My 2022 mid-year reading list

We're halfway through 2022, so it's the perfect time to catch you all up on the books I've been reading over the last 6 months. There's a varied selection here, as per usual I've been popping into my local bookshops and buying whatever takes my fancy. I've found a new favourite author and realised just how many Japanese authors are obsessed with cats!

Peculiar Ground by Lucy Hughes-Hallett

My most recent read has been Peculiar Ground; I picked it up initially because I really loved the cover and when reading the blurb, I found the premise intriguing. 

The novel opens in 1663 with the journals of a landscape gardener, who is building a park for his employer Lord Woldingham. Woldingham wants his park at Wychwood House to be enclosed like an Eden, with the house's inhabitants never needing to leave its grounds. The story then moves three generations forwards, surprisingly showing the estate as the scene of house parties and rock concerts. Although there are major historical changes looming in the backdrop, such as the building of the Berlin Wall, it's predominantly a family drama with secret trysts in gardens and the characters are all linked by the same peculiar ground they share a history.

I love reading books that have a strong sense of place, and Peculiar Ground uses the house and its walls to question the toxicity of an enclosed community. The novel includes a map of the estate, alongside a cast of characters - particularly helpful when I couldn't remember who was related to who!

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I've heard so much about Piranesi and I was finally able to grab it a few months ago after searching for ages.

Piranesi lives in the House, a place with endless halls and rooms full of monumental statues. There's only one other living person he's seen; the Other, who brings him food and clothes. Piranesi's world is full of wonder and solitude, with occasional tides that bring with them fish, casing the statues with seaweed. As far as we're told, Piranesi has always lived in these halls, but we have no idea if this is a magical place, an imaginary world or something darker and more sinister. 

The style of this book struck me as unusual because sections are split into catalogue entries rather than chapters. At first, the story was quite slow for me and I found it hard to get into because after the first few pages you're left with so many questions. But it's definitely worth sticking with it because you get sucked into the world and end up dying to know how it's going to end. It's also one of the most inventive and puzzling novels I've read, so it's definitely worth a read!

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

After reading Matt Haig's The Midnight Library last year, I wanted to read more of his work. How to Stop Time tells the story of Tom Hazard, who may look like a normal 41-year-old, but he's actually been alive for centuries. Born in 1581, Tom has a medical condition that sees him age much slower than normal. He's not immortal but it can feel like he's 'stuck for ever when, according to [his] appearance, only a decade passes between the death of Napoleon and the first man on the moon.'

The novel is melancholic and sentimental, with Tom unable to move on from losing his first love whom he outlived. He is constantly having to move around to stop suspicion and is consequently reluctant to connect with anyone in the present, knowing that their time will be fleeting whilst he will go on. Although the plot isn't especially gripping, I found it a moving, poignant look at life. It contemplates what it means to live and what makes life worthwhile.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

I purchased the eBook of The Love Hypothesis at the start of the year and I whizzed through it so fast. It plays on the tropes of the rom-com genre in an intelligent way, whilst also being the perfect escapism. You may recognise this book from TikTok or Instagram, as it's developed popularity on social media this year, but for me, it's definitely worth the hype.

As a rising third-year Ph.D. student, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships. But when her best friend refuses to date her ex because of girl code, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees, hoping to prove that she has moved on and is dating. The man in question is Dr. Adam Carlsen, known as one of the most critical and serious professors. What follows is a fake dating charade that is funny and addicting. I particularly love how Ali Hazelwood chose a woman in STEM as her main character, because it means the story isn't just focused on the romance but also on Olive's experiences as a scholar conducting research. If you're looking for a sweet, fun summer read then this is for you!

If Cats Disappeared from The World by Genki Kawamura

Probably one of the cutest book covers ever, right? I've been getting into Japanese fiction recently; shockingly I haven't read any Japanese authors before. Genki Kawamura's novel stood out to me because of its focus on cats, but can you blame me?

I absolutely loved this book, an easy read but one that's emotional and thought-provoking. Its main character has just received the news he has only months to live. With only his pet cat Cabbage for company, he wanders back home in a daze only to wake up hours later with the Devil standing over him, albeit wearing a snazzy Hawaiian shirt. He's arrived to share the news that he's going to die tomorrow, but there's a way around it - if he agrees to make one thing disappear completely from the world, he will gain an extra day of life. 

The only problem is our protagonist doesn't get to choose, it's up to the Devil to decide. Regardless, he says yes a few times because of course he doesn't want to die. Until the Devil decides the next thing that will disappear from the world, if he agrees to it, will be cats...

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Following my newly found appreciation for Japanese cat literature, The Travelling Cat Chronicles was next on my list. Without giving too much away, I honestly sobbed my heart out when I finished reading this. My emotional turmoil was so profound that my mum actually finished a phone call to give me a hug. 

This book will resonate deeply with cat lovers, even animal lovers in general. We follow the adventures of Nana, a wise stray cat who gets adopted by a kind stranger named Satoru. They have five years of bliss, cohabiting and sharing their lives together. But then one day Satoru packs up his things and takes Nana on a road trip to visit some of his old friends, but he doesn't say why. What follows is an emotional story full of friendship, kindness and above all else an appreciation for all the felines in our lives. 

I loved this book so much and even when the story became heartbreakingly sad, I enjoyed how much fun Hiro Arikawa is having writing from a cat's perspective. It made me think about how our love for cats isn't perhaps as one-sided as we might think, or maybe that's just my wishful thinking!

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

With the Apple TV+ adaptation recently airing, there's been a lot of attention on Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent. I coincidently read this a few months ago in complete ignorance of the TV show coming out, but I'm glad I've read the book first.

Set in 1893, Cora Seaborne is a recent widow who moves to Essex to investigate the mysterious rumours of the 'Essex Serpent', a mythical creature 'more dragon than serpent' that is said to have been awakened by an earthquake. There, she meets local vicar William Ransome and they strike up a friendship, despite disagreeing on everything. They repeatedly argue over his faith and unwillingness to believe in the serpent, and yet they are drawn to each other. Their relationship is compelling if somewhat doomed to fail romantically because William is married with children.

There's a lot of ambiguity in the book, with faith and science often at odds. I also found it interesting that the love-triangle element of the story that we anticipate causing problems, actually sees two women having a love and appreciation for one another, despite their desire for the same man. This unusual female dynamic is a welcome surprise I enjoyed.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Now to one of the best books I've ever read. The Secret History by Donna Tartt is the quintessential dark academia book, an aesthetic that has become prevalent in recent years. It's a subculture that embodies the idealised image of studying at an elite university, often featuring Gothic architecture, books and libraries.

The Secret History is an inverted murder mystery, with the opening pages reflecting on the events that led to the murder of Bunny, one member of a small, eccentric group of college students at Hampden College in Vermont. Our narrator, Richard Papen, then explains how this gruesome act came to be, and what happens to his group of friends afterward. 

The six students we follow are all self-absorbed, arrogant intellectuals who spend their time debating ancient Greek, taking drugs and consuming unfathomable amounts of alcohol. They're all pretty unlikeable and hard to relate to, yet I still found myself fascinated by their choices and this is down to Tartt's hypnotic writing style. The world she's created here is so unfathomable but incredibly alluring and I couldn't put this book down. By following such a tight-knit group of students, being allowed into their inner circle whilst knowing at some point a member of the group is going to be murdered, I became immersed in the story and loved the slow-building tension.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Needing to read more Donna Tartt asap, I purchased The Goldfinch. It's confirmed what I already knew - I have a new favourite author! She's a very mysterious figure; she publishes a book every 10 years and then disappears. The Goldfinch is Tartt's most recent novel, published in 2013, and so I'm manifesting a new book next year???

It's a story about a young boy, Theo Decker, who lives in New York City with his mother. One day, as they're visiting an art museum, they become victims of a terrorist attack which Theo miraculously survives. In the wreckage, Theo finds the painting 'The Goldfinch' by Dutch Golden Age artist Carel Fabritius and ends up running away with it during his panicked escape. Sadly Theo's mum dies during the attack and he is left alone and bereft. He is subsequently taken in by the wealthy family of one of his school friends but he is haunted by the loss of his mother, seeking solace in the painting that he must hide over the years.

This novel delves into the world of art theft and restoration; it's a bildungsroman at heart, as we follow Theo coming to terms with his tragedy and the implications of stealing the painting. It's heartbreaking and frustrating at times, but once again I was struck by the incredible writing of Tartt. 

The Binding by Bridget Collins

The premise of The Binding intrigued me when I randomly picked it up whilst browsing my local bookshop. The blurb reads: 

'Emmett Farmer is a binder's apprentice. His job is to hand-craft beautiful books and, within each, to capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If you have something you want to forget, or a secret to hide, he can bind it - and you will never have to remember the pain it caused.'

 

Magical realism is a genre I always enjoy, and so I was excited to see where the story would go. There's mystery and intrigue, as we follow Emmett in his journey to become a binder, but as we witness him frequently experiencing bouts of mental collapse and his complicated relationship with his family, it's clear that all is not what it seems.

I anticipated that Bridget Collins would explore the fantastical aspect of memory binding, and although this is an important aspect of the novel, a huge part of the book is a romance. As a lover of romance, I was pleasantly suprised by this element of the book, but it might catch a few people by surprise if they picked it up solely hoping for a magical adventure.