It’s been a slow year in reading for me, but I did reach the goal I had set for myself at the start of the year and I did try new genres, so let’s say it was slow, but productive.
As I mentioned in my previous post, after a slump, I found myself gravitating towards different books than usual, so I read more non-fiction, comics and graphic novels. I finally got to read some books that had been on my TBR list for a while and in the end, most of the books I read throughout the year were not sci-fi or thrillers. I had set myself a goal of 15 books for the year and I ended up reading 20. Here’s a look at what my year in books looked like.
One of the first books I read was Doors: Der Beginn by Markus Heitz. At some point during 2021 I heard of a series of books that immediately drew my attention, a kind of “choose your own adventure” series. After the first book, which serves as an introduction to the story, the reader is presented with three possible options, in this case doors, each being a different book that continues the story.
As good as the idea sounds, it was not exactly what I expected. The story is really good and enjoyable, however I was expecting each book to contain their own storyline with no connection to the others. The book I chose, Door X – Dämmerung, featured some glimpses into scenes from the other books too, which was cool, but for me took away some of the appeal to read the other options.
Since I only read one of the three possible options, I can’t say for sure if the stories happen simultaneously and intertwine for brief moments or if there is indeed completely different storylines on each of them. I will probably revisit this series soon because I really enjoyed it and I do want to know more about what happens on the other books.
Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle was the first graphic novel I read this year and probably the one that really got me into this type of books. I was familiar with this author’s work from Instagram and had wanted to give this a try since it was released. This book did not disappoint, I enjoyed every page of it and if anyone hasn’t tried graphic novels, this is one that I would definitely recommend. It’s funny and relatable. It just makes for a nice, cozy read that makes you see the most common day to day life situations from a different point of view and helps you see the humour in the simplest of things.
The highlight of my year in books was probably No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox. I already talked about how much I enjoyed this book on a previous post, but I had to mention it again because it really stayed with me. After reading some of his previous books, it was refreshing to read this one where he talks a bit more about some tough challenges he faced and how he sometimes struggled to keep the optimism he’s known for. I appreciate Michael J. Fox so much for sharing his story in such a relatable, down-to-earth way. His optimism is really contagious through his books.
Another book I want to mention, and my last read of 2022, is one that I had had on my TBR list for quite a few years now. What If? by Randall Munroe.
In a way this was the perfect book to wrap-up the year since it mixed a lot of the genres I had been reading throughout it. This a non-fiction book with humour, illustrations and since the author is giving “Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions”, I can say there is also some sci-fi elements blending in.
I will admit not a lot of books can make me actually laugh out loud, but this one did. It also made me learn a whole bunch of things I never thought I would. I really couldn’t recommend this enough.
There has been a follow-up to this book released this year, so when I heard that was happening, I knew I had to finally read this one. Now I can’t wait to see what other questions are answered on the second book.
Honestly I could have written a very long post talking about every book I read this year because I enjoyed all of them. Yes, even the one that I found infuriating.
I am still not sure what my next year in books will look like. I will probably keep reading more graphic novels, especially during the first few months given that most of my reading for that part of the year will consist of study materials for a big exam. I am hoping to continue reading the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wellls and Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn is definitely one of the books I will read as soon as possible.
As I write this, I haven’t decided on my goal for the year yet, but I will probably keep it low. One book a month sounds good and if I end up reading more, that’s always good. I am definitely looking forward to my upcoming reads and I will keep posting here on a probably highly irregular schedule, as is now tradition. Happy new year everyone! Hope 2023 is full of great books to read.
The Melody In Words 
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