What I read in 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, it's time to revisit the books I read this year. Once again, I set myself a goal at the beginning of the year to read 100 books. I managed to hit that goal, with 102 books read this year.

The average rating for the books I read was 4.04 stars, a hair higher than the 4.03 average from 2021's books read. The breakdown by star rating was:

• 5 stars - 33 books
• 4 stars - 40 books
• 3 stars - 29 books

The numbers are uncannily similar to 2021's, the difference being that I read one fewer 3-star book in 2022.

As I mentioned in the last post, the books I read as part of the Goodreads Choice Awards reading challenge did not make as great an impact to the yearly average as it did in 2021, but it did skew the distribution. The percentage of 4-star books would have been even greater if not for the reading challenge since there were more Goodreads Choice Awards books that I gave 5-star or 3-star ratings to than 4 stars.

I'll list my top ten reads of 2022 in my next post. Stay tuned! 

 

2022 Goodreads Choice Awards reading challenge recap

After reading all the great books from last year's Goodreads Choice Awards reading challenge, I decided to do it again. My goal was to read at least two books a month from the list of 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards finalists, for a total of 24. I ended up reading 28.

The books I read were (in alphabetical order by title):

• The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green
• Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty
  
• Appleseed - Matt Bell
• Beautiful World, Where Are You - Sally Rooney
  
• Bewilderment - Richard Powers
  
• The Book of Accidents - Chuck Wendig
  
• Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doerr
• Come With Me - Ronald Malfi
  
• The Cousins - Karen McManus
• Crying in H Mart - Michelle Zauner 
• The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix 
  
• Golden Girl - Elin Hilderbrand
• The Good Sister - Sally Hepworth
• The Hawthorne Legacy - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao 
• The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward
• The Last Thing He Told Me - Laura Dave
• Local Woman Missing - Mary Kubica 
• The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner  
• Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid 
• My Heart is a Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones
• The Night She Disappeared - Lisa Jewell
  
• The Push - Ashley Audrain
• Rock Paper Scissors - Alice Feeney
• The Rose Code - Kate Quinn 
• The Sentence - Louise Erdrich
  
• A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins 
• Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune

Of the 28 books, I rated 11 as 5 stars, 8 as four stars, and 9 as three stars. The average rating came out to be 4.07, which is higher than my overall average of about 4.0 stars for the books I read outside the challenge. However, it wasn't as high as the 4.11 average from last year's Goodreads Choice Awards finalists. Still, this was a great way to read books that I wound up liking.

I made two observations from last year that held true again this year. The category winners didn't perform as well as the other finalists, and there were more 5-star and 3-star ratings than 4-star ratings. This seems to just be how the list of finalists work for me. 

A new observation this year is the shift in genres I read. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've found that I read more thrillers in 2022. This was reflected in the reading challenge since eight of the 28 books were part of the Mystery & Thriller category.

NaNoWriMo 2022 recap

We've reached the end of November, which means the end of another NaNoWriMo. In my last post, I mentioned that I wanted to write more than 20,000 words this month because I'm behind in the first draft of my WIP. Well, it didn't happen. :-( I only managed a little over 15,000 words. Between an extremely busy day job schedule and a very welcomed vacation over Thanksgiving week, I had less time to write this November compared to previous Novembers.

While my word count wasn't what I hoped it'd be, NaNoWriMo did help my story along. In addition to the words added to the manuscript, I had several new ideas that made the story better IMHO. The most significant one led me to change the ending. I didn't throw away my original ending completely. Instead, most of what I had planned for the ending will now take place earlier in the story to make room for what I believe will be an even better ending. I hope my readers will agree when they read the book.

I still have faint hopes of completing the first draft by the end of the year. It means that I will have to conduct a personal NaNoWriMo writing challenge during the month of December. I don't have a word count goal because I don't know how many words it will take to finish the novel. Let's see if I can write "The End" by the last day of 2022.

Playing catch up, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo

In 2020 and 2021, when I wrote the first drafts of the first two books in the After Z-Day series, I had written at least 20,000 words by the end of October, used NaNoWriMo to add another 20,000 words, and wrapped up the first drafts by the last day of December. That was my plan this year as well.

Except that I've written less than 10,000 words of book 3 so far. I still have a few days left in October to make progress, but realistically, I'll be starting November with a little over 10,000 words written in my first draft. Even if I add another 20,000 words during NaNoWriMo, I'd only be about halfway done with book 3. As I see it, my options are to (1) increase my output in November, (2) write even more words in December than in November, or (3) give up on my goal to finish the first draft by the end of the year.

The second option seems extremely unlikely. Throughout my writing career, November has been my most productive month, thanks to NaNoWriMo. Although nothing prevents me from writing even more during another month, the psychological kick in the pants of NaNoWriMo has been undeniable for my productivity. I also don't want to give up on my plan to finish the first draft by the end of this year, even if I'm behind right now. Which leaves me with option 1. It's not out of the question that I can write more than the 20,000 words I wrote the past two years. After all, I've "won" NaNoWriMo before by writing 50,000 words.

So this year, I'm going to shoot for more than 20,000 words in November. How much more? 25,000 words? 30,000 words? I don't know. This will be an interesting NaNoWriMo for me because I'm planning to ramp up from writing less than 3,000 words a month the past three months to over 20,000 in November. Will I be able? Stay tuned and find out!

Changing reading tastes

 

If you're a long-time follower of my blog, you know that I've been a fan of YA books for many years (despite growing out of my "young adult" phase in life long ago). YA is the predominant genre I write in because I also love reading YA. When I came up with my favorite series, for example, 7 out of the top ten fell in the YA category.

This year, however, I found my reading tastes changing. I've read more books for adults than for young adults in 2022 so far. The top two categories are thrillers and fantasy/sci-fi, which are two genres that have been among my favorites for a long time, just not more so than YA. I attribute the rise in reading fantasy to my newfound fondness for Brandon Sanderson, as well as the general surge in interest in the genre through shows like "The Wheel of Time" (which I'm starting to read) and "The Rings of Power."

It's too early to say whether my shift in reading preferences signals a declining interest in YA or an increased interest in other genres. I've still read some really enjoyable YA books this year (e.g., The Inheritance Games series comes to mind), so it still holds a special place in my heart. I also don't have any plans to stop writing YA stories. Maybe next year, my reading preferences will revert back to YA. We'll see.

Hopeless is free this weekend!

For a limited time, Hopeless, the first book in the After Z-Day series, is free! Download the e-book from Amazon here.

If you enjoy it, try the sequel, Relentless, which is free to read for Kindle Unlimited members.

Release announcement: Relentless

I'm happy to announce the release of Relentless, the second book in the After Z-Day series and the sequel to Hopeless. 

Just in time to celebrate the 4th of July, Relentless is currently available in e-book or paperback format on Amazon. For members of the Kindle Unlimited program, you can read the e-book for free! If you're looking for an action-packed story this holiday, check out Relentless!

Description: 

Seventeen-year-old Sara Sanders survived the initial days following Z-Day, when zombies took over the world. She also reunited with her brother, whom she first feared was dead.

Preparing to face life in a new world on their own, she and her fellow survivors overhear a broadcast from an army base. The soldiers at the base claim that they can protect civilians from the zombies and provide them with some semblance of a normal life again. The base sounds like a godsend. It is what Sara and her companions have been hoping for in the midst of the zombie apocalypse.

But is it too good to be true? Is anywhere truly safe after Z-Day?

Cover reveal: Relentless

Relentless, the sequel to Hopeless, will be released soon! In the meantime, I'm excited to reveal the cover and description for this second book in the After Z-Day series. Look for the new book next month! 

Description: 

Seventeen-year-old Sara Sanders survived the initial days following Z-Day, when zombies took over the world. She also reunited with her brother, whom she first feared was dead.

Preparing to face life in a new world on their own, she and her fellow survivors overhear a broadcast from an army base. The soldiers at the base claim that they can protect civilians from the zombies and provide them with some semblance of a normal life again. The base sounds like a godsend. It is what Sara and her companions have been hoping for in the midst of the zombie apocalypse.

But is it too good to be true? Is anywhere truly safe after Z-Day?

Very late book anniversary

Thank goodness I'm not as bad at remembering my wedding anniversary as I am with my book anniversaries. I recently realized that I've been an author for more than ten years (how did that happen??), and when I looked back at the publishing date for my first novel, George and the Galactic Games, I confirmed it to be true since it was released on November 10, 2011. 

Before George and the Galactic Games, I had written short stories here and there and made a few attempts at writing a novel, but none of them went anywhere. At the start of 2010, I made a New Year's resolution to seriously focus on writing, and in 2011, I resolved to complete a novel. Somehow, I stuck with my plans, and the end result was George and the Galactic Games. The novel holds a special place in my heart. Not only was it my first novel, but it was a story that had been brewing inside me and wanted to be told, and I'm glad I was finally able to share it. Writing the book also showed me that I could complete a novel, and it paved the way for eight more novels in the following years, with a ninth hopefully ready for release in a month or two.

Happy belated 10-year anniversary to George and the Galactic Games!

A writing update

I haven't provided an update on my writing progress since my 2021 NaNoWriMo recap, so it's time to let my readers know that things have indeed been moving on that front since November. For starters, I accomplished my goal of finishing the first draft of the sequel to Hopeless by the end of 2021. I just made it by the skin of my teeth, wrapping it up on the last day of the year. 

Since then, I've been editing the manuscript. After a two-week break, I spent the remainder of January and all of February on my first revision pass. As expected, this comprised many changes because the first revision pass is where I make sure the story makes sense and that I'm telling it the way I want to. I wound up re-writing the ending of the book during this phase.

I made my second revision pass during the month of March. This is where I fix my writing, including cleaning up spelling and grammatical mistakes. At the beginning of this month, I began the third revision pass, and I'm focusing on tightening up my writing and catching any mistakes that slipped through the second phase. My goal is to finish this round of revisions by the end of April.

Depending on how clean I feel the manuscript is after the third pass, I'll either embark on another round of revisions or pass the story along to an editor. In either case, I believe I'm still on track to release the as-yet-unnamed sequel to Hopeless in the middle of this year. I'm excited because this will be the first sequel I've ever written for one of my novels, and I look forward to writing more books in this series!

Thoughts on Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter

 

One of the topics receiving attention in the author community this week is Brandon Sanderson's record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. For those who haven't heard, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson wrote four new novels in the past two years that he wants to get into the hands of his fans, and he launched a Kickstarter campaign to do so. (This video does a far better job of explaining what the campaign offers and the reason for it than I ever could.) Halfway through the month-long campaign, it's already raised over $27 million! Reactions to the success of Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter have been all over the map, as expected, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents, both from the perspective of an author and as a Brandon Sanderson fan.

As an author, I congratulate him on the mind-boggling sum that he has been able to raise and thank him for opening our eyes to what's possible. I agree 100% with those who say that only a handful of authors can pull off what Brandon Sanderson did, but the point is that it's possible. If other authors are able to generate a tenth of the interest, or even 1/100th, that's still a significant amount. In many cases, $270,000 (1/100th of Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter funding so far) is still more than what an author can earn through traditional publishing deals. What inspires me is not only the $27 million (and counting), but the fact that he has complete creative control over how the books will look once it reaches the hands of his readers. I don't know how much money Brandon Sanderson would have made if he published these books through a traditional publisher, but he wouldn't have as much say regarding the finished product as he will now.

What no commentary I've read so far has mentioned, and what surprised me the most about this campaign, is the fact that Brandon Sanderson wrote four extra novels in the last two years! If you've read about what he did in 2020 and 2021, they were both busy years. I was already impressed with his accomplishments, but to learn that he managed to write four additional novels during that time is mind-boggling!

As a Brandon Sanderson fan, I was giddy when I learned of the Kickstarter campaign. Four new novels from one of my favorite authors, along with the option to buy monthly swag boxes? Sounds good to me. There are few authors I'd be willing to shell out $40/month for four unknown books, but Brandon Sanderson is one of them. (I would likely do the same for Lisa Gardner, Laini Taylor, or Rainbow Rowell, in case any of them are reading this post and want to do something similar.) For me, the only question was which level to fund. Initially, I was drawn to the four books in premium hardcover format. They were what I mainly wanted. However, the more I thought about it, the more appealing the swag boxes became. While I probably won't like all the swag I receive, they could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So I took the plunge and pledged the top end Year of Sanderson option. I can't wait for my monthly packages to start arriving!

Are fantasy movies/shows better than the books they're based on?

 

Image courtesy of IMDB

 

It's often said that books are better than their film and TV adaptations, and for the most part, I agree. However, I've noticed one genre where adaptations are as good as or even better than the books they're based on: fantasy.

Consider some of the most popular fantasy movies and TV shows since the start of the millennium:

• Harry Potter
• Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings
• Game of Thrones
• The Witcher
• The Wheel of Time
  

Aside from the Harry Potter series, where the books are hard to beat IMHO, I enjoyed the adaptations over the books in all of the other cases. In the case of Game of Thrones, for example, my low opinion of the books led me to delay in watching the TV series until four seasons had aired. Fortunately, once I started watching it, I found that I enjoyed it much more than the books.

What is it about fantasy books that lend them to adaptations that are comparable or better? I can think of two reasons. 

The first is that fantasy books are usually lengthy. The first two books of A Song of Fire and Ice (all that I've managed to read) are over 800 pages long, and so is the first book in The Wheel of Time series. Did they need to be so long? I would argue that the answer is no. There's too much unnecessary filler in the books. Movies and TV series are time-constrained, so they need to pick and choose which parts include, and as a result, they're able to keep the interesting parts of the story while discarding the filler, making the experience more enjoyable for the viewer.

I also believe that the visuals in a movie or TV show help make fantasy stories better. Unlike books that take place in our everyday world, it's hard to imagine what a fantasy world looks like. Peter Jackson did a great job bringing Middle Earth to life, and one of the best aspects of the Game of Thrones TV series was the visuals, ranging from the settings to the costumes. It was grander than what I had pictured in my head when I read the books.

What's your take on adaptations of fantasy books?

1,000 books and counting

 

I didn't notice this until today, but I've logged over 1,000 books on Goodreads! 

Depending on whether I'm looking at the list of All books or Read books, I've included either 1,003 or 1,005 books since I started using Goodreads in 2011. (I'm perplexed by the difference between the two lists, and I don't know where the discrepancy comes from.)

If I've added 1,003 books, then my 1,000th book was Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams, which I read at the beginning of this year. If 1,005 is the correct number, then my 1,000th book was the last one I logged in 2021, The Therapist by B.A. Paris.

I'm excited to reach the milestone and look forward to another 1,000 books in the next ten years or so!

Favorite reads of 2021

Happy New Year, everyone! It's time to share my top ten favorite reads of 2021. 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, last year, I participated in the Goodreads Choice Awards reading challenge. It was also a year of Brandon Sanderson books for me since I read five of his books in 2021, including the first two in the Stormlight Archive series. Both themes are reflected in my top ten list, as four books from the Goodreads Choice Awards challenge and three books by Brandon Sanderson made it onto the list. The complete top ten list is as follows:

1. The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson 

2021 was the year I finally decided to read Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. I've read his Mistborn series (both the original trilogy and the Wax & Wayne books) as well as The Rithmatist, and I've loved them all. However, the Stormlight Archive series was always daunting because each book is over 1,000 pages long, and there are supposed to be ten novels in all (when they're eventually published). I finally dove in last year, and I'm glad I did. Usually, with such long books, I find that a good percentage is filler, but I can't really think of anything I'd cut from The Way of Kings. The Stormlight Archive has the potential to become my favorite fantasy series of all time!

2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab 

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. For one, it's more of a romance than a fantasy novel despite being a finalist in the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards under the Fantasy category. The book also moves slowly. However, the writing is beautiful, and that made the story itself beautiful. I found myself falling deeper into Adeline's life the more I read it, until I wished the book would never end. It has been a long time since a book connected with me on an emotional level like this one did, and all I can say about Addie LaRue is, I will remember you for a long time.

3. My Contrary Mary - Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows 

When the Lady Janies released a new book last year, I had to read it. I rated the first three Janies books as 5 stars, and it's possible that My Contrary Mary is my favorite of the bunch (although it's technically part of a new Mary series). As always, the story was fun and funny to read. I appreciate all of the pop culture references and wondered how many more I missed. Not knowing the history it's based on, I can't say how accurate the portrayal of Mary was, but one thing the Lady Janies books does is make me want to learn more about the historical characters they're based on, which is yet another point in their favor IMHO. I recommend My Contrary Mary and the Lady Janies books to everyone.

4. Elantris - Brandon Sanderson 

In addition to beginning the Stormlight Archive series this year, I also read Elantris, Brandon Sanderson's first published novel. It's hard to believe this was his first book because it's as good as many seasoned writers' best works. As with all of Sanderson's books I've read so far, the world-building is fantastic, including the magic system in this world. There has been talk of a sequel to Elantris, and if Sanderson ever writes it, I can't wait to read it.

5. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig 

The Midnight Library was the winner in the Fiction category of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards, so I had high expectations going in. Fortunately, the book lived up to those expectations. It was inspiring in a way few books are, covering topics such as life choices, regrets, and the importance of one's perspective on life. Although the philosophical teachings could be a bit heavy-handed at times, I found several nuggets of wisdom in this novel.

6. Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson 

What, yet another Brandon Sanderson book? I was able to finish the first two books in the Stormlight Archive series this year, and both were great. I rated Words of Radiance lower than The Way of Kings because it was hard to live up to the greatness of the first book. If I had waited before starting the second book, I might have rated it higher. Nevertheless, this was a great sequel, and it confirms my suspicion that the Stormlight Archive is on its way to becoming my favorite fantasy series ever.

7. The Sun Down Motel - Simone St. James 

One part thriller and one part horror story, this was a gripping book that was hard to put down until I finished reading it. The novel is told from the point of view of Vivian in 1982 and her niece Carly in 2017. Both women were interesting protagonists with distinct voices, and I had a great time reading both of their stories. The author did a masterful job weaving their stories together, and I thoroughly enjoyed being led along for the ride.

8. The Queen's Gambit - Walter Tevis 

I watched the Netflix series based on the book and thought it was very good. As it turned out, the adaptation was fairly faithful to the book, making the book a delight to read. The book talks chess more than the TV series did, so you'd probably like it more if you're familiar with the game. However, I don't think you need to be a fan of chess or to have watched the series to enjoy this book.

9. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson 

The last 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards book I read this year was also one of my favorite books of 2021 and possibly my favorite YA mystery ever. The way the mystery unfolds was well done, and I felt like I was piecing things together the same way Pip did. The story alternates between third person narration and Pip's journal, which is written in first person. Sometimes, the transition threw me off a little, and Pip did some things that I felt were out of character for her, but this book kept me glued to the pages throughout. After finishing A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, I learned it was part of a trilogy. I'm definitely interested in finding out what happens to Pip next.

10. The Butterfly Garden - Dot Hutchison 

This haunting story was one of the best thrillers I read this year. There are potentially horrific triggering events, so be warned before you read this book. Otherwise, this was a well-constructed and well-told story. I was particularly impressed by the way the author was able to introduce so many characters, yet make them all memorable and believable. This is the first book in a series, and I'm excited to read the sequels.