2022 was a great year of reading! I am reading fewer books than I usually do but I intentionally slowed down to delve into each one a bit further. I have a great list below of my favourite books of the year, higher than it usually is: somehow I picked some outstanding reads. I am reading more nonfiction this year, and I started back on poetry collections towards the end of the year. I still concentrate on books in translation and have tried to branch out from my typical Eurocentric leanings. Again, a lot of short story collections so as to stay on top of the form. So, here is the wrap-up for the year: my favourites and the stats. Enjoy!
ALL THE BEST
Labatut, Benjamin. When We Cease to Understand the World. Translated by Adrian Nathan West. Pushkin Press, 2020.
Krasznahorkai, László. Chasing Homer. Translated by John Batki. New Directions, 2021.
Moya, Castellanos Horacio. Revulsion: Thomas Bernhard in San Salvador. Translated by Lee Klein. New Directions, 2007.
Kaffar, Jaroslav. Spaceman of Bohemia. Sceptre, 2017.
Riviere, Sam. Dead Souls. Weidenfeld& Nicolson, 2021.
Verghese, Abraham. Cutting for Stone. Random House, 2009.
Cruz, Alfonso. Kokoschkas Doll. Translated by Rahul Bery. MacLehose Press, 2021.
Melchor, Fernanda. Paradais. Translated by Sophie Hughes. Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2022.
Stefánsson, Jón Kalman. Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night. Translated by Philip Roughton. MacLehose Press, 2020.
Piñeiro, Claudia. Elena Knows. Translated by Frances Riddle. Charco Press, 2021.
Wolff, Lina. Carnality. Translated by Frank Perry. Other Press, 2022.
Mott, Jason. Hell of a Book. Dutton, 2021
Thomas, Michael. Man Gone Down. Black Cat, 2007.
Quin, Ann. Berg. And Other Stories, 2019.
Oshetsky, Claire. Chouette. ecco, 2021.
Piñeiro, Claudia. A Crack in the Void. Translated by Miranda France. Bitter Lemon Press, 2013.
Antunes, António Lobo. Until Stones Become Lighter Than Water. Translated by Jeff Love. Yale University Press, 2019.
AND ALL THE FUN STATS
88 books read in 2022 (I’m slowing down) ; 23065 pages
shortest book 82 pages, longest 624 pages
49 books in English translation; 39 written in English
81 different authors: 45 male, 35 female, 1 team
49 different translators: 20 male, 27 female, 2 mixed team
59 different countries represented: 10 from UK, 25 from USA, next highest was 5 from Argentina
32 different languages represented: English the most at 39 books, Spanish next with 14
56 publishers: And Other Stories best represented with 6 books
oldest book written in 1853 (Motley Stones by Adalbert Stifter) and most recent in 2022
51 novels, 18 short story collections, 15 nonfiction, 3 poetry, and 1 memoir
39 physical copies, 49 ebooks, a trend which continues but I am currently purchasing more physical copies