Best of 2022
It’s been a while since I’ve done a yearly round up but here are a dozen of my favourite reads (so far) this year. In no particular order:
Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel (novel): The stand out in this novel is its first person protagonist, a former street kid turned office peon who lives in a slum and is underestimated by everyone she meets. But Rakhi’s no one’s bitch.
Because of Nothing At All by Paul Sunga (novel): Full of surprises and riven with dark humour.
Fifth Sun by Camilla Townsend (non-fiction): Accessible and fascinating history of the Aztecs that kept me company in a cold and dreary January.
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu (short stories): One of the most inventive collections I’ve ever read, each story its own madcap experiment.
Sequence by Arun Lakra (play): This brainy script kept me on my toes.
We Measure The Earth With Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama (novel): There were passages in this novel during which I unconsciously held by breath.
The Verifiers by Jane Pek (novel): Finally a truly well written whodunnit.
Animal Person by Alexander McLeod (short stories): The stand-outs in this collection are the first and last stories which are brilliant on their own and subtly reflect on each other making them stronger as a pair.
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews (novel): The sentences are sublime.
Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill (play): A romp!
The last two are new releases coming in 2023 and well worth pre-ordering:
Birnham Wood by Eleanor Catton (novel): Un-put-down-able. A masterclass in juggling multiple points-of-view.
Desperada by Sofia Mostaghimi (novel): If you’re over the white-lady-goes-abroad-to-find-faux-enlightenment story and ready for something more honest and raunchy, this one’s for you.
And a bonus trio of pop culture goodies:
Slash/Back (movie, Crave): Shot on a shoestring in Pang, Nunavut, with a cast of non-actors, this light-hearted horror about a group of teen girls who go alien hunting, has all the appropriate jump scares and spectacular visuals. But for me the stand out was the sound track. Here’s the trailer.
Astrid and Lily Save the World (limited series, Crave): A binge-able delight about two best friends who accidentally become monster hunters while dealing with all the usual highschool bullshit. Big Buffy vibes except instead of a creep-o showrunner it’s all women and non-binary folks behind the camera and the gaze shows. Have made the appropriate witchy sacrifices in hopes of a second season.
Articles of Interest (podcast): Avery Truffleman is one of the most thorough and throughful content producers in audio. This season’s seven episode arc is all around preppy style. Turns out I’m interested in fashion? You will be too.
