I am not a prolific reader like The Husband and my mom, but I did read more books this year than in other years and thought I would share a few of my favorites today.

If I counted right (because I didn’t keep a list like other years and my totals are mixed up on Goodreads with all the books my mom read), I read 37 books last year, not counting children’s books. If I add in the kid-level books (Beverly Cleary, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Michael Bond, and C.S. Lewis) then I read 47. That’s a lot more than in previous years, so I’m pretty proud of myself. I actually think there are a couple of others I forgot to list.

Among my favorites were:

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

I read three Anne books in 2022, including Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, and Anne of the Island. Anne of Green Gables was a reread, which I read with Little Miss. Anne of the Island was my favorite of all three as it took her out of Avonlea more and pushed her to spread her wings even more.

For 2023 I plan to finish Anne of Windy Poplars and hopefully a couple of other Anne books.

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans by Agatha Christie

I watched the mini-series of this on BritBox (on Amazon Video) before I read the book and ended up liking the book as much as, if not more, than the mini-series. This was the second book of Christie’s I’d read and as always the prose and dialogue is brief and to the point but always tells a suspenseful tale.

I plan to read more of Agatha this year.

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

This one had me guessing and on the edge of my seat all the way through. Part of this may because I have watched so much Sherlock Holmes related content with my husband who is a huge fan of Sherlock books (the original and beyond), movies and shows. I think anyone, a fan of Sherlock or not, would love this book but it is definitely geared toward Sherlock lovers who simply can’t get enough of stories about him, whether the originals by Arthur Conan Doyle or spinoffs, so to speak, like those by Horowitz.

I hope to read The House of Silk, another Sherlock-related book, this year.

Walking in Tall Weeds by Robin W. Pearson

This is a book I thought about long after I finished it. Part of the reason I thought about it was because I didn’t know if I agreed with a couple of scenes in the book. They rubbed me the wrong way. I think the fact they rubbed me the wrong was is a testament to Robin’s writing because it made me sit and think about why they rubbed me the wrong way. I realized I had a lot to learn about race relations but also relationships between family in general. It wasn’t only a thinking or issue book, though. There was an underlying love story between a longtime married couple and that story spilled over onto their son and their extended family. Love isn’t always romance, of course.

Call Me A Cab by Donald Westlake

I had not read any books by Donald Westlake before this one and my husband told me that this was a big departure from his other books. I tried another one of his a couple of months ago and have yet to finish it because, yes, Call Me A Cab was much nicer and sweeter. I still want to finish the other book, even though it isn’t necessarily my style.

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson

This was one of two of the Longmire books I read in 2022. I really thought I’d read more of Craig’s books this year. That is something I hope to remedy in 2023. This was my favorite of the two I read. It followed the story of Walt Longmire investigating a case that other investigators said was already solved. Walt didn’t feel that way so he threw himself right down a rabbit hole to find the truth and I went with him on that ride. A lot of nail-biting fun, as always. Poor Walt, though. He’s always getting stranded out in the cold Wyoming winter while trying to find the truth.

Open Season by C.J. Box

I stayed in Wyoming for this first book in the Joe Pickett series. The Longmire Mysteries take place in Wyoming too, in case you weren’t sure what I was talking about there. This was another mystery that I wasn’t sure where it was going until it was barreling out of control to the finish. By the halfway point I couldn’t put it down and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series this year.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

This was a non-fiction book that I enjoyed very much despite some crass descriptions, way too many sexual references and quite a few four-letter words. I don’t usually read books like this but I watched Bourdain’s shows for years before he passed away and wanted to go back to the book that launched him into stardom. It was a fascinating look into America’s high-quality restaurants and not all the looks were good, but they were interesting. Bourdain’s love of food from the way it is prepared to how it connects people was the undercurrent of the book and the main reason I pushed through some very cringeworthy sections (cringeworthy for me at least).

Love and A Little White Lie by Tammy Gray

This was a book I read toward the end of the year. I enjoyed the downhome style of it and the real look at the Christian community from a woman unsure of what she believes about God. I hated the one male character and how whiny he was but didn’t let him steal the enjoyment of the book away from me. If I were to meet someone like him in real life, though, I’d  most likely grab him by the front of his shirt, shake him a few minutes and tell him to, “get it together, man!”

I’m looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.

The Do Over by Sharon Peterson

This was a fun rom-com that had me laughing and shaking my head over the witty way in which it was written. The main character, Perci, was a blast and a treat but her Mimi (grandmother) had me gasping and shaking my head more than once. This was a clean read as well, which made me like it even more. I read two books with this title in 2022 and liked this one the best.

Miss Julia Renews Her Vows by Ann B. Ross

I wasn’t as enamored with the other two books I tried from the series because they either seemed to promote lifestyles and situations I wasn’t really a fan of or just weren’t as good as Miss Julia Renews Her Vows. I actually stopped reading the one at the beginning and didn’t look back. I do, however, think I will try one or two more of her books this year.

Favorite Christian Fiction Books

A couple of these books can also be listed under my favorite reads for the year, but I thought I’d separate them out for any Christian Fiction fans who are looking for definite clean reads. Some of the books above were not clean.

I already mentioned Love and A Little White Lie above.

Dead Sea Conspiracy by Jerry B. Jenkins

This was my first book by Jenkins, who has published more than 200 novels, and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would when I first started it. His writing style irritated me a little bit but the story was well done so I kept reading it. I will read others by him in the future.

The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham

This was my first book by Pepper and it was a wild, historical ride. This one was about a young woman running away from her fate in England and being forced to find a new life in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It had a lot of drama, romance, and heartfelt lessons. I am now listening to The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper and enjoying that as well. Some of The Heart of the Mountain was predictable but it was written well so I didn’t mind the predictability as much.

The Uncertainty of Fire by Stephanie Daniels

This was a debut book by an indie author, and it was very good and I’m sure she’ll going to go far. This was a Young Adult Historical Fiction book.

Walking in Tall Weeds, which I mentioned above.

The Rhise of Hope by Max Sternberg

Max is a new independent author who writes Christian fantasy. I am not a big reader of fantasy but have enjoyed his series. This is the second book in the series.

A Refuge of Convenience by Kathy Geary Anderson

I am not usually a big fan of “marriage of convenience tropes” in romances, but this one was creatively done and the storyline surrounding it was interesting enough to keep my attention. The writing itself was also compelling enough that I could look past the trope and instead focus on non-stop action and conflict. It was the second of Kathy’s books I read and I have her others on my 2023 TBR list.

Honorable Mention

Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour

This next one is an honorable mention because I don’t know if I can make a book that provides such a raw look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a “favorite” book but it was definitely the most eye-opening I’ve read all year.

Blood Brothers is the story of the Israeli takeover of the Palestinian region and Elias’ struggle with how it was done but also balancing his life as a Palestinian Christian in a world which assumes all Palestinians are Muslims.

For books I read with Grace this year I really enjoyed Emily’s Run Away Imagination, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and The Year of Miss Agnes.

Here is my full list of books read:

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson

Holly’s Homecoming by Jenny Knipfer

Still The One by Susan May Warren and Rachel Russell

The Rhise of Hope by Max Sternberg

The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun

The Road To Redemption by Lisa Jordan

Every Star in the Sky by Sara Davison

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle by Ann B. Ross

Miss Julia Renews Her Vows by Ann B. Ross

Anything But Simply by Lucinda J. Miller

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Open Season by C.J. Box

Violet’s Vow by Jenny Knipfer

Walking in Tall Weeds by Robin Pearson

The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates

The Heart of the Mountain by Pepper Basham

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson

The Do Over by Bethany Turner

The Do Over by Sharon M. Peterson

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans by Agatha Christie

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Dead Sea Conspiracy by Jerry B. Jenkins

Into the Flood by Milla Holt

A Brea of French Air by H.E. Bates

A Refuge of Convenience by Kathy Geary Anderson

The Cat Who Wasn’t There by Lilian Jackson Braun

The Uncertainty of Fire by Stephanie Daniels

The Dog Days of Summer by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Shepherd’s Abiding by Jan Karon

Love and A Little White Lie by Tammy Gray

By Broken Birch Bay by Jenny Knipfer

A Quilters Holiday by Jennifer Chiaverini

Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier

A Mark of Grace by Kimberly Woodhouse

Books Read with Little Miss

The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark

Emily’s Run Away Imagination by Beverly Cleary

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates

The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ramona The Pest by Beverly Cleary

 


Have you read any of the books on my list?