If you're a book lover, you probably have a massive TBR, whether it's of owned books or ones that you eventually want to obtain and read. And if you're anything like me, sometimes books that you're really excited about get pushed to the side, leading them to lounge in the land of the unread for who knows how long. This is why, at the start of the year, I like to make a short list of books that I really want to prioritise throughout the next 12 months.
And so, without further ado, these are the 11 books I'm making it a point to get to in 2022!
1. Becoming by Michelle Obama
I'm pretty sure most people have heard of this book by now, but if you haven't, Becoming is Michelle Obama's autobiography. I've been meaning to pick this up for over a year, because I truly admire Obama. I own a physical copy of this book, but I would really like to read it alongside listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author herself. After listening to The Michelle Obama Podcast, I've realised how soothing her voice is, so I feel like listening along would be a perfect way to experience this book!
2. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure what this one is about. It seems like it's going to be a typical 19th-century novel, in how they can be almost like character studies whilst keeping society as a whole very much in mind. By the title, I'm guessing this one's a literary commentary on vanity.
3. The Refugee by Zoltán Böszörményi (translated by Paul Sohar)
I got this book on my trip to Budapest last September. My travelling tradition is to get a book from each new country I visit, and so when I spotted The Refugee in the House of Terror giftshop, I knew it was the perfect book to commemorate my time in Budapest, and the experience I had exploring the House of Terror itself. I'm unsure whether this is a work of pure fiction or an autobiographical narration, which makes me even more intrigued to read it.
4. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
Yep, you read that right. I'm not ashamed to admit that I adore the Twilight series; granted, I read it a while ago, but it still holds a special place in my heart. So, of course, I just have to read Midnight Sun. I finally got my hands on it in 2021, so I want to make 2022 the year I read it!
5. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Speaking of popular YA series from the early 2010s, I also really want to get to the Hunger Games prequel this year. To be honest with you, I'm scared this book will disappoint me, but after finishing the series in 2020 - I had never gotten round to reading the last book before then - I need to read this so that I can wrap that series up in a blanket and let it live happily in my brain for the rest of time. Unless, of course, this one tragically ruins it for me, so wish me luck!
6. Dracula by Bram Stoker
I wanted to get to this gothic classic last October, but unfortunately I didn't manage it. And for some reason, this book and the next are two that I don't want to read outside of spooky season.
7. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Back in secondary school (which was the equivalent of middle school/high school in Malta back then), I actually read a dramatised version of Frankenstein for English Literature class. I found the story to be really inspiring, and it's really stuck with me, so I want to read the full novel. Hopefully I can get to this in October!
8. Three Sisters by Heather Morris
Now, I know everyone and their mum has probably read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but I haven't read a Heather Morris book so far in my life. And while I acknowledge that that one is probably a must-read, the hype has pretty much scared me because, like, what if I'm the one person on the face of the earth who doesn't like it?? The hype had basically put me off of reading any book by the author, but my fiancé got me Three Sisters for my graduation, and so I do intend to get to it. Maybe I'll fall in love with her storytelling and want to read more from her, who knows?
9. The Promised Land by Barack Obama
What can I say, I kind of really like the Obamas. Not for any political reasons, really, I just think they're inspiring people. So, of course I want to read Barack Obama's book, as well. Not gonna lie, though, this one is kind of intimidating me, because it's more of a political memoir rather than a personal one, but I'm still very much intrigued. My best friend got this for me for my last birthday after I'd been pining for months, and I couldn't be more grateful.
10. The Odyssey by Homer
I wrote my undergrad dissertation on the Penelope myth, specifically focusing on feminist retellings of it. For background research, I read the few parts of The Odyssey that mention her (if you don't know - and after getting confused looks for a whole year I've learned that most people don't - Penelope is Odysseus's wife). So, naturally, because I have very completionist qualities, I want to read it all someday, and why not try to make it happen this year?
11. Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
A few things intrigued me about this book and made me pick it up when I saw it at the bookstore: 1) the cover is beautiful, 2) the 'Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize' logo, and 3) the synopsis mentions "Maltese businessmen". That's all I needed, to be honest.
So those are the 11 books I really really really wanna read in 2022. Of course, there are many more books I want to devour this year, but hopefully this list helps me prioritise a little bit. Or maybe I'll come back to it at the end of the year and realise I've barely ticked any off of the list. Stay tuned to find out!
Oh, and let me know what books you really really really wanna read this year. Write a comment, or tag me on twitter (@bookishcay); I'd love to hear from you!
Casey