Here’s a broadly-applicable statement — 2022 was a mixed bag. It’s true of the books I read too. Going back to 2003 when I first started keeping up with this, I’ve used a 4-star rating system that is entirely subjective. Here’s a list of the books I read in 2022 and the rating I assigned to each.

Fiction

  • Brandon Sanderson, Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archives), 3 stars
  • Stephen King, Billy Summers, 3.5 stars
  • Gillian Flynn, Dark Places, 3 stars
  • Brandon Sanderson, Edgedancer, 3 stars
  • Brandon Sanderson, The Alloy of Law (Mistborn), 3.5 stars
  • Brandon Sanderson, Shadows of Self (Mistborn), 3.5 stars
  • Bonnie Kistler, The Cage, 3 stars
  • Brandon Sanderson, The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn), 3.5 stars
  • Stephen King, The Outsider, 3 stars
  • Peter Straub, If You Could See Me Now, 2.5 stars
  • Stephen King, Elevation, 3.5 stars
  • Stephen King, The Wind Through the Key Hole (The Dark Tower), 3.5 stars
  • Michael Crichton, Dragon Teeth, 3.5 stars
  • Brian Panowich, Like Lions, 3.5 stars
  • Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility, 3.5 stars
  • James S. A. Corey, Leviathon Wakes (The Expanse), 4 stars
  • Michael Crichton, Next, 3 stars
  • John Scalzi, The Kaiju Preservation Society, 3.5 stars
  • James S. A. Corey, Caliban’s War (The Expanse), 4 stars
  • Martha Wells, All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries), 4 stars
  • Martha Wells, Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries), 4 stars
  • Martha Wells, Rogue Protocol (Murderbot Diaries), 3.5 stars

Non-Fiction

  • James Scott Bell, How to Write Dazzling Dialogue, 3 stars
  • Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights, 3 stars
  • Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers, 3 stars
  • Dean Wesley Smith, How to Write a Novel in Half a Month, 2.5 stars
  • Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven, 3.5 stars
  • Jennifer Hilt, Horror Trope Thesaurus, 3 stars

Books I Wrote

I also published three books in 2022. I’d be remiss not to include those in the list as well. I certainly read them (several times) before they entered the world. I will refrain from rating them though. That’s a bridge too far, even for me.

  • J. W. Judge, Seeking Sanctuary (The Zauberi Chronicles, Book 2) (link)
  • J. W. Judge, Forging Bonds (The Zauberi Chronicles, Book 3) (link)
  • J. W. Judge, Write Your Novel One Day at a Time: How to Write a Novel While Having a Career, a Family, and a Life (link)
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