If you’re looking to add some books to your reading list, contemplating buying some more or simply interested in judging other people’s tastes in literature like me, here’s a list of all the books I read (or re-read) in 2022, reviewed in one-liners!
- Who Cooked the Last Supper?: The Women’s History of the World by Rosalind Miles
One of the best books I have ever read which portrays the history that needs to be in the spotlight.
- 1984 by George Orwell
The misogynistic undertones of the book diminished all my hopes of a pleasurable reading experience, yet I would say that it’s worth a shot over a dull weekend.
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The book of my dark academia dreams! Need I say more?
- Are You Experienced? By William Sutcliffe
If you’re looking for insufferable characters with a dash of racism and sexism, this one’s for you.
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Brilliant and surreal, though difficult to follow at times.
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Intense and heartbreaking, its imprints will persist with you long after you’ve read it.
- Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
Simple and charming.
- The Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath
A haunting read. One can almost trace her journey into self-destruction.
- A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
A perfect combination of dry wit and unending hope, you’ll want to read this again and again.
- Like the Flowing River by Paulo Coelho
It reiterates to me the importance of getting up and showing up.
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
A brilliant depiction of what happens when revolutions go awry
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Elias Canetti once wrote, “there is nothing which Metamorphosis could be surpassed by,” and he was right.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
I gave it one star on Goodreads. Classics fans, please don’t come to me.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Mr. Darcy is the leading man who will end all leading men in the history of literature.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Simple and touching, you can’t help but root for the characters.
- Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
It makes you explore both the freedom and the loneliness that come with solitude.
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Will definitely make you cry.
- The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Disturbing and mesmerizing.
- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Often characterised as a hit-or-miss book; for me, it was a miss.
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Keep your tissues ready when you read this.
- Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon
Feminism 101 at its finest, and an enjoyable read in general.
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Just as gut-wrenching the second time you pick it up.
- The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
Wonderfully bizarre and kafkaesque in the best way possible.
- The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Honest and to the point.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read it in one sitting because it’s that well-written.
- Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz
I wish I could forget about this book’s existence.
- Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
If you like books with no plots, go for it.
- Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
It showcases everyday sexism in a simple manner.
- The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont
An enjoyable read and a perfect coffee table book
- The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
Childhood grief and a sense of impending doom: the book will make you uneasy, as all good books do.
- The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
I weirdly loved it but didn’t want to sound like a pseudo-intellectual so I never talked about it with anyone.
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Short and sweet, if not a bit unrealistic. A great book if you’re trying to get back into the habit of reading.
- The Murderer, The Monarch, and The Fakir
A New Investigation of Mahatma Gandhi’s Assassination by Appu Esthose Suresh and Priyanka Kotamraju. I had innumerable lightbulb moments while reading this.
- Rumi: A New Translation of Selected Poems by Farrukh Dhondy
Fell in love with Rumi’s idea of love.
- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
In short, it will lead you to an existential crisis.
- All About Love by Bell Hooks
I really wanted to love this book, but she used the word “love” so many times that I began to question if it was even real.
- The Pleasures of The Damned by Charles Bukowski
It must be exhausting to live like this.
Lastly, here are two books that I’m currently reading and hoping to wrap up by the end of this year!
- My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
The only thought I’ve had while reading this is, “how has her therapist not gotten her license revoked?”
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I’m glad her mom died.
Rather than a “best of” or “worst of” list, this is simply a heartfelt compilation of all the books I read in 2022. I hope it gives you some ideas for your reading list for the year ahead.
Happy reading y’all!