Q1 Book Roundup: 2022
I was once accused of liking books more than people… While I wouldn’t go that far, I do love to read! My work involves a lot of reading, but when I sit down with a book at night or on the weekend I gravitate toward lighter subject matter to prevent burnout. Here’s what I’ve read this quarter.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
This was my first Emily St. John Mandel novel, and I loved it. It follows two adult children over several years and is a mystery layered under a financial scandal. It was beautifully written and a little haunting.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
This was a really easy read. It was my second Lucy Foley novel, and it follows the same formula as her other books. They are pretty traditional whodunits with plenty of snarky characters you kind of love to hate.
Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith
I have only ever read Zadie Smith’s nonfiction, so I loved this book of short stories. She has SUCH a way with words that I dare anyone to read this and not be able to take something from it.
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis
This was a really cool retelling of an Indigenous legend. It’s got adventure, feminism, ageism, nature, history, and so much more. It’s a quick read, but it’s message stayed with me well beyond the last page.
Wordslut by Amanda Montell
This was my nonfiction read for the quarter, and it was really cool! Amanda Montell breaks down the history of the English language, then builds it back up while walking through many of the ways it has shaped American culture, and vice versa.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
I was waiting for this one to come out this year, and it was another fun, easy mystery. Formulaic, yes. But I loved that it took place in Paris, and sometimes it’s just nice to pick up something that’s easy to read and transportive.
The Torqued Man by Peter Mann
This was, by far, the most creative book I read this quarter. It’s a little hard to describe…set in WWII in Germany and Spain, it’s part historical novel, part slightly cartoonish adventure story. 100% creative. And the author designed the cover!
