I really love reading and each year I set myself a challenge to try and read as many books as possible. This year I wanted to read 30 books. I have just fallen short of achieving this, but not to worry I can try again in 2023. Here are the books that I read in 2022.
I like to read Rom Com books, along with self help/self improvement books. In this blog i am sharing with you my thoughts on the books i read in 2022.
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Why we sleep – Matthew Walker
I enjoyed this book even though I found it quite heavy going. It has loads of great information and the science behind why we sleep. I did find it quite repetitive at times though. It’s still a great book to read. It delves deep into the importance of sleep and all the benefits it provides us. It explains why we should take sleep more seriously.
Make It Happen – Jordanna Levin
I have read several books on the universe and manifestation but I have to say Make it happen was the best one by far. Jordanna’s style of writing and humour was just so relatable and down to earth. I found his book really inspiring. It gives an amazing insight into what’s required to manifest the life you want. It also highlights that the possibilities really are endless. I’m currently working on all exercises that are included to focus your mind and energy. I’m hoping these will help me to manifest the life of my dreams.
Create Space – Dilly Carter
I am a sucker for a new decluttering book. After watching sort your life out I knew I had to buy this book by Dilly. The advice given by Dilly Is so direct and straight to the point. The tips she shares are very practical and easy to achieve in any home. By following Dilly’s tips and working through each room in your house the outcome and changes it will make are amazing. They will change the way you live for the better. This book really compliments what is shown in sort you life out and will allow anyone to literally sort their life out. I would definitely recommend buying create space.
The Donor – Clare Mackintosh
This is a quick reads book. I never knew quick reads existed until I saw them on another bloggers Instagram. I was straight on amazon and ordered quite a few. So, The Donor was the first one I chose to read. The story was quite gripping and it didn’t take long to get engrossed into the story. The characters were great and very relatable. Lizzie made a decision to welcome someone into their life that went against advice she was given. This decision had a major impact on the family especially her daughter Meg. It was a great book and would be perfect for the beach or if you like reading but don’t have loads of time as it only has 101 pages.
The Skylight – Louise Candlish
Another quick read book. The skylight was a great story about Simone who could see into the flat below through the skylight window. Until one day she sees something she wishes she hadn’t and goes on to take matters into her own hands, only it doesn’t quite go to plan! It was easy reading and hard to put down once I got into reading it. With it being only 89 pages, it was quite a punchy story and I managed to read it in a day as I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. I was not disappointed, it’s well worth a read.
A fresh Start – Edited by Fanny Blake.
I have to admit that I struggled with this book, A Fresh Start. The stories within the book were great and are written by some really great Authors. By the time you had got into one of the stories it was over as each story was only a chapter long. I get the fact that this book is designed to give you an insight into works and writing style of the various Authors and for that its great. I just personally found it really hard to gel with.
Mummin’ It – Harriet Shearsmith
I love Harriette and I have followed her on social media as Toby & Roo for a few years now. So when her book, Mummin’ It came out I knew I had to read it. It’s safe to say that I was not disappointed. I love Harriet’s honesty and down to earth nature and this certainly made the book more enjoyable to read. I am a mum of 5 boys so I have my fair share of tips, tricks and experiences of my own. However I think its also good to read tips and tricks from other mum’s to and see how they do things. Life is all about learning and adapting and other mums do actually have some great tips and tricks of their own that could work for you. Well worth a read and some of the recipes look yummy too!
Six Foot Six – Kit De Waal
This was a great short story based around two characters, Timothy and Charlie. Timothy loves Buses and whist waiting on the corner to see the special bus in town he meets Charlie. Charlie is a builder in need of help and ropes Timothy into helping him. What happens next changes Timothy’s life forever. Great story and one that I would recommend.
Saving the Day – Katie Fforde
I loved this book and the story was great. It’s all about Allie who is bored with her job and boyfriend so goes on a mission to change everything. With the help of her neighbour, she sets about learning how to cook. In the end Allie get the job of her dreams and a new boyfriend. It was a really lovely heart-warming story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Saving the day is definitely a good one to read.
Notting Hill Carnival A west side story – Candice Carty Williams
Another quick read book. I really enjoyed this book and Candice’s style of writing. To be honest the story gave me a bit of a Grease vibe. They had the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies while this story has the Red Roses and the gold teeth. It didn’t take long to get fully engrossed in the story. I could relate to the fact that situations like the one in the story are actually happening for real, which is really quite sad.
The Unhoney Mooners – Christina Lauren
This was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The characters were so relatable and I soon became obsessed with Olive and Ethan. Olive’s twin sister, Amy was getting married to Ethan’s brother, Dane and when the whole wedding party came down food poisoning except Olive and Ethan, Amy insisted that they should go on her honeymoon. The only issue was that Olive and Ethan couldn’t stand each other. They took the honeymoon and after being forced to spend time together alone they quickly realised how much they actually liked each other. It was a very heat warming story with some unexpected twists thrown in as well.
Feel the fear and do it anyway – Susan Jeffers
Another of the quick read books, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. This was the perfect length book. It was packed with great advice on how to face your fears and what could be holding you back. Susan explains really well how worrying and having fears can hold you back and stop you getting what you want out of life. In this book there are some great little tips and tricks on how to be more confident and take control. I would highly recommend reading this book especially if you feel elements of your life are holding you back.
This time next year – Sophie Cousins
I have never read any books by Sophie Cousins but I really enjoyed This Time Next Year and Sophie’s style of writing. The story is based on the characters Minnie and Quinn who were born on the same day at the same hospital and meet by chance on New Year’s Day, their birthday. The story has lots of twists and turns and unexpected events that really did keep me wanting to read more to see what was going to happen.
The little Flower Shop by the sea – Ali McNamara
I am a huge fan of Ali McNamara and the books she writes so I knew straight away that I would love this book too. The little flower shop by the sea was a lovely heart warming story about Poppy who inherited her Grandmothers flower shop. Despite Poppy hating flowers everyone wanted Poppy to take on the shop. Amber, a florist who worked for her mum joined Poppy to help her run the shop and do all the flower arranging. Upon discovering her grandmothers secret to the flower arrangements, she made and the magic they brought Amber set about recreating the flower bouquets. Lots of magical things started to happen in St Felix and the whole town came alive. The magic even worked for Poppy as she also got her happy ending.
And now your back – Jill Mansell
I read one of Jill’s books last year and really enjoyed it so I was looking forwards to reading this one. I loved the characters Didi and Shay and how their past relationship played a big part in their future. A lot had happened since they had last seen each other. Meeting again rekindled all the feelings that they had for each other. There was a few ups and downs along the way. Shay had returned due to his father being poorly and Didi had to decide if she really wanted to Marry Aaron. The story was full of great characters that I’m sure you will fall I love with when you read this book. I really enjoyed the story and I did find many parts of the story relatable in so many ways.
The Road Trip – Beth O’Leary
I have previously read The Flat Share and The Switch and loved them. So I was really looking forwards to reading The Road Trip. It really did not disappoint. I loved the character Addie and her story. It was a great story following how Addie met Dylan and how their friendship turned into a relationship. It was almost doomed to fail due to Dylans best mate Marcus. Luckily Addie had her sister Deb to confide in. After the relationship between Dylan and Addie broke down they went their separate ways. After a long period of time apart and a wedding to get to they literally bumped into each other again. So began The Road Trip of 5 friends travelling together. The Road Trip brought lots of issues and awkward moments along the way. They made it to the wedding eventually and just in time.
I found this book hard to put down at times as I was keen to see the events unfold. I also love Beth’s style of writing where the story flips between Now and Then.
Working It Out – Jo Platt
It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I really enjoyed it. The story is centred around the characters Edie, Cameron and Ruby. Edie was down on her luck and had to move in with her cousin in a small village. She was welcomed very quickly and soon made new friends. Her work colleague, Ruby was one of her best friends. Edie soon realised that there was another side to Ruby that wasn’t quite as it seemed. Another work colleague, Cameron was made out to be the bad guy at work but once Edie got to know him that wasn’t the case at all. This story had lots of twist and turns and I really did enjoy it in the end.
Spring at Blueberry Bay – Holly Martin
This book was so easy to read and I was hooked right from the start. I loved the characters and reading how their lives unfolded and the drama’s that happened along the way. Bella was really happy with a lovely happy nature, someone who would help anyone. Issac was not the man she thought he was. He came into Bella’s life by pretending to be homeless. Bella fell for his story and took him in. It was only when she revealed to Issac that she had a job interview at the local charity that Issac started to panic. Bella and Issac’s relationship soon developed as they enjoyed spending time together. Issac was running out time and he had to come clean with Bella as to who he really was. It was a fantastic story full of twists and drama’s. I would definitely recommend Spring at Blueberry Bay, it will make a great read at any time of the year.
Snowflakes on Silver Cove – Holly Martin
I love reading Holly Martin books, but I really struggled to get into this book. It took me quite a while to become invested in the story and really start to enjoy it. The story was great and I really did love the characters especially Libby and George. I enjoyed reading how their friendship developed into a relationship. It was slightly predictable at the end though.
The Intimacy Experiment – Rosie Danan
I looked at all the reviews for this book on Amazon and the reviews were really good, so that led me to buy the book. I have to be honest, I didn’t love this book, maybe it was not what I was expecting. It was very well written and Rosie has done a fantastic job at highlighting issues surrounding Judaism and relationships. It took me a while to get into the story and I really wanted to love the characters, Ethan and Naomi but it was really difficult. The relationship between Ethan and Rosie was slow to develop and I was forever willing them to have their happy ever after. It was an unconventional love story thats for sure.
The Summer Seekers – Sarah Morgan
I absolutely loved the Summer Seekers from start to finish. Having read a few of Sarah Morgan’s books already I love her style of writing. I really like how Sarah splits the characters up so you get their perspective and their part of the story. Eighty year old Kathleen was looking for an adventure much to the disgust of her only daughter Liza. Kathleen knew she was far too old to drive herself on the trip so she advertised for a driver. Martha applied for the job as an escape from her family and failed marriage, even though she hated driving. Martha was given the job and her and Kathleen were soon off on their travels. With Kathleen being away it gave Liza time to reflect on her own life and face up to her marital problems.
This story was not at all predictable and with the added mix of Josh it was just perfect. Once I had started reading The Summer Seekers I really did find it hard to put down as I really wanted to know what they got to to next. Definitely worth a read.
The Summer That Changed Us – Cathy Bramley
I was so excited to read this book as I love Cathy Bramley books. This book did not disappoint in any way and I was hooked from the start. I quickly fell in love with the main characters Katie, Robyn and Grace. The friendship between them all was so uplifting and positive. Each of the women were facing their own issues but after change meeting they helped each other. I found it made me feel quite emotional at times but in a happy way. It was not predictable at all and kept me wanting to read more to find out how the events were going unfold. It’s a fantastic book with lots of twists and surprises. I would highly recommend reading The Summer That Changed Us.
Sofia Khan and the baby blues – Ayisha Malik
I love these short little quick reads book. Sofia khan and the baby blues was a great story. Sofia is looking to foster Millie even though it has already cost her her marriage. Life is not going to play but Sofia feels she is doing the right thing and it will all be worth it. Sofia is twice divorced and homeless to the point she has to move back in with her parents. Regardless of all this she still continues to plough on with her plans. An old flame comes back into her life with a chance of happiness and romance, but even that is a rocky road. In the end Sofia is faced with a really difficult decision and feels she has to make the right choice.
One More For Christmas – Sarah Morgan
I am a really big fan of Sarah Morgan and I just love her style of writing. I was really looking forwards to reading this book and I loved it from the start. One more for Christmas is a great story of two sisters, Samantha and Ella who are estranged from their mum following an argument 5 years before. Business woman Gayle has an accident at her book launch and ends up in hospital. The accident makes her re-evaluate her life and she reaches out to her daughters to visit her.
With lots having happened in the previous 5 years they all have a lot to catch up on and lots of secrets and truths to be shared. A Christmas getaway together as part of Samantha’s work brings them all more joy (and a surprise romance) than they could off ever imagined. I would highly recommend reading this book.
The Chocolate Lovers’ Club – Carol Matthews
I finished off the year by reading The Chocolate Lovers’ Club. This book had me hooked from the start. It is a story about 4 friends who love chocolate. So they have formed the chocolate lovers’ Club. In times of crisis they help each other and of course eat chocolate. Each of the friends Lucy, Nadia, Chantal and Autumn all have very different lives, and very different dramas they need help with. By the girls sticking together and helping each other they conquer all the issues they have. It all ends well for the girls in the end.
I really enjoyed this book and I cant wait to read the sequel, The Chocolate Lovers’ Diet. This will be the first book I read in 2023.
Take a look at the books I read in 2021
