Best Books So Far in 2022

The fact that I only have six books to show reflects how my reading has been going so far this year: not good. I’m reading slower and reading less, mostly because finding the time or interest to read has been scarce.

I’ve managed to complete 26 books, comics, and picture books so far. Of that bunch, these are the ones I gave high ratings because I greatly enjoyed them.

Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
★★★★☆ ½

SUMMARY

It’s the third novel in a fantasy trilogy about a god-touched courtesan who’s trained as a spy and uses her skills to save her country and the people she loves many times.

Why I Like It

I’ve mentioned this book many times since completing it because I love the overall story. This particular book I enjoyed because of the variety of places the characters visit, the myriad cultures encountered, the mythologies and beliefs explored, and the gods revealed. Some amazing (and uncomfortable) things occur in this book, but it’s all written very well and the characters are all very memorable. It was a great read, although I think it sometimes suffered from pacing issues.

Every Tree Has a Story by Cécile Benoist, transl. by Sylvia Rucker, illus. by Charlotte Gastaut
★★★★★
(FAVORITE)

Summary

Translated from the French, this is a nonfiction children’s picture book about amazing trees around the world.

Why I Like It

I love trees and appreciate that I not only own and read such a beautifully illustrated book, but was also able to learn much about trees and the people connected to them from it. The illustrations are heavily patterned and stunning. I bought the book because of them and have decided to keep the book in my collection because of all I learned.

DCeased: Unkillables by Tom Taylor, illus. by Karl Mostert
★★★★★
(FAVORITE)

Summary

One of four volumes (so far) in the DCeased thriller comic book series about a zombie apocalypse that takes place in the DC universe, affecting superheroes and villains alike. This volume focuses on what happened to the villains when the zombie apocalypse began.

Why I Like IT

ZOMBIEESS!!!

It’s a comic book series about zombies. Of course I enjoyed it! It’s the superhero story I didn’t realize I’ve always wanted. But I liked this one a lot because I enjoyed seeing the villains train kids so that they can develop helpful (deadly) skills to survive.

How the Stars Came to Be by Poonam Mistry (illus.)
★★★★☆ ½

Summary

It’s a fantasy children’s picture book about a girl who helped to create stars in the sky so that her fisherman father can find his way home in the dark on nights when the moon disappears.

Why I Like It

Because of the beautiful illustrations, of course! The story is good too, but the illustrations outshine it. They are gorgeous, heavily patterned, and with colors that make them seem jewels.

Book Love by Debbie Tung (illus.)
★★★★★
(FAVORITE)

Summary

A graphic novel that illustrates the life of a book lover.

Why I Like It

It’s highly relatable and sometimes humorous.

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
★★★★★
(FAVORITE)

Summary

It’s a scifi novella about a lonely scientist at a secluded outpost on another planet who gets caught up in the affairs of the planet’s inhabitants, although he’s supposed to just observe them.

Why I Like It

The story is interesting and had me hooked, but what I loved the most was how it’s structured and written. I appreciated being able to read the same story from two different POVs almost at once.

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Honorable Mentions

The October Faction, Vol. 1 by Steve Niles, illus. by Damien Worm
★★★★☆

DCeased: Dead Planet by Tom Taylor, illus. by Trevor Hairsine (illus)

★★★★☆

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