...But "2022 on Goodreads," strictly-speaking , was really good, all things considered, 5*!
Sure, the Russian invasion siPersonally, I hated 2022, 1*!
...But "2022 on Goodreads," strictly-speaking , was really good, all things considered, 5*!
Sure, the Russian invasion sidelined my project of reading the "long 18th century" in chrono order, as I got into 6 or so books on contemporary Russia instead.
And sure, contracting a rare subset of Lyme carditis in July nearly put an end to me (before it was thankfully diagnosed and the multiform bacteriae were dispatched reasonably quickly via blessèd antibiotics praise be upon them)
And sure, I lost another border collie, Queen Oona in March as well (though after a very good life, and two years after the vet had predicted for her, due to her being diagnosed congestive heart failure in 2020, which was very very well managed by said professional), but ... you know, CHF makes the lungs sound just like what Lyme carditis does: quite literally you hear "the sea, the sea"! (~Sorry, Iris).
But here on GR? Why, it was a bumper year in some respects, and probably this slow-reader's most productive year if we're counting.
I blogged about my favourite reads of the year over on my blog, but just now I'd like to say a few other, personal words, then mention some other reading experiences.
First. GR is by far my favourite place to be on the internet. I joined Zuck's and Elon's playpens cos that's what a writer (or a dog) has to do to get their stuff seen slightly more than not at all, but. But GR is where I like to interact with fellow readers and expand my narrow readerly horizons. I consider many of my friends here to be actual friends, and am so grateful for your fine company, and am not sure what I'd do without you. Thanks for your continued presence in my life.
Second, I did have a novel come out in 2022 through Slovenia's favourite English language publisher, corona\samizdat, but that's all I'll say about that, as I try not to push my books into your feeds too too much.
But I'll also note that I did something new-to-me in 2022, and that was read the first five novels of a couple of authors—Julian Barnes and Kurt Vonnegut—fairly rapidly and in chrono order, and not only was that a lot of fun, it gave me a real sense of how their obsessions developed over time, and is something I'd love to do again.
And I continued in my never-ending gap-filling ways some (Lermontov, 19thC Scandi drama, Dumas) some.
But let's end by mentioning those books I only came to read through GR itself, i.e. yourselves: without widely-read friends like you I'd never have been turned on to Javier Marias (All Souls), Jarett Kobek (Motor Spirit), Gerard Murnane (The Plains), B.S. Johnson (Cristy Malry's Own Double-Entry), Jean Paul Richter (Three Dreams), and Carlos Fuentes (Terra Nostra). Without youse guys I'd never ever had gone to any of those places. Thanks so much, and keep doin' just dat.
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