A lifelong reader of all things YA and books with heartfelt moments that punch you with all the feels. Currently expanding my reading interests to encompass anything that makes me feel deep and resonate with the characters
Happy, happy new year everyone! I cannot believe it’s 2022, but I choose to be hopeful as we stare down another year that has blessedly arrived. I hope the year has started off well for you all, whether you celebrated quietly at home or were able to gather with others safely.
With this being said, I don’t quite take on New Year’s resolutions because so often the way it is framed suggest we’re setting up ourselves for failure or extreme stress to achieve such goals. So instead, I’m framing this as reasonable and attainable goals I hope to keep myself accountable this year. Start small and grow from there as habits kick in. Be flexible and just have fun with it.
Will you join us in making 2022 a great year to diversify and try new things?
Read 80 books
Listen to more audiobooks (maybe 10 at least)
Read 1 poetry book
Re-read one series and/or 3 standalones
Read 2 non-fiction Christian books
Spend more time in Scripture (once a day)
Finish 90% of ARCs on time
Choose ARCs with a stricter criteria instead of willy-nilly choosing
Read at least 7 new BIPOC authors
Not be afraid to DNF >1 book if necessary
Participate in more buddy reads with fellow bloggers like you!
Try out different blog posts (at least 1-2 others) not currently found here
Read more from the library – only buy books if absolutely needed
Read 60 books
Dive into the ARC scene (and finish on time)
Read a non-fiction book
Read at least 5 works by Indigenous authors
Read and engage more with other bookish blogs
Reading a French novel
Re-read an old favourite in another language
Explore different genres for audiobooks (find one I like)
We’re wishing you all a blessed, safe, and joyous 2022!
Is it strange to say that I felt this year pass by like looking at something through a blurry mirror? It just doesn’t feel quite real that we are once again at the end of another pandemic year and waiting on 2022.
Alas, we wanted to put out some reflections about the year from both of us at Down the Rabbit Hole. Things that we learned, things that we’re excited for, things that maybe made us a little sad. We wanted to keep it real here and share more of ourselves outside books alone (but also including books ’cause they’re such a huge part of our lives).
Immigration stories hit me in the feels and I realize I shouldn’t be so quick to judge those who want/need to escape the life they were born into (read Love in English for example)
While travelling is off for me, I realize books provide more adventure than I ever anticipated before
Speaking of travels, I’m thankful for shorter distance travelling plans as I’ve come to realize it’s the people I go with that make the trip, not just the location
Just because I’m Asian doesn’t mean that all Asian experiences and stories will connect with me – but even with a little grace to experiences I haven’t gone through, I still stand by not perpetuating harmful Asian stereotypes to the wider masses, especially in literature (see So We Meet Again)
Life is super short, not just from seeing how fragile we are from disease but also from freak accidents, so I’m grateful for all my loved ones I can still hold onto (even from afar) this year
I want to do more things I’m passionate about and not because I have to/feel obligated to do them – so posting things I like and making blogging fun
Forgiveness is a healing process that takes time, but I am glad to say 1 year later, I am seeing the fruits of such healing (thanks to Forgiving What I Can’t Forget)
Love >>> our own need to voice every opinion (mostly unheeded) – if there’s one thing this pandemic has taught me, to love others is the braver and more worthy choice
Hope is not ignoring the reality – it’s looking forward to a brighter future with full confidence while acknowledging and acting accordingly in the present
Now that I’ve found something that I love to learn and do, I instantly know that it was right all along. Sometimes, you just know when it’s right, so I encourage you to chase that little inkling as it really can change your life
Time is fleeting, and really shorter than you ever think, so enjoying the present moment where we can be safe and together becomes increasingly more important
It always does a lot of good to try and see things from others’ perspectives. Listen more instead of speaking more
Everyone deals with the same hardship a different way – something that pandemic really proved. A little more compassion can go a long way
Relationships and friendships can ebb and flow, and there is no need to worry that you aren’t growing all your relationships at the same time (you don’t have the resources!)
Making time to rest is so much more important than squeezing in a little bit more work. Burnout is hard to recover from
Health is paramount. Don’t underestimate this!
Hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit about how we felt about this past year – it certainly hasn’t been easy for most of us. What have you all learned this past year?
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
I told you I would be back with my Best list after posting my Hit or Miss list yesterday for 2021. These books are my 5-star reads, the crème de la crème, the ones I wish more people would read if they haven’t already.
I know not everyone may agree with all the books here, and I appreciate and respect your opinion. But hopefully, if you haven’t read some of these, this will encourage you to find a new read for 2022.
Are you ready?
1. If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (review)
If you stopped by my other post yesterday, you would know I couldn’t stomach these real-life married couple’s most recent release. Yet the pleasant surprise of finding I absolutely ADORED this story loosely based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew almost makes up for it. The protagonist isn’t necessarily likable (initially), but her character development and growing attraction for THE most unlikely boy was wonderful to witness.
2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (review) / Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (review)
I’m sure these 2 books need no explanations. I’m a little bit later in the game with the first book, but out of the YA mystery genre, Holly Jackson is hands down the queen. I couldn’t put these down. In fact, I pulled all nighters to finish them in one sitting. Written with interview formats, investigative notes and interesting maps, I’ve heard the audiobook is like a true crime podcast. In book form, it’s a masterpiece. And the storytelling is 100% gripping, twisty and heart wrenching at the same time. You MUST read!
Who doesn’t fancy a British boyfriend? At least, I wouldn’t mind. This cute romance story about a girl escaping everything about herself after a humiliating rejection from a boy tries to redefine who she is in order to impress the British guy who’s taken an interest in her at boarding school. Little does she know, is he really the right guy for her? I loved the romantic angst and interesting secondary characters that helped drive the story.
OMG, this really shouldn’t require any introduction, but this might just be THE #1 read of my year. Fantastically balanced between an excellently researched plot about codebreakers, mostly women, in Britain who helped decode enemy messages in WWII and a char active driven storyline of the 3 women we followed, I couldn’t put this book down even if my life depended on it. I was sucked into the past that brought the 3 women together in war, and the present day mysterious betrayal that rocked their tight knit group. I can’t rave enough about this book except that it surely is a MUST READ for anyone, even if you don’t fancy yourself a historical fiction kinda reader.
While it’s literally EVERYWHERE in the book community, the hype really lives up to its name. I particularly loved this so much because I’m a scientist and experienced the life of a lab rat in school. I felt so seen by the protagonist (and the author). But even if that means nothing to you, it was still a great fake dating romance story that most definitely will pull the heartstrings as these 2 unlikely characters fall in love with one another.
A gorgeously written tale about breaking a century long curse and a girl willing to go to great lengths to win back what was her family’s, this was an unexpected love for me that blew me away. I don’t know if it’s just that I love seeing a protagonist fall for someone who doesn’t know their true self because they’re in disguise, but this book was excellently done for this trope, and the lore surrounding the world it was set in was beautiful to slip into.
Think The Hunger Games meets the Percy Jackson where the gods are being hunted so that special selected humans could become gods themselves. The premise was super intriguing, and the mystery surrounding which god could be trusted definitely made it all the more interesting to continue. It’s also a standalone fantasy, which is rare these days, but everything worked so well in this one book because of it. It’s the whole package and I just couldn’t put it down!
8. Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham (review)
I guess I’m in (or close to) the generation of heavy social media user so this book both felt realistic to me and also intriguing to follow the super influencers everyone else looks up to. Plus, I love a good mystery so when it changed tones that included a murder, I was only hooked even more. What dangers lurk in the glamorous lives of influencers? Find out in these pages!
Disclaimer: I have read the expose released in 2019 about the author and his past that led to this publication. I don’t endorse any of that kind of atrocious behaviour, and only read this book because it was before I learned of this article. If you feel uncomfortable reading this book because of it, I fully understand.
You may have heard this title recently as it was finally released as a film featuring Amy Adams. (Don’t watch that by the way, it definitely was nowhere near as good as the book). I liked the psychological aspects of the book, focusing on an agoraphobic woman who was also a psychiatrist herself. When you don’t know who or what perspective to trust, it gets particularly thrilling to unearth surprising twists coming at every angle. I can appreciate that in this writing even if I don’t like Finn.
I have read Neal’s other books but this standalone is quite different from those types of stories. It’s a hallmark of a good writer to still create something different than his usual genre, and this piece borne out of a pandemic writing period reflected the diversity in thoughts. This novel asks one question: if your life changed just in ONE particular way, would the outcome of your future completely change as well? Would those futures be better or worse than the one you had on track for you? I love the way it makes me think and reflect, carries a good message, and is the type of book to start discussions.
So yes, this is the last TTT of 2021. It has been a wonderful year of joining TTT and I look forward to doing more next year. I hope you find something interesting to choose from for future reading in this list.
Down the Rabbit Hole 