Picture this: it was January 1, 2021, and I was conflicted about what my reading goal would be. I’d been in a reading slump for a few years, only managing to get through a few books if I was lucky. I was always an avid reader, but the university prep in high school left me burnt out. While deliberating on the first day of the year, I knew I wanted to continue reading great books in 2021 without overwhelming myself.
That was true until a friend of mine said they were going to read 80 books. You have to understand, we were always a little competitive. When I heard that, I knew the only number I was putting on Goodreads for 2021 was 100. I was nervous, but after my first semester of university introduced me to new passions and I found some awesome books through the Vic One Frye stream and ENG140 (thank you Professor Mount), I knew that I would read those 100 books. My goal was simply to broaden my reading: non-fiction, manga, poetry, popular books I kept hearing about, and stories from people with much different experiences than me. I wanted to find people and characters who showed me another perspective and pushed me to keep growing and learning, even when it was uncomfortable. I think if you’re willing to try out new genres, it’s incredibly humbling to read the stories of others. It helps you become more empathetic to people in everyday life.
To start my reading journey, I grabbed some of the books off my shelf and my library card. Many asked how I read so much, and my answer is that I made time whenever I could. Take advantage of your local physical and online library; utilize our university library when possible; or visit thrift stores or online bulk websites. I also tried to pair my physical reads with an audiobook if I felt I was losing motivation or was too busy. There’s nothing wrong with switching up your method of reading if you’re still reading and appreciating stories!
As I started reading last year, many attractive covers and high praises brought books my way. Social media is a huge influence over our reading right now. Reading and readership is getting popular on TikTok and Instagram. Readers have their own corners on these apps, such as BookTok or Bookstagram, assembling readers with hashtags and algorithms. Personally, I use BookTok a lot and it influenced some of my reading choices in 2021. If you’ve never been on that side of TikTok, there are a lot of amazing creators recommending books, making skits about characters, and generally discussing favourite tropes and writers.
However, mainstream BookTok is infamous for recommending the same handful of books. Though it’s not inherently bad, it excludes many other amazing books and talented writers, and the same problematic authors or books that perpetuate harmful stereotypes are circulated instead. While I decided to give some of the more popular books a try, I found that sometimes the hype around them didn’t match how I felt after reading the books. I’m still really glad to see so many people reading because they pick up these popular books and fall in love with the worlds in them. But I will continue to advocate for more diverse recommendations within the online community.
It was so hard to pare my list down from 182 and I’m truly grateful for having read so many incredible books. Without further ado, I give you the next best thing: my top 12 books to read in 2022:
Know My Name by Chanel Miller – (TW: sexual assault, violence, suicidal thoughts): An incredibly powerful yet heartbreaking memoir about how a woman copes with life after she is sexually assaulted.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – (TW: racism, sexism, pedophilia, war, suicide, violence, domestic abuse, substance abuse): A story about several generations within the same family. It’s an immersive read and a study into generational trauma.
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer – (TW: death, discrimination & bullying): The first book in a series about kick-ass female leads in sci-fi fairytale retellings. The love story is so cute.
I Hear the Sunspot (manga) by Yuki Fumino – (TW: ableism): A coming-of-age manga dealing with coming out, friendship, and the privileges that come with being able-bodied. It features important conversations about making inclusive spaces for people with disabilities.
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo – (TW: racism): Discusses race in several different spaces, and how it intersects with other issues such as gender inequality and the wealth gap.
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio – (TW: racism, sexism, abuse, suicidal thoughts, suicide, disturbing descriptions, death): An undocumented American shares her experience and the experiences of others like her. I remember crying for a few hours after this book.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner – (TW: addiction, abortion, cancer, death (parental), grief): A heartbreaking memoir about a woman who loses her mother to cancer and tries to find a link back to her culture without her.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – (TW: self-harm, substance abuse, genocide, abuse, animal cruelty, rape, death, torture, gaslighting, suicide): Powerful female lead, amazing fantasy qualities, based in political tensions in 20th-century China. It’s the most real depiction of war I’ve read recently.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim – (TW: murder, death (parental), grief, bullying): A retelling of The Six Swans fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm with East Asian influences and, as always, a badass female lead.
You’re The Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion by Dr. Meera Shah – (TW: sexual abuse, loss of children, abortion): The stories of people who’ve had abortions. Dr. Shah makes sure to include women, non-binary, and transgender voices. This is one of those books that makes you think and encourages empathy.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – (TW: bullying, death (parental), harassment, murder, suicide): A powerful female lead in the Faerie realm dealing with being human whilst hungry for power. Features a perfectly timed enemies-to-lovers trope.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao – (TW: misogyny, mentions of rape, various forms of abuse, alcoholism, gore, murder, torture): Features one of my favourite female leads from this year; it’s an incredibly unique story with robots, Chinese folklore, themes of The Handmaid’s Tale and LGBTQ+ representation.
