Quick Take: The End of Year Book Tag includes six questions that unpack the books I still need and want to read in 2022 and my bookish plans for 2021.
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The End of Year Book Tag was created by YouTuber and poet Ariel Bissett to reflect on all the books readers need and aspire to read before the year is over.
Like last year, I’m doing this tag at the start of December because only in December am I ready to admit it’s the end of the year 😅. Also, I found last year that this tag helped me get excited again about all the books I’ve been meaning to get around to all year and just never have.
There are six questions in this tag and for each response I’m talking about/recommending unique books and reflecting on whether I read the books for each question mentioned in the 2021 book tag. You can find last year’s post, which you can find here.
Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?
Of the fourteen books I started in 2021 and still wanted to read, I managed to read three in December 2021, and two (plus a DNF) in 2022:
| Read in 2021 | Read in 2022 |
|---|---|
| • Theory by Dionne Brand ⭐️⭐️⭐️ • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | • Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski ⭐️⭐️⭐️ • The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold ❌ |
Despite the ten remaining books on that list from last year, I have seven books I’ve started that I haven’t yet finished in 2022. All of these are books I want to finish but stopped reading because I had too much going on or I wasn’t in the mood for a specific genre.
I picked up The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reed in October to fulfil my TRB Knockout challenge (prompt: animal in title). I put this book down in October because I had other books to read that took priority. This was a fast pace book that had some pretty high stakes in the first fourth of the story. I will say the male protagonist is leaving much to be desired … but I guess he’s a product of his upbringing (regarding his bias)?
I started Fly Girl by Ann Hood in September to fulfil a prompt (title starts with F) for Becca’s Bookopolathon. It’s yet another non-fiction (memoir) that took me so long to read and I only got a third of the way through before putting it down for another day. I’m really interested in the author’s feminist commentary on being a flight attendant during the golden age of flying but I need to figure out a way to read better (more efficiently?) when it comes to non-fictions.
I started The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne in August to fulfil my monthly goal of reading two 500+ page books. I wasn’t really into fantasy this year which is why I put down this book when I loved the first book in this series. Also, I’m not looking forward to the new POVs and wary about Elvar’s arc given her actions/affiliations in the last book.
I’m currently reading The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, & Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and originally picked it up to fulfill a prompt (“time” in the title) for my TBR Knockout. However, there wasn’t enough time for me to complete my school assignments and read this book in two days (I had to read it in November and I started it very late). Nonfiction books take me so long to finish, so I decided to put this book down until I’m done exam season.
I picked up The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. because I recently watched a BookTube review raving about how great this book is. Considering I chose The Prophets as the book that could shock me and be my favourite read of 2022 in last year’s book tag I knew I needed to pick it up ASAP. However, once I did, I just wasn’t in the mood for a historical fiction. I’m hoping that changes soon, ’cause I would love to finish this book before the New Year.
You’re the Only One I’ve Told: the Stories Behind Abortion by Dr. Meera Shah was first picked up in the spring. But with the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US (June 2022), I wanted to escape the dissolution of women’s bodily autonomy instead of learning about the negative impacts of anti-choice legislation. What I have read of this book is incredibly compelling and I’m excited to dive back into it once I’m in the right headspace.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman is another book where I read around a fourth before putting it down. Once I realized that the story revolves around sexual assault, and how the survival of the town hinges on the successful of a teenage boy hockey team (a recipe for disaster) my anxiety couldn’t deal. This is another example of a book I’m excited to read but I need to be in the right headspace. I’m hoping to finish it this December!
Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?
I read two of the three books I recommended in response to this question in my 2021 book tag: Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey and The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin. Unfortunately, Wintering by Katherine May will remain unread for another year, but I have plans to read it during February 2023.
Moving onto my recommendations for this year are three books I haven’t yet read but can’t wait to start:
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig is a 2022 new fall release and is the perfect autumnal book to transition into December if you like YA/NA fantasy.
I’m a sucker for protagonists who’re possessed by malevolent/godly spirits. Books with this trope tend to have compelling commentary on the binary of good vs. evil.
Of course, One Dark Window follows Elspeth, possessed by whom she calls Nightmare. Together with a highwayman – on the run for committing treason – she hopes to cure her kingdom from an infection of dark magic.
One of my favourite sub-genres is feminist retellings. Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese reimagines the story of the woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter through her protagonist, Isobel Gamble. In fact, Nathaniel is a supporting character in Hester.
I’m excited to read Laurie’s commentary on being an immigrant Scottish woman in the 19th century and how she weaves Nathaniel into Isobel’s story.
I’ve also been in a witchy mood this autumn. Isobel has synesthesia – she sees certain colours when she hears certain sounds – which would’ve been considered witchcraft in the early 19th century. Of course, Isobel has immigrated to Salem, which has a long history of accusing women who defy patriarchal gender norms of being witches.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher has been on my want-to-read list since its release. It was another book that was an instant purchase once I realized the story was a dark feminist fairy tale.
The novella follows Marra, who quests to save her sister from the hands of an abusive prince by killing him. Along the way, she collects a ragtag group of people – including a gravewitch and a chicken possessed by a demon – to free their kingdom of its tyrannical ruler.
The quirky found family vibes are strong in this book, and apparently, it has the dark atmosphere of a Grimm fairytale.
Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?
Last year I mentioned the sequel in the WITSEC series, Save Me by Ashley N. Rostek. Not only did I read this book, but I read the third book in the series as well this year, so I’m officially caught up!
While there are a few new releases I’m still waiting for in December, one I can’t wait for is Sweep the Heart by Ilona Andrews. It’s the fifth book in the Innkeeper Chronicles series. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been reading this series since 2018.
After the cliffhanger of the last book in the series, Sweep of the Blade, I’m so excited for the protagonists to get some answers about their missing parents. Also, we’re finally going to meet Klaus – the long-lost elder brother of Dina and Maud.
Sweep of the Blade promises to continue the perfect balance between cozy fantasy and action that this series is known for. This is also the first book we get to see Dina and her boyfriend, Sean, working together as Innkeepers!
What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?
I’m proud to say that I read all three books I mentioned in my 2021 book tag: When the Stars Go Dark by Paul McLain, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. However, both The Song of Achilles and The Space Betwen Worlds were read in the early months of 2022 (and were 4-star reads).
I gave in to the hype this year and bought The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. I love the atmosphere of the dark academia sub-genre. The premise of the Alexandrian Library secretly still existing sounds so intriguing. However, I’m a bit put off by some of the negative reviews I read about a certain main character, so I haven’t felt compelled to read The Atlas Six.
But, with the release of its sequel this fall, I’ve decided it is time. Also, it fulfills the “queer dark academia” prompt in my Diversity Yo’ Bookshelf challenge.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is a translated Japanese novella. It follows Keiko, a 36-year-old woman who works in a convenience store and is happy with her life and job. But, society – and Keiko’s family – keeps telling Keiko should aspire to more. I’ve heard this book offers some great commentary on a conformist society and also capitalism. Also, Convenience Store Woman fulfils two reading challenge prompts: it’s a translated book and for the Diversify Yo’ Bookshelf it’s an Asian translated book.
Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lai fulfills the prompt, read a book with a refugee main character for the Diversify Yo’ Bookshelf reading challenge.
In 2020, I read and reviewed a mother-daughter memoir, Family in Six Tones, by Lan Cao and Harlan Margaret Van Cao, that explores the effects of being a Vietnam refugee during the Vietnam war. I wanted to read a fictional novel that explored the impact of this war from a refugee’s POV, which is why I picked up Butterfly Yellow. Six years after the war, Hằng is finally in Texas as a refugee looking for the brother she was separated from at the war’s end. The synopsis promises character development and a family centred plot which I love in historical fictions.
Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?
I epically failed this prompt last year 😅. My choice for this question in 2021 was The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr and despite still being convinced it’ll be a 5-star read, I still haven’t read it 🙈. I’m hoping I’ll finish The Prophets before 2022 is over, but if not it’s a priority for 2023.
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel was a highly anticipated 2022 release for me, and I’m finally planning on reading it this December! I kept putting it off because I haven’t been that drawn to fantasy this year. However, the winter has reignited my desire for magic, complex world-building and strong character development.
Keikeyi is definitely a 5-star predication. I think it could make it to my favourite books of the year because one of the books I know will be in my Top 5 is an Arthurian feminist retelling. The feminist retellings – if done well – are typically shoe-ins for my favourites list. However, I’d be surprised if it beats out the book that is so far my favourite of 2022 because I went into that book with no expectations whereas I have very high ones for Kaikeyi.
Have you already started making reading plans for 2022?
Yes! I’m trying to get back into posting reviews on my blog so I’ve been making lists of what books I want to read and review. January will definitely be a fantasy month (that is if my fantasy mood lasts).
I’ve also been inspired by a few YouTubers who set nonfiction and series completion goals. So far I’ve come up with 30 nonfiction books and a few series that I want to complete in 2023.
Before you go, read last year’s book tag!
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[…] As always, there are six questions in the End of Year Book Tag. I go out of my way to not duplicate books (that way, there are more books on this list!), even though most of these books could fulfil most of these questions. Similar to last year, I’ve also reflected on whether I read the books I mentioned in my previous year’s tag. Click here to read my End of Year Book Tag: 2022! […]