To Read or Not to Read...2022 Book Summary
What a Year
2022’s book count came in at 124, which was probably too many to be honest.
That said, there were some gems in there! I’d suggest absolutely staying away from only 3 of the books I read (Verizon Untethered, Small Stakes Poker Tournaments, and A People’s History of Computing in the United States1), 23 of them fell into the “Definitely read” category, and the rest fell somewhere in between depending on your general interests and what not2.
I dove pretty deeply into the topics of race, class and trauma this year (as you’ll be able to see in my top 10 list below) — heavy material, but an education I was craving. I also read an order of magnitude more fiction than I usual do (8 fiction books!).
The categories of “Society & Culture”, “Memoir”, and “History” take the cake…and, yes, I read enough books on the topic that I had to create a new category called “Math/Numbers”. I’m just that cool.
Alright, let’s talk individual books! Here are my top 10 from 2022 (in alphabetical order), all selected from the 23 “Definitely read” books. As always, these can be a mix of old and new books, as well as new reads and re-reads.
Terrence’s Top 10 of 2022
Brief Top 10 Overviews
Between Two Kingdoms (Memoir)
by Suleika Jaouad
Suleika Jaouad writes about her journey in battling cancer — including the twists, turns, relationships, and emotions that coming along with. It’s an honest and well written account of her life while battling the disease.
The Body Keeps the Score (Society & Culture)
by Bessel Van Der Kolk
This books represents a culmination of decades of research and practice surrounding the many types of trauma that we face as humans. It opened my eyes on how much mental health can manifest physically within each of us.
Born a Crime (Memoir)
by Trevor Noah
Comedian Trevor Noah doesn’t disappoint in telling his story of growing up in South Africa. He brings a fantastic blend of humor and serious issues in recounting dealing with racism, family separation, and ultimately becoming successful in America.
Caste (Society & Culture)
by Isabel Wilkerson
Warning: this book is very heavy. Isabel Wilkerson journeys through structural racism in America, including where it came from, where it is now, and how that parallels with other past and present class/race systems around the world (e.g., India, Nazi Germany).
The Devil in the White City (History)
by Erik Larson
This book centers around the Chicago World Fair in the late 19th century. It’s historical non-fiction, but it reads like a novel. You’ll learn about what it took to get the World Fair to Chicago, architecture in the 19th century, and all the drama that went into constructing the fair itself…not to mention the many, many, many murders that took place during the fair.
Invisible Child (Society & Culture)
by Andrea Elliott
Invisible Child is hands down my favorite book that I read in 2022. This book recounts years of Andrea Elliott chronicling the lives of a family living in poverty in New York City between ~2010 to ~2017, mostly centering around the daughter in the family named Dasani. It’s an incredibly powerful story that will open your eyes to both behaviors and systems that lead to and maintain poverty.
Long Walk to Freedom (Memoir)
by Nelson Mandela
I don’t think you need much of a summary here — Nelson Mandela’s story is both powerfully sad and inspiring. He does a phenomenal job in capturing South African history; and his personal journey, imprisonment, and leadership is unparalleled. If you haven’t read this, please do.
So You Want to Talk About Race (Society & Culture)
by Ijeoma Oluo
Ijeoma Oluo touches on many types of racism in society, ranging from micro-aggressions to outright brutality, and the importance and difficulty of discussing these topics for many people. She weaves in her personal narrative as a multi-racial child really well into the broader social narrative — very impactful.
The Year of Magical Thinking (Memoir)
by Joan Didion
Joan Didion crushes this one from cover to cover, chronicling her stages of grief during the year following the sudden death of her husband. I could feel the emotion in every word, yet she manages to make this a book not just about sadness, but about humanity and self-realization.
What My Bones Know (Memoir)
by Stephanie Foo
Wow. Stephanie Foo beautifully (and painfully) captures what it was like for her to grow up with, learn about, and deal with complex trauma stemming from her childhood. She hits on childhood abuse, PTSD, compartmentalization, and racism in one heavy memoir.
Honorable Mentions of 2022
Like I said….this year I dove pretty deeply into a the topics of race, class, and trauma. I got a lot out of this reading, and recommend it…though not all in one fell swoop. For (mostly) lighter fare, here are some honorable mentions that were also quite solid.
Debt (History)
by David Graeber
David Graeber was not scared of going in deep into detail. In all of his books (I also recommend his book The Dawn of Everything if you like long, information-packed history books) he manages to tie together a cohesive narrative from lots of detail and history. This one looks at the role of debt and money in the history of the world.
How to Be Perfect (Self Improvement)
by Michael Schur
If you liked the show “The Good Place,” then you’ll love this one (if you haven’t watched the show, I recommend it). Michael Schur is the creator of the show, and he uses this book to tie what he learned about philosophy during the show’s run to everyday human interactions. It’s funny and informative.
In a Sunburned Country (General Nonfiction)
by Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson takes a long road trip around Australia, and he documents it in the most entertaining way possible. I learned about Australian history, wildlife, cities, and more…all while getting a good laugh in.
Lessons in Chemistry (Fiction)
by Bonnie Garmus
I don’t read a lot of fiction, and I recommend even less. This one is solid. It’s a good story about a woman’s career pursuit in the worlds of science and TV, love, and everything that comes along with during the decades of ~1950s to present.
Mythos (Fiction)
by Stephen Fry
For the Greek mythology lovers, this is a gem (if you don’t like Greek Mythology, I’d still recommend it, but that’s up to you). Comedian Stephen Fry has his own take on Greek myths and they are hilarious. You don’t need to know the stories beforehand to enjoy it.
Say Nothing (History)
by Patrick Radden Keefe
In a darker turn, Patrick Radden Keefe walks through the history surrounding the period known as “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland from the 1970s to the late 1990s. This is a period of constant chaos, violence, and political uncertainty. He takes much of his material from secret tape recordings of IRA (the Irish Republican Army) insiders that were sent to the US in the last 20 years. It’s a history I knew little to nothing about, and it was sad and fascinating.
Shine Bright (Society & Culture)
by Danyel Smith
Danyel Smith is a music lover (which is why she’s spent her career writing about it for Billboard, Vibe, and others), and this is her history of female Black pop music in the US. I learned so much, and enjoyed how she wrote her own history alongside that of the social fabric that Black music has created.
Stolen Focus (Society & Culture)
by Johann Hari
Stolen Focus is a great summary of how society has lost the ability to pay attention, and the potential consequences of it. Johann Hari looks at the impact this has on childhood play, social media, and just generally doing human things.
The Other Wes Moore (Memoir)
by Wes Moore
I really like this book for its unique premise. Wes Moore (now governor of Maryland!) contrasts his own story with that of someone else named Wes Moore that grew up not too far from him. It’s a story about circumstances, choices, and the role that chance can play on how your life turns out.
Year of Yes (Memoir)
by Shonda Rhimes
America knows and loves Shonda Rhimes’ television shows — she’s the creator of shows like Gray’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder. This memoir looks at a year in her life when she decided to pull back the curtain and say yes to everything from TV appearances, playing with her kids, love and more. Her voice is captured so well here and it contains some good life lessons for all of us.
Alright, that’s it! I hope you enjoy some of this awesomeness, and as always, here’s a link to my full 2022 reading list, categorized and rated. Until next year!
I recognize that most, if not all, of you wouldn’t read these 3 books anyway…
Quick legend on the ratings: 1 = Not worth the time; 2 = Worth the time; 3 = Recommendation; 4 = Definitely read