The 25 Books I Read Last Year
And what I thought about them
With just one day to spare, I hit my goal of 25 books for 2022, which is the most books I’ve ever read in one year. Five years ago, I probably read one book in a year, so we’re making progress here.
To get myself back into the groove with reading, a few years ago I gave myself the very attainable goal of reading five books in a year. I made the groundbreaking realization that the key to getting yourself to sit down to read was simply to find books that you actually want to read — not books that you felt like you should be reading or books that everyone else seems to be enjoying. If you don’t like a book, you’re going to stop making time to read it, so move on.
After reading five, I pushed my goal to 15 and then 20 and then 25. With all of the TV and movies I watch, I have a feeling I’m at my ceiling in terms of the number of books I can fit into a calendar year, so my goal for 2023 is to read 26 books — just one more than last year.
See below for my thoughts on each of the books I read in 2022. First up for 2023 are Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod, Spare by Prince Harry (duh) and Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Find me on Good Reads for more!
On The Line by Serena Williams
I’d owned Serena’s memoir since it came out in 2009, but I’d never read it. I decided to finally read it at the beginning of what I figured could be the GOAT’s final year on tour and right after I’d seen “King Richard.” First of all, if you never saw that film, watch it. Secondly, Serena’s memoir isn’t life changing and came over a decade before the end of her career, so I’m looking forward to the day she writes another one. In the meantime, this provided some great firsthand details on her childhood and early years on tour some of which, even as a lifelong super fan, I didn’t know.
Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon
Before I started this thriller, I had no idea that it look place in my hometown of Georgetown in D.C. … but I digress. It’s about a man who gets assaulted while visiting a gay bathhouse and keeps the whole thing a secret from his husband. It’s entertaining enough, but didn’t keep me on my toes as much as I’d hoped (I liked Yes, Daddy better).
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
Absolutely adored this one. Katie’s storytelling has such a nice pace to it and her writing so beautiful and singular. It’s a first-person book about a translator in The Hague and the various entanglements that affect her life while living in a new country.
Chaos Theory: Finding Meaning in The Madness, One Bad Decision at a Time by Leah McSweeney
Leah was able to touch on her colorful life during her two seasons on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City,” but she has the space to really dive deep in this book, which I interviewed her about on my podcast (listen to our chat here). I really appreciated her candor, and I think reading Chaos Theory will give all “RHONY” fans a better appreciation for what she’s been through in her life.
The Royal We by Heather Cocks
I flew through this book based loosely on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship, with the biggest difference being that the protagonist here is American. But she does have a spotlight-hungry sister, and she still meets her prince charming in university. It’s a really fun romp, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
Heartstopper (Vol. 1-4) by Alice Oseman
Admittedly, I didn’t know about Heartstopper before the trailer for the Netflix show came out. But, once I saw it, I knew I wanted to get through Alice’s graphic novels that serve as the basis for the show before the show came out. They’ve earnest and heartwarming and cute, and you can read each of them in one sitting. Highly recommend both the show and the books.
How Do I Un-Remember This? Unfortunate True Stories by Danny Pellegrino
This collection of stories from podcaster Danny Pellegrino’s life growing up as a gay kid in the Midwest is funny and charming and relatable. I loved every second of it.
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Discovering Dolly’s writing was one of the most rewarding parts of 2022 for me. I started with her first novel, and it was one of those reading experiences where you’re reading feelings you didn’t know you even had put into words. She is so deft at capturing the Millennial experience, and this book left me hungry for more writing from her.
Start Without Me by Gary Janetti
Gary’s follow-up to the fantastic Do You Mind If I Cancel? featuring more hilarious, self-deprecating essays telling stories from throughout his colorful life. A really fun read.
Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School by Kendra James
Kendra is the first Black legacy student to graduate from elite boarding school Taft, and her tales from her time there are incredibly eye-opening. She recalls a lot of tougher moments while also leaving plenty of room for humor and introspection.
Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell
Amy gave us thee biography about the most influential woman in fashion, and I learned so, so much from it. She didn’t get direct access to Anna Wintour but, once Anna found out that Amy was writing the book, she sent her a list of close people in her life that had been cleared for her to talk to for it. Without her blessing, people would’ve been too scared to go on the record about Anna. What emerges is an illuminating portrait of a complicated and powerful woman and the extent to which she impacts not just fashion but culture at large.
True Biz by Sara Nović
Other than the ending, which didn’t pack as much punch as I’d wanted it to, Sara’s novel about students and teachers at a school for the deaf was a really enjoyable read. I also learned a lot about the intricacies of the deaf community, and it really hammers home the ways in which our society is shamefully not built with disabled people in mind.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
I’m so glad I read this one before I turned 30 in August, particularly because the book ends with an incredible chapter outlining Dolly’s thoughts on the age, learning from her twenties and the mixed feelings about entering a new decade. The book is a memoir full is funny, relatable tales about her twenties in London, and I was absolutely obsessed with it. There was a Peacock series based on the book that came out in the back half of the year that wasn’t as good as the book, but it was still cute and worth the watch if you’ve read this one.
Just By Looking At Him by Ryan O’Connell
I loved Ryan O’Connell’s two-season Netflix show, “Special,” so I was really excited for his first novel. It’s about a gay man with cerebral palsy writing for TV, living in L.A. and struggling with addiction and acceptance. I laughed out loud while reading this one, and Ryan includes so many little relatable details about life as a gay man in the 21st century. It’s being adapted for the big screen starring Ryan and Jim Parsons, produced by Greg Berlanti. One of my favorites of the year.
The Club by Ellery Lloyd
This murder mystery that takes place at a Soho House-esque private members club for the ultra elite was the perfect beach read while on vacation with my family this summer. One of the authors (Ellery Lloyd is a pseudonym for a couple that writes together) used to work at Soho House, so the details about how the staff operates were just as fascinating to me as the plot itself.
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
I was late to this one, but I’m so glad I read it. Such an effective, affecting book that jumps between the stories of three different real women. I love Lisa’s writing style. The adaptation of it, a Showtime series starring Shailene Woodley, comes out later this year.
Miss Memory Lane: A Memoir by Colton Haynes
I don’t have much skin in the game when it comes to the actor Colton Haynes, but I was nonetheless excited to read his memoir. It was heralded as a brutally honest account of a gay man trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood as everyone around him encouraged him to remain closeted to achieve success, and that’s exactly it was. He’s extremely frank about coming from nothing, using his good looks to get ahead, his struggles with addiction and finding himself in the industry. I flew through this in two days.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Finally jumped into this one after recommendations from my brother and dad. It follows an author slash professor who steals an inventive, unpublished book plot from a late student, gets rich and famous from it and then starts to get blackmailed for publishing it under his name. The titular plot slowly gets revealed throughout the book and, before you have time to even think of it, it ends with a huge twist. Highly recommend.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Just as affecting as everyone said it was going to be. This book was fucking hard to get for a few weeks at the end of this summer, and I nabbed it at an independent book store in Chicago while there for a wedding and prompting flew through it. Jennette’s writing style is so approachable, and it’s so impressive how she can bring so much levity to such dark topics, detailing her abusive relationship with her mother while taking us through her career as a child star.
Tears of My Mother: The Legacy of My Nigerian Upbringing by Wendy Osefo
Similarly to Leah McSweeney’s book, “Real Housewives of Potomac” star Wendy Osefo’s memoir colors in a lot of the lines in the picture that “RHOP” has painted of her. She’s had a fascinating life so far, and fans of “Potomac” who still don’t quite understand her should definitely give this one a read. I also interviewed her about the book — listen to that here.
School Days by Jonathan Galassi
This one didn’t grab me as much as I wanted it to. It jumps back and forth between the ‘70s and current day as a student-turned-teacher at a New England prep school looks back past events with a new outlook on life.
Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello
Another one I wanted to read before seeing the adaptation. An incredibly emotional and funny book detailing a devastating diagnosis given to Michael’s partner and the year that follows before his death. He gives us flashbacks to their relationship pre-diagnosis that makes “the hero’s” ultimate fate that much more heartbreaking.