Booklist 2022

Every year I do a booklist and it is the highlight of my year. This is what I read in 2022. Shoutout - as always to Brittany Beacham for her help.

A Wedding In Provence, by Katie Fforde

This was a very fluffy airport purchase that I made just before I left England on my last business trip. I am entering a season of indulging in novels and this kicked it off nicely.

Dear Dolly, by Dolly Alderton

I had to look up what the term “agony aunt” meant, but let me tell you - there is nothing more fascinating than reading one’s response to total strangers writing in for advice. I found this hilarious, dubious, and tender all at once. Oh to be human, in all of its glorious frailty and care.

The Messy Lives of Book People, by Phaedra Patrick 

This was a beautiful novel on how the disappearance of one novelist midwifes the becoming of another. A gorgeous ode to how belief in our own capacity can change the course of our life.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham, by Claudia Gray

This was a delightful reunion of all my favourite Austen characters, infused with modern lens. There is nothing more delicious than recognizing details that only a reader of Jane Austen would recognize, all while trying to solve a murder!

We Are Still Here: Afghan Women on Courage, Freedom, and the Fight to Be Heard, by Margaret Atwood and Nahid Shahalimi

This book was Jiven’s gift to me from a business trip to Ottawa and made my entire week. I read it mostly in airports, cried often, and have since lent it out many times over. The resilience and care that these women have put into transforming both their past and their present is a reality that should - that must - change the world.

Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History, by Kati Marton

Have you ever wondered how much impact that the women, the partners behind the global leaders we see everyday, have? This incredibly well researched book reveals the profound impact that each of the American presidential wives had on not only their husband’s character, but their careers.

The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - the Truth and the Toil, by Tina Brown

I cannot tell you why, but this book had me transfixed. I was on the waitlist for months, and it came in from the library at exactly the same time that the Meghan and Harry documentary was released. Tina Brown is a consummate editor, a peer of the royal family, and a seasoned writer, but I have to confess, so many of the details were in such direct contradiction to the documentary, I have no idea who/what to believe!

State of Terror, by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton

I enjoyed this mystery immensely. It was fast-paced, excellently written, and I chuckled at all the very thinly veiled references to how odious the character that was clearly meant to represent Trump was.

Sex Cult Nun, by Faith Jones

I have no idea how some people have the capacity to reflect with compassion on their childhoods or emerge as whole as they do, but nevertheless, this book on the “People of God” cult survivor was something that gave me a profound chill as it stared down the  capacity humanity has for evil, while simultaneously embracing hope for the existence of truth and resilience within each of us.

Call Us What We Carry, by Amanda Gorman

I think I will always love this poet. She had gorgeous excerpts of writing that I think I will carry with me all my live-long days.

The Last Garden in England, by Julia Kelly

My dad is a gardener and my sister a florist, so I very much appreciated the weaving together of a story that illuminates love and loss via what was and what continues to flourish from the ground.

Run Towards the Danger, by Sarah Polley

This book illuminated two things for me. The first being that I need to pay far more attention to Canadian filmmakers etc. The second is that I will never allow any future child of mine to be in film. 

The Vacationers, by Emma Straub

This was a fascinating novel on the multiple perspectives that one can have within the unique ecosystem that is a nuclear family. How people see one another; how people have the capacity to recover after betrayal; how people break away etc. I will happily read the rest of Straub’s novels after this!

The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness, by Gregory Boyle

I am a sucker for this priest's tenderness. I wish we all could encounter him. I don’t think -  I KNOW - there would be so much less brokenness in the world if we could. His perspective towards our capacity for love and healing in the most gorgeous and rich way will always renew my love for Jesus.

I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet, by Shauna Niequist

Shauna Niequist was both more and less honest than I expected her to be in this book. I was curious what the daughter of the former Willow Creek pastor would have to say post-scandal. I can only imagine the price of being caught up in the whirlwind that is today’s media cycle and what appears to be her complicated family story. I so appreciated her reflections on making life anew, the pandemic, menopause, and walking.

The German Heiress, by Anika Scott

I think novels - at their best - help extend our capacity for empathy and to imagine a different world. This piece, written from the perspective of a German citizen, taken in by her father’s manipulative way in the world, presented a unique way of understanding how post-war Germany may have been for its citizens. 

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, by Balli Kaur Jaswal

If I ever met this author, I would give her a hug. Her capacity to humanize familial relationship with humour and imagination and to bring to life the complexities of Indian culture translated into this day and age are a gift. 

The Vanity Fair Diaries, by Tina Brown 

Tina Brown strikes again. hen I struggled with insomnia this summer, I found myself fascinated with the pages of her diary, baffled by how many names and voices from the 80’s are dictating the way our world runs.

The Last Dress from Paris, by Jade Beer

A beautiful reflection on the power of clothing to hold and shape history. 

Our Woman in Moscow, by Beatriz Williams

I first saw this book on my friend Laura’s shelf. She in turn was reading it because our mutual friend Bethany had recommended it - the power of the novel to bring us together. I loved reading this - it helps me understand how modern day “spooks” can get drawn into whole lives in which they are willing to sacrifice everything for their ideology, and perhaps even their country.

These Impossible Things, by Salma El-Wardany

The single best novel I read this year - the reflections of three best friends, Muslim British women, who must navigate the complexities of love, religion, gender, and family in modern day England. Inter-generational sacrifice, fear, dreams, and love of all kinds just pours out of these pages. I saw myself in this novel more than I would like to say, but I remain so glad it was my companion on a train ride to Rome. 

Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, by Bill Browder

I am a HUGE Bill Brouder fan, and I cannot thank Jiven enough for buying this for me as a gift on our anniversary - oh to be known and loved! It is crazy what Russia has been able to get away with for years undetected! I read this for a follow up to Red Notice. We flew this book out to Cambridge for my elderly aunt and uncle who are obsessed. She still keeps it featured in her home and asks “When did you meet Bill again?”

The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah

I blame my friend Brittany completely for my new-found love of Kristen Hannah novels. This one was a reflection on the dust bowl and the power of female courage to literally love their children into a new reality.

Modern Lovers, by Emma Straub

Another delightful, if unmemorable, novel. The perfect antidote to this year.

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle 

I have had his book quoted at me so many times (and remain fuzzy on whether I read it as a child), and found so many truths in it - about courage, kindness, and the untrammeled power of forgiveness.

Winter Garden, by Kristin Hannah

Ok, this one I really blame Brittany for. I ignored her and everyone else on the train home from Montreal, and definitely stayed up until 3am reading this. I know her Auntie Sylvia has had to suffer to finish this epic as well! A reflection on the sacrifices of war, the power of family, and the mystery of Russia! 

The No-Show, by Beth O’Leary

Is there anything better than a Beth O’Leary novel? The answer is NO! I ordered this one to my English family’s house. I finished it in days and then have a distinct memory of lugging it to Northern Ireland for my friend Emily to read. It was then flown home, lent to a family member, and finally left on a Greek cruise ship for another unsuspecting stranger to gobble up. As always, a unique storyline that doesn’t end in the way you anticipate!

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson

Poor Emily is always telling me to read books, and I am always ignoring her until exactly the right time - and THIS was exactly the right time! I took this book to Sweden while on a business trip and gosh isn’t it just the thing?? This is also the book that helped me fall in love with a group of women running Persephone books in Bath - long live the independent woman (read: bookseller)!

The Lost Girls of Paris, by Pam Jenoff

Honestly? I can’t remember this one either, but I know it was good enough to carry me through the blurry edges of a year from hell!

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin 

Breaking news - just found out that this is a film and am going to watch it! It was lent to me to take to Hawaii - approved by Emily on the request of Jiven - to ensure that it was a “happy” book and gosh it made my heart smile. A bookshop, a love story, and the recapturing of belonging!

Whole Hearted Faith, Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu

I didn’t know if I would be able to get through this book without crying, but reading this last piece by Rachel Held Evans before her death, lovingly brought to completion by her friend Jeff, was just the gift I needed. I want to be known as someone who lived with wholehearted faith.

The Light We Lost, by Jill Santopolo

Another one that I read on the edges of grief, thus a bit blurry in memory, but I remember it lulled me into a deep sleep in Hawaii!

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, by Suleika Jaouad 

One of the most gorgeous books to be published - a story of a life that I continue to champion. How is it when we wake up between the world of the well and the sick? Who are we when we have a before and after? What are all the messy details that don’t fit neatly into the boxes set before us?

Astonish Me, by Maggie Shipstead 

I found the undertone to this book to be heartbreaking and disturbing…probably not unlike the life of those who are thrust into the spotlight too young. The ravages of the world of ballet, sometimes a little too close for comfort for those I love, features prominently in this much lauded novel.

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life, by Julianna Margulies  

‘The Good Wife’ was the first TV show I made it all the way through as a young adult, mostly in Ottawa. Imagine my surprise all these years later to learn about the incredibly challenging but moving childhood/life story of its main actress. I emerged inspired, refreshed, and ever a fan!

The Beautiful Possible, by Amy Gottlieb

This was the second best book I read this year. The prose, the aphorisms, the poetry, the love - it’s unconventional, and to some, probably almost bordering on sacrilegious - but I would read it again in a heartbeat because for me, I found God between its pages.

Our Darkest Night, by Jennifer Robson

Another fuzzy one - are you sensing a theme of this year? But I remember falling in love with the Italian people again and remembering how much ordinary citizens did to try and stem the tide of the axis powers.

Oh William!, by Elizabeth Strout

I loved the cover of this one, and while the writing was exquisite, there was a tone of sadness that I couldn’t quite shake while reading this unique story of a woman and her ex-husband - still inextricably bound to one another. 

The Naked Don’t Fear the Water, by Matthieu Aikins

Ok -  this may be tied for the best book. A memoir written by a Canadian journalist who goes underground to write about the Afghani refugee experience. Part reportage, part philosophical and existential reflection, part coming of age - this is a book for the ages.

Just Kids, by Patti Smith

My colleague Peter used to rave about Patti Smith in a way that I just couldn’t quite understand, and now - all these years later - I think that her writing is sacred and holy in a way that I can’t quite put my finger on. I’m so glad that I arrived at her exactly when I needed her most.