This Year End Survey is hosted by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner.
I love this opportunity to look back over the year of reading. I enjoy recalling new favourites, exciting characters and, of course, listing some of the (many) books I didn’t manage to read.
Here’s my 2022 Year End Survey.
2022 READING STATS
Number of books you read: 30
Re-Reads: 2
Most Popular Genre: I’ve read a variety of genres again this year but I’d say that the combination of Agatha Christie and Chris Carter probably means I’ve read most from the Crime genre, which is pretty surprising to me.
BEST IN BOOKS
1. Best Book You Read In 2022?
(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2022 release vs. backlist)


What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
An Evil Mind (Robert Hunter #6) by Chris Carter
Hunting Evil (Robert Hunter #10) by Chris Carter
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie
Billy Summers by Stephen King
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read this year.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters was surprising in a very good way.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I don’t think it’s happened.
5. Best series you started in 2022? Best Sequel of 2022? Best Series Ender of 2022?


The Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter is the best new-to-me series I’ve started this year, and also gives me the answer for the next part of this question…
The best sequel I’ve read was Hunting Evil, the sequel to An Evil Mind, where Robert Hunter and Lucien Folter cross paths once more, with violence and gory consequences.
Series ender? Have I finished a series this year? I don’t think I have actually.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2022?
I’m going for new-to-me choices for this one….

T. Kingfisher – I read What Moves the Dead and now I definitely want to read more.

Chris Carter – I’ve never really been drawn to crime novels before, and gruesome crime novels even less so, but I can’t seem to get enough of the Robert Hunter series. There are some great characters and some awfully inventive methods of execution and I read on wondering what on earth is going to happen next.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers. Sci-fi is a genre I haven’t really explored at all.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett had so many fast-paced action scenes and there was a lot going on in the story.

Also, for ‘unputdownable’ I have to mention An Evil Mind (Robert Hunter #6) by Chris Carter.
9. Book You Read In 2022 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I don’t think I’ll be re-reading anything from this year, but I do hope to get back to my Dark Tower series re-read and carry on with Wolves of the Calla.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2022?



The Once and Future Witches by Alix. E Harrow
The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower #4.5) by Stephen King
Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie
Billy Summers by Stephen King
An Evil Mind (Robert Hunter #6) by Chris Carter
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
Practical Magic (Practical Magic #1) by Alice Hoffman
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
11. Most memorable character of 2022?

Lucien Folter from An Evil Mind and Hunting Evil by Chris Carter.
Alex Easton from What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.
Billy Summers from Billy Summers by Stephen King.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2022?

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
13. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2022 to finally read?

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. I’ve had this one on my TBR list for such a long time I’m glad that this autumn finally saw me give it a try because I really enjoyed it.
14.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2022?

The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu is the shortest book I’ve read this year at 79 pages.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is the longest book I’ve read at 548 pages.
15. Book That Shocked You The Most?

The Executioner (Robert Hunter #2) by Chris Carter. Some of what went on in that book was pretty shocking. In fact, with each new death I read on with growing horror at what had happened to each of the victims.
16. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)?
Apparently romance hasn’t been high on my reading agenda this year because I am having great difficulty thinking of anything for this.
17. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year?

Alex Easton, Eugenia Potter and James Denton are the trio trying the save the doomed Usher siblings in What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher and I loved the three of them together, each bringing their own knowledge and skills to a baffling situation.
18. Favorite Book You Read in 2022 From An Author You’ve Read Previously?

Billy Summers by Stephen King.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley.
19. Best Book You Read In 2022 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure?

I would probably have picked up Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel anyway but I remember seeing some really good reviews for it when it first came out and that made me want to read it even more.
20. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2022?
Um, okay, I’ve thought about this for a while but nothing is coming to mind…
21. Best 2022 debut you read?

Witch by Finbar Hawkins may well be the only debut I’ve read this year. It wasn’t published this year, I just read it this year.
22. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.
Death on the Nile (Herulce Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers.
23. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie. It may seem strange that a murder mystery comes up for this question, but I loved the exotic setting, the cast of characters with so many secrets to hide, and the reassurance that in the end Poirot would come to the right conclusion.
Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie was also quite a fun read.
24. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Midnight Man (Slayton Thrillers #1) by Caroline Mitchell
The Hollows by Mark Edwards
25. Most Unique Book You Read In 2022?

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
YOUR BLOGGING/BOOKISH LIFE
1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2022?
I’ve followed quite a few new blogs this year and enjoy discovering what people are reading. Have also been taking part in #BeatTheBacklog on Twitter and there’s a great community involved in that, which is happening again next year I think.
2. Favorite reviews that you wrote in 2022?


The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas
Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17) by Agatha Christie
Billy Summers by Stephen King
An Evil Mind (Robert Hunter #6) by Chris Carter
Hunting Evil (Robert Hunter #10) by Chris Carter
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Aside from book reviews I enjoy book tags and Top Ten Tuesday posts as they give the opportunity to think back to books I’ve enjoyed, and make lists featuring potential future reads. Here are some of my recent favourite Top Ten Tuesday posts and book tags…

Lighthouses and Sailing Ships
Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To
The Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag: 2022 Edition
The Finally Fall Book Tag: 2022 Edition
The End of the Year Book Tag: 2022 Edition
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Readers Imbibing Peril is the perfect way to welcome autumn, and I like the focus on the genres involved.
I would love to find out about readathons before they start so I have time to plan and participate.
#BeatTheBacklog has been fun too, although the backlog is absolutely nowhere near beaten.
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2022?
Taking part in Readers Imbibing Peril.
6. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

In review posts Billy Summers by Stephen King, Murder by the Seaside edited by Cecily Gayford and The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow, and in Top Ten Tuesday posts my Lighthouses and Sailing Ships and Authors I Haven‘t Read, But Want To.
7. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Review posts in general. I’ve mentioned a few of my favourite reads of the year throughout this post already, so here are a few of the other books I discovered this year…


Buried (Jack Warr #1) by Lynda La Plante
Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
The Hollows by Mark Edwards
The Crucifix Killer (Robert Hunter #1) by Chris Carter
8. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
The #BeatTheBacklog community over on Twitter.
9. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I completed my Goodreads challenge. I only set myself a target of 20 books and I did manage to read more than that.
I participated in Beat the Backlist again this year and managed to read 24 books, many of which I managed to fit onto either of the two challenge bingo cards.
I also had a go at Bookforager’s book bingo and filled in more prompts than I first thought I would.
LOOKING AHEAD
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2022 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2023?
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2023 (non-debut)?
I recently found out about The Curator by Owen King, which is out next year, and it sounds really good.
Laura Purcell also has a new book coming out – The Whispering Muse, and that’s another one I’m looking forward to.
3. 2023 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Feel free to send ideas my way as I’m always looking for new reads and new authors.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2023?
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon is set in the same world as The Priory of the Orange Tree and I really enjoyed that, so I’d be interested in reading this.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2023?
I think the answer from previous years still applies. I would like to read more of my own books. I did quite well this year so I’d like to keep it up.
I want to try and #BeatTheBacklog again.
The Beat the Backlist challenge is happening again too and there are some good categories on the Bingo and Prompts lists, so I think I may sign up. It’s a good incentive to read my own books.
So concludes this year-end survey. Congratulations if you made it all the way through to the end! What have you been reading this year? And what are you looking forward to reading next?
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