To finish off Blogmas 2022 and the year as a whole, I am doing wrap-up posts in each category on the blog. We started with history posts on Monday, and then culture posts on Tuesday. Today’s favourite post is going to be a tad different for books, though. Obviously, I am a voracious reader. I tend to have anywhere from two to five books on the go at any one time. So, although I have countless book posts that I am also happy to share with everyone, I thought I would share my top 10 books of 2022 *. And interestingly, my number one pick(s) has not been on the blog yet!
*These are my favourite books that I’ve read in the past year. Most were also published in 2022, but a few have earlier pub dates.
I have linked my own review posts here, aside from two that do not have review posts on the blog (and have Goodreads links instead).
10. All The Queen’s Men, SJ Bennett
This is one of my favourite mystery series, and the third instalment is due out in March in Canada! UPDATE: Upon checking the date again on 27 Dec, it is now pushed to September 2023. HarperCollins, you are trash.
Sidenote, rant incoming: these books are always published six months later in North America. Publishers, in the 2020s, why are things not publishing at the same time globally?!
In this series, The Queen solves mysteries that take place in her households. Although she definitely is an amateur sleuth, I would not call this a cosy- there is definitely more meat to these books. While the first book took place at Windsor Castle, All The Queen’s Men takes place at Buck House. It is rather good fun to see Her Majesty in a different light, some of the best modern mysteries I’ve read! (And yes, there is a fourth book to published in 2024, A Death in Diamonds.)
9. Heiresses, Laura Thompson (NetGalley, Audiobook)
I listened to this audiobook in the depths of Covid, and I have to say, it was a fantastic distraction. While women’s history has been prominent for several decades, a lot of popular histories still focus on royals (I am certainly guilty of reading those) or women involved in the First or Second World War.
Heiresses looks at countless different heiresses throughout history, and what life was really like for these seemingly-privileged women. While being a heiress would certainly be better than wondering where you would find your next meal or sleep that night, I did not expect such complicated and oftentimes harrowing stories.
8. Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Morena-Garcia
Gods of Jade and Shadow caught my eye on Libby when I was perusing my library’s books there, but I did not foresee this being one of my favourite books of the year. I am fairly familiar with Classical mythology; however, I definitely need to do more research globally.
Gods of Jade and Shadow is a retelling of Mayan mythology and not only could I not put the book down when it came through on my ereader, I also then did a deep dive on the myths behind it. You do not need to know the myths to enjoy reading this, however!
7. The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Claudia Gray
Austen adaptations and expansions can be difficult. There are so many purists out there, and some characters in the Austen canon were rather well formed in her novels, sometimes making it difficult to play with them later. Claudia Gray has no such issues, though.
I have yet to meet a person who has read Pride and Prejudice (or at least seen one of the screen adaptations) and does not immediately hate Wickham. This handily makes him a very convenient murder victim. The Murder of Mr. Wickham is not only an incredibly creative Austen adaptation, it is a strong mystery, and an excellent read all around! (I split this between the ebook and audiobook- both are fantastic.)
6. Skirts, Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell (NetGalley)
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell is one of my fvourite follows on Twitter. Her fashion history knowledge is impressive (as you would expect from a fashion historian), and she shares so many historic outfits and garments there. So, I was excited to see that she had a new book out this past fall.
Skirts covers the history of what we know as skirts, but also dresses, as the terms would often be used interchangeably. And in terms of women’s fashion history, dresses tend to be a rather important garment. Chrisman-Campbell covers centuries of fashion history in an exciting and readable format and highlights and explains many historic OOTDs that many of us recognise. I found that while this book could be read without any prior knowledge, it still makes all of us think about the garments that we wear without a second thought.
5. To Marry and To Meddle, Martha Waters (NetGalley)
There is no way that I could have written this list and not included Martha Waters’ book from this past year. I read Waters’ first book in the month before the pandemic started when I had a horrendously bad cold (that was not Covid, and not as bad as Covid…) and I have been hooked ever since.
To Marry and To Meddle is the third book in this series, and it is every bit as entertaining and fun as the first three. These Regency romances are witty and quick- the banter is the best you will find- and because you get to know the characters throughout the series, you truly feel invested. And even if you haven’t read the first two (though you absolutely should), you will love Emily and Julian’s story! And if you are curious, the fourth book in the series is out in April 2023.
4. The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan
I was introduced to The Fair Botanists by the new Queen. Obviously not personally (if you know her though, please introdocue me…)- this was featured in the Royal Reading Room in the summer!* I’ve not seen many historical fiction books set in Edinburgh, so I was already excited for it. Factor in a royal visit from King George IV and I was sold.
While I like to think I am knowledgeable about a good amount of subjects, I am far from an expert on botany. I was a tad worried I might not be able to fully appreciate the finer details of The Fair Botanists, but that was not a problem at all. Sheridan deftly weaves in historically accurate botanical discoveries and information (at that time) into a fantastic story. It covers multiple genres, and I think would appeal to many readers! (ie. If you like historical fiction, romance, or women’s fiction, this is a book for you.)
*Interestingly, Sheridan is a republican and shared on Twitter that she had no idea that the then-Duchess of Cornwall would be sharing it (though was happy for it to be included.)
3. The Library of Legends, Janie Chang
This was yet another book (audiobook) that I happened to grab on a whim and then could not put down. The Library of Legends is set in China during the Second World War, and I will admit, I know relatively little about the war, and nothing outside of the Commonwealth. We follow Chinese university students who are traveling across the country by foot to escape the war all while carrying rare books with them. If there was a war-related story to grab me, this is absolutely it.
Chang has woven some Chinese mythology into the story, and it works beautifully. It complemented the main storyline well, without pulling it from the historical fiction genre. As you will see by the end of the post, mythologically-inspired stories have dominated my favourites this year.
2. A Royal Life, HRH The Duke of Kent
I know that a lot of people were watching for Tina Brown’s royal biography (The Palace Papers) this year, as well as Valentine Low’s (Courtiers, out in NA in 2023), as well as Prince Harry’s book out in early 2023. However, this was the royal book for me this year. His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent was Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, and has witnessed every significant moment in her reign (and most of her life). He took part in her coronation in 1953 as a 16-year-old, and after a dedicated military career, became a full-time working royal to support Her Majesty.
A Royal Life is The Duke’s own memoirs; he worked with royal biographer Hugo Vickers to share his memories from countless significant royal events. This is not a gossipy he-said, she-said, tell-all to learn sordid details but the fascinating story of one of The Queen’s most loyal and dedicated family members.
1. Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior, Sue Lynn Tan
Without a doubt, these two books were my favourite books of 2022. Impressively, these both were published in 2022- Daughter was published in January and Heart in November. I happened to read the first book in the beggining of November, and was still horrifically impatient to read the second one a week later when it came out.
The only reason that I did not include these books on the blog was that it was already Blogmas by the time I had finished them! These are two historical fantasy books that follow Xingyin who is fighting to save her exiled mother and to learn magic herself. Not only is the world-building impecable in this duology, you will fall in love with Xingyin, her friends, and her family. (If you like Alchemy of Souls, this is the series for you, but also for everyone.)
Out of my top 10 books of 2022, which ones are on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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I read The Library of Legends after you wrote about it earlier this year & really enjoyed it! I agree, I loved how the mythology was interwoven into the storyline and as I only learned about the European side of WWII this gave me a bit of an insight.
Thanks for the suggestions!