Top 5 books of 2022

[Anonymous]

My top five are all books I'd happily read again and again.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead -- A girl from Depression Era Montana who dreams of learning to fly a place pursues her passion and becomes an aviatrix a la Amelia Earhart. Fast-forward to the 21st Century when a former child actress, desperate after crashing on the shoals of social media shaming, is cast to play her in a 21st-century movie. Great plot that spans 100 years, oodles of interesting characters and sublime descriptions of the natural world. Themes: privacy v. fame; whether we propel ourselves to destiny or just ride the wave of fate. Too long.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee -- The story of a Korean family in Japan -- from the time of the Japanese subjugation of Korea through two world wars and into the early 21st Century. Again, a great plot that spans nearly a century, oodles of interesting characters, and sublime desciptions of ... Korean food. Themes: war is hell, how evil and decency can coexist in one human, the struggles and longing of immigrants, the joys and heartache of romantic and familial love, what it takes to just keep on keeping on and make the best of the hand we're dealt. A little too long.

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- Despite (because?) of its immense privilege a Brooklyn family wallows and eventually crashes into disfunction and estrangement before finding the way to reconciliation, if not happiness. Time period goes from the '70s to the early 21st Century. Once again, the plot drives this page-turner, oodles of characters -- some of whom you'll care about and others who are forgettable, an acutely observed novel of manners with sublime descriptions of .... Brooklyn real estate. Themes: how do we see with clear eyes, nobody can hurt you like your family and nobody can take their place. Too long.

Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- It's 2017 and Sam (aka Samantha) is struggling with menopause, her fierce anger about Donald Trump, her place in the family sandwich between her aging mom and her teen daughter. Sam is infuriating, illogical, and needy. I loved her. Also, the setting of upstate NY in general and Syracuse specifically is surprisingly fascinating. And, finally, this is a really funny book. Themes: letting go and starting anew.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May -- Theme: It's ok to cocoon ... spring will come.

[Anonymous]

William Maxwell - So Long, See You Tomorrow
Amor Towles - Lincoln Highway
Colm Toibin - The Master (also read and loved The Magician)
Anuk Arudpragasam - A Passage North
Michael Chabon - Moonglow

[Anonymous]

Love this thread, I particularly like finding books in common with others and then getting ready to read the unread books on their lists. Mine are (most are very 2022/2021 but there are some older ones in here)

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Still Life
Marriage Portrait
Restoration
The Rose Code

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My top five are all books I'd happily read again and again.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead -- A girl from Depression Era Montana who dreams of learning to fly a place pursues her passion and becomes an aviatrix a la Amelia Earhart. Fast-forward to the 21st Century when a former child actress, desperate after crashing on the shoals of social media shaming, is cast to play her in a 21st-century movie. Great plot that spans 100 years, oodles of interesting characters and sublime descriptions of the natural world. Themes: privacy v. fame; whether we propel ourselves to destiny or just ride the wave of fate. Too long.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee -- The story of a Korean family in Japan -- from the time of the Japanese subjugation of Korea through two world wars and into the early 21st Century. Again, a great plot that spans nearly a century, oodles of interesting characters, and sublime desciptions of ... Korean food. Themes: war is hell, how evil and decency can coexist in one human, the struggles and longing of immigrants, the joys and heartache of romantic and familial love, what it takes to just keep on keeping on and make the best of the hand we're dealt. A little too long.

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- Despite (because?) of its immense privilege a Brooklyn family wallows and eventually crashes into disfunction and estrangement before finding the way to reconciliation, if not happiness. Time period goes from the '70s to the early 21st Century. Once again, the plot drives this page-turner, oodles of characters -- some of whom you'll care about and others who are forgettable, an acutely observed novel of manners with sublime descriptions of .... Brooklyn real estate. Themes: how do we see with clear eyes, nobody can hurt you like your family and nobody can take their place. Too long.

Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- It's 2017 and Sam (aka Samantha) is struggling with menopause, her fierce anger about Donald Trump, her place in the family sandwich between her aging mom and her teen daughter. Sam is infuriating, illogical, and needy. I loved her. Also, the setting of upstate NY in general and Syracuse specifically is surprisingly fascinating. And, finally, this is a really funny book. Themes: letting go and starting anew.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May -- Theme: It's ok to cocoon ... spring will come.

Thank you so much for writing all of that out!

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Fuzz: When nature breaks the law. Great non-fiction focusing on wild animals and nature’s interactions with humanity. Each chapter focuses on a different issue — tress collapsing; bears; monkeys who steal; elephants who trample; etc. so good.

House in the cerulean sea — a dcum recommendation when someone asked for not depressing books. Sort of feels like a grown up version of Harry Potter or mysterious Benedict society with a lot of heart.

I did not particularly like “say nothing” (recommended above), about the Troubles in Northern Ireland —- I just felt like it wasn’t as thought provoking or insightful as I’d hoped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone read Demon Copperhead? Thinking of getting myself a Christmas present.

Yes, and it was definitely in my top 5 for the year.

My list, in no particular order (some new, some not):

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver
An often grim but also darkly funny retelling of David Copperfield set in Appalachia.

The Saddest Words, Michael Gorra
A stunning examination of William Faulkner's life and work in the context of his writing about the Civil War.

The Investigator, John Sandford
John Sandford doing what he does best: hard-nosed investigators on the trail of criminals. I love Letty Davenport as a lead character (which is a good thing because Lucas Davenport is getting too old for this sort of thing).

The Transcendentalists and their World, Robert Gross
A deep dive into the historical context that helped create the Transcendentalists. This is a big, slow book, but so good.

The Sentence, Louise Erdrich
A damaged and complex woman deals with the pandemic, the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, family upheaval, and a haunting. Like all of Erdrich's work, it's hilarious and heartbreaking.

I really enjoyed The Sentence, too.

I guess I am more lowbrow than all the rest of you - also terrible at remembering everything I've read. But here are a few that stuck with me:

The Lies I Tell - Julie Clark. Found this one recommended here - a well written thriller with interesting women at the heart of it.

Killers of a Certain Age - Deanna Raybourn. A bunch of aging female assassins have to band together to try to figure out who's trying to kill them.

The Change: A Novel - Kirsten Miller. I think I got this one off DCUM, too? It's about a group of middle aged women with some spooky powers who solve a bunch of murders in their wealthy suburban community.

Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel. The new book by the author of Station 11. It's long and I expected it'd take me a while to get through it - I loved the tv show Station 11 but found the book a slog. I TORE through this one. I loved it so much.

Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt. I listened to the audiobook and loved it. The human characters were fine but the treat was Marcellus the octopus.

I liked Lessons in Chemistry because I am a human person - but I found the main character just a little too perfect. I guess I'm more of a Harper than a Daphne, but I would have liked to know what this story would be like if she weren't SOOO gorgeous. I know; whatever. It'll be a great movie some day.

Marcellus is one of my favorite book characters of all time. (I also love how you wove White Lotus into a review of Lessons in Chemistry because I loved them both)

[Anonymous]

I liked Wayward, too! It's a little dark, but I liked the blend of satire and more realistic middle-aged crisis.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for mentioning the Spiotta book. I loved it also.

Here's my top 5 and then a 6-10, which I limited to fiction from 2022 only.

Danya Kakufka: Notes from an Execution (2022)
Julia May Jonas: Vladimir (2022)
Robert Harris: Act of Oblivion (2022)
Cormac McCarthy: The Passenger (2022)
Sam Lipsyte: No One Left to Come Looking for You (2022)

Emily St. John Mandel: Sea of Tranquility (2022)
Elif Batuman: Either/Or (2022)
Dan Chaon: Sleepwalk (2022)
Grant Ginder: Let's Not Do That Again (2022)
Teddy Wayne: Great Man Theory (2022)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So for me, a top book is one that embraces what it sets out to be. So, a romance can be five starts just as a literary fiction book can be, in my book. So, that being said, these are just a few of my five-star reads. (Yes, I use goodreads, so I rate my reads.)

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove - Rati Mehrotra
An epic fantasy with a fierce female lead who thinks she's a bodyguard when she's actually an heir to something big. Set in an alternative, ancient India.

Firekeeper's Daughter - Angeline Boulley
A young women with ties to a Michigan reservation near the Canadian border works with government agents to figure out who is supplying a dangerous, new drug to her community. Entertaining as all get out and I learned a lot.

Love Among the Living - Simone St. James
All of Simone St. James' ghost stories are amazing, but this one was a favorite. A woman widowed during WW2 works for her husband's aunt as a companion and visiting his family home brings up some new info about him.

The Diamond Eye - Kate Quinn
Kate Quinn's historical fiction books are epic and I couldn't read just one. The Diamond Eye is about a female sharp shooter in WW2 Ukraine. She winds up coming to the US on a diplomatic mission in the second half and befriending Eleanor Roosevelt.

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
It's just so different and fresh. For historical fiction to make me laugh, cry, and get mad? I loved it.

Honorable Mentions
A Sunlit Weapon - Jacqueline Winspear
The 17th book in the Maisie Dobbs series. I would never suggest someone jump in this late, but the series is so good that it's totally work starting at the beginning.

The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy - Megan Bennan
It's a sweet and sad fantasy with charming characters. Not literature, but it gave me the warm and fuzzies.

Based in the description here I just read Night of the Raven… if the pp sees this, I think you’d LOVE the Daevabad trilogy. There are some similarities, but I prefer Daevabad.

[Anonymous]

The Invisible Life of Addie LeRue
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
These Impossible Things
Know my Name
Carrie Soto is Back

[Anonymous]

For fans of Wayward . . . this is fun! Dana Spiotta talks about the book with her husband Jonathan Dees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uidW1eFKdws

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My top five are all books I'd happily read again and again.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead -- A girl from Depression Era Montana who dreams of learning to fly a place pursues her passion and becomes an aviatrix a la Amelia Earhart. Fast-forward to the 21st Century when a former child actress, desperate after crashing on the shoals of social media shaming, is cast to play her in a 21st-century movie. Great plot that spans 100 years, oodles of interesting characters and sublime descriptions of the natural world. Themes: privacy v. fame; whether we propel ourselves to destiny or just ride the wave of fate. Too long.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee -- The story of a Korean family in Japan -- from the time of the Japanese subjugation of Korea through two world wars and into the early 21st Century. Again, a great plot that spans nearly a century, oodles of interesting characters, and sublime desciptions of ... Korean food. Themes: war is hell, how evil and decency can coexist in one human, the struggles and longing of immigrants, the joys and heartache of romantic and familial love, what it takes to just keep on keeping on and make the best of the hand we're dealt. A little too long.

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- Despite (because?) of its immense privilege a Brooklyn family wallows and eventually crashes into disfunction and estrangement before finding the way to reconciliation, if not happiness. Time period goes from the '70s to the early 21st Century. Once again, the plot drives this page-turner, oodles of characters -- some of whom you'll care about and others who are forgettable, an acutely observed novel of manners with sublime descriptions of .... Brooklyn real estate. Themes: how do we see with clear eyes, nobody can hurt you like your family and nobody can take their place. Too long.

Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- It's 2017 and Sam (aka Samantha) is struggling with menopause, her fierce anger about Donald Trump, her place in the family sandwich between her aging mom and her teen daughter. Sam is infuriating, illogical, and needy. I loved her. Also, the setting of upstate NY in general and Syracuse specifically is surprisingly fascinating. And, finally, this is a really funny book. Themes: letting go and starting anew.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May -- Theme: It's ok to cocoon ... spring will come.

Thank you so much for writing all of that out!

Came here to say that any who read and loved Pachinko should read The Island of Sea Women. It's also a multi generational story about Korean women. It's specifically about women on the Island of Jeju which has culture distinct from the mainland. I just read it and loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My top five are all books I'd happily read again and again.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead -- A girl from Depression Era Montana who dreams of learning to fly a place pursues her passion and becomes an aviatrix a la Amelia Earhart. Fast-forward to the 21st Century when a former child actress, desperate after crashing on the shoals of social media shaming, is cast to play her in a 21st-century movie. Great plot that spans 100 years, oodles of interesting characters and sublime descriptions of the natural world. Themes: privacy v. fame; whether we propel ourselves to destiny or just ride the wave of fate. Too long.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee -- The story of a Korean family in Japan -- from the time of the Japanese subjugation of Korea through two world wars and into the early 21st Century. Again, a great plot that spans nearly a century, oodles of interesting characters, and sublime desciptions of ... Korean food. Themes: war is hell, how evil and decency can coexist in one human, the struggles and longing of immigrants, the joys and heartache of romantic and familial love, what it takes to just keep on keeping on and make the best of the hand we're dealt. A little too long.

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- Despite (because?) of its immense privilege a Brooklyn family wallows and eventually crashes into disfunction and estrangement before finding the way to reconciliation, if not happiness. Time period goes from the '70s to the early 21st Century. Once again, the plot drives this page-turner, oodles of characters -- some of whom you'll care about and others who are forgettable, an acutely observed novel of manners with sublime descriptions of .... Brooklyn real estate. Themes: how do we see with clear eyes, nobody can hurt you like your family and nobody can take their place. Too long.

Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- It's 2017 and Sam (aka Samantha) is struggling with menopause, her fierce anger about Donald Trump, her place in the family sandwich between her aging mom and her teen daughter. Sam is infuriating, illogical, and needy. I loved her. Also, the setting of upstate NY in general and Syracuse specifically is surprisingly fascinating. And, finally, this is a really funny book. Themes: letting go and starting anew.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May -- Theme: It's ok to cocoon ... spring will come.

Thank you so much for writing all of that out!

Came here to say that any who read and loved Pachinko should read The Island of Sea Women. It's also a multi generational story about Korean women. It's specifically about women on the Island of Jeju which has culture distinct from the mainland. I just read it and loved it.

I happened to read both the Island of Sea Women and Pachinko last year. I liked Pachinko better, but I did like having read Island of Sea Woman first and understanding what they were talking about when Jeju was referenced a couple of times.