My (Current) 2022 Reading List
Greetings! This is my first personal post of 2022! I just typed 2021. I’m probably going to say 2021 several times in the video version of this post.
Time is weird and a social construct. Anyway…
Today, I thought it would be fun to talk about my current reading list for 2022. Doing TBRs has never really appealed to me for this channel, even though I tend to enjoy that content from creators I love. It isn’t the sort of thing I want to do regularly, because I have so much else that I want to talk about. However, I think that an annual TBR could be fun! That’s what I’m setting out to do today. In this post, I’ll be talking about all of the books that I plan to read in 2022. Here we go!
Science Fiction
While I’ll be broadening my horizons in 2022, I’m also going to be sticking largely with science fiction and fantasy (particularly the latter, which is my primary genre of choice). I read, watched, and played a lot of science fiction, last year. This was actually part of me broadening my horizons since I’ve always been more of a fantasy fan. This year, I’ve picked out a few science fiction stories that I really want to read.
The Murderbot Diaries
Beginning later this year—July is my target date—I’ll begin reading The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I’ve heard so many good things about this and it sounds like a terrific science fiction story that explores some themes I really appreciate. I’m excited to get into this one, but am also grateful for the break I’ll be taking from science fiction between now and then.
Snow Crash
Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson has been on my reading list for a while, as has the book that I’ll be mentioning after this one. I’m really excited to get into this, as it seems to mix several things that I like. In particular, many have cited this as being a story featuring absurdist humor, which, as you may know, is my favorite kind of humor. But on top of that, it comes highly recommended by many people I like, so I’m eager to start reading it.
Neuromancer
William Gibson’s Neuromancer is one of the earliest recognized Cyberpunk novels, and this is one of the key reasons I want to sit down and read it. Especially since one of the book series I’m working on myself is meant to fall under the Cyberpunk genre, I want to make sure I’m consuming enough works within that genre to do it justice. Neuromancer is a foundational work in this genre and I look forward to enjoying it both as a lover of stories and as a student of them.
Fantasy
That does it for science fiction! As you can see, there’s considerably less science fiction in this list than what I had for last year with the entirety of the Red Rising series. That was a lot of science fiction, especially all at once and in such a short time span, so I’m going to be packing in quite a bit of fantasy to get back into the genre I’ve always loved most. There are a few authors in particular that I’ll be introducing to my shelf, and those are going to be…
Fonda Lee
The very first fantasy series I’ll be reviewing this year is the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee! You may have already noticed those on the shelves behind me in recent videos because this is the series that I’m reading and reviewing next. I’m really excited to get into these and get reviews out. From interviews with Fonda Lee, she seems like such a passionate writer who loves her craft, and that approach to writing tends to leak into the writing itself, which almost always leads to an enjoyable read. I love experiencing a story where the passion of the writer (or writers) shines through, so I can’t wait to dive into Fonda Lee’s world.
John Gwynne
At the moment, most of the fantasy on my list for 2022 is written by John Gwynne, an author I’ve never read, but have heard so much about. Opinions of his books tend to vary among reviewers I tend to align with, so I’m curious about what my own thoughts will be. I’ll be starting with The Faithful and the Fallen, but even if I don’t like that series, I’ll still be giving Shadow of the Gods a chance, as many who didn’t like The Faithful and the Fallen still loved Shadow of the Gods.
Plus, there’s a cute puppy on the cover of Hunger of the Gods, so I’d like to have that on my shelf, thanks.
Joe Abercrombie
Another fantasy author on my list for 2022 is Joe Abercrombie, an author I’ve heard considerable praise for, particularly for the combat, violence, and general darkness of his books that capture such grim themes expertly. I’m stoked to see if his writing lives up to the hype! He has many works out, so if I find myself loving them, I’m sure that I’ll be reading and reviewing quite a few of his works, this year.
Brandon Sanderson
I’ve read a lot of Brandon Sanderson, so this isn’t really an introduction of a new author to my shelf. However, I do want to revisit the Stormlight Archive, as I haven’t read Rhythm of War, yet. My current plan is to reread the story so far and review each of those books, then read Rhythm of War and get a review out for that. I think that this will also be a nice palette cleanser for me, as Sanderson’s books are easy to read (especially a second time).
Outliers
Lastly, I just want to talk about some outlier books that I plan to read, this year. These are books that don’t really fit into either of the categories above, are standalone works, or are just unique and worth mentioning outside of the lists above. I’m trying to branch out and pick up books that aren’t typical for me, and that will be especially true for a couple of the books that I mention in this list. There will likely be several more added to this category throughout the year, but these are the ones that I am currently planning to read in 2022.
Sword of Kaigen
Sword of Kaigen is a work by M. L. Wang, and it has numerous recommendations from various authors and reviewers whose opinions I generally align with, so I’m eager to give it a shot. I haven’t read any works by M. L. Wang, but if I enjoy this book, she has a catalog of other works that I’d love to give a shot! This one came to my attention because it was recommended specifically for people who enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima and hey… that’s me! That’s my new favorite game, ever since I played it last year.
Eleanor & Park
Talk about stark contrast! This one comes out of left field compared to the other books on my 2022 reading list, but it’s part of me trying to make sure I get plenty of different works under my belt. I actually used to love books like this when I was very young, probably between the ages of eleven and thirteen. This book has a slightly older target audience, though not by much! It’s a story about a couple of outcast or misfit kids living in Nebraska in the late eighties. I don’t know much else beyond that, other than that it is very well-loved.
There’s also a film adaption in the works for this book, at least reportedly, so it just seems like good timing to sit down and give it a read.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Another coming-of-age, young adult novel I plan to read this year is The Perks of Being a Wallflower, released in 1999. I honestly know absolutely nothing about this story other than that it is well-loved and has a film adaption (which I have not watched). Beyond that, I just know it’s categorized as coming-of-age. I’m looking forward to reading this one and (hopefully) learning from it!
December
Beginning in December, I’m going to commence a new journey for my content creation when it comes to story reviews. It’s going to be a multi-month project! I’m not totally set on my approach to this just yet, but I’m really excited for what’s coming in late 2022. I won’t go into details on what I’m planning just yet, but I’ll probably make an announcement closer to autumn of this year. Stay tuned for that! I'm really stoked about the direction I'm planning to take my reading and reviewing beginning this December.
Conclusion
I obviously have many other stories I hope to experience and review, this year! For one, I’ll be playing and reviewing Elden Ring. I actually took some time off to work so that I can really sit down and play this game, so expect an in-depth review shortly after its release! On top of that, I have many open slots on my reading list that I plan to fill in time, as I hear about stories or as new releases come to us. One example of a book that's supposed to be released this year is Evan Winter's The Lord of Demons, the third book in The Burning, which I will be purchasing as soon as possible. Last I heard, it's supposed to be out this month. Heck, it may even be out by the time this is posted! You better believe I'll be buying and reading that the instant it's available to me.
Let me know what you think of my 2022 reading list. I can’t wait to get started on some of these. I’m going to dive into Jade City shortly after I’m done filming this video, actually. If there are any of these books that you’ve read and are excited to hear my thoughts on, I’d love to hear from you! Or, if there are stories that I didn’t list here that you think I should consider adding to my 2022 reading list, let me know! There are still a few slots open for me, this year, and I’m undecided on what to put there, so far!
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