but was also an unconventional female character. In the first third of the book, I wasn’t really sure what the plot was supposed to be, but it ended up being a cute story of growth. I feel like most books I’ve read are about 20-year-olds, so it was interesting that Greta was supposed to be a 36-year-old rockstar. I liked the author’s minimal frills writing style, but the dialogue was a little too corny, although I guess it was realistic.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
My rating: 4 stars | Goodreads: 3.89 stars
I loved the movie, so I was excited to read the book! To my surprise, the book was a lot darker than the movie. It’s not a romantic comedy, it’s a family drama book. I wasn’t expecting the story to be told from so many characters’ points of view since the movie focused on Rachel, but it was interesting to get more backstory on other people like Astrid and Araminta. However, there were almost too many characters, and I could only keep track since I knew half from the movie. I do have to commend the author for devising so many plotlines and in a way bringing unfamiliar readers into a whole new “world” of Asian riches. The book was still entertaining, but I appreciate the film adaptation for being more lighthearted and fun.
MY 3-STAR READS
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 3.5 stars | Goodreads: 4.37 stars
I read Backman’s other book, Anxious People, last year and I really liked it, so I was excited to read this one which has also gotten a lot of hype. It took me a month to get through it, and it’s one of those stories where it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot going on. What was really jarring was the amount of weird similes used. I’m not sure if it’s just a translation issue since Backman is Swedish, but there were too many for me. Also, I didn’t realize/didn’t like the amount of the plot devoted to suicide, although I believe it was supposed to be in a dark humor kind of way. The pace picked up for me in the last 80 pages and Ove does grow on you even though he does seem unpleasant for most of it. All in all, it was ultimately a feel-good story in a weird way. I wouldn’t really recommend or need to read again, but I still do want to read Backman’s other books since he does build really complex characters.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
My rating: 3.5 stars | Goodreads: 3.76 stars
This book has a super interesting premise, and I enjoyed the slight fantasy elements! One timeline was from the 1800s and the other timeline was the present day. The book was very female-forward, but I think it would’ve been very interesting for a part to be narrated by the male characters. The pace really picked up in the last 100 pages, and it was cool to uncover the mystery along with the main character, although I didn’t really like her, I still rooted for her. I actually feel like this would be a better movie than a book. I am interested in mudlarking though, it reminded me of my pandemic geocaching days lol.
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
My rating: 3.5 stars | Goodreads: 3.84 stars
For some reason, I judged the book by the cover and I thought this was going to be a romantic comedy story, but it was a serious family drama. I love books that are told from multiple perspectives but We Are the Brennans had 6+ and it was just too many since it’s under 300 pages. However, it was interesting to switch characters mid-conversation. I think the secretes everyone harbored took too long to come out. While the pace was kind of slow, some parts were confusing and there were some key details that weren’t explained enough. I feel like this book was trying to be too dramatic and spent over half the time explaining what happened in the past, so there wasn’t actually a whole lot of action in the plot.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
My rating: 3.5 stars | Goodreads: 3.96 stars
The premise of this book was very interesting, but the execution was just alright. A woman is tasked with taking care of kids that spontaneously catch on fire. The book was under 300 pages and the ending was way too quick and not exactly disappointing, but left me with more questions. All the characters were interesting, and I wanted to know more about all of them. I also could just tell a man wrote this book and so the first-person female narration just didn’t work for me. Overall, the book was entertaining, but I feel like there was so much untapped potential for what the story could’ve been. There were so many themes that were barely explained! I don’t know if one is planned, but a sequel would be nice.
More Myself by Alicia Keys
My rating: 3.5 stars | Goodreads: 4.15 stars
This book covers Alicia Keys’ childhood in NYC through releasing her 7th album in 2020. The book is written in a way that I could imagine her saying every word, so it’s conversational and easy to read. For a lack of a better term, she just seems like a very woke person in work and life and is constantly looking to improve and understand both herself and the world. I feel like the book didn’t really go into any details of any really hard times in her life and mostly focused on the positive growth that she had (maybe she didn’t want the world to read about that which is valid haha). It was still inspiring, but a little lacking in depth. I think she and Glennon Doyle would be friends if they aren’t already. This book did make me a bigger fan of Alicia Keys. I haven’t listened to all of her older albums, but I will now!
Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson
My rating: 3.5 stars | Goodreads: 3.95 stars
I saw Which Witch on my bookshelf in my childhood bedroom and decided to squeeze it in before the new year. It’s an entertaining, fast read. I thought it was a little predictable, but I’m not sure if that’s just because I kind of remembered the story from when I was in fourth grade. It’s kind of like a combination of Harry Potter and Love Is Blind for kids. I liked fantasy books as a child and this made me want to re-read more of Eva Ibbotson’s books.
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 3 stars | Goodreads: 4.09 stars
I give it an A for the cover art but a C for the plot. The concept of a lone survivor sounded interesting to me, but this book had a way of making it not that interesting. Maybe that was the point, how life goes on normally? I just think this story could’ve been so much more. I didn’t think that any particular character was intriguing or likable and there were too many of them. I also thought Dear Edward would be sadder than it was, and I wonder how the story would’ve been different if the main character was a girl. I get why it was written with the overlapping timelines, but there were also some jarring skips in time that I didn’t like. The most exciting part begins in the last 100 pages of the book and without that, the book would’ve been super bland.
MY 2-STAR READS
Planet Funny by Ken Jennings
My rating: 2 stars | Goodreads: 3.75 stars
This book talks about how comedy has infiltrated all aspects of life from politics to advertising to music. I like Ken Jennings and find his tweets funny, but this book felt so forced. It wasn’t poorly written, but I just didn’t enjoy reading it at all. It felt more like a textbook that referenced a ton of comedy shows and comedians that I am not familiar with. Someone who is more familiar with late-night television or who has an interest in the history of comedy would probably appreciate it more. It just felt like the whole book was trying to explain why something is funny, which, like explaining a joke, isn’t funny.
Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell
My rating: 2 stars | Goodreads: 3.83 stars
Every year I try to read one poetry book. I feel bad giving this rating. Poetry is more of an art, and it’s so personal, but I guess that was my issue with Pillow Thoughts. Everything felt so generic and universal in a bad way. A lot of it was just…not creative? It didn’t evoke any emotion in me, and the imagery was lackluster. I feel like any Taylor Swift song is more descriptive than these poems. People who like cheesy inspirational quotes might enjoy this collection, but this just did not do it for me at all, and I was excited to be finished with this book.
RECOMMENDED:
My 2021 Book Reviews
How to Read More + Your Favorite Books
My Morning and Night Routines
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