Books Read in 2022

Books Read in 2022

The books are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars with links to summary reviews. (A) is for audiobook.

Here’s a thumbnail of what the ratings mean:

• 5 stars – all-time classic (I’m very stingy with these)
• 4 stars – a particularly interesting, well-written, or important book
• 3 stars – a good book from start to finish
• 2 stars – not a good book on the whole but has some good parts
• 1 star or less – basically a bad book with no redeeming values

January

• Highly Irregular by Arika Okrent – ***1/2
• So Many Ways To Lose by Devin Gordon – ****
• The Destiny Path by Charles Soule – ***
• Operation Starlight by Charles Soule  – ***
• War of the Bounty Hunters by Charles Soule –  ***
• Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge (A) – ***1/2

February

• The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (A) – ***
• Harpo Speaks by Harpo Marx – ****
• Pirates of the Caribbean : From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies by Jason Dennis – ****
• The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein – ***
• Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen (A) – ****1/2

March

• Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald (A) – ***1/2
• The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion by Jeff Baham – ****
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil by Timothy Zahn (A) – ****

April

• Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest (A) – ***
• The Name of War by Jill Lepore (A) – ****
• Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail by W. Jeffrey. Bolster – ****
• Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle (A) – ****

May

• The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe (A) – ***
• Arresting God In Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay – **
• The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith (A) – ***
• The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang (A) – ***

June

• Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (A) – ****
• The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker (A) – ***
• Another Appalachia by Neema Avashia – ****

July

• Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History by Michael R. Virgintino – ***
• The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (A) – ****

August

• Suddenly, A Knock at the Door by Etgar Keret (A) – **1/2
• Normal People by Sally Rooney (A) -****
• Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner – ****
• Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (A) – ***1/2
• A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (A) – ***

September

• A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs: From Savoy Stompers to Clock Rockers by Andrew Hickey – ****1/2
• The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair by Bill Cotter and Bill Young – ***
• The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair: Creation and Legacy by Bill Cotter and Bill Young – ***
• The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam (A) – ***

October

• On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous  by Ocean Vuong (A) – ***1/2
• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sôsuke Natsukawa (A) – ***1/2
• Time Traveling with a Hamster by Ross Welford (A) – ****
• The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk (A) –  ****

November

• Railroaded by Richard White – ****
• Dracula by Bram Stoker – ****
• Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia (A) – ****
• Conscience and Courage by John Hawkins – ***
• Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original by Howard Bryant (A) – ****

December

• Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (A) – ***
• Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration by Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith – ***1/2
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – ****