Before 2022, I typically read about thirty books a year. This year, I decided to up my game.

I wrote this post on June 28, 2022, when I was at seventy books out of my goal of one hundred. Now, I’m over one hundred! Here were my reading highlights from the first half of the year:

1. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Every November, an island has a horse race called the Scorpio Races, where riders and their water horses—basically big, fast, carnivorous horses—battle it out on a beach. Kate “Puck” Connolly decides to enter the race on her regular horse in an attempt to keep her older brother from leaving for the mainland.

Sean Kendrick has won the Scorpio Races the last four times, but he doesn’t have what he really wants. His water horse, Corr, is owned by Sean’s employer. Sean wants to be able to buy Corr, but Sean’s employer won’t sell him.

Both Puck and Sean desperately need to win the Scorpio Races to get what they want, but there can only be one winner.

I loved this book. I somehow missed it when it came out in 2011, and I tried it on a whim in April when I found it shelved under my library’s suggestions of great audiobooks. Since then, I’ve read it a second time, and I even purchased my own copy. I’m not really a horse person, so a book about a horse race is a surprising top book of the year for me, but I’m so glad I decided to give it a try, and it speaks to Stiefvater’s brilliance that I enjoyed this book so much even as someone who doesn’t love horses.

The audiobook is fantastic. Steve West and Fiona Hardingham bring this book to life through their excellent narration, and I highly recommend trying it on audiobook if you can.

I can’t praise this book enough. The book is a masterclass in plotting, and the prose is beautiful without being over the top. The tension is amazing, the characters are amazing, and the plot is masterful. The ending (which is perfect) made me weep, and it’s been a long time since I’ve cried over a book. It’s categorized as YA, but it’s enjoyable at any age.

TW: violence (including violence towards animals)

2. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Nikki is a woman in her twenties who’s trying to find her footing in life. When an opportunity arises for her to teach a writing class to Punjabi widows in Southall, London, Nikki jumps at the chance. The class becomes an opportunity for the widows to share their often hilarious erotic stories, but Nikki soon finds herself drawn into a dark secret about a young woman’s murder, one that could put Nikki’s own life at risk.

This was such a great, surprising read for me. I picked it up because I thought the title was amazing, and I ended up really enjoying the book. It’s a book with a lot of heart and intensity. I loved the friendships in this book and the glimpse into a community that I didn’t know much about. I thoroughly recommend this book, although I will warn that there are many erotic stories in this book, so if that isn’t something you like, you may want to give this one a miss.

TW: violence against women

3. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

This is a historical fiction novel about the Mirabal sisters, four real women who fought against the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. It’s written from the alternating perspectives of the four sisters, and each one feels distinct and real. I enjoy a good historical fiction book, and this book was good. You really get to know each sister and her unique struggles intimately. It was such an interesting way to experience a time in history that I knew little about! I highly recommend this one as well.

TW: violence (especially violence against women)

4. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver’s poetry is such a breath of fresh air. Every poem in this book left me with a feeling of deep well-being in my soul. I love the conversational tone and the wholesome themes. I highly recommend this one if you’re a poetry fan! It will leave you looking at the world a bit more lovingly.

Honourable Mentions:

I didn’t count any rereads, but I reread some books that I still love: Inkheart and Inkspell (Cornelia Funke), The Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket), and Equus (Peter Shaffer). I also have to mention Inside the Montreal Mafia: The Confessions of Andrew Scoppa, which my sister translated. She did an amazing job!