Our Top Books of the Year

What a YEAR.

In 2022 we launched our podcast ‘The Dark Academicals’ (please give it a listen, we love it) and an accompanying book club mailer, The Dark Academicals Book Club. We recorded 3 seasons, 19 episodes, we read 18 books, and we’ve loved every second of it. Learning to record, edit, publish and promote a podcast has been a rollercoaster and we’re still learning all that it entails, but wow has it brought us some wonderful reads.

Because it’s, of course, all about the books.

As of 28 December, this year Sophie has read 102 books and 34,399 pages and Sarah has read 50 books and 17,595 pages.

Before we get in to the main event, some reading stats for 2022, because we’re dorks. (Sophie has more stats because she uses Storygraph and Sarah doesn’t!)

Sophie: started 21 series’ and finished/got up to date with 9 of them; mostly read medium-paced fiction books between 300-499 pages; an average star rating of 3.87 out of 5; top genres were romance and fantasy; and Jeaniene Frost was the most read author. Reading format was split 13% print, 42% digital and 45% audio.

Sarah: started 13 series and finished/got up to date with 4 of them; average length of 351 pages; and an average star rating of 3.3 out of 5.

Sophie’s 2022 Favourites

These are in no particular order because narrowing it down was difficult enough without also ranking them!

‘The Stranding’, Kate Swayer

This was my first book of 2022 and it blew me away so much that it’s stayed on my favourites list for an entire year. This is a book best gone into blind, but I will say that it’s post-apocalyptic and a beautiful exploration of what makes a family and a life.

‘How to Kill Your Family’, Bella Mackie

I listened to this dark, snappy debut on audiobook early in the year and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. When Grace loses everything, she sets out to take down every remaining member of her family. It’s dark and spiky and the twist at the end floored me - I loved it! The audiobook is wonderful, too.

‘Book Lovers’, Emily Henry

Like every other rom-com fan, I fell in love with ‘Book Lovers’ this year. Books about books and bookish people are always a win and this love story between a literary agent and an editor falling in love got me right in the heart. I adored it.

‘The Charm Offensive’, Alison Cochrun

It’s not often that BookTok books come good for me, but this one really delivered for me. What happens when a contestant on a reality TV show and a long-running producer of the show fall in love? Drama, angst, romance and a happily ever after, of course. I adored it.

‘The Dead Romantics’, Ashley Poston

Florence writes about love, but she’s struggling to remember why following a break-up and a disastrous meeting with her editor. A trip home following a family tragedy finds her face to face with her editor once again, who’s now a ghost… I devoured this in the summer and I loved it so much more than I expected.

‘Patricia Wants to Cuddle’, Samantha Allen

I can’t get this wonderful and strange little novel out of my head. Think lesbian Bigfoot meets reality TV and you’re hoenstly on completely the right lines. When a ‘Bachelor’-esque reality TV show moves to a remote island in the Pacific Northwest for it’s finale, it starts to look a little more like a horror movie, with a side helping of satire. Love, love, love.

‘Life Ceremony’, Sayaka Murata

‘Convenience Store Woman’ is a novel I think about often - Murata rewrites how you see the world through her stories, and ‘Life Ceremony’ is no different. These unsettling short stories make us question everything that we view as right or wrong, what’s moral or breaking decorum. Whether it’s making things out of the skin of loved ones or a girl falling in love with her bedroom curtain, the unexpected lies in store.

‘Salt Slow’, Julia Armfield

I read both of Julia Armfield’s books this year. Her writing and her strange, haunting tales have worked their way under my skin. This collection of strange little stories explores the body as invader and invaded, as mythic and as gothic. I adored it and I can’t wait for whatever else she brings out.

Honourable mentions to ‘Catherine House’ by Elisabeth Thomas, ‘I Kissed Shara Wheeler’ by Casey McQuiston and ‘The Year of Miracles’ by Ella Risbridger, all of which I heartily recommend!

Sarah’s 2022 Favourites

I've had a strange reading year. 2022 saw me beat my goal of 2021 and I actually completed my Goodreads challenge. But I don't feel like I had as many "winners" as I normally do.

One contributing factor might be that I have been trying to push myself to read more outside of my comfort zone.

Here are my top reads of 2022, in reading order. I've chosen to include "new to me" books only. No re-reads.

‘The Children of Jocasta’ by Natalie Haynes

This retelling of the myths of Oedipus and Antigone from the perspective of the women involved awoke something in me and began an ongoing love affair with Ancient Greek retellings. I particularly enjoyed the narration of the audiobook for this one.

‘The Silence of the Girls’ by Pat Barker

Leads on from the above, but this became particularly useful and poignant when we re-read ‘The Song of Achilles’ for the podcast as it retells the story of the Trojan War through the voices of the women on the periphery of the legends and puts them at the heart.

‘Swimming in the Dark’ by Tomasz Jedrowski

Ludwik and Janusz fall in love to the backdrop of Poland in the 80s over a dreamy summer, and face a shock when they return to the city as the season comes to a close. This kept being recommended to me and so I finally caved. I'm glad I did, this story has stuck with me ever since I read it. Truly evocative writing.

‘Catherine House’ by Elisabeth Thomas

We read this for the podcast and I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. Definitely has Carter/Atwood SF vibes for me. Thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of an unnamed woman who joins the prestigious Catherine House university and begins to wonder why Catherine chose her, and how it’s going to use her.

‘Crave’ by Tracy Wolff

Following the tragic accident that killed her parents, Grace is shipped off to remote Alaska to the boarding school her uncle runs. What she doesn’t expect is to end up mixed in with vampires, witches and a few other surprise paranormal beings… This book is pure trash and I mean that in the most loving and respectful way. I read this so hard and fast, it scratched all the right itches. 

‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ by Casey McQuiston

Do I need to tell you what this one is about? Probably not, but just in case: the First Son of the USA and and English Prince in a glorious enemies to friends to lovers romp. McQuiston has fast become one of those auto-buy authors for me. It took me a moment to get into this book but once I was in? I was IN. Obsessed

Also an honourable mention to ‘The Secret History’ for continuing to be perfect upon a re-read. (Check out our podcast which we based around TSH!)

We’d love to know what your favourite books of 2022 are, and also what you’re looking forward to in 2023!

Happy New Year!

Written by Sophie and Sarah