2022’s end is rapidly approaching, but today I’m feeling a bit reflective as I prepare for the best season (Fall). Considering I forgot to do a top reads of 2021 post this year, I’m especially excited to do this tag
I found the 6 in 6 tag on Nicole’s blog BookWyrm Knits – and if you aren’t already following her, you should! Books and knitting content for your enjoyment!
The Best Books of 2022 (in the first 6 Months)
The 6 in 6 Meme was created by Jo @ The Book Jotter back in 2012 and is a way to highlight our favorite books read during the first half of the year. I only learned of the meme last week, which is a shame because it’s so cool! Jo shares a list of possible prompts and it is up to the blogger to decide which combination of 6 to use for that year. Here’s how Jo describes Six in Six:
What is it all about? The idea being that as the end of June approaches and we are then halfway through the year, let us share the books we have read in those first 6 months. In fact let’s share 6 books in 6 categories, or if time is of the essence then simply share just 6 books. Whatever combination works for you as long as it involves 6 books. Of course the same book can obviously feature in more than one category
Six in Six: 2022 Edition
I’d read a total of 31 books as of June 30th (and 12 of them were re-reads), so the pool of books is a bit smaller than I’d like to work with but that’s just the way the pages turned in the life of Kal and Her Slump. I’m only doing four prompts this year because of the way my reading has panned out.
Six books I enjoyed the most
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a claustrophobic psychological thriller full of danger and dread, full of atmosphere.
Within these Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood is an Ethopian-inspired reimagining of Jane Eyre that I devoured in one sitting.
Dead End Girls by Wendy Heard is twisty and bonkers and beautiful all rolled into one.
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid made me simply feral with its lush atmosphere and enemies-to-lovers romance.
Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor is what you read whenever you want to punch Mitch McConnell in the face. Eat the rich in the fierce fantasy that not only explores issues of political power and privilege, but also explores identity and the many different kinds of love we all experience.
Devil in the Device by Lora Beth Johnson is the stunning conclusion to the Goddess in the Machine duology with intricate and complete world-building, gripping storytelling, and complex characters you can’t help but adore. [Goddess in the Machine review]
Six new authors to me
Emily Henry: Beach Read gave me a new auto-buy author and a new appreciation for the romance genre. I’ve since devoured her other two romances and I’m anxiously awaiting Happy Place next April!
Becky Chambers: A Prayer for the Wild-Built gave me a love of quiet fiction. I don’t often buy novellas because they tend to be priced high compared to the number of pages, but the Monk and Robot series is an exception because this is now my comfort series.
Emily J. Taylor: Hotel Magnifique was such a magical read! I devoured it in one sitting, staying up way too late.
Rachel Hawkins: Reckless Girls was borrowed from my library on a whim because it sounded cool and was available to read immediately. This was a creepy, dangerous, and twisty thriller!
Caitlin Starling: The Luminous Dead is a book that keeps coming to mind months after reading it.
Lauren Blackwood: Within These Wicked Walls is a masterpiece of gothic fantasy and I can’t wait to read Wildblood next February!
Six Five books I read but not reviewed
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber: this book was fine??? Definitely not as good as the Caraval trilogy and relies too heavily on it to stand on its own. Truly a shame.
Devil in the Device by Lora Beth Johnson: do you ever read a book that is so good and gives you so many thoughts but you don’t have the energy to write the review the book deserves so you get overwhelmed and don’t write the review? Yea, me too. I love this book so much and want to review it so I can scream about it evermore.
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor sometimes you just are swept away by a book and that was me with here. I was coming out of a reading slump and wanted to read, not review!
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle was a library borrow after a friend recommended it. Sadly I remember nothing about it now.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is another victim of the Reviewing Slump.
Six books I re-read
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
The entire Lana Harvey Reaper’s Inc series by Angela Roquet
End Notes
I may be late to the party but there is no bad time to scream about the books that touch you deeply. Be sure to check out the 2022 roundup for all the bloggers taking part this year! I’ll make an effort to post this during July in future years
Let’s discuss in the comments!
💬 What are some of your favorite books of 2022 so far?
💬 Do you agree with my answers?
💬 Do you want to do this meme? Consider yourself tagged!
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This is such a fun idea! I find picking favourites so hard so my mid-year favourites list is gonna be 15 books long haha. And I totally relate to not writing reviews because I have too many thoughts, there are quite a few books that I adored but have no idea how I’m supposed to review them in a way that adequately conveys how much I loved them! It’s an eternal struggle lol
Picking favorites is REALLY hard… unless you don’t read much, then it’s easy lol! But I relate to your eternal struggle for sure!
I also discovered Becky Chambers this year, and I’d love to read her Wayfarers series now😁
I also would love to read Wayfarers sometime soon, Becky’s writing is like a big hug!
Ah what a fun idea, I love it! I need to read Dead End Girls and Goddess in the Machine SO BADLY, both sound so, so good (and t they’re on my tbr because of you, too, ahah). Here’s to more great reads for the second half of 2022! xx
AHHH I hope you’re able to read the books soon and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Hope the past 3 months (omg I fail lol) have been kind to you
The Wolf and the Woodsman has been on my TBR for a while now and I think I’m slowly getting in a mood to read it and I’m really looking forward to it! 🙂
Twice Shy was actually one of my favourites this year, it was just so wholesome and sweet 😀 And Emily Henry’s books are definitely also new favourites and Emily Henry a new auto-buy author!
The Wolf and the Woodsman is such an atmospheric read, perfect for snuggling up with a blanket in winter! I hope you love it if you haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I still need to read Twice Shy, I could use some wholesome these days so maybe soon
I can hardly believe that we are in the latter half of the year, where has the time gone?? I just love Austenesque retellings, so I am definitely going to look into that Within These Wicked Walls. I am glad that these books worked so well for you, I am happy that Emily Henry was such a win for you. I wasn’t a huge fan of it but I know how much Beach Read worked so well for many.
WHERE IS TIME GOING!? It is so wild to me that three months just flew past, and that the year is almost over. I hope you enjoy Within These Wicked Walls when you pick it up!
Dead End Girls sounds good!
It really is, 100% recommend it!
The Wolf and the Woodsman is such a special book. I need to read Hotel Manifique clearly!
Ahhh yes, yes you do! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you pick it up!
Oh this is awesome. I might have to do this even if it will be september haha.
honestly, I support late posts (and blog comment replies)! I hope you did it
Hotel Magnifique is one that’s been on my TBR for a while now, and I’d like to get to it soon. I’m glad to hear that it’s worth the read! The Luminous Dead also has been on my radar for a bit, but the psychological thriller aspect sounds like it would be too much for me at the moment.
On the other hand Becky Chambers is a wonderful option. I’ve read about half her work, and I’m looking forward to savoring the rest of it. I haven’t found other authors who do cozy /quiet science fiction as well as she does.
I need to read more of Becky Chambers’ work, and all the cozy / quiet fiction in my life.
The Luminous Dead definitely could be claustrophobic in a bad way if you’re not in the right mindset. Really good, but I can imagine reading it at the wrong time and not enjoying it as much.
Such a fun post idea! I have Emily Henry on my auto-buy list as well. She’s definitely one of those authors that seems to write relatable and interesting books! 🙂
Emily Henry definitely is an author I know the books will be a good time! I can’t wait for her next release honestly.
I heard great things about The Luminous Dead and will definitely want to try it out someday. My first Becky Chambers is her monk and robot novella and it opened my eyes to the existence of quiet/comfort fiction too. Great post! 😀
Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy The Luminous Dead when you pick it up! I def want more quiet/comfort fiction in my life these days, Becky Chambers is a treasure.
What a great tag! I just finished Within These Wicked Walls and enjoyed it so much. It’s been a while since a YA horror really grabbed a hold of me. Great post!
OMG I’m so happy to hear you also enjoyed Within These Wicked Walls, Alicia! Thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed the post.
I’ve also read my first Emily Henry in PWMOV and it was such a great read!
PWMOV is my favorite, I think! I’ve been wanting to re-read it but I loaned it to a friend lol
This looks like such a fun meme! I need to read Within These Wicked Walls this autumn, I still have my Arc and have been waiting for the perfect time to read it 🥰 I also discovered Emily Henry this year and Beach Read is definitely my favorite book by her ❤️
Have you gotten around to WTWW yet, Caro??? Fall is def the perfect time!
Ugh yes. Once Upon a Broken Heart I feel like it relies too heavily on Caraval and it was truly not… it. The only thing I remember is Jacks, lol.
Jacks is the best thing about the book and even that’s like… mostly if you already loved him from the Caraval trilogy. Such disappointed.
Wow such a great post. I have recently read this book “Fire Becomes Her” This is Young Adult/Fantasy. I liked some parts and Thank you for sharing it.