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Stephen King and Sally Rooney books next to each other on a shelf.

First 5 Months of Reading in 2022

May 13, 2022

As an avid reader, I am here to breakdown my last 5 months of reading into two categories: the 5 worst and the 5 best reads of 2022. This list is not including the books I never finished (example: They Both Die at the End) because frankly those ones are not even worth your time.

The 5 Best:

  1. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: ★★★★★

I will never stop raving about this book. It was absolutely amazing from the plot to the insight to the writing- everything was perfect and pulled at the right heartstrings. I was not able to put it down, I laughed and cried and felt so deeply for the main character. Everything about this book is amazing and a must read. 

  1. Normal People by Sally Rooney: ★★★★★

One of my favorite books of all time, it is the perfect combination of witty, blunt, and intellectual. Rooney has a special ability to make you really feel for her characters, despite their flaws. Marianne and Connell both mess up an insane amount, but they’re so lovable at the same time. The growth of them both and the development of their relationship makes the book worth the read. Everything about this book is amazing, but the writing style makes it a little difficult to process- that is make or break for some people. Technically, this book was not originally on my list of 2022 reads, but I did reread it twice to get out of a reading slump because I love it so much. There was no way it could not be on the list. 

3.Verity by Colleen Hoover: ★★★★☆

The only reason I deducted a point was because of the ending. The ending to this book frustrates me beyond belief, it was like Hoover was setting up for a second book that she never planned on writing. As the story progresses, it becomes clearer that Hoover has never written a thriller before and that it is out of her comfort zone. Despite all of that, the book is incredible. It keeps you on your toes, and you never really know what is going to happen next. But again, the ending will plague you with questions and frustration. 

  1. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster: ★★★★☆

The commentary that this book made on society and womanhood in 19th century Europe was introspective and so fun to read about. Forster finds a wonderful balance between honesty and propriety, and it shows the beauty of words and wisdom in the truth. Despite the characters being unlikable, they felt so real and human. The way Forster writes makes the characters interesting and fun to read about, even though you aren’t rooting for any of them. 

  1. Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: ★★★★☆

Overall, I loved this book and the thematic topics it broached. The writing was magnificent, and Wilde does a wonderful job with descriptive language. This book restored my love for classics and got me in the mood to read more. The pacing and the style of the book was unmatched by any other author, and Wilde’s commentary on art, society, and the economy can still be applied to today. Dorian Gray, however, did not feel like the morally gray lead that he was portrayed as. In my eyes, he was more of a villain than that, but I appreciated him nonetheless.

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