Chapter Seven: The Books I Loved in 2022

Decisions have finally been made and here are my favourite reads of last year...

Jan 3

Hello again and Happy New Year! I know for some people it can be as overwhelming as it is exciting but I hope you’re feeling good about this new beginning and I also hope you’ve had a restful start to the year.

For me, the new year comes on the back of an incredibly intense month, which rounded off what was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most difficult year of my life. And so I find myself entering this new year quietly- no sudden movements, no grand plans, just some quiet hopes and intentions.

I really thought I might have been organised enough to do end of year favourites posts by the end of December but I don’t know why on Earth I ever imagined that’d be possible. I have now given it some thought, though, and I’m happy with the books I’ve settled on. I think you might like them too should you choose to give them a go.

I read a total of 63 books in 2022, which is surprising because I didn’t read much of anything for the first few months of the year and so, in choosing favourites, I think that what I’m actually saying is ‘these are the books that burrowed their way in, the books that held my attention and made their presence in my life felt’.

So, in no particular order, here are my favourite novels/novellas, poetry collections, short story collections and non-fiction titles of 2022!

*These are Blackwells affiliate links but, of course, buy/ borrow read however you choose!

Novellas/ Short Novels (under 200 pages)

Foster by Claire Keegan. One of my final reads of the year and I think I saved one of the best for last. The final scene of this short story still comes to mind every now and again and I’m still so touched by it.

Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter. The style of this one is quite unusual which makes me think people will either love it or not quite gel with it, however, the descriptions of grief and how it feels to love someone who is no longer here would move the hardest of hearts.

Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks. First published in 1954 and published for the first time in the UK in 2022, this coming of age novel- poet Gwendolyn Brook’s one and only- is told in a series of vignettes about titular character Maud Martha, a Black girl/ woman in 1940s-1950s America. Lyrical and compelling are the first words that come to mind when I think of this one.

Blue by Emmelie Prophete (translated by Tina Kover). The online ratings don’t do this book justice. It’s stunningly written, beautifully poetic but quite dense so I can imagine it might a be a tricky one for some to get to grips with. I just loved the writing and felt entirely swept away by it.

Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro (translated by Frances Riddle). I loved this book so much: mothers and daughters, illness, physical and mental decline, ageing, carer burden and women- in particular their bodies and who dictates what they get to do with them. A brilliant novel.

Novels

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo. There is much to love about this novel but the way Ayanna Lloyd Banwo speaks of family, death and grief is just so stunningly rich. A 2022 favourite debut and one I’d highly recommend.

Tomorrow I Become A Woman by Aiwanose Odafen. A novel about societal demands and expectations of women and the ways in which a level of perfection, submissiveness and acceptance is demanded. My other favourite 2022 debut and it’s one you’ll want to have on your radar if it isn’t already.

The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta. Colonialism, womanhood, motherhood, the burdens placed on women (once again) and how insidiously these can destroy lives. One of the most miserable, infuriating books I’ve read this year (up there with Tomorrow I Become A Woman) and I loved every word of it.

The Fat Lady Sings by Jacqueline Roy. The stories of two Black women whose paths cross in a London psychiatric hospital. I read this and immediately went in search of other books by the author and that should tell you everything you need to know. Fortunately her latest novel, The Gosling Girl was published in 2022 and, even better, it went into the Waterstones sale so I’m all set.

The Street by Ann Petry. Gosh, this was a good one. The story of a young woman: Black, female, poor, attractive and a single mother, and the street in which she resides. I don’t need to tell you how it can’t possibly end well but the story itself and the way it is told makes it so worth reading. Some confusion last month meant that I was all ready to read it only to realise that I didn’t actually own a copy (don’t ask…) so much love to my book twin Aisha ( @aishathebibliophile ) for gifting me one when she realised what I’d done. She knew I’d love it and she was right.

Non-Fiction

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. This ~100 page essay is a scathing indictment of British colonialism, the Antiguan government, the tourism industry and the tourists themselves. Kincaid did not hold back for a second. Speaking of Jamaica Kincaid, if you’ve ever wanted to read her work, I’d definitely encourage you to read along with

Reading Jamaica Kincaid

- I'm definitely planning to do so.

Cockroaches & The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga (translated by Jordan Stump). These are two separate works but I read them consecutively so they’re very much intertwined for me, as are the themes. Both memoirs tell of Mukasonga’s experience of growing up as a Tutsi in Hutu-dominated Rwanda. Whilst Cockroaches considers this experience more generally, The Barefoot Woman focuses more on Mukasonga’s mother, a woman who fought for her children’s safety amidst persecution and the increasing threat of death. Both books illustrate how genocide doesn’t just occur- it is a project, often many years long, however, despite the harrowing reality, these books are also filled with life and love.

Head Above Water by Shahd Alshammari. A truly powerful, intimate look at the experience of living with a chronic illness as an Arab woman (Shahd Alshammari lives with multiple sclerosis) but also women’s bodies more generally. This is a book about life, loss and also love and it is so worthy of your attention.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb. I listened to this one via audiobook which doesn’t always work for me but with this memoir it really did. Lori Gottlieb invites readers into a difficult time in her life and her experience of therapy, while also introducing readers into the lives of some of her own patients. Difficult experiences beautifully rendered.

Short Story Collections

Something Strange Like Hunger/ Blood Feast by Malika Moustadraf (translated by Alice Guthrie). This collection written by Moroccan author and now cult feminist icon, Malika Moustadraf was published posthumously and, whilst it is such a shame that she didn’t receive her flowers while she was alive, I am glad these stories are now available to readers of English. Moustadraf boldly addressed taboo topics (sex work, hymen surgery, rape, abuse, and various societal injustices) with an awareness of just how dangerous the silence around these matters are. The translators note is also a must-read if you are to properly understand the stories and gain a greater appreciation of the collection.

Alligator & Other Stories by Dima Alzayat. These stories are, ultimately, about displacement and otherness. The central titular story, ‘Alligator’ is the most complex and demanding of the collection but also the most powerful. Dima Alzayat uses a range of real and imagined sources to portray the story of a Syrian couple who were murdered by the state and this story, along with the others in the collection, demonstrate what a remarkable storyteller she is.

Phoenix Fled by Attia Hosain. Twelve stories about life in India in the mid-twentieth century- pre-partition but on the cusp of it. If you like stories that are brought to life not so much by huge events, but more so by human interaction, conversation, and behaviour this is one for you. Like many of my favourite short story collections, these are character driven stories where the Attia Hosain hones in on these small, every day intimate moments in the lives of children, servants, Muslims, Hindus and others- creating entire dramas around them and making them grand in the process.

Poetry

Obit by Victoria Chang. I have several collections I’ve been dipping in and out of but of the few I finished last year, Obit is the one that stands out. The poet explores her experience of grief following her mother’s death and her father’s diagnosis of dementia, as well as her experience of motherhood. It’s striking, honest, poignant and, as you’d expect, sad too. I imagine I’ll be revisiting this one for some time and discovering lines anew each time.

Did you discover any new favourite books last year? Do you have any reading goals for this year? If you feel like sharing, I’d really love to know!

Reads & Reveries