Q4 Book Roundup: 2022

Thrillers were my jam as I closed out 2022! I snuck in a few high-brow reads here and there, but entertainment was the name of the game for a super hectic year end.

Sacred Nature: Restoring our Ancient Bond with the Natural World

This was my first Karen Armstrong book, and it was so fascinating! Every chapter of this one was thought-provoking, but I especially liked the first half where she zeroed in on the importance of belief in myth throughout early history and how we can use that to reconnect to the natural world.

The Art Forger

This was a fun thriller / art world combo. I wouldn’t say it was SUPER enthralling on the mystery side, but it was really entertaining and I loved learning a little something about fine art at the same time.

A Gentleman in Moscow

This is a beautiful, beautiful story about a man who makes the absolute best out of a life that, by all appearances, isn’t really his own anymore. Alongside the beautiful prose were characters that I truly missed when the book was finished. I will have to pick up The Lincoln Highway sometime this year.

The Dutch House

This was a really beautiful story. It started out a little bit slow for me, but it picked up speed once I fell in love with the characters. I shed a tear or two with this one! The central relationship was really beautiful.

One Step Too Far

I know it’s a thing to say, but I truly couldn’t put this one down! I stayed up way too late trying to solve this mystery. I usually spend a fair amount of time deciding what to read next, but I grabbed this one on a whim and was so glad I did. If you like mysteries and backcountry hiking, this one is for you!

Wrong Place Wrong Time

This one was recommended to me by a friend, and it did not disappoint. I don’t usually get into time travel stories, but the suspense was unspooled at such a good pace with this one that it kept me tethered to the story. The main character has to move backward in time to try to prevent a crime from happening, looking for clues throughout her life. Really creative!

In a Dark, Dark Wood

This one wasn’t as scary as the cover and title suggest, but it was a good mystery. The oddest thing was that it felt really similar to The Guest List by Lucy Foley, which I read sometime last year, and has a really parallel plot line and setting.

Never Tell

I think I tore through this one in a week, which is probably record speed for me. Between running my own business and trying to keep up with life outside of work, reading novels usually means late nights for me, and this one was every bit that truth! This book was a gift from someone who knew I enjoyed another Lisa Gardner thriller earlier in the year, so I started it without knowing much about it. It was darker than I usually like, but it was definitely a page turner.