2022 In the Books

2022 In Brief

Readers, 2022 has been a very long year.

I realize that every year technically has the same number of days. But “felt time” (as musicians talk) has been longer for me this year. I look back at my January, 2022, self and hardly recognize her: she was planning a retreat with her lovely Redeemed Reader colleagues, making all sorts of reading plans, beginning to brainstorm school plans for the coming school year, and living in South Central Washington state.

Three months later, she was listing a house (with 2 weeks’ notice), flying to South Carolina on a whirlwind house hunting tour, and desperately urging her children to just. finish. school.

By May, the entire family had relocated, albeit via different methods: my husband and I, along with our two dogs, towed our three boats across the country. My three teens flew on their own to grandparents via a Texas stopover with friends. We hit the ground running, as they say, and haven’t stopped since.

Here at the end of 2022, looking ahead to the next January, I’m pausing to reflect on a very full year. Three of the Redeemed Reader team have made significant moves this year, two within one month. Add in more life changes behind the scenes for all of us, and we can only marvel that the Lord has blessed our small offerings to Him in this grand work of reading ahead for you, dear readers.

So, what did I read in this tumultuous year? A LOT. Apparently, in addition to reading for “work” (Redeemed Reader), I also read for pleasure, stress-relief, escapism, sanity, ….

2022 In the Books: My Old Friends

I’ve written before about “stress reading,” the type of reading we turn to when we’re overwhelmed, extra busy, or just plain stressed. Many of us experienced that in 2020; I also “stress read” in 2022. And this year, in a year of so much upheaval for my family, I found myself drawn to old book friends. The following were especially lovely reads:

• Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (I read this *and* listened to it; twice in one year!)
• Anne of the Island and Anne’s House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery (I’ve been re-reading the series these past few years)
• O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (a re-read back in January)
• Peace Like a River by Lief Enger (this year was my third time through this gem)
• various Lord Peter and Harriet Vane mysteries by Dorothy Sayers (always a delight)
• The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (new to me, but it reads like my favorite Victorian novels)

2022 In the Books: Thought-Provoking Nonfiction

The books below are ones I’ve pondered in the days and months since finishing them.

• The Convivial Homeschool by Mystie Winckler (a real life friend, so I might be biased, but this is one of the best books on homeschooling I’ve read!)
• School Education by Charlotte Mason (a re-read for me)
• Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink (the case studies in this book are so interesting; sadly, I’ve since learned that some of them were fabricated)
• The Next Story by Tim Challies (highly recommended; I’m planning to have my teens read it)
• A Practical Guide to Culture by John Stonestreet (highly recommended)

2022 In the Books: Books for Teens

Notable books for me this year include the following, linked to RR reviews, of course:

• Lovely War by Julie Berry (Janie reviewed this; I’m so glad I listened to her review and read it!)
• The Red Palace by June Hur (so good, I’m tracking down other books by this author…)
• The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella (I didn’t go into this with much expectation, but I really enjoyed it)
• Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (my second time through; this time I read it aloud to my teens—who also loved it)
• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (my favorite of her books, and I’ve read almost all of them!)
• Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca (a bittersweet novel in verse)
• Two Old Women by Velma Wallis (not for teens, but a good crossover from the grown-up shelves)

2022 In the Books: Picture Books

My favorite picture books from this year (which I obviously need to review!):

• The Midnight Fair by Gideon Sterer and Mariachiara Di Giorgio
• Amos McGee Misses the Bus by Philip Stead
• Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn
• My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang

What were YOUR most memorable and/or enjoyable reads of 2022?