Top 20 Books I Read in 2022

Thank you all so much for your time, comments, and support throughout 2022!

The books I can't wave around in the video were all library copies :)

The full ranking of all the fiction books I've read in 2002:

The twenty books mentioned in this video, in alphabetical order, with links to my review (if I've filmed one):
Carter - The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman
Chopin - The Awakening
De Roberto - L'illusione
De Roberto - The Viceroys
Jemisin - The Stone Sky
Whitehead - Harlem Shuffle

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[BigPhilly]

I was lucky enough in 2022 to finally read Don Quixote, and it was by far the best book I read all year (and ever, in fact).

[leonardstepto]

My favourite book this year was Creation by Gore Vidal. A brilliant historical fiction book told by a hilarious, greedy, scholarly, adventerous and insightful main character, Cyrus Spitama. Told in the time of Artaxerxes in the persian empire when Herodotus' Histories had come out, and after going to a public reading of it, the aged Cyrus recounts his life story as an ambassador of the persian empire under the reign of Darius to his grand-nephew. The book features amazing historical characters like Socrates(but just as a cameo), Zoroaster, Darius, Xerxes, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius and a bunch more. Highly reccomend it to anyone, it's just great.

[TK-kfzc]

Wonderful list. I can't get Our Wives Under the Sea out of my head. De Roberto is new to me, thank you.

[yvannoss]

Love your videos! Have you read 'Stoner' by John Williams? It was my final read of 2022 and probably my favorite! Cheers to a great new year!

[connorellsworth]

Thank you for your list! I'm so excited to get started on some of the books that you mentioned.

[melissahouse]

The highlight of my annual bt 'bookish round up's'🧐🤩 A few most definitely on my tbr now. Wishing you the *best* 2023! 👍😊

[incandenzabookclub]

Yesss!!! I was waiting for this! :) I'm curious to read your number 2 beign myself of sicilian descent. Also, I can't wait for your review of Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez released this year in english. Thank You for all your reviews and have a great reading year this 2023.

[anyavanwyk]

I too enjoyed the Goldfinch! Donna Tartt has always expressed her love of Dickens. Didn't certain parts remind you of the 'Old Curiosity Shop' and 'Great Expectations' (particularly in reference to the devotion he has to the young girl)?

[ryanmarkel]

Yes to the comment I just saw. Gore Vidal can be such a crucial thinker/ writer. My 2022 things were wonky but lovely. PETER PAN by J.M. Barrie; ROGUE MALE by Geoffrey Household; ICE TRILOGY by Vladimir Sorokin; THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamund Pilcher. Magic in every single one.

[ianp]

I would certainly put How to be Both and Wolf Hall on a list like this. I have a few of the others still to read, including your number 1 - Julia Armfield’s short story collection salt slow was fantastic so I have high hopes for the novel.

[eliasE]

Station Eleven and The Candy House were in my top 5.

I haven't read China Mieville for a long time but I just picked up Perdido Street Station from a book store and I'm going to start with that giant soon.

[subirotamic]

Grazie per il suggerimento su I viceré, di cui ricordavo vagamente qualche brano dal liceo. L'ho appena finito. Che grandissimo libro! Ora voglio leggere L'illusione

[Maria_Efe]

Every one of these books sounds amazing; I haven't read any of them, but a lot were already on my list. My favourite reads of the year were Passing by Nella Larsen, Who Killed my Father by Édouard Louis, Cain by Jose Saramago and Wildcat Under Glass by Alki Zei.

[sarahpinach]

I also read The City and the City as my first China Mieville this year and loved it - though I thought the ending was a bit of a let down. Best classic that I read this year was Graham Greene's The Quiet American. If you're looking for great 2002 releases I'd say The Colony by Audrey Magee (language, colonialism, art, identity, and how they all tie together) and Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scalan (vignettes outlining one woman's life working at the racetrack) were the big standouts for me.

[spicerc]

Another great aspect of Miéville's "The City & The City" is in his proving that you can concisely craft an immersive, Borgesian kind of world without burying the reader in a 800- or 900-page tome.

[gabrielaSH]

Hi, thanks for your reviews! Did you do a Pachinko by min jin lee Review? Would love to see it.

[benreadsgood]

Great list! Which parts of The Goldfinch your highs? I really enjoyed the Las Vegas section, but overall the book was a bit hit and miss for me, after having loved The Secret History.

[dimitrisbk]

hey, I've been watching your videos for a while now, you're so likeable and cool and I love your taste, keep doing you

[FitnessLondon]

Agreed, Wolf Hall is fantastic. I love Hilary Mantel's style. Whenever I visit Hampton Court Palace I think of this novel. Her sequel Bring up the Bodies is great too.

[crowdofdissidents]

I am enjoying all of your videos. Thanks