#best books of 2022

[useless-catalanfacts]

The British newspaper The Guardian has included When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà as one of the best books of 2022. (The book was originally published in the Catalan language in 2019, but the English translation was published now in 2022.)

The book was also selected as one of the best fiction new books for adults by the New York Public Library.

[You can read the full article by The Guardian here and download all 3 pages of recommendations by the NY library here.]

This is a great achievement, even more so taking into account that the English-language publishing industry is very closed in itself and books from other languages have a hard time getting attention in English-speaking countries.

The book (originally titled Canto jo i la muntanya balla) has also been translated to other languages including Spanish, Italian, French, Galician, Basque, Hungarian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Lithuanian, Danish, Portuguese, Dutch, Arabic, German, Greek, Korean, Polish, Romanian.

Enhorabona, Irene!

#canto jo i la muntanya balla #irene solà #literatura #arts #books #reading #book recommendations #bookblr #books and reading #library #translation #catalan #european literature #literature #pyrenees #best books of the year #best books of 2022 #2022

[goliath1357]

Top 10 Books Read in 2022

#you died: anthology of the afterlife #you died #pachinko #when women were dragons #the five #dead silence #the bridge #project hail mary #I’m glad my mom died #what my bones know #confessions #book #books #best books of 2022 #best books of the year #favorite books

[collegeofloredropout]

Just read a short story that changed my entire view of myself and the world, and I’m supposed to just??? Keep living my life!?!

#the six deaths of the saint #alix e. harrow #into shadow collection #books #short story #novella #fantasy #best books of 2022

[poetic-gays]

My Top 10 Books of 2022

(in no particular order, all 4 or 5 stars. This doesn’t count novellas, plays, comics, or rereads. It’s strictly books I’ve read for the first time in 2022. I’ve also limited myself to one book per series.)

⁃ The Bronzed Beasts

⁃ The Atlas Six

⁃ These Violent Delights

⁃ Last Night at the Telegraph Club

⁃ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

⁃ I Kissed Shara Wheeler

⁃The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

- Ace of Spades

- Parable of the Talents

- Self Made Boys

#top 10 books #best books of 2022 #2022 reads #2022 books #reader #readers #readers of tumblr #bookblr #book #books #book tumblr #lgbt books #booktok #booktok books #the bronzed beasts #the atlas six #these violent delights #last night at the telegraph club #the seven husbands of evelyn hugo #i kissed shara wheeler #the invisible life of addie larue #ace of spades #parable of the talents #self made boys

[mfred]

🌟Mfred's Best Books of 2022🌟

Comfort Me with Apples by Cathrynne M. Valente

Original Review

It’s a fairy tale retold, a myth re-examined. It’s a mystery, a thriller, and a horror story. But it’s so much more, too. I was mesmerized - trying to understand what was going on, then understanding too much, with a dawning sense of horror at how it would all end.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne

Original Review

This book put me through the wringer, you guys. I came out the other end definitely dehydrated from crying so much, but also filled to the brim with love and life.

Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk

Sapphic. Urban Fantasy. Noir. Do I need to say more? OK, I will anyway! Chicago in the winter. Dames smoking Chesterfields and hunting serial killers. Underground queer nightclubs. And magic! And a swoony romance!

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Original Review

Don’t be fooled, Benji is really turning into a monster. White pulls no punches. Bloody, gruesome, and terrifying. It’s so queer, so righteously angry, so necessarily vengeful. But it also holds a place for the tenderness and hope we all need to truly survive.

Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall

A spooky and super creepy Halloween read, especially for a children’s book! Plus, the power of friendship, loyalty, and believing in yourself.

The Mind and the Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches by Daniel Bergner

Challenges the science behind mental illness and standard pharmaceutical treatments. At once eye-opening, engrossing, and also emotional.

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow

Lucky you! If you didn’t read the first in this series, you now get to read both amazing books! This time we see what happens when the Evil Queen wants a better ending to her story. And also what it means to survive a happy ending.

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

Original Review

I loved Myles. I loved his struggle. Every time Taylor did or said something, his heart clenched or he got sweaty or he desperately wanted to kiss her. He’s big, he’s tattooed, he’s unshaven and rides a motorcycle and he is a total dummy about his emotions. It’s great.

Paper Girls, Vols 1-6 by Brian K. Vaughn, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, & Jared K. Fletcher

Friendship! Time travel! The 1980s! A war between teenagers vs. grownups! This graphic novel series has it all. And the artwork is amazing. 

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

Ok, how do you feel about The Bachelor? Cryptids? Horrifically funny violence? This book is so weird and also so, so amazing. 

Runaway Girl by Tessa Bailey

A poor little rich girl who really isn’t and a bear of a man dealing with unimaginable loss. Slow burn but awesome tension and chemistry throughout. Plus, the emotional wallop of falling in love. Everything good about romance novels.  

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Original Review

Amazing. A novel about anger, trauma, families, romance, trusting others, and werewolves. It really takes a good, hard look at why and when and how and how often we get angry– and how we treat others and ourselves when we rage. The werewolf metaphor is grrrreat (see what I did there?) for examining what it means to be an angry woman, in/out of control. 

We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper

Original Review

It took me almost two months to finish this book. But it wasn’t boring or slow. In fact, for such a lengthy book, it’s a real page turner. And it’s a fascinating blend of true crime, non fiction and memoir– how Cooper finds her own voice in the story of Jane Britton’s murder.

#best of 2022 #best books of 2022 #hell followed with us #comfort me with apples #such sharp teeth #thirteens #my killer vacation #runaway girl #patricia wants to cuddle #paper girls #a mirror mended #the mind and the moon #the duke with the dragon tattoo #we keep the dead close #book reviews #even though I knew the end

[highfunctioningflailgirl]

My favorite books (and audiobooks) 2022

ID: “Lancelot” by Giles Christian

An epic retelling of the story of Lancelot - the most tragic figure of the King Arthur saga. The first half of the book focuses on his youth and upbringing as a warrior on a remote island where he meets Guinevere when they’re still both kids. In the second half, we get to see him as a fully grown knight, his friendship with Arthur and his fatal love for Guinevere.

It’s a beautiful, patient, sometimes gritty and sometimes poetic novel that culminates in a heroic and tragic showdown. Its only flaw is a rushed last quarter, as if the author needed to squeeze too much story into the last 200 pages. Maybe this should’ve been a two-parter instead?

ID: “Die Diplomatin” by Lucy Fricke

A wry, cynical novel on the privileges, grey areas and limits of diplomacy. We follow a German consul from her peaceful post in Uruguay to a much less serene post in Istanbul where politics are in a fragile, incendiary state. And managing a crisis turns out to be the most disillusioning affair our protagonist has ever faced.

A very contemporary, very apropos little novel that’s written with a glimmering scalpel.

ID: “The Darkness Outside Us” by Eliot Schrefer

I almost dnf’ed this one after eye rolling my way through the first hour of teenager-y gays-in-space. But then my jaw began to drop as this YA sci-fi took a very dark turn.

Two young astronauts from enemy countries, stuck on a spaceship together, band together against insurmountable odds, and if you read this you won’t see coming what’s gonna hit you. The most surprising, wrecking read I’ve raced through in a long time. And the audiobook narrator is really, really good.

ID: “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers

A tea-monk and a robot become BFFs on an ecotopian moon. That’s it. That’s the plot. An uplifting, touching and heartwarming read that both brought me to tears and gave me so much comfort.

“What do humans need?” That is the big question this quietly philosophical little Solarpunk story revolves around. And there are no simple answers.

Becky Chambers single-handedly invented “cozy sci-fi”, and I am so grateful she did! Part two, “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy”, is just as good, btw.

ID: “Anna” by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Full immersion into Russian history, culture and geography in the early 1800s is what you’ll get from this underestimated historical romance novel.

We follow English governess Anna from Paris to Russia where she’s in the employment of the very attractive (and very married) Count Kirov.

Surprisingly, their love story isn’t what’s so beautiful about this book - it’s Russia herself, her landscape, culture and many different people. Anna spends time in glittering St. Petersburg, in majestic Moscow, but also in the wild Caucasian mountains. We meet Tartars, Kosaks and Mongols; counts, peasants, horsemen and warriors. We learn about Russian folklore and superstition, about traditions and rituals.

It was an eerie experience to read this book while Putin invaded the Ukraine, but what happened IRL also made “Anna” an even more valuable read. Parts of the story take place in what’s now the Ukraine, in Kiew. Back then, it was the other way around from what we’re seeing today: Napoleon invaded Russia, and Moscow became a victim of fire and flame. “Anna” taught me quite a bit of history I’d never learned in school.

In the end, “Anna” is a beautiful, sweeping saga from which I emerged reluctantly and wistfully, wanting more.

(Fair warning: the edition I read was obviously a reprint and riddled with printing errors to a degree that sometimes made it hard to read. Such negligence puts a really good novel to shame which it really doesn’t deserve. So please check which copy/edition you’re getting if you want to read this!)

Special shout-out to @hobbeshalftail3469 who recommended this book to @vgriffindor who then gave it to me as a gift!)

Your turn, bookish people! What were your favorites of 2022?!

#my reading #best books of the year #best books of 2022 #best audiobooks of 2022 #my favorite books #lancelot #a psalm for the wild built #giles christian #becky chambers #die diplomatin #lucy fricke #eliot schrefer #the darkness outside us #anna #cynthia harrod-eagles

[itsthegameilike]

Best Books of 2022

And I’m back again with another list of books that I think everyone should read. Or, at least, books I think are halfway decent given the other books I’ve read this year. To be fair, it was a better year than I thought. Anyway, without further ado, the best ten books I read, plus some honorable mentions:

Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir In full disclosure, I knew this book would be on my list before I even read it and I was not disproven in that assumption by the time I finished. Hands down, the best book I read this year and it’s not even that close. Books tend to take me a lot longer to finish as I get older, but this one took me two days. Obviously, if you haven’t read Gideon the Ninth or Harrow the Ninth, you should, but this odd little sequel was probably my favorite one yet. Nona is such a refreshing character--a bombshell of light and love and curiosity--and it is as queer as ever. Bonus, if you have a soft spot for Camilla or Palamedes, as I do, you got blessed this book.

In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado I actually read far more nonfiction this year than I usually do, thanks to getting burnt out on fantasy, my staple. This book is the best of the bunch and absolutely incredible. The writing is poignant and lovely and careful and the topic of domestic abuse is tackled by an author who is invested in making you understand what they went through. It’s personal, it’s internal, and it broke me more than once. Definitely worth looking up trigger warnings, but also definitely worth reading.

The Half Life of Valery K - Natasha Pulley If Natasha Pulley publishes a book, it goes on this list. I have an unending love and devotion for the romances and relationships she crafts. There is such a tenderness and solitude and loneliness to all of them that always punches me straight in the gut. I love her and I am very biased, but this book was as incredible as always. Bonus points, you learn quite a bit about nuclear reactors and nuclear poisoning, too. Not her most realistic and probably not her best, but I still love it to bits.

The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov This is a Russian novel from the 1940s that I think is best described by saying that the devil shows up in Moscow and wreaks absolute havoc. It is bizarre and mythic and surrealist, but it is also heartfelt and an utter joy to read. I was never bored, the characters were five parts humorous and five parts relatable, and I still regularly think about the magician show scene on a daily basis.

Clear Light of Day - Anita Desai This book is in many ways indescribable for me. I read it in August, when the days were hot, and the book felt exactly like those long summer afternoons. It cast a sort of spell over me and I would often sit and read twenty pages, then sit and think about them for forty-five minutes. It’s a deep dive into the decay of a country and the decay of a family and their relationships and an exploration of the choices we make in life, how they alter it, and how often we sit and imagine what would’ve happened if we chose differently.

Time is a Mother - Ocean Vuong My one book of a poetry and another that I was positive would end up on this list. Ocean has been a wordsmith rock of mine since college and he did not disappoint in this collection. I highly recommend “The Last Dinosaur” and “Almost Human”. If you read nothing else, read those.

Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind - Alan Jacobs If there was a required reading list for anyone who would like to approach what they read with critical thinking skills, this would be on it. This book is a manifesto to the grays of the world, a sort of rejoicing in how nothing is black and white, and I felt so refreshed reading it. There are also so many great book recommendations in here, including Clear Light of Day already on this list, so it has alternate functions, as well. This book gave me hope, to be honest, so if you need that, look no further.

Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao Man, this book. It is like an electric shock to the system. There is so much good here that even the occasionally clunky dialogue means nothing to me. The characters are stunning, there is really excellent polyamory the way I wish more media would display it, there’s Chinese myth, and big metal monsters smashing the patriarchy. The end had a twist that was actually shocking and I cannot wait for the second book. I’ve mostly outgrown young adult at this point, but please read this one, even if you feel the same.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess - Sue Lynn Tan This book was breathtaking. It feels lush when you’re reading it, the descriptions so well done, and I was so swept up in the setting, in the plot, in the pleasant, warm reminders of other Chinese dramas it gave me, that I hardly minded the naivete of the main character, Xingyin. The love triangle isn’t unbearable, as there are clear, obvious breaks with the love interests when she is romantically interested in the other, and Xingyin grows into something just as bold and beautiful as the book. One caveat, I also read the sequel this year and I kind of wish I hadn’t. It’s not nearly as good and I sort of wish this had been a standalone experience for me.

Crying in H Mart - Michelle Zauner I read this at the very start of the year, so I don’t remember everything, but I do remember that this book was profoundly sad, deeply meaningful, and heartbreakingly lovely. Nothing is held back by the author as she explores her relationship with her mother and the grief that came with her death. I would recommend this to anyone at any time for any reason. It’s that good.

Honorable Mentions: The Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun, The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, Deathless by Catherynne M Valente, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, and The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novak

#best books of 2022 #nona the ninth #in the dream house #the half life of valery k #the master and margarita #clear light of day #time is a mother #breaking bread with the dead #iron widow #daughter of the moon goddess #crying in h mart

[sarahmaclean]

True story...

22 years ago, I took the train from Providence, RI to NYC to interview for a job in Publishing.

I had a morning train in and an evening train out and I spent most of the time before and after the interview hanging out at the 42nd Street branch of the New York Public Library. I even got pooped on by a pigeon while sitting on the steps by Patience (or was it Fortitude?).

So when @nypl announced it's Best Books of the Year list today, it meant a whole lot that 22 years later...the library is still with me on my weird, winding journey...and that we're joined by some of my favorite books of the year. Check the link and fill your TBR!

#Best Romance of 2022 #Best Books of 2022

[princessofbookaholics]

#books #booklr #book #reading #read #bookworm #reads #bookaholic #bookaddict #2022 reads #5 star reads #5 star reads of 2022 #best books #best books of 2022 #best books of the year

[brightbeautifulthings]

Happy New Year, lovelies! These are the best books I read in 2022. (Many of them didn’t actually come out this year, and I don’t count rereads.) I read and fell in love with a lot of graphic novels this year, along with a lot of my usual horror! I participated in two challenges for Forgotten YA Gems (now on Discord!): the Annual Reading Challenge and the Summer Bingo Challenge. I also did a horror challenge for Books in the Freezer and participated in a group readalong of The Pale King by David Foster Wallace at the DFW Discord.

I also kept to my blogging goals of participating in at least one prompt for Tell Me Something Tuesday and posting one Readalike each month! It was a much better blogging year for me than the last, and it's been nice to enjoy reading and reviewing again. For now, I'm not setting my goals any higher in the hopes that it stays fun!

My favorite books of the year, in order of category and then favorite:

YA: Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall The Wicker King by K. Ancrum Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Adult: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning The Whisper Man by Alex North

Graphic Novels: Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction Captain America: Winter Soldier, Ultimate Collection by Ed Brubaker Castaway In Dimension Z, Book One by Rick Remender Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell Runaways, Vol. 2: Best Friends Forever by Rainbow Rowell Winter Soldier: The Complete Collection by Ed Brubaker Hellblazer, Vol. 1: Original Sins by Jamie Delano

Fanfiction: Not Easily Conquered by dropdeaddream & WhatAreFears

Happy reading in 2023!

2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

#book recommendations #book list #best books of 2022 #best books of the year #best of 2022 #yearly recap #books #yrstruly

[libertyreads]

Top 5 Books of 2022--

Of the 159 books I read in 2022, these are my favorite reads. To be fair I decided to only take one book from any series I read and put up the best one. Otherwise, this would have been a 20 book long list filled with The Expanse, The Inheritance Games, and Truly Devious series. I was originally planning on posting this list earlier but one of the books on this list got lost in the mail for almost two weeks. Thankfully, I had read it before it was published thanks to get an ARC.

1. Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey-- I rated this one 4.5 stars which makes it my favorite book in the entire Expanse series. I read the entire series--novellas and all--this year and I’m so glad I did. I now have a new favorite series.

2. Kodi by Jared Cullum-- This was such a small and quick graphic novel but it touched me so much I was crying at one point. I rated this one 4.5 stars as well. The only reason it wasn’t at the top of the list is because Nemesis Games also stands in for The Expanse series as a whole.

3. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes-- Another 4.5 star rating from me. But not all 4.5 stars are created equally. While Barnes gave me the exact type of ending I expect from her, it did go in directions I didn’t love. I’m also so excited that there’s more from the Hawthorne brothers coming our way next year.

4. Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson-- The English countryside murder mystery I never knew I needed from the Truly Devious series. I rated this one 4.25 stars. It’s definitely the favorite of the series for me. 5. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher-- This one got a 4 star rating from me and I’ve definitely found an author whose backlist books I want to dive into. This is a lighter Fantasy with some journey vibes.

#top 5 #best books of 2022 #books read in 2022 #2022 reading challenge #goodreads challenge #goodreads #booklr #bookblr #bookstagram #books #book #flatlay #flat lay

[zaraillustrates]

I was commissioned by The Boston Globe to illustrate their Best Books of 2022 feature. I created three vibrant illustrations to fit their whimsical, colorful and fun brief. © Zara Picken 2023 www.zarapicken.com

#the boston globe #best books #best books of 2022 #book review #illustrations #editorial #newspaper #reading

[rachelkolar]

2022 wasn't as killer a year for books as 2021, but I don't know how it could be; 2021 was my introduction to Clive Barker, Livia Llewellyn, and especially the Kushiel books, which made me wail "Where have you been?!" like Molly Grue. I still had no trouble putting together my top ten first-time reads and a couple of honorable mentions. There are so many good books, y’all!

Alphabetical by author:

Watership Down by Richard Adams, read by Peter Capaldi. This was technically a reread, but it didn't click for me at all when I read it in eighth grade. Boy howdy, it clicked this time. It's a classic for a reason, and Capaldi nails the narration.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. This is the only time I ever finished a book, flipped back to the beginning, and immediately read it again. I was crying at the end without quite knowing why. Just gorgeous and moving and wonderful.

Die by Kieron Gillen. Basically a hard R graphic novel of the 80s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon with some fascinating meditation on TTRPGS in general. It disappears up its own butt a bit, but it's still terrific.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is everything I wanted AI: Artificial Intelligence to be.

Curse of Dracula by Kathryn Ann Kingsley. This is sort of the catch-all for my discovering Kingsley this year; I read *eight* of her books. She's my exact horror romance sweet spot for when I want a bit of creepiness and a lot of swoon. Sometimes you just want Phantom of the Opera where Eric gets the girl, okay? (Although that's more Impossible Julian Strande than Dracula, but how am I supposed to say no to well-done vampire smut?)

Boys Life by Robert McCammon. I did a trivia special about the Stoker Awards in October, so I read a *lot* of Stoker winners this year, and this was the best. Bradbury-like dark fantasy dripping with nostalgia. I cried twice. (CW: a dog and a child die)

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin. I freaking loved this book. Body horror plus the Wild Hunt? Yes please! Also, while this is coming from someone whose only physical disability is terrible eyesight, Nessa is possibly the best disabled character I've ever read. She has polio, and the book is crystal clear on two points: this *doesn't* mean the Wild Hunt is going to kill her immediately, but it's *horrible* for her chances. We never get any "if she works hard, then by cracky, she may as well not be disabled at all!", but it's always clear that she has a chance and anyone who says otherwise can kiss off.

Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat. When I was on a heavy Thrawn kick last winter, I asked r/romancebooks to recommend a book with a Thrawn-like love interest, and some saint mentioned this. Laurent isn't quite Thrawn–imagine Thrawn's angry teenage brother–but whew, he's close enough. The whole trilogy is good, but the power dynamics are so delicious in the third one that it wins the day. (CW: the first book has noncon, and there's repeated mention of childhood sexual abuse, although none on screen. The villain is into that sort of thing.)

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse. Black Sun was one of my favorite reads of 2020, and this is a worthy sequel. It even made me like Naranpa!

The Hidden Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Just…gorgeous. I loved this one.

Honorable mentions: Starless by Jacqueline Carey (speaking of great disabled characters), Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser (the true story of Little House on the Prairie), NPCs by Drew Hayes (just a blast), Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne (a fun, spicy modernization that had me laughing out loud), and Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare (a gory romp that dares to ask: what if there were a clown in a cornfield?).

#best books of the year #best books of 2022 #amreading #piranesi #ve schwab #kathryn ann kingsley #horror novels #romancelandia #fantasy novels #kieron gillen #graphic novels #captive prince #cs pacat #rebecca roanhorse #watership down #klara and the sun #stoker awards

[authortango]

💫

Hi hi! thank you for the ask, I've been wanting to talk about books in general more. :3

💫 last book you read

The last book I read was actually Spitfire from tumblr's @mayakern !! It was so good, it had phenomenal worldbuilding, where we got to learn about the different governmental structures and their relationships with each other. The main plot of the book is that Prince Caederyn, from Nadara, accepts the proposal of Princess Allene from Voswain, much to Feon's, his bonded dragon, despair and chagrine. There's this whole struggle for Caed and Feon about figuring out who you are and how to love, and there's a lot of romance/really mostly smut (it's really good). Allene tries to help them but ultimately they have to figure it out for themselves. Allene's main conflict is trying to figure out who attempted to assassinate her and Caed on their way back to Nadara for their wedding, so there's a little side mystery.

Anyway I highly recommend ordering it from Maya's Amazon page and reading it immediately, I need more people to read this book.

#spitfire #maya kern #last book i read #yeah I'm still not over this book #maya kern here is my very messy unofficial review #best books of 2022 #favorite book this year

[jamiesonwolf]

Best Books of 2022!

Best Books of 2022!

Every year, I do a post about the books that stood out to me, that touched me emotionally in some way. I usually keep the list down to ten books, but this year I decided to do things a little differently. I went over ten books. There were just too many good books with characters that became friends and stories that touched my heart in some way that I couldn’t narrow it down to just ten. There are…

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#&039;Nathan Burgoine #A Postcard from Capri #Alex Brown #Andrew Sean Greer #Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers #Best Books #Best Books of 2022 #Cait Gordon #Charles de Lint #Felix Navidad #Gallant #Heat Wave #Jen and Éric Demarais #Jonathan Van Ness #Juniper Wiles and the Ghost Girls #Less Is Lost #Love That Story #Marlon James #Mastering Magick #Mat Auryn #Melissa Yi #Moon Witch Spider King #Nothing Without Us Too #Other Birds #Sarah Addison Allen #Talia C. Johnson #The Shapes of Wrath #TJ Klune #V. E. Schwab

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

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Publication Date: May 24, 2022

Synopsis:

A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Manda Collins! When Viola Caroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become. As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.

My Rating: ★★★★★

**My Review and Favorite Quotes below the cut.

My Review:

This was Everything. I am aware that I say that... not infrequently, but when I love things, I really love them. And this... I had high hopes, because lets be honest, I love everything Alexis Hall writes, but this was so much more. Regency romance? check. Loads of pining? check. Loads of queer and unconventional characters? check. I've read books like that before, of course. Not many, not nearly as many as I would like, but there are some. But I've never read one with a trans main character, and I didn't anticipate how deeply it would hit me, as a nonbinary person who, like Viola, has struggled with my identity and my body and my desire. Viola Caroll is strong and determined and fierce and deeply, painfully relatable. She is unapologetically herself and I love her for that. Gracewood accepts her and loves her as she is and it's possibly the most revolutionary idea in the whole book. Most dukes would not be so accepting, I think -- although Gracewood has spent his life trying to break free of the idea of what a duke can be so maybe it's not so surprising. Surprising or not, it makes for a beautiful love story. This falls more on the angsty side than the humorous side, unlike many of Alexis Hall's other works, though it is still funny in parts. It's what I was in the mood for, though, so it worked out. The writing is, as I have come to expect, absolutely gorgeous. I highlighted so many passages, and I know I will be returning to it again. I just hope we get a sequel - Mira's story would be an excellent candidate. This book also touches on grief, child abuse, addiction, and chronic pain, and tackles these topics gracefully. The characters are flawed and human and real, even the side characters. And, more than anything, it shows the deep love and acceptance between the characters, despite their flaws. I loved every minute of it.

--- update 5/28/22---

I have now listened to the audio arc and can say that the narrator performs the story beautifully, though I had my doubts in the first few minutes. The character voices are distinct and easy to understand and fit the characters' personalities and the emotion and humor come through perfectly (which is good, because this story is all about a lot of emotion).

*Thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Hachette Audio for providing an e-arc and audio arc for review.

Favorite Quotes:

“What other options? Men and women are permitted to interact in three ways: marriage, ruination, and polite indifference.”

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“She’s a seventeen-year-old girl. She should be in London, having love affairs with unsuitable young men in a controlled environment. Not stuck in a mouldering fortress miles from anywhere.”

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It made Viola feel oddly safe, this reminder that everyone lived their own illusions, chose their own truths, performed their own quiet magic before indifferent crowds.

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She turned slowly, in case she scattered into dried leaves and dust.

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“Loubear,” whispered Badger. “You have to be quiet when you’re eavesdropping. Otherwise it’s just a logistically difficult conversation.”

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Viola was not certain that be virtuous, because vice is too much bother was quite the lesson a young gentleman was meant to be learning in these days of reason and enlightenment, but she let it go.

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But there was a larger loneliness, one that came from inhabiting a space she’d had no choice but to build for herself, only to find that nobody could inhabit it with her.

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As though he had become a man in a fable: lain with the wild ocean and woken, salt-stricken, forever changed, upon an unfamiliar shore.

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“Suffering isn’t something we earn, Gracewood. It’s something we bear.”

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Because that was the truth of trust. It was neither weak nor fleeting. It was steel and fire. And would endure as long as you let it.

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Besides, it would not have done to read his sister’s intimate correspondence when there were ladies to do it for him.

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The night beyond the city was mild and clear, the landscape a silvered forever—mirror-smooth fields, the ribbon twist of an occasional stream, ash trees, in curly-headed silhouette, cast like images from a magic lantern against the sky.

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The night had been long and fraught and could have ended badly in so many ways. Could, in fact, end badly regardless. But still. What a marvel it was. What freedom. To be a woman unabashedly in love beneath a multitude of stars.

#a lady for a duke #alexis hall #trans mc #historical romance #regency romance #romance #pining #so much pining #netgalley #arc review #shilo reads #best books of 2022