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2022 End of the Year Wrap-Up
I am so excited to be back from my hiatus! It was a much needed break and I am happy to announce that I have finished my 3rd semester of college and was able to spend more time with friends and family.
2022 was certainly a year of growth for me. I really grew into my responsibilities and I could not be more proud of myself. Not only was I productive in self care this year but also in reading. My Goodreads reading goal this year was 40 compared to last year’s goal of 29. I was also able to complete my goal this year and read a total of 40 books! This makes me very excited, last year my goal was far less and I wasn’t able to complete it so I am extra proud of the progress I have made. Another goal I had this year was to not re-read as many books and make myself branch out into new territories, I was also able to do that, only re-reading 4 books.
I will not be going in depth for many of these books as I have given reviews for many on Goodreads or they have made it onto this blog already. I'm going to keep my comments on what I read this year brief unless there is something special I want to mention. As always, full thoughts (during and after reading) are on Goodreads, so if you want to know more about what I thought, check there or DM me (here or on Instagram @Jooniens )
(also note before reading, on Goodreads I will round up my scores accordingly hence why you will see a difference in ratings!)
No more waiting, here are all of the books I read in 2022!
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
I love Hendrix’s work but his other novels definitely outshine this one.
3.5/5 Stars
Gumiho by Kat Cho
A little over dramatic for my taste, an interesting concept though.
3/5 Stars
Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2018 Re-read)
Just reaffirmed my love for this series, full thoughts on Goodreads.
5/5 Stars
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Fairly unmemorable, I enjoyed reading it.
3/5 Stars
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
An instant favorite.
5/5 Stars
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Not my favorite book by this author but enjoyable and memorable.
3/5 Stars
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philya
An excellent collection of short stories that touched my heart.
4/5 Stars
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
A quick and easy read, not my favorite book by this author.
3/5 Stars
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
A surprisingly good read that kept my drives to work interesting.
3.5/5 Stars
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
A touching book that sticks with me to this day. A favorite to come out of YA.
4.5/5 Stars
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
An excellent and action packed sequel to Mistborn.
4.5/5 Stars
I Kissed Sarah Wheeler by Casey Mcquiston
I think Mcquiston should stick to Adult novels, it doesn't compete with other YA on the market.
2.5/5 Stars
American Panda by Gloria Chao
A cute coming of age story. Enjoyable but not exactly unique.
3.5/5 Stars
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A very disappointing book for a Pulitzer Prize winner. Full thoughts on Goodreads
2.5/5 Stars
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
A super cute summer read. Not the height of literature but fun to read.
2.5/5 Stars
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Such a fun concept with an unlikable main character.
3/5 Stars
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The hype got to this one for me but I still loved reading it.
4.5/5 Stars
Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
The Worst of The Year. I hated this book.
1/5 Stars
First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel
A cute romance book, super formulaic but enjoyable.
3/5 Stars
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
My second Jenny Han book, I liked it a lot more than TSITP.
4/5 Stars
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A truly excellent novel. One of my favorites of the year.
5/5 Stars
Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher
A trash romance book, not much else to say.
2/5 Stars
The Grace Year by Kim Ligget
A book that I wasn’t expecting to like nearly as much as I did.
4.5/5 Stars
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
This is THE murder mystery. This sets the standard.
5/5 Stars
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Awful thriller. Like what the hell was this.
1.5/5 Stars
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
You all know how I feel about these books.
3/5 Stars
Furyborn by Claire Legrand (2020 Re-read)
This was technically a re-read but I remembered nothing about it and I am so thankful for that.
5/5 Stars
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
A solid sequel but I much prefer the first book.
4/5 Stars
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
A really good conclusion to the series. I have complaints but y’all know them.
3.5/5 Stars
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
This is certainly one of the books of all time. I liked the first one better.
3.5/5 Stars
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
This was a massive book. Not just in terms of size but also in content. An instant classic.
5/5 Stars
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
I went into this book with no expectations and it was an okay read.
2.5/5 Stars
The Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
This is another case where the hype really got to me for this book, wish I would have read it earlier.
3/5 Stars
Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
Entertaining and worth the read, especially in October.
4/5 Stars
Flame in the Mist by Renée Adhieh (2nd time re-reading)
My favorite comfort book.
4/5 Stars
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Not what I was expecting to read but I absolutely loved this book.
4.5/5
Ink by Amanda Sun
Showed me just how much my reading taste has changed.
1.5/5 stars
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
OMG did I love this book. It instantly became a favorite of all time
5/5 Stars
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Maurin
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to lovers of enemies to lovers.
3.75/5 Stars
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
An amazing sequel, this series is becoming a favorite.
4/5 stars
Now for some re-caps:
My Favorites of 2022:
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
My Worst Reads of 2022:
Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Ink by Amanda Sun
Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher
I am so happy to be back doing this blog. I truly missed this and I hope y’all did too. I only have one goal for 2023 and that is to finish all of these series that I started this year. Unfortunately, I won’t be posting a January TBR as I’m currently traveling but I will be bringing back the Mid-Month reading update and will be making one for January.
I’m happy to be back and I can’t wait for the new year.
Much love,
June <3
Hello reader friends!
Going to be completely honest, this was supposed to go up Sunday. I had drafted out the post but it never made its way to be published (I didn't like it). So here we are.
As of this post I have completed 2 books this month. That feels a little underwhelming but I have been in a bit of a reading slump and I'm ahead on my Goodreads reading challenge so I am allowing myself to relax a bit. I'm actually drafting this at work and I'm certain that I will be picking up a new read tonight (most likely Jade City by Fonda Lee) but we shall see once the wrap up comes around.
Because I'm not currently reading something, I knew this post was going to be a bit short so I thought I would add something that I find interesting, Goodreads shelves. I love looking through other peoples shelves, it gives me a glimpse of their personality. Every Goodreads account has 2 shelves 'want to read' and 'read'. Users can add onto these allowing them to organize their shelves further.
Along with the two shelves that every Goodreads account has, I have 5 personalized shelves:
Emma Approved Romance:
This shelf is pretty self explanatory. If I enjoyed the romance in the book, it made its way onto this list. This list is not exclusive to romance books as there are plenty of non-romance included on this shelf. That being said, not all of the books on here I particularly enjoyed. If the romance didn't make me want to vomit, its probably on this shelf.
Made Me Cry Shelf:
Another shelf that is pretty self explanatory. If a book made me cry it makes its way onto this shelf. Many of these were just sad character deaths although one was out of pure frustration with a character.
Trash in a Bad Way:
These books sucked. No sugar coating, no "well..." I simply did not like these books. I have a grand total of 5 books on here so if you made it onto this shelf, go sit in time out and think about what you did.
Trash in a Good Way:
These books also sucked but I had fun while reading them. A lot of this shelf contains old books that I read as a younger teen/child that I revisited later in adulthood. They could also be books that even though the writing style was bad, I enjoyed the plot and characters.
Truly Excellent:
These books were the ones that had me on the floor. They were so good that 5 stars wasn't quite enough to describe them. What is also called the "6 star shelf" contains some of my favorite books of all time.
While my descriptions aren't super concise hopefully they will make more sense to those just perusing my Goodreads page (although I doubt people do that).
I will update you guys when it comes time for the October Wrap-Up (that feels wrong to say, where did this year go?).
Much Love,
June <3
Hello reader babes!
Despite what the weather tries to tell me, it is full on fall. My house is full of pumpkin spice scent and my closet has been restocked of my favorite, cozy sweaters.
I'm super excited for October and like any other normal person, I save all of my horror/thriller books for this season. To be honest, after reading the chunky book that was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson I have felt a bit of reading slump coming on and while I am ahead of my reading goal, I don't want to start falling behind.
No more rambling, let's get into my reading plans this coming month.
When I first saw this book I was immediately intrigued because it reminded me of a book that I read as a child called Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn. I love the concept of a spooky, haunted amusement park. I have seen quite a few mixed reviews but when it comes to thriller/horror books I am easily entertained.
According to Goodreads, I read this some July 2-3 years ago but I don't think I actually finished it (I didn't realize how to properly shelf things at the time). But now that I have more understanding of fantasy under my belt and more of a grip on V.E. Schwab's writing style I think I will be able to actually enjoy the story this time around.
I remember when this book first came out and everyone was losing it. Yet, a couple of years later I hardly hear anyone talk about it. I know that with the release of the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix that any of Bardugo's work has taken the back burner while the Grishaverse runs its course on booktok. I don't know much about this book other than it contains a murder mystery (I think). It all seems very dark academia and I love it.
I've seen this book pop up multiple times in the vlogs that I have seen from the booktubers that I like and honestly their reactions are enough to have me interested in the book. Small confession; One of my biggest fears is parasites. I hate them all and they all creep me out so it makes sense that this book would rightfully terrify me. I'm going to try and brave through it and hopefully I'm not a wimp and it will make it's way onto my October Wrap-Up.
I absolutely adore Chloe Gong as a person so it is a mystery as to why I haven't read this yet. I have started this multiple times and each time I have been intrigued especially with the beginning scenes and the idea of a scary monster terrorizing 1920's Shanghai? Wonderful and it sounds so spooky and a perfect autumn read.
While this isn't a concise list of all of the things that I want to read in October I think it really provides a snippet of what my reading mood is for this month. Hopefully this new schedule will work for all of you lovely readers and I'm working on bring you guys more content . Side Note: I'm working on getting a YouTube Channel set up so that I can hopefully reach a wider audience and bring more bookish content into this world.
Anyways, I'll check in with you guys on my Mid-Month reading check in and I hope you are all enjoying your fall reading.
Much Love,
June <3
See? I told you that I would post today. I'm actually working on setting up a YouTube reading/writing vlog as I write this. However, in my July Wrap-up, I said what a great month July was for me in the reading scope and it really was, August has a lot in store for me and I can't wait to see how it goes for me. This month I go back to school and I'll have to balance all of that stuff with my job and other fun adult things. Reading will get done and with the line-up, for this month I think it will be hard for me to keep my hands off of these books.
This book is not my typical read at all. I picked it up at a Barnes and Noble and while scrolling through Libby it was available so I guess the universe just wants me to read this book right now. Fresh off of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, this seems like a fun thriller/mystery that will keep me on my toes (not to mention that cover is gorgeous)!
As mentioned in the little blurb right above this, I just finished A Good Girl's Guide to murder and that book entirely swept me off my feet. Needless to say, I am dying to get my hands on that second book and as soon as I get my paycheck this week I know what I am getting. I'm still not entirely sure how the first book leads into a series but at this point, I am so in love with the characters that I am dying to read this book.
So earlier this year I absolutely fell in love with this series. I read Mistborn in late may(?) and it was the first book in a while to make me hardcore sob. I love these characters and I love Brandon Sanderson's writing with all of my heart. I took a little break after reading the second book in this series because I simply don't want this series to end. However, I think now is the time and I am ready to finally close the series and dive into other Sanderson books.
I read Boyfriend Material early in 2020 and I absolutely adored it. It was a SUPER cute and quick read and I've been desperately waiting for this novel to come out since I found out. I am trying to branch out of my fantasy comfort zone this year and so far I am doing excellent. I am wanting to read more thrillers and more romance and while this may thrill me it is more of a romance. Needless to say, I just can't wait to read this on a cool night in August with some tea.
If you saw this title and got excited, don't get too hyped up. I read the first book in this series (Furyborn) a while ago and I'm not sure how much of it I remember (other than I really enjoyed it). While I am dying to finish up this series, I might need to re-read the first novel before I dive into the second book, or at least use Cliffnotes.
While this certainly isn't a concise list of everything I want to read this month, these are the titles I picked out of my TBR list on Goodreads (maybe I should do a total TBR blog/video...we shall see). This list may morph and change as the month goes on and my schedule gets a little more intense, but I have big hopes for this month in regards to reading.
Much Love,
June <3
Hello and welcome to the blog! This will be both a tag and an introduction to me and my reading style/taste. If I don’t have an answer specific to this year, I will substitute it with a general answer.
As of June 26th, I have read 18 books this year. According to Goodreads that is still 1 book behind schedule (I’m never good enough for you am I Goodreads?) Despite Goodreads attempting to gaslight me, I am very proud of my reading progress this year and I can’t wait to share it with you!
BTW: My Goodreads account will be linked at the end of this post.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Best book you have read so far in 2022?
Definitely Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. It was my first Sanderson book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a lot more developed than other fantasy books that I have previously read.
Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022?
Well, I have only read one sequel in 2022 (more to come) and that was Well of Ascension, the second book in the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. This book felt mostly like filler but the last 100-150 pages were a whirlwind that I thoroughly enjoyed.
New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?
There are two that come to mind, one being Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. I’ve been anxiously waiting for this release and when it was finally released I couldn’t find it ANYWHERE! Now I can find it but other books just catch my interest first.
Most anticipated release for the second half of 2022?
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have absolutely loved everything I have read by Reid, she is such a talented author and I can’t wait to read another one of her books. I’m not the biggest fan of the cover (and honestly if the UK version is better I may just wait for it) but I’m nevertheless excited.
Biggest Disappointment?
A full review for this is going to be on my Goodreads (It does contain spoilers so beware) but my biggest disappointment was All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. For being a Pulitzer Prize winner, I had high expectations for this book that it did not meet, again my full review is on Goodreads.
Biggest Surprise?
My biggest surprise this year was American Panda by Gloria Chao. It wasn’t the best thing I have ever read by any means but it was pleasantly surprising and a comforting read.
New Favorite Author?
Brandon Sanderson by far. Ever since I have finished Mistborn I have wanted to start the Stormlight Archive.
Newest Fictional Crush?
KELSIER FROM MISTBORN!!!! I love that man with my entire heart.
Newest Favorite Character?
Kelsier(Mistborn), Vin(Mistborn), Gansey(The Raven Cycle), Darius (Darius the Great Is Not Okay).
Book That Made You Cry?
Ladies, Gentlemen, Theydies, and anyone else, take another shot for Mistborn by Branson Sanderson.
Book that made you happy?
Dumplin’, American Panda, Darius the Great Is Not Okay, and Scythe (My only re-read this year).
Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation you have seen so far this year?
I’m bending the rules on this and I’m just going to say which adaptation I am most excited about which is The Summer I Turned Pretty Amazon Prime original series. The book is not a literary work of genius but it was a comforting read and I hope the show will provide that same level of comfort.
Favorite Review you have written this year?
I’m new to the review game but the only review I have written this year that was in-depth was for All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. My tone was critical in it and possibly a bit rude but I was really upset after I had finished it. I might need to go review that soon....
Most beautiful book you bought this year?
I was on a book-buying ban for most of the year but I have to say it is a tie between Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Honorable mention goes to (you guessed it) Mistborn and Well of Ascension. The artist did such an amazing job on those covers.
What books do you really need to read by the end of the year?
I have so many that I want to read this year. Up on the list is Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, The Unhoneymooners, The Poppy War and These Violent Delights.
This concludes the tag! I want to thank you so much for reading and I hope you stick around for the next half of the year!
Much Love,
June <3
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/87465579-emma