What I've Read So Far in 2022.

What is there to do when you are isolated in the house, suffering from the dreaded coronavirus? Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 years I have finally caught the virus and now 7 days in, I thought it was time to write a blog post. I've spent a lot of my time in isolation getting things up to scratch with Theatre & Tonic but it also provided me with a great opportunity to get my nose into a book. I thought it was about time to talk about the books I have read so far this year. 

Last year I read 28 books, and the year before I hit 54. I want 2022 to be the year I get back into enjoying reading; because let's face it, I hit a bit of a rut with it in 2021. So with that in mind, let's straight into talking about the books I have read so far in 2022. 

WUNDERSMITH: THE CALLING OF MORRIGAN CROW

Rating: ★★★/5

I began the year by reading this book and I just wasn't feeling it at all. I had high hopes for this book after devouring the first book, Nevermoor, a few years ago. I was really disappointed that I didn't love this one nearly as much. A lot of the book really dragged for me and there wasn't really any excitement oozing from the pages that made me want to finish it nearly as quick, in fact, it was a slog the entire time. The language at times in this book is actually quite difficult, considering it is aimed at children. I was really surprised by this. I am really hoping that when I finally pick up the third book in the series to read I will find it a more pleasing read. 

THE COUPLE AT NO.9

Rating: ★★★★★/5

The Couple at No.9 is one of those books you want because everyone on your social media has been raving about it. It is the first book I have read from Claire Douglas, but it certainly won't be the last because I devoured this book. It starts with pregnant Saffron Cutler who moves into 9 Skelton Place with her boyfriend Tom. Renovations begin on their new home; when all of a sudden builders uncover a body - two bodies, in fact. What unravels from this starting point is a fantastic book full of real twists and turns, it kept me guessing the conclusion right to the end. Douglas has really crafted how she includes different characters through the varying chapters as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely need to find more of Claire Douglas for my shelves! 

TRUST IN ME

Rating: ★★★★/5

This book by Sophie McKenzie has been on my shelf for the longest time and in a bid to #BeatTheBacklog in 2022, I finally gave this one a go. On first impression, this is a genre of book I would definitely usually go for, so I don't know why I hadn't read it sooner. Trust In Me is a book that keeps the reader speculating and the author has done a fantastic job at doing this by involving a handful of characters for the ride. It really fits the title as she explored who can you really trust. The POV really worked for this story, throwing us straight into the forefront of what was unfolding. I definitely enjoyed this book more than I was expecting to. 

THE ALIBI GIRL

Rating: ★★★★★/5

I definitely brought this book on a whim, from one of those great paperback offers in The Works. The Alibi Girl gives the reader a bit of a tricky start, taking a little while for you to get your head around what is happening. However, it becomes a great, heartbreaking, and very interesting story. I liked the transition between the two main characters and different timescales that really supported the build-up for the conclusion. I flew through the last 20% of the book as it really picked up.

AFTERMATH

Rating: ★★★★★/5

Aftermath is about the wreckage and devastation after a school shooting three years before. Kelley Armstrong has an empathetic approach to this hard-hitting topic by putting the focus on both families that are affected by the events; the shooters and the victims. The main characters in this story are Jesse and Skye and the author really brought them to life within the first couple of pages, which I loved because I could get right into the teeth of what was unfolding. I hadn't heard of Kelley Armstrong before reading Aftermath, I don't think it will be long before I read another from her!

LOVE FRANKIE

Rating: ★★★★/5

I adored Jacqueline Wilson's books growing up and have been dying to read Love Frankie since I heard of its release. Helped massively by the writer who herself is part of the LGBTQ+ community it's a book we've needed on our shelves for so long! It is pretty incredible that before this book, young people didn't have someone like Frankie to read about. The characters in this book have been crafted so well and even include a woman suffering from MS in the story too. This story definitely takes us on an emotional rollercoaster and we see how Frankie transforms in front of our very eyes. The only real downside was that in parts it was a *little* slow. 

NO BALLET SHOES IN SYRIA

Rating: ★★★★★/5

No Ballet Shoes in Syria is a relevant book for the times as we navigate through the situation in Ukraine and we're concerned by the thousands of people whose lives have been impacted. This book gripped me from the start, it tells the emotional, heartbreaking journey of a young girl as she comes to England from Syria, a country held in conflict. It is a well-formulated and educational book, especially for those younger readers. Catherine Bruton has demonstrated the level of research she conducted to include facts on the events unfolding in Syria to portray a realistic view from the young girl's perspective. It is a really important read but enables readers to see how dance can reap huge rewards for young people. 

HOLD TIGHT

Rating: ★★★★★/5

I'm not alone in becoming obsessed with the TV series that have surfaced on Netflix over the last couple of years from Harlan Coben's books. It wasn't going to be long before I started reading more of them and recently read Hold Tight. I consumed this 400+ page book in 3 days, but I can see that other readers may find it hard to stick with because Coben's style of writing is very specific. Coben is very good at formulating interesting plots, beefed up by the transition between varying characters, 6 stories on their different threads, before seizing to its conclusion which I felt came at the perfect time. I would really like to read more of his books, this one didn't disappoint!