True to form, I finished my reading goal of 74 books on December 31st and promptly set my 2022 goals for one book higher at 75. Selecting my top ten was a little more difficult than past years, I think. About half were easy choices (Murakami, O'Farrell, Ishiguro, Walton, and Jaouad), but the rest I really deliberated on. It wasn't that I didn't read good books this year, because I did- they were just a solid pack with fewer stand alone shining stars.
A quick one-sentence overview on each:
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw- Strong short story collection from start to finish
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami- Japanese magical realism and existentialism
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich- Native American family struggles, plus fighting for rights
North by Scott Erdrich- Part running, part travelogue, part motivational
Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn- Hawaiian family saga with some magical realism thrown in
The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton- A better-written, deeper Daisy Jones
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaoad- Emotional rollercoaster ride along a young woman suffering from cancer
On All Fronts by Clarissa Ward- Kick ass female journalist who is based in the Middle East
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell- Goddammit with the plagues
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro- Humanizing AI
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