I can’t think of a good title for this post. Thought I’d share some of my favorite books and tv shows of 2022. Also, what I’m currently reading and watching.
Favorite Books of 2022
One of my favorite books of 2022 was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I think it was probably a popular choice before last year but that’s when I got around to reading it. Sometimes the rebel side of my personality doesn’t want to read/watch something if everyone is raving about the greatness. Interestingly, I only read it as it popped up as a “skip the line” option for e-book library loans one day.
Basically, she makes a deal with the devil to escape one life and live forever but part of the debt for the bargain is she is destined to never be remembered by those she meets. I’ve seen it referenced to as a Faustian deal. I admit I’ve never read Faust.
As I do try to read at least one classic a year, Faust is likely my choice for 2023.
My other favorite books from 2022 were all the Donna Ashcroft, Daisy James, and Alison Sherlock books I read. Not high brow literature but lovely romances set in beautiful places or quaint villages.
Non-Fiction Choices
I love a good non-fiction book!
My favorite autobiography of 2022 was We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu. He’s the lead actor in the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. (A very underrated movie, if you have Disney+ and haven’t watched this one yet, go do it! It’s one of my favorites of all the Marvel movies). Always interesting learning about different cultures. Worth your time.
My other two favorite non-fiction books of 2022 were by the same author, Johann Hari. The first book I read from him, Stolen Focus, Why You Can’t Pay Attention is definitely a must read for anyone struggling with all their social media. The second book was super interesting from a historical standpoint. And makes you think about how we’re approaching societal problems. Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs is a fascinating look at how the war on drugs started as well as how addiction is treated around the world.
Current Fiction Reads
Since I enjoyed the first book I read by V.E. Schwab so much, I quickly put a few of her titles on my holds list at the library. My first book of this year ended up being A Darker Shade of Magic. I enjoyed it a great deal, found it fairly interesting and original. And it turned out to be part of a series of 3 books.
Wish I could say I’m enjoying the second one as much as the first. However, A Gathering of Shadows is feeling a bit young adult to me. Not that I mind a good young adult series ( The Young Elites series by Marie Lu is excellent!). I can’t help but feel elements of this book are a little more parallel to the Harry Potter series than I’d like them to be. Different plots just similar concepts. Magic tournament? Oh, you don’t say. SIGH. Still enjoyable enough I’ll keep reading.
My Non-Fiction Pile 
Well, it is Marie Kondo’s time of year is it not? I’m actually enjoying this one quite a bit. Like most books of this style, it’s a bit common sense but reading it helps reinforce the ideas. There was also an intriguing bit in there where she talked about our blocks.
Book hiding behind the others is called A Hygge Life: Embracing the Nordic Art of Coziness Through Recipes, Entertaining, Decorating, Simple Rituals, and Family Traditions by Jody Eddy and Gunnar Karl Gislason. It was okay. Focused on Iceland mostly. Not the best book I’ve read on the subject. None of the recipes interested me too much. Pretty pictures though. Still working my way through the other two books.
TV Favorites from 2022
NETFLIX:
Better Call Saul: (note only has seasons 1-5, you’ll have to find 6 elsewhere. Used to be on AMC+ but is not longer there). I thought this was actually a better series than Breaking Bad.
Kim’s Convenience: I only discovered this series because Simu Liu mentioned it in his autobiography. It is so funny.
Emily in Paris: Can’t even explain why I like this show so much. I shouldn’t like it at all, however, I just love it.
HULU: Only Murders in the Building: Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, a spoof on true crime podcasts. You won’t be disappointed!
Apple TV: Ted Lasso: My husband and I both loved this and we have extremely different TV tastes.
HBOMAX: Barry. So funny, a hitman decides to quit and become an actor instead. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love dry understated comedy/drama. And this is it. Plus, Henry Winkler. Can’t go wrong.
Regular TV: I loved The Masked Singer. And I do need to get caught up on The Flash as the last season airs this year. I loved it at the beginning but then my interest waned a bit the last two seasons. However, I plan to watch the last season as it was at a time one of my favorite shows. Even have a Star Labs coffee mug and sweatshirt!
Current TV Viewing
Last week I binge-watched the entire 3rd season of Emily in Paris. Like I said, I have no idea why but I do love that little show. Maybe it’s her crazy fashion choices?
Yesterday, I started watching The Chosen. A friend has mentioned this series several times so I decided to give it a try. I’m only 3 episodes in but she’s right, it’s very good. A drama series about the life of Jesus. I think it streams across several platforms.
******************
Wish I had some stickers to hand out to anyone who read this whole post! 
day 13/365
Sounds like some interesting choices. I have heard a lot about The Chosen, so it must be a decent show.
I’m really enjoying it!
Better Call Saul is one of my all-time favorite shows! And yes – I agree that it is even better than Breaking Bad! I really want to watch Ted Lasso, but we don’t have Apple TV. Hoping they will release it on DVD at some point, but… I am not optimistic. Fika and The Open Air Life both look really good. Might have to put holds on those!
Oh, I didn’t realize Ted Lasso wasn’t out on DVD. The new season is supposedly the last one so maybe it’ll release after that. I did start Fika (had forgot) before Christmas, really need to get back to it. Lots of intriguing recipes in it.
I love Emily in Paris ,I see reviews on YouTube and people have strong reviews on the fashion, I like it, think it is interesting. I think Breaking bad was one of the best shows ever made and better call Saul was a fun spinoff 😄
It’s funny how people have such strong reactions to Emily in Paris. I like the fashion as well. Though just looking at some of the shoes make my feet hurt, LOL.
I’m interested in all V.E. Schwab books now, since reading Gallant not too long ago. And I love YA, so I’m okay with that series you mention leaning that way. I’m currently trying to finish up Stars Above, by Marissa Meyer. It’s a companion thing to her Lunar Chronicles series. I have not read that series yet, but had gotten this for Christmas a few years ago. The cyborg thing kinda scares me but I think I do want to finally read the series (Cress, Scarlet, etc.)
I don’t watch any of the shows you mentioned because we do not have any streaming services. (Our country internet can’t handle it.) We have His Dark Materials recorded and waiting to be watched. We’ve seen the first two seasons, but now the third/final season has finally come out. I also recorded some new show called Mayfair Witches so I can check it out. I watch the comedies Ghosts and The Conners. Other than that it’s usually true crime shows for me.
I’ll have to look into Gallant. I finished the second book in the series and it came around to interesting again. Don’t mind YA either just didn’t like the turn the book took, thought I was reading one thing and then, it felt like something else. Of course, there’s a 6 week wait for the 3rd book in the series.
Haven’t heard of those books you mention, maybe I’ll look into them. Don’t want to think Skynet is real. 😉 I do love a good Terminator movie. I can do those type movies but I have to be careful with watching/reading scary/supernatural stuff as it gives me nightmares. I know many people loved the series, Supernatural, but I didn’t make it past 4 episodes before I had to quit. Ghosts has been really great the few times I’ve caught it. My husband goes hunting in the fall so I can only watch true crime when he’s going to be home (I know I’m a huge chicken). I could probably watch a bit now, go through phases with it though.
Oh my gosh, HUGE Supernatural fan here! Hubby and I got to that party late. lol We plowed through all 15 seasons in the early part of 2022 and are both itching to watch it all again. I admit, it took me a while to actually get into it but once I did, gosh, it’s the more personal side of it all that really grabbed me. Sam and Dean have such a strong bond, and all the emotional baggage. The monsters become secondary to their other struggles.
Ya know, my sister asked me once, “How do you feel after watching so much true crime TV?” I didn’t know what she meant at the time. She said she thought it would make her feel weird, like paranoid, or sick. Sometimes I do notice I feel sort of doomed or nervous, not like I’m afraid someone will barge in and get me, but thoughts of what a rotten society lurks out there. I don’t know how to explain it. When I start feeling like that I will back off from watching such shows for a while.