What My Book Club Read in 2022
In January 2020, I started a book club with some girlfriends. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and little did I know what a refuge and comforting space our little book club would be through all the uncertainty of 2020. Struggles and challenges continue, of course, and the world still groans. And I’m so proud of our little group for continuing to open up our lives to stories for almost 4 years straight now! Stories connect us and give us empathy and teach us so much. This little book club with some girlfriends is still one of my absolute favorite things.
Here are the books we read together in 2022, along with my thoughts on each:
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By the same author as This Tender Land (which was my favorite year from book club in 2020), this book is another masterpiece. I was yet again taken on a journey, and there were moments in the book that bring tears and also a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. So good.
Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis, we were excited to read another book by this author, and another one inspired by the life of C. S. Lewis. This was a great read for wintertime and a sweet story.
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I know this is now required high school reading (at least in TN public schools), but I never read this book growing up. I LOVED it. Written from the perspective of Death itself, it opened up my mind in new ways to the beauty of life. Such a creative rendering of the story and a different perspective on WW2.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I appreciate Lisa See’s writing talent, but I have trouble with some of the disturbing graphic details that often haunt me afterwards in her novels. Maybe I’m just really sensitive. But she is writing about important issues that happened in history, and I truly wanted to learn about this particular piece of history, especially because my mother-in-law grew up in South Korea just after WW2 and the Japanese occupation. This book tells the story of the remarkable Korean women divers of Jeju Island, their complicated lives and the shocking skills they had to acquire in order to provide for their families by harvesting food from the sea. During this time period on Jeju, the women were the providers of the family rather than men, which was completely opposite of what was customary at that time. I also learned a lot about the horrifying conditions of the Japanese occupation of South Korea.
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A book about the lasting power of books…and how people can persevere through unimaginable adversity. This book was definitely more of a comfort read - nothing awe-inducing, but a great, enjoyable story. I just can’t quit WW2 historical fiction, especially when a bookshop is involved!
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my heart. I want to hug this book. This is one of my favorite books we read all year. The story of an older woman, Tova, who befriends a Giant Pacific Octopus, Marcellus, at the aquarium where she works. Marcellus is the main character and narrator of the book - yes, the octopus. An original, absorbing story with a mystery to be solved, and Marcellus leads them to the answer. Definitely up-lit!
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was another uplifting book, and of course I love that it centered around the miracle that bees are in the world and in our lives. I loved the characters in this book, especially Jake. This quote has stayed with me…
The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh, how much I loved the first book, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. If you haven’t read that, you must read it before this one. This was a beautiful sequel continuing the story of the blue-skinned people of Kentucky, the disgusting prejudice they endured, and the courageous and strong women who fought for their freedom. I still love the first book better!
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a twist at the end of this one! It was frigid here around Christmas, and this book was a great companion. The author took a lot of liberty with the story of Dickens life, but it was quite entertaining!
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