My 2022 in Reading: Jo Needs a Nap

I read 192 books this year in a split of: 54 ARCs (up from last year), 33 audiobooks (down from last year), 72 manga volumes (down from last year), 20 physical copies (up from last year), 8 light novels (up from last year), and 5 eBooks (down from last year). I want to share my favorites, so please enjoy my favorite 20 2022 books, favorite 10 books from before 2021, and my favorite 5 manga. I would have done a favorite 20 of backlist books, but, unfortunately, I did not prioritize this year, and I think that contributed to my exhaustion.

Overall, it’s not as many things as last year, and it did bring me dangerously close to burning out on reading. 2023 will be a year for resetting some of my priorities with regards to reading, which will focus on my backlog and reading a whole lot of light novels.

Note: Harper Collins book links have been replaced with the linktree for the Harper Collins Union until that publisher goes back to the bargaining table

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February 2022 Reading Recap

February is a month where I largely took off from writing my own fiction in preparation for Futurescapes this weekend. Like, I dabbled a bit, mostly played video games. Still did some reading. I finally can go back to listening to audiobooks, which is great for my brain buzz.

Here is a round up of my February reads. I got to interview two fabulous authors to kick off the month:

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Review: THE GILDA STORIES by Jewelle Gomez (1991)

Genre: Adult Horror
Year Release: 1991 (25th anniversary edition 2016)
Source: Library Kindle

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Content warning: slavery, attempted sexual assault (depicted), domestic abuse, murder

The Girl runs away from a plantation and murders an assailant on the way. She’s taken in by an older woman who runs a brothel where she learns about a life of freedom. The woman grants her extended vampire life, but warns her not to use the gift for death. The Girl takes on her name, Gilda, and then a series of adventures spanning over 200 years across all of America. It’s unequivocally American with sharp insights and commentary across all time periods.

Told with great conviction about the sanctity of life and the beauty of chosen family, this is a really cool vampire story that will linger once the final chapter closes.

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