Mariel’s 2022 Book List

Five Books I Devoured This Year

Back again with another list of my favorite books — this time from 2022. I didn’t read as much as I would have liked to this year. I kept finding myself stuck on books that weren’t engaging or inspiring me. I did, however, devour the below five books.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I never thought I would be drawn to a book about ice hockey. And while the premises of this book does follow a deep obsession with ice hockey, the story is much bigger. The story centers around a small town that is obsessed with their high school boys ice hockey team. The town doesn’t have much else going for them, and they put all of their hopes and dreams into this team. But when a traumatizing act breaks apart the team, the town is left in disarray, frantically trying to cover up reality. Backman does an incredible job with character development in this book. Unlikely heroes rise up to provide the support that this small town needs to overcome their beliefs and desires. This book brings on a lot of emotions — tears, anger, and hope. I don’t want to say too much, as I don’t want to give a spoiler, but I will say: when women’s stories aren’t believed, we all crumble. Read this book, you won’t regret it.

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

I am a sucker for books like this — a fun, easy read that focuses on a large family through generations. We get to know The Sorenson family, a seemingly perfect, large, loving, dysfunctional family. The parents love each other, more than they could ever love their kids. Their four daughters are acutely aware of this, and thus have forged deep and complicated relationships amongst themselves. When a secret child that one of the daughters had as a teen comes back into the picture, the image of the “perfect” family falls apart.

This book made me happy. I read it over the summer and it was the perfect summer read, light-hearted and real. It’s long — over 500 pages, but it goes by quick. I recommend if you need a book to read on a beach vacation.

Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

Marriage, coming-of-age, infidelity, drugs, music, church, generational divides. All major themes in this book that are told to us through the Hildebrandt Family. They are part of a new-style liberal church in the 70’s. The dad is the pastor and having a bit of a hard time keeping up with all of the young hippies joining the church. We get to know each of the members of the Hildebrandt family as Franzen tells the story from each of their five perspectives. It’s exciting, engaging, and surprising. I love reading books set in the 70’s, and this does not disappoint. The church element is fascinating (especially for me, as I did not grow up in the church), and each member of the family feels the pressure of what they have been taught to follow and uphold from the church. In their own way, each family member is struggling with secrets and on the brink of following apart, while desperately trying to save face. Highly recommend for a long, engaging read.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

An absolutely insane book about a toxic and privileged girl that spends a year sleeping, with the help of a combination of drugs prescribed to her by a crazed psychiatrist. Our narrator is tired with her life (rich, living in a gorgeous apartment in Manhattan, a glamorous job in the art world). Her parents passed away within a few months of each other. Rather than deal with her emotions, she shuts them down with sleep and drugs. The book reads as though you are in the haze and confusion that our narrator is experiencing.

I have read other books by Moshfegh and love them. She writes stories that are grotesque and odd, deliberately confusing and weird, and overall somewhat uncomfortable to read. I love it. Her stories and her writing style are nothing like other authors.

Daddy by Emma Cline

I love Emma Cline! This is a book of short stories, each story leaving the reader a bit lost and wanting more. The stories have an underlying theme of masculinity and male power/relationships. The stories themselves leave a lot for the imagination, with lots of subtlety and nuances. Each story feels as though you have started a movie 45 minutes in and you only watch 3 minutes. A small bite of the bigger picture. I would have loved more from each story, but I guess that is the point of short stories!