Half Year Reading Check In 2022

I can't believe 2022 is already half way over. 

I always like to take inventory of my reading list mid-year to see where I would like to go from here. 

I have read 41 books so far, well on my way toward my goal of 75 books. 
Of those, thirteen books were 5-star reads. 
Those are the books I want to share with you. 

*In the picture above,
the books you see that are backwards
represent ebooks & audiobooks that I read on my phone.

Anne of Windy Poplars: {book} by L.M. Montgomery
This book is the fourth in the Anne of Green Gables series (following Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, and Anne of the Island) and follows Anne to her first teaching job.  She rents a room from two old aunties and the descriptions in this book were some of my favorite. Cold weather, warm fires and an unlikely friendship with the little girl next door all made this one of my favorite of the series. 

Pictures of Hollis Woods: {book} by Patricia Reilly Giff
This YA novel about a girl who has been in more foster homes than she can count is such a fantastic read aloud.  I read it to my boys at bedtime for a few weeks, and we all loved it. It is realistic, without being too depressing, and in the end was an uplifting novel about unconditional love.

365 Days to Alaska: {audio} by Cathy Carr
This one popped up on Hoopla and it caught me with its title.  It was a sweet, fast, YA read (listen) that was really enjoyable. It's about the cutest little girl who grew up in the bush and has to make a big move (from Alaska to the east coast!) and all the adjustments that come with that. It's a coming of age with a character you can't help but cheer for and relate to. And if you love Alaska, that's just an added bonus. 

A Long Walk To Water: {book} by Linda Sue Park
I read this book aloud to the boys as well, and we were all riveted.  It is the true story of a boy who grew up in Sudan in 1985, alternating with a girl living in Sudan in 2008.  The girl has to walk two hours (there, and back!) to get water everyday. Twice. It was a great lesson in gratitude for my boys want for nothing. The boy survives attacks from armed rebels as well as lions, and eventually his story intersects with the girls in a way that still warms my heart. 

Station Eleven: {audio} by Emily St. John Mandel 
This was my second time reading Station Eleven, and it was just as good the second time.  I was inspired to read it again after watching the TV adaptation on HBO. It was so good, I didn't want it to end. But, per usual, the book was/is better than the movie (series) by a long shot. 
If you haven't heard of Station Eleven, it takes place in a post-apocalyptic time and follows a girl who is part of a traveling group of actors.  The story weaves time and characters together and is so good on audio. 

Wild At Heart: {book} by K.A. Tucker
Wild At Heart is another book for Alaska lovers.  It's the sequel to The Simple Wild which is my favorite Alaska book ever. In this book the main characters move to a slightly less remote town in Alaska and Calla has to adjust to life away from her hometown of Toronto, in the woods with without her beloved Jonah who is gone too much for her liking flying planes. Sweet, realistic love story set in rural Alaska.  So well written. 

What My Bones Know: {audio} by Stephanie Foo
Stephanie Foo's book is such a fascinating look at Complex PTSD, which I only learned about in the last year. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) happens when trauma happens continuously over the course of years in a person's life. Her journey through her abuse and then abandonment by her parents, followed by approaching some of the foremost researchers on the topic, teaches all of us about what is known of C-PTSD and how to cope with/survive it. A disturbing, but provocative and vulnerable memoir about one woman's desire to overcome her past in order to have a brighter future. 

Obsessed: {book} by Allison Britz
This memoir of a teen's struggle with OCD is heart wrenching.  The struggles she faces as she navigates her illness alone is at times hard to read.  She's embarrassed of her thoughts as well as her compulsions, so she doesn't open up to anyone. Just reading it was so inspiring.  She made it through high school with these challenges.  What an amazing girl. 

The List of Things That Will Not Change: {audio} by Rebecca Stead
In this YA book, Bea's parents get divorced, which, obviously, rocks her world.  So she starts a list of things that will never change: like her parents both loving her. That said, there is a lot of change happening in poor Bea's life, and this book follows her journey. Specifically as her dad marries his new husband and Bea gets a stepsister. Such a sweet story, so real and relatable for young people (and even adults)!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January: {book} by Alix Harrow
I opened this book and feel like I didn't close it until it was finished. This was a book club pick, which I loved, and while it isn't for everyone, I really enjoyed the flowery writing. Basically the main character, a little girl named January, who is raised by her father's benevolent boss, discovers doors that open into other worlds, and this sends her on a quest to discover her parents' story.  There are twists and turns and lovely characters, and I highly recommend this one!

Larger Than Life: {ebook} by Jodi Picoult
This mini e-book is a prequel to Jodi Picoult's Leaving Time and I might even love it more than Leaving Time. It's about an elephant researcher named Alice and the orphaned baby elephant she finds and wants to help.  The setting is so beautiful and well described. Love this one!!

Meg & Jo: {book} by Virginia Kantra
This was another re-read that I loved.  It's a retelling of Little Women, focusing on Meg & Jo, and it's so relatable.  Meg is married, has her twins, and is trying to keep her children, her husband and her mom & sisters happy.  Not surprisingly, she finds herself burning out.  Whereas Jo is trying to make a living as a chef in the big city, but is actually finding her blog to be what makes her successful.  This causes her love life to crash and burn which is not what she wanted!  It's such a fun retelling. 

The Unsinkable Greta James: {book} by Jennifer E. Smith
I had seen this one all over Bookstagram, but what made me want to pick it up was the reel that @readwithkat made. I had no idea that its setting was a cruise in Alaska.  That sealed the deal for me. 
While Greta's mom was always her biggest fan, her dad keeps waiting for her to settle into a regular 9-5 job that's more respectable and dependable than her band.  I loved the descriptions of Alaska, and I love also the realistic the tension between her and her dad is. Such a good read!

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What have been your best reads so far in 2022?
What are you still looking forward to reading?

Let me know!