2022 Mid-year Book Review

Review is probably a bit of a strong term, but I always like to take a post to capture the books I read over the course of the year. Ever since my New Year's Resolution a few years ago was to not take any devices upstairs at night, I've gotten a lot more reading in and have read some really great books. There have been a few not-so-great books too, but that's okay, it helps you appreciate the good ones. 

So far in 2022 I've read nine books, a little behind where I was the last few years, but given that I am back to most of my pre-Covid activities, I am still happy with the number. I will share them in the order that I read them. 

1. Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan - This was a great book to start the year, an historical fiction story that flips between the past and present based on the real life sinking of the Pulaski, a boat that left Savannah to travel north for the summer in 1838. It was a suspenseful and enjoyable read. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but overall it was a good read and I would recommend it.  

2. I Mom So Hard by Kristin Hensley & Jen Smalley - A friend gave me this book a couple years ago and it got lost under my bedside table. When I found it during a cleanout, I decided it would be a good time to read it. It is a memoir in a comedic style of the challenges of motherhood. The women who wrote it are well known for their YouTube channel that pokes fun at aging and being a mom. I am glad to have found it but it wasn't a great read. I got through it mostly because I was waiting for my next library book to be ready. I think I might have enjoyed it/related more about 10 years ago when my kids were in the little-kid phase. 

3. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - I've read about this book on several other book reviews/blogs and it didn't disappoint. The premise is that a woman has started to die but is in a library where she can make decisions to change one decision in her life and then see how her life turns out. I really enjoyed the concept and the twists and turns. I love to wonder "what if" in my own life so this was a fun way to see the "what if's" of someone else's life. I strongly recommend this one. 

4. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - This book is set in Nigeria and follows Adunni, a young girl who is sold into marriage. She dreams of being educated through all the challenges that face her from an early age and it is a very interesting story that gave me more insights into life in another country and one so very different from the US. It was a difficult read at times, but overall a good book. 

5. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty - I saw this one at the library as I was picking up another book and thought I would enjoy it as I have read and enjoyed several other books by the same author. This one followed three sisters and started with a massive fight they had, then worked backwards to explain how they got there. It was an okay read, but not as memorable or page-turning as some of her other books. It would be a good beach/travel read. 

6. Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon - I loved this historical fiction story about the adventures of a family as they headed west in the 1800s for a better life. The descriptions were so real and the travels led through several parts of the country where we've traveled (although with gasoline and air conditioning instead of on a horse or in a wagon!). This is another book that started with a scene and then went back to the beginning. I found myself staying up way too late to read this one, as each chapter end made want to keep going - a real page-turner. Highly recommend! 

7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a friend at work passed this on to me after she read it and it was one that had been on my "books to read" list for a while. This is another historical fiction book based mostly in France during World War II. There are alternating story lines between a French girl and a German boy where you learn about their background and all the events of their lives during the war. This one has been critically acclaimed and lots of people loved it. I enjoyed it, but it isn't at the top of my list for WWII stories. I would recommend it, but there are others I would recommend ahead of it. 

8. Passing by Nella Larsen - I picked up this book at the African American Smithsonian Museum. It is an older book about two black friends who are both light-skinned. One makes a decision to pass as white and marries a white man. The women don't see each other for many years, but meet by chance one day and then their lives intersect. It was an interesting story line, and I would recommend it - a short read that certainly made me think about things that I don't encounter in my life. 

9. In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn - I just finished this one a week ago and it was great! The story is told by Finn, who is killed instantly in a camper wreck in the snowy mountains. She can then observe everything that happens to all the others who were in the camper as they try to figure out how to survive. It was another very interesting way to tell a story and it worked well to build suspense. I also recommend this one and it was a quick read - that's easy when you have a page turner. 

I have my next book from the library to start tonight and I am looking forward to reading the newest Outlander book in the second half of this year. I still have a lot of books on my "to read" list and there is no shortage of new ones coming out either. Hope you've seen something here that piques your interest and let me know if you've read any of these or have another one I should add to my list!