Top Posts of 2022 – Year in Review (Part 4)
Hi Readers! Welcome back for the fourth part of Year in Review! This one is all about Mindscape in Words! Which posts did really well.. which posts had the highest clicks.. which posts had the highest impressions.. which posts have been consistent throughout the years. Accompanied with… you guessed it! More statistics! Let’s start with the Top 12 Posts of 2022!
~~2022 Monthly Reading Templates – Books Read & To Be Read~~
I am so happy that this post has the highest views of anything I posted this year. I worked really hard on those templates. So, it feels amazing that people are using it and finding them to be helpful! I have also created monthly reading templates for 2023. I am super stoked for you all to see them and love them as you did these. Stay tuned!
~~How We Disappeared: Interesting Start and an End~~
Author: Jing-Jing Lee
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 350
Goodreads Rating: 4.2/5
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
The most unique thing about this book is how it starts and ends. The book begins with the birth of Wang Di, where we are given three different stories. We never find out which one is real. Similarly, the book ends with a question mark about Wang Di’s baby. She tells us three different stories & leaves it to reader’s interpretation. This was a different touch to the novel. Usually, I don’t like cliff-hangers or lose ends, but with this story it all just fits & it increases the complexity & weightage of the book.
~~Book Lovers: Why I Do Not Recommend Reading It~~
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
Pages: 377
Goodreads Rating: 4.24/5
My Rating: 2/5 Stars
My complete loathing for Emily Henry books continues with her latest novel Book Lovers. I despise romance genre as a whole, but with these books, it’s a whole other level of suffering when I read them. Predictable story, bland characters, pretentious & dull dialogues & the complete absence of romance or heat or sexual tension. This is how I define Emily Henry books. Because this was titled ‘Book Lovers’, I had some hope, but alas!
~~Cursed Bunny: A Genre-Defying Collection of Short Stories~~
Author: Bora Chung
Genre: Romance
Pages: 377
Goodreads Rating: 4.24/5
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Cursed Bunny was a shortlist for the International Booker Prize and I think it should have won. It is a genre-defying collection of brilliantly written short stories. It has horror. It has gore. It has contemporary. It has romance. But, it is not for the faint hearted. With each story, it gets better & better & then in the final story, the author pours everything gold from her brain on to the characters & the story to give it the final magical perfect touch!
~~Do Epic Shit by Ankur Warikoo~~
Author: Ankur Warikoo
Genre: Self-help
Pages: 312
Goodreads Rating: 3.89/5
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
As if I haven’t said it enough, I am not a fan of self-help books, but this one did not disappoint. Some parts of the books were useless, I will agree. But, most parts of the books were quite thought-provoking. Most of the things are something we know, but the way he organises the words to have an impact is something brilliant.
~~The Forty Rules of Love: To Read or Not to Read~~
Author: Elif Shafak
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 354
Goodreads Rating: 4.14/5
My Rating: 2/5 Stars
I think you should read The Forty Rules of Love if you want to read about spirituality, God & the love within ourselves. If you like reading fiction which reads like nonfiction, then you can try out this book. If you are used to reading historical action with memorable characters, strong story line & historical events with action & war, then this book is not for you.
~~2022 Reading Challenge~~
If I am being honest, I am slightly bummed that this post did not trend as much as I wanted it to. I made several reading challenges for the audience, such as, Diverse Book Recommendations, Enemies to Lovers Reading Challenge, Nonfiction Book Recommendations, Indian Book Recommendations and Anticipated Books of 2022. You can still have a look at it if you are looking for book recommendations!
~~Book Recommendations: Seishi Yokomizo’s Murder Mystery Novels~~
Genre: Mystery
I read The Honjin Murders first and did not like it much. It’s a locked room mystery with a lot of cultural references which were difficult to understand. I rated it at 3/5 stars. I next read The Inugami Curse, which I absolutely loved. The way the mystery unfolded was perfectly written. I rated it at 5/5 stars. Lastly, I read The Village of Eight Graves, which was again a really great read. It started with an intriguing story and moved on to more mysteries and murders. I rated it at 4/5 stars!
~~The Mountains Sing : A Hauntingly Epic & Emotional Masterpiece~~
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 4.32/5
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
This book is literally perfect, with no flaws in it. Inspired from real experiences, this novel is a benchmark in Asian Historical Fiction. The intensity of adversity flows poignantly from the pages giving us characters you cry with & cry for. This is a wildly underrated book which needs more eyes, more praise, more highlight & just more love.
~~Cover Story by Susan Rigetti: Who’s That Girl?~~
Author: Susan Rigetti
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 368
Goodreads Rating: 3.76/5
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
If you love reading thrillers with a bit of glam, then you should read it. If you loved Inventing Anna or The Bold Type on Netflix, then you will definitely love Cover Story. If you enjoy unreliable protagonists, then this book is for you. If you are in a reading slump, then you should read this book. Also, if you are looking for a book you can read in one day, then you should pick this up. If you enjoy epistolary fiction, then you should read it. To tell you the truth, I cannot think of any reason why you should not read Cover Story by Susan Rigetti. It might have simplistic mediocre writing, but the flair of characters, the format of the book, the stunning ending & all the thrill, fun & pizzazz it has, really makes it an amazing read!
~~The Travelling Cat Chronicles: A Warm Light-Hearted Story~~
Author: Hiro Arikawa
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 288
Goodreads Rating: 4.32/5
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
All the cherished stories of friendship, love, belonging are pure in entirety. All the memorable trips with Satoru & Nana in the silver van feel like you are with them sitting in the back seat feeling all that those two are feeling. I truly enjoyed the beauty of countryside with its horses & sea of grass & unexpected sight of double rainbows. I was lost in their world & they made me feel welcome to experience all those things, but also all the emotions beyond those things too. I loved being on this bitter-sweet journey of stimulating yet funny conversations, frightening yet hopeful destinations, new yet familiar friendships & a riveting thought-provoking presence.
~~Artemis: A Good Book but not Andy Weir’s Best~~
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 288
Goodreads Rating: 3.69/5
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
A science fiction book based on a civilization formed on the moon was the most intriguing aspect which lured me into reading Artemis. Its premise really made me curious. The lack of knowledge on moon’s environment was another fascinating aspect. I also loved how this was a combination of a thriller & science fiction. We have other characters from Africa, Ukraine, Norway, Russia, India & so on. It was such a breath of fresh air.
~~STATISTICS~~
So, that is all, folks! Thank you so much for all these views. I am truly grateful!
Until next time,
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.