Hello Fellow Journeyers,
It is the end of 2022 and what a year it's been! Since starting this blogging journey of reviewing different media and sharing thoughts on book discovery, I find myself at the end of a year that has been the most chaotic since going through my reading renaissance back in 2017.
How'd the year go?
Upon keeping track of my reading during the year, I have surpassed my goal every year I've set one: 51 books read of a goal of 48 in 2021, 46 out of 42 in 2020, 36 out of 26 in 2019, and 22 out of 20 in 2018. This year, I had set a goal to read 50 books and I was on track for meeting it early on...and then we went on vacation in the spring. Everything changed and I struggled with finishing, or even truly getting into, most books since then. After the summer ended up a bust, I decided to lower my goal of 50 book to 40 and I was still behind considerably, so I thought it was still a significant goal. With that adjustment in mind, I was able to attain 40 books this year, which is still something I'm happy with. And for the most part I have been reading a considerable amount of Kindle Unlimited self-published material that has been worthwhile and interesting to embark on.
What's the purpose of sharing this? I want to acknowledge that even if I didn't reach the highest goal I set, sometimes it's worth being okay with the effort and finishing on a high note, an aspect of my life that I don't have much experience with up until this point. This year has tried me in many ways that I was very unprepared for. Fatherhood became real this year in a way that wasn't real when our twins were babies. They are toddlers now. Toddlers are fully complete and erratic people. Right when I thought I had much figured out in handling them, it all changed. "Parenting" is now a thing, not just survival maintenance of two organisms. And for the most part, I fell way short of how I would've liked it to go. But as I reflect on this topic, I'm grateful that I've been given the opportunity to grow, move, and change in order to better myself, and books were a way of doing that, while also providing a much needed sense of separation from the urgent. I don't like when people talk about reading as a form of escape. In my opinion, reading is always a form of learning. Fiction or nonfiction, there are realities and truths you learn from reading that are incredibly helpful. I hope that I've benefitted in that way for the sake of my kids now and in the future.
Alright, enough with the rambling; time to recap the year of 2022 and put a thoughtful period on it. Below are some aspects of my reading journey that I'd like to share.
Unexpectedly Great Reads of 2022
While I may not have read as many books as I would've wanted to this year, I still read many that were surprisingly better than expected. As I will explain in the section after this one, my perception of what constitutes a great read changed this year and the explanation lies in which books I read. These are some of the books that I had low(er) expectations for that were great:
The Bard's Blade by Brian D. Anderson - 5 Stars
I began 2022 with two really impressive books in The Bard's Blade and Dragon Mage. The reason the latter didn't make it onto this list is because I took a long time finishing it and since it was more like what I hoped it would be, it was less of a surprise when it was good. It was more standardly impressive rather than unexpected. The Bard's Blade caught me off guard because it was just such a fun, different type of adventure than so many fantasy stories that are told; it was a great comfort read, which is uncommon in this genre. It was not what I expected and exactly what I wanted at the same time. It's a simple fantasy story about two people who will go to great lengths to fight for their relationship when forces work against them and it feels a little like Pride and Prejudice, but with more action and magic.
Stones of Light by Zack Argyle - 4.5 Stars
Zack Argyle's second book in the Threadlight trilogy (his debut series) is included and not the first book, Voice of War, because it's an incredible sequel that came out of nowhere. The first was an admirable, if not a little clunky, first entry. It is a worthy first book, but it didn't impress as much as fulfill a potential that was enjoyable and fun. For the sequel, Argyle perfected his writing dynamic and it made me an official fan of the series. I hadn't realized how emotionally invested I had become, but I was incredibly hooked in the latter half of the book and it was an exciting ride to the end. While I haven't finished the trilogy (yet), I have high expectations that the third will be even better and will close out the series in a great and awesome way.
The Ember Child by Anthony Mitchell - 4.5 Stars
This book simply had no right to be as good as it was. This was a book that reminded me of the love of reading in that I found myself always wanting to pick it up when I had a spare moment. I don't think any of the other books on this list did that for me. The story was entirely engrossing and dynamic in a way that fit the exact thing I read books for, growth and strong characters. While I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was lengthy. This was a 986 page book, even though it normally didn't feel lengthy. I am eagerly anticipating the next entry in the Godsbane Trilogy. For being a first book, and a huge one at that, Anthony Mitchell has something special on his hands.
Fireborne by Rosaria Munda - 5 Stars
This beginning entry surprised me because it is a YA book and I seldom have time or patience for anything in that category. What hooked me from the summary was how the author was interested in taking the ideas from Plato's Republic and writing a story around them. What surprised me about this one was how real, relatable, and flawed the characters felt in this story. I was simply captured by the two main characters and they didn't act like "stupid teenagers," but rather immature young people that use their brains, but still struggle to behave in logical ways. Basically, they're young people, and there is no sense of disrespect from the author when it comes to narrating these individuals. I hope to finish this trilogy next year and Munda has my full confidence that she'll complete this trilogy in a satisfying finale.
Godless Lands by Sean Crow - 4.5 Stars
Godless Lands. Wow, this one really shocked me because it was similar to The Ember Child in the same vein that it had no right to be as good as it was. This was a self-published book, in a post-apocalyptic scenario (in the fantasy genre) with multiple POV characters, and written at 240 pages. 😳 Like, these circumstances rarely ever turn out well. Fortunately, Crow masterfully tells a small-scale story with real impact and drama that you feel and experience. This reminds me of why I love post-apocalyptic stories (even when I've read very few good ones) and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm very eagerly anticipating the sequel, Wrath of a Hungry God.
How has my reading evolved in 2022?
Historically, I've held a very high and rigid sense of analyzing books that I've clung to since this blog's origination. If a book did not check off all the adequate boxes (emotional resonance, sound plot, smooth progression, adequate suspense, etc.), it was not worthy of a true 5 Star rating. But, after deeply reflecting on this tension of what deserves the highest praise possible and what does not, I discovered that my narrow view had widened unexpectedly.
Expectations play an important role in figuring out how to rank the quality of a book. But overall I believe I've adjusted my view that the only books that deserve a 5 Star rating are the ones that change my life. I simply no longer believe this is true. If anything, I just believe that there should be a second category in which to place life-altering books in or maybe a "personally affected" concept that certain books speak to readers in a way that was significant.
When finishing books like The Bard's Blade, Fireborne, or in the recent past, The Broken Sword, I've discovered this feeling that I have felt completely satisfied and unable to find anything that I had a problem with in the confines of storytelling. I simply enjoyed the story as much as could be and thought it was amazing. Do 5 Star stories have to speak to me on a deeper level to make them 5 Stars? No. I think my main reason for believing this is due to the fact that nonfiction literature can speak to me on a deeper level without being 5 Star reads, so why would great stories HAVE to speak to me on a deeper level for them to be worth the highest praise? For me, this newfound knowledge and insight was beneficial and liberating.
This all can be wrapped up in a simple reminder that I'm glad I read. I'm happy that reading is something that gives as much as it requires me to give. I feel closer to getting ready to write again in a creative sense and this year felt important in moving closer to my goal. I hope this has been an enjoyable discourse to embark on and thanks for reading! I also hope that the end of this year finds you well and wish you good things for the year to come.
Cheers!