Top Ten Tuesday. Jan 3rd

Today I am taking part in The Artsy Reader Girl’s  link up.

Today’s topic is my favourite books of 2022. In no particular order here are ten that I loved… there were more but these seem to be the ones.  If you want to know more details about a book the covers are linked to Goodreads.

I listened to this one and was totally engrossed in it. I know its a bit of a hype book but for  me it worked. One I’d recommend. Elizabeth Zott is a remarkable character. I loved so many of the characters, it had me chuckling out loud, a few times my heart was touched by some of the sadness and it always engaged. It highlights how difficult it was for women not so long ago, and let’s be honest it hasn’t all gone away. I loved Mads the daughter and her ability to cut through all the garbage and say it like it is. I just didn’t want to say good bye to these characters. And if you love a clever dog….

Snowed in By Christmas was a great Christmas read. It just had such a warm, cosy, family feel to it. I felt like I was there in Scotland, with snow and wonderful smells and the chaos of family interactions.

Firstly Nanna Jean just made me laugh so many times and her little interlude with a computer had me smiling more than once.

Another book I read in audiobook form. Absolutely delightful listening. The story is great, loved the characters and the variety therein. It’s a Rom Com that I really recommend, but its more than that. It has wisdom and growth of character and things to think about. And… Julia Whelan is a fabulous narrator. Oh my I want more where this comes from. Julia write another please.

Australian author Fiona Lowe did it again. She totally reeled me in and made me feel so fully involved in the lives of her characters. At first I found all the characters and situations a little overwhelming, but once I was in – I was in! A little bit of reader concentration and work never hurts us!

This book is middle grade but good middle grade is for any reader. I admit I almost read it in a day. Three orphans sent to the country in war set England. Book loving children, who find refuge in the local library when things are so tough. And the wonderful Mrs Muller – the librarian. Need your heart warmed? It might be broken first! This is a perfect read for that.

Hana Khan Carries On. Very much enjoyed this book. A rom com, but…. The kind I like, great characters, comedic bits, interspersed with serious issues. Full of family, immigrant issues and most of all love. Highly recommend.

South of the Buttonwood Tree.

Loved this story. A bit of mystery – great characters and times of joy and sadness. About secrets and being transparent. Found family. So good.

The Awakening was the first in the trilogy and I read all three. Loved this mix of contemporary and fantasy and a portal between the two. The Irish link didn’t hurt. Loved Breen’s growth and journey. Carried away by story. Epic!

It’s a few years since I read Beartown but I was able to pick up and remember surprisingly. Yes it is dark in places but so insightful into characters and the space between black and white. An amazing book. So full of wisdom and characters who fall into a reader’s heart. I’d give it 5 stars ++++

What an unusual book. I read it over a month as a slow and steady read and it did deserve that. So I was reading to appreciate rather than gobble down. What a character the Count is. A man who takes his circumstances and chooses what he does with it.

And there they are ten. There were more five star reads but these suffice to show that my 2022 reading year was a really good one.