Favorite Books of 2022 (And My Shameful Author Secret)

My obsession with audiobooks probably started last year when I listened to the three books in "The Broken Road" series by Richard Paul Evans. I listen to audiobooks primarily through the subscription service Sribd, and I almost always have a book playing while I'm driving. I even bought a Bluetooth speaker so I can connect my phone and listen to audiobooks in the shower. I listened to some fantastic stories this year, and I'm excited to share the list with you.

The following are in no particular order, and there's a chance that I actually listened to some of them late last year. (I didn't track the dates and time is running together.) I'm also quite sure I'm forgetting some. But all of the books listed below are wonderful. 

1. Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
2. Count the Nights by Stars by Michelle Shocklee
3. Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen
4. The Songs that Could Have Been by Amanda Wen
5. The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
6. The Sowing Season by Katie Powner
7. The Finder of Forgotten Things by Sarah Loudin Thomas
8. Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe
9. Unknown Threat by Lynn Blackburn
10. The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham
11. The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox
12. The Way it Should Be by Christina Suzanne Nelson
13. The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

Now that I've shared some great books with you, I feel it's time to share my shameful secret. I've been dreading this for a while.

I wasn't a reader of Christian Fiction before I started writing Christian Fiction. To be fair, I didn't set out to write a book, either. When a story struck me one day back in 2017, and I felt compelled (obsessed) to write it, I was excited that I could create a piece of fiction and tell people about Jesus at the same time, It was only after I dove headfirst into writing and publishing Grace & Lavender that I realized there are thousands of brilliant people with the same goal. 

I actually was not a big reader when I started writing, which I felt guilty about. I had read everything written by Fannie Flagg (except the most famous one made into a movie) and I had been enamored for years with Gone with the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird. I really enjoyed Robert Beatty's Serafina series, too. But how could I love writing so much and not be passionate about reading? It made me feel like an imposter.

I quickly learned that, along with studying writing through conferences, craft books, blogs, and podcasts, I needed to study other writer's works, too. For a long time, that made reading even harder because I analyzed everything I read, rather than simply enjoying it. That, combined with my lack of time to sit down and read, is one of the reasons I love audiobooks so much. Having someone read to me takes away some of the inclination to analyze sentence structure and verb choices. Plus, I can listen while I do so many other things. Some of the books I listed above have sparked a renewed passion for reading. Now I can't seem to get enough. Maybe audiobooks would be a good choice for you, too. 

I truly hope Songs for a Sunday will be released as an audiobook, but I won't know that for a while. Three of my books are available on audio now, though. (Where I Was Planted is my favorite.) 

 Happy reading and listening in 2023!