1 Sentence Reviews – All the Books I’ve Read in 2022 so far

Hi! It’s been a while haha! I almost didn’t expect myself to blog again – 2022 has so far been so hectic but until recently, I’ve finally had a decent break to focus on myself and something I began craving was to write for enjoyment again. I’ve actually been reading a lot more lately and having a lot of fun and passion for books after what felt like a drought. 

I thought I’d get back into the game with some easy 1-sentence reviews of all the books I’ve read so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing them!

1. Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn ☆☆☆☆☆
   A beautiful novel on everything about love, that I think everyone should read in their lifetime.
2. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ☆☆☆☆
   A gorgeously creepy and mysterious read that was certainly unexpected but increasingly captivating.
3. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey ☆☆☆☆☆
   One of my new absolute favourite romances of all time, that I couldn’t help devouring in about 2 days – filled with found-family, laughter, passion and the best kind of romance.
4. Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen ☆☆
   An emotional collection of poetry that I wish I could’ve related to more, focused on important indigenous experiences and highlights the need of advocacy in this space for all Australians.
5. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven – DNF
   After trying to read this book for the 3rd time, I couldn’t give two rats about these main characters and the slow progressing plot.
6. You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry ☆☆☆☆
   My first Emily Henry read, this novel wasn’t as fantastic as advertised but a unique and charming friends to lovers story.
7. Gallant by V.E. Scwab ☆☆☆☆☆
   Schwab can do no wrong when it comes to delightfully spooky, mysterious stories.
8. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert ☆☆☆☆
   Full of laughs and adorable romance, this book was an easy read although Dani felt a bit *too* extra for my taste sometimes.
9. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas ☆☆☆☆
   A bit of a disappointment in comparison to its predecessor, but I still enjoyed the cast of characters and of course the shocking ending gave it some redeemable qualities.
10. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer – DNF ☆
    The immense Twilight nostalgia I initially enjoyed faded after the first 100 pages and I couldn’t stand Edward’s constant thinking (most of which was thirsting for Bella excessively and major self-deprecation of being a monster vampire); which honestly could’ve been cut down by at least half given the story is identical to the original Twilight series of events.
11. The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren ☆☆☆☆☆
    An underrated romance novel compared to some of the major BookTok favourites, this book stood as an extremely well-written and fleshed out romance by my favourite writer duo – would highly recommend!
12. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell ☆☆☆☆☆
    My second non-fiction of the year, of which I read via physical and audiobook, this book was thought-provoking, extremely interesting and certainly helped me feel better about any awkward social interactions I’ve had in the past but also highlighted the importance of knowing how difficult interacting with strangers can be in the first place.
13. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey ☆☆☆☆
    Not quite to the same level as ’It Happened One Summer’, but an adorable spin-off that although we didn’t need, I definitely enjoyed reading!
14. Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman ☆☆☆
    I couldn’t help myself after binge-watching the Netflix series, and this was so cute but way too short! (we need a full novel one day).
15. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert ☆☆☆☆
    Likely my favourite novel from the Brown Sisters series, this book had such a charming couple and was certainly an easy read.
16. The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka ☆☆☆☆☆
    Another new favourite romance book that was mysterious, engaging and highlighted how complicated relationships can be.
17. Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi ☆☆☆☆
    A beautiful set of short stories about a cast of characters that I slowly grew to love – this almost made me cry and certainly made me want to pick up more translated books soon.
18. Managing People by Simon Birkenhead ☆☆☆☆☆
    A great self-development non-fiction novel for anyone in their career, to learn a bit more about what motivates employees, how to become a great or better manager or at least understand how to manage yourself better at work with other managers.
19. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren ☆☆☆☆☆
    Another adorable read by this fantastic romance duo, I loved this story and its great characters.
20. Normal People by Sally Rooney ☆☆☆
    Filled with some thought-provoking moments, despite Rooney’s great, unputdownable writing effects, I couldn’t really care for or like the main characters despite their strange, complex relationship and interesting character development over the course of said relationship.
21. Addicted to You by Krista & Becca Ritchie ☆☆☆☆
    An unexpectedly enjoyable romance that I flew through, this book has peeked my interest for indie romance and I may continue this series despite some random, off-putting character tendencies.
22. Lore Olympus Volume 1 by Rachel Smythe ☆☆☆☆☆
    Adorable, humourous – I want more comic stories like this in my life.
23. Lore Olympus Volume 2 by Rachel Smythe ☆☆☆☆☆
    I love these stories so much, I’ve continued reading this on Webtoon (find me there late at night when I can’t sleep).
24. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki ☆☆☆☆
    Illustrated in a beautiful, addictive art style, this story was relatable, filled with moments of sorrow, contemplation and coming-of-age, as we experience the break-ups and self-development before/during/after Laura Dean.
25. Everything Fells Like The End Of The World by Else Fitzgerald ☆☆☆☆
    Review to come.

And those are all the books I’ve read so far!

I’m happy to say that I’ve enjoyed majority of the books on this list and I think that’s partly has been why I’m enjoying reading so much again. Having the freedom to read what I want, based on my mood and what I feel like reading. I bought books and read them without guilt and I’m not sure why I had this guilt or pressure before but finding that freedom and calm of reading for pleasure was and continues to be amazing. I’m not too fussed about what’s trending or reading the latest book coming next month, but just enjoying my journey finding new exciting stories for myself.

What are some books you’ve read so far this year? I hope you’re happy to see me back!

Until next time,