In 2022, I read (and finished) a total of 37 books, which was one more than my GR Challenge target. These totalled 10,257 pages, with an average page count of 277, which felt a bit low to me but I did blast through a few novellas and novelettes towards the start of the year that has clearly brought that average down.

This was less than in 2021 and 2020, but I’m not too concerned about that because both of those years were anomalies considering world events and all the extra free time that created as well as a generally hatred of computer screens. As a gamer, that meant my gaming time decreased but I ended up reading way more than I was aiming to. So, 2022 was a return to my +6 rule – where I had 6 to the total challenge number each year in an effort to slowing increase my reading capacity. As such, I’m very pleased with hitting 37/36. It was touch and go as I had a few months were I read or finished absolutely nothing, for one reason or another. All that being said, let’s take a look at some of my favourites and my newly coined, slightly off-piste, awards.

Top Reads of 2022

In no particular order because I honestly can’t choose between some of these amazing books.

• The Kaiju Preservation Society
• Gunmetal Gods
• Consider Phlebas
• The Seep
• Akata Witch
• The Coward
• The Last Gifts of the Universe
• A Touch of Light
• Pallas Lost
• The Bone Shard Daughter
• We Are The Dead
• Of Blood and Fire

2022 Year-in-Review Awards

• Best Debut: A Touch of Light
• Best Bookclub/readalong: We Are the Dead
• Best Creature: Of Blood and Fire
• Best Cover: The Seep
• Book that came closest to making me cry: A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell: (Or, an Account of Catastrophe by Stoudemire McCloud, Demon)
• Book that made me laugh: The Kaiju Preservation Society
• Most impulsive buy (read): Dinosaur Therapy
• Biggest Heart: The Last Gifts of the Universe
• Most effort to get through: Crossings
• Darkest of Grim Scenes: Gunmetal Gods
• Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover: Pallas Lost

Admittedly, there is some heavy crossover between the two lists nevertheless it has been a successful reading year and I am looking forward to 2023. If you want to see my most anticipated releases of the new year, check out my earlier post.