Books I Loved in 2022

Another year in the books - literally!

In 2022, I managed to read 10 books. Since I believed the number was going to be significantly lower, I am very pleased! From moving personal accounts to useful information to fun fiction, here are the five books I loved the most this year.

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

Speaking the language of emotion is complex and increasingly important today. Brown provides an amazing resource to revisit as we hone our emotional language. I found myself most struck by the differences between stress and overwhelm, both of which I have confused. I loved the definition of "grounded confidence" as accepting that our imperfections do not diminish our perceived worth. There were a lot of takeaways on perfectionism, shame, and disconnection as well. Finally, the concept of "near enemies" is brilliant (ex. pity is the near enemy of compassion). If you strive for #empathy and #connection, you will get a lot of value from this book. I know I did.

Unbound by Tarana Burke

This was a work of utterly beautiful storytelling. I remember listening to the audiobook during neighborhood walks in 2022 and having to STOP DEAD IN MY TRACKS because of what I was hearing. I can't remember a storyteller making me feel their emotions as clearly as Burke. Plus she made me laugh. What I'll always remember about this book is how Burke's most painful experiences as a victim made her a fierce activist for others. She did not give up on herself, and she damn sure wasn't going to let her past dictate her future. That's a story so many of us desperately need to hear.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

Are you usually a "book was better than the movie" kind of person? Yeah, me too. This is the first time I can say the opposite. While the dialogue in the book was more in-depth and interesting, I absolutely loved the movie more (starring Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, and Chris O'Dowd). As a music nerd, I can relate to the character of Duncan, a fanatic of a reclusive folk singer of days past. Major shout out to O'Dowd who made the character much more nuanced than Hornby demonstrated in the book. Still, I enjoyed the read!

The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

You definitely need to listen to the audiobook for this read! Taylor is an activist and poet whose voice brings a sense of urgency, passion, and sincerity. I found parts of this book to be uncomfortable, which was not unsurprising as Taylor seeks to show us the origins of our body biases and depths of our body shame in a world that is constantly sending messages about the worth of bodies. This is not your average self-love book; this book is about deconstructing bias and showing us what a world can look like where all bodies are valued.

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

This was absolutely THE BEST book to finish 2022 with! I forgot how much I love time travel as a genre. Yet, this is not a typical time travel book, and I love it so much for leaning away from the typical tropes. Straub's books have a way of pulling you in quickly, and this one did the same with wonderfully described memories of 1996 as the centerpiece. If I could travel back in time, I might choose a similar timeframe (1993-1996 because THE MUSIC!) so this story struck a cord with me. Regardless of where you would time travel to, you will have fun reading this. To the future!

I also read the following in 2022:

You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy

The Long Game by Dorie Clark

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Enough Already by Valerie Bertinelli

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

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So what did you read in 2022?

What's on tap for 2023?