My 2022 Read Book Shelf
I set out in 2022 to read 20 books. I wanted the books I read to be a mix of different genres and interests in order to expand my perspective on things. Not only did I reach my goal, but I’ve read 51 books as of this post. I assume I’ll sneak in another one or two by the end of the month.
I thought I’d share each book read with a small review.
1) Be a Work in Progress: And Other Things I’d Like to Tell My Younger Self, by John Cena
This book was the first book I read in 2022. It was an easy read, and I got through it pretty quickly John Cena, the famous WWE Superstar turned actor, shares what’s he learned along his journey to stardom. He shares his advice on being brave, positive and how to embrace and make the most of every opportunity.
2) A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham
This debut novel by Willingham kept me on my toes. It’s a thriller filled to the brim with twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twists shoes up. This thrilled was a tough one to put down!
3) Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
I’m a history buff and this unexplained story has always peaked my interest. This story shares the story of the college students who went missing in the Dyatlov Pass while hiking only to be found later dead. Some of their injuries, to this day, baffle investigators, their friends and family and the community to this day. The theories alone kept me hooked on this mysteriously chilling true story.
4) American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century, by Maureen Callahan
Israel l Keyes is one of the most prolific serial killers who compares to such serial killers as John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. It tells the story of a relentless predator who killed his victims in remote locations across the country for 14 years. His crimes are chilling, and this true account is terrifyingly good.
5) I’ll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction, by Lysa TerKeurst
TerKeurst shares with her readers tangible ways to break habits that have crippled the way we think about eating for years. She shares steps on how to take consistent steps that last and helps us to stop considering that numbers on the scale tell the whole story. She encourages her readers to find peace with their bodies. It’s a refreshing and realistic book.
If you want a reality check punch to the gut, read Whalen’s book. His no excuse approach to not achieving one’s goals is both realistic and refreshing. It’s the kick in the butt anyone can use when they’re feeling stuck or find themselves in a rut. Be prepared for vulgar language and being offended. It’s a pretty solid book though.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I read it in less than 24 hours! The story line is one that keeps you engaged and questioning everything! This is a must-read!
The author gives readers an intimate look at a Depression-era tragedy of once-thriving houseboat communities along the Arkansas White River. It covers a murder and sets Helen Spence on a tragic course to avenge her father’s murder. This is such an incredible read.
10) Local Woman Missing, by Mary Kubica
This thriller is intense. The author really does a great job of convincing readers of one scenario, then throws a wrench in our own understanding and theories. Some people stop at nothing to keep secrets buried.
11) The Four Agreements, by Miguel Ruiz
This nook about self-limiting beliefs is a must-read. Ruiz shares how these limiting-beliefs rob us of joy and create needless suffering. The Four Agreements help to transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness and love.
12) Chasing the Boogeyman, by Richard Chizmar
An aspiring writer comes back to his hometown in the midst of unsolved murders that might be leading to a serial killer. He embarks on a journey to uncover the truth and find the person responsible for these grisly crimes.
13) The Arrangement #1, by Kiersten Modglin
If you want to reader a thriller surrounding a very dysfunctional husband and wife, this is the book for you. Its shrouded with secrets and lust. It’s a great read.
14) The Arrangment #2, by Kiersten Modglin
The dark, scandalous and twisted sequel to the #1 bestselling domestic thriller, this book picks right back up on the dysfunctional husband and wife except the ending will have you feeling all sorts of things.
15) Stolen Tongue, by Felix Blackwell
This is one of the scariest books I have read all year. It’s a psychological nightmare of a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. My suggestion? Don’t read it after night falls.
16) The Stopover, by T.L. Swan
This girl meets boy, girl falls for boy is the premise of this book except add in the bad boy and the guy who likes “playing” if you catch my drift. Read this to find out with the good girl gets the bad boy.
17) I’m Thinking of Ending Things, by Iain Reed
This book hurt my head and left me with so many questions. If you want to read a thriller full of suspense but finish reading it with so many questions, this is your book!
To be honest, I wish I hadn’t read this one. It was grotesque. The subject matter was one in which I was warned about from other readers, yet I let my curiosity get the best of me. Readers beware. This book isn’t for everyone.
19), 20) and 21) A Good Girls Guide to Murder: Book #1, #2 & #3, By Holly Jackson
It’s the classic murder story. Girl was murdered. It was pinned on a boy. Case closed, right? Wrong. This book series will throw all of the curve balls at you before you finally unravel the truth.
22) Unspeakable Things, by Jess Lourey
Heart-pounding novel inspired by a terrifying true story from the author’s hometown in Minnesota. Cassie McDowell’s life seems pretty wholesome, yet her parents have these strange parties. One by one, local boys go missing only to return changed. They’re more violent, moody and withdrawn. Take a dive into this story to uncover accusations, town secrets and more as Cassie tries to uncover the truth.
Merritt Coletto and her husband, Luca, have a fairytale life: big, beautiful home, a promising future and a growing family, but one night that all comes crashing down when Luca’s first wife, presumed dead, shows up very much alive. She shares her horrifying story, and Merritt and Luca are both so eager to help her get back on her feet. It’s the least they can do after all. Not everything is as it seems.
24) Girls of Brackenhill, by Kate Moretti
Troubled by her sister’s disappearance, a troubled woman becomes consumed by past secrets upon her return to her childhood summer escape after her aunt dies in a car accident. When human remains are found, she’s convinced the bones are her sisters, but are they? Can she survive the ghosts of her past?
25) The Amityville Horror, By Jay Anson
This book shares the series of events that occurred to the Lutz family back in 1975. The family moved into the same house where Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers and sisters only a year. Read about their unforgettable story filled with terrifying suspense.
26) Pillow Thoughts, by Courtney Peppernell
This book is a collection of poetry and prose about heartbreak, love and raw emotions. Let yourself feel all of the feels!
Another collection of ones journey through the past, present and potential future self around all of the things. Again, this book will have you feeling all the feels.
28) Hidden Pictures, by Jason Rekulak (Goodreads Choice Award for Winner for Best Horror, 2022)
29) The Sun Will Rise and So Will We, by Jennae Cecelia
Another collection of poems written for you as a reminder that there are better days ahead and light at the end of the tunnel.
30) Please Love Me at My Worst, by Michaela Angemeer
Author Michaela Angemeer encourages her readers to connect with their inner child, loving the worst parts of yourself, sexuality and focusing on self-growth.
31) Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur
This poetry is a collection of survival and what it means to experience violence, abuse, love, loss and femininity. Each of the four chapters serve a different purpose. This is a collection worth reading.
32) the things I didn’t say in therapy, by Logan Duane
Logan Duane shares thoughts that typically are only shared with a therapist.It’s an interesting collection of thoughts most of us have experienced before.
33) 2am Thoughts, by Mackenzie Campbell
Another beautiful collection of a relationship with untamed emotions and experiences.This collections shares the beauty of acceptance, healing and recovery.
34) My Killer Vacation, by Tessa Bailey
It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation with her brother, but then the discovery of a dead body in their rental home throws a wrench into the whole thing. She becomes inadvertently caught up with the investigation while falling for a relentless bounty hunter, the story gets much more steamy.
35) The Road Between, by Courtney Peppernell
The Road Between is poetry for the soul, and it walks the line between losing yourself and finding yourself in the world when you least expect it
36) Daisy Darker, by Alice Feeney
A family who is known to avoid each other at all costs decide to gather together to celebrate the family’s matriarch’s 80th birthday. But the evening suddenly turns dark when Nana is found dead and then other family members start being found dead one by one. The family is trapped on an island, so they have to try and survive the night. But, who will be alive when the day breaks?
37) To the Man I Loved Too Much: And the Ones Who Never Loved Me Enough, by Gabrielle G.
Have you ever loved someone too much? Have you ever felt not loved enough? This collection of poetry shares the different way we feel and don’t feel love and how we love too much at times. It’s a beautiful collection.
38) Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things, by Amanda Lovelace
This collection shares how we all have the ability to be both soft and fierce without needing to be one or the other.
39) Trapper Road, by Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan (#6 in the Stillhouse Lake Series)
This entire series is phenomenal. The main character survives her serial killer husband along with all of the crazy people who either idolized him or despised him. Now, she is finding herself protecting her son and trying to find a missing girl. Will she make it out alive?
40) I can be a Better You, by Tarryn Fisher
This psychological thriller follows a neighbor who buys a house on West Barrett Street for the sole purpose of her desire to be her neighbor and have what that neighbor has including her child and her husband.
41) The Atonement (The Arrangement #3), by Kiersten Modglin
The highly anticipated conclusion to the Arrangement trilogy brings all the scandal. This dysfunctional husband and wife are now in a deadly game of cat and mouse, but who makes it out on top?
42) The Haunting of Brynn Wilder, by Wendy Webb
Brynn Wilder escapes to Wharton, a small tourist town on Lake Superior after a devastating loss. She meets a mysterious man who she feels drawn to even though suspicious deaths seem to follow him. This book is amazing, and I really suggest everyone read it. It’s a beautifully, tragic love story.
43) Pen Pal, by J.T. Geissinger
The first letter arrived postmarked from the state penitentiary and started a mysterious conversation with an inmate the day her husband was buried. The letters suddenly stopped, and then Dante shows up on her doorstep and thrust her into a world she never expected.
44) The Butcher and the Wren, by Alaina Urquhart
From the co-host of the chart-topping true crime podcast, Morbid, a thrilling debut novel told through the perspective of a serial killer and a medical examiner as their paths cross when a trail of victims show up. She is sucked into a eerily familiar case of cat and mouse, but will she make it out alive?
45) Ruthless Creatures, by J.T. Geissinger
Her fiance disappeared five years ago leaving her with a wedding dress she was never able to wear. Then a tall, mysterious man shows up in town who is full of secrets. She is drawn to him, but soon realizes he is tired to her past’s darkness. Will they make it through the fire?
46) Monsters and How to Tame Them, by Kevin Hart
I love this guy! He’s funny, but he’s also a pretty wise dude. He shares with us the very real monsters we all can be and shares stories how to recognize and combat each one. His funny, down-t0-Earth and raw stories are relatable and helpful when navigating through our own monsters.
47) The Unexpected Guest, by Agatha Christie
A thrilling story opens as a stranger walks into a home to find a man murdered and his wife standing over the body with the gun. This story opens up a Pandora’s box of secrets and suspects. Who killed the man? And who is the stranger?
48) All the Dangerous Things, by Stacy Willingham
One year prior, Isabelle Drake’s life changes forever when her toddler son, Mason was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night. Her marriage soon ends as she cannot stop obsessing over the disappearance. She shares her story with anyone that will listen and soon connects with a crime podcastor who questions everything about the night her son disappeared. She soon starts to question herself and her memory the night her son disappeared. What really happened to Mason?
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