Top Five Tuesday was originally created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, but is now hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan’s blog or leave a comment on her weekly post.

This week, Meeghan asked us to tell us our five favorite reads of the year – so far!

It is hard to believe that 2022 is finishing so fast, and it is already almost half over. I’ve read quite a few really great books already, and my “best of 2022” list is already filling up. That means I already have five favorites I can tell you about! So, without any further ado….

#5

“Small Eden” by Jane Davis. Yes, sure, I could have put a more famous author in this spot (I’m talking about you, Anne Tyler), but you know me – I can’t help but promote authors who self-publish or go the indie publishing route, when the big 4/5 would be thrilled to release their works. But some authors prefer the autonomy of going their own way, and Jane is one of them. Jane is one of my favorite authors; she always thinks of something a little different, a touch out of the ordinary to write about, and that excites me every time. The fact that this story is about the person who built the home where she lives, makes it truly unique.

#4

“The Diamond Eye” by Kate Quinn. I’m thinking that aside from the fact that this book quickly became my favorite by Quinn (edging out “The Huntress.” by a whisper), that some unfortunate serendipity is keeping this in the public eye. I’m sure that Quinn didn’t know when she decided to write about the Ukraine-born, WWII, Red Army sniper Mila Pavlichenko, that Russia would declare war on Ukraine. The type of fiercely patriotic fighter that Mila was back then, is essentially no different from what we are witnessing today in Ukraine! She was an inspiration back then, and an inspiration today. Fight ON!  

#3

“The Book of Form and Emptiness” by Ruth Ozeki. This novel just won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022, and that’s no surprise! There is something very special about how Ozeki writes, and how she embraces her own Buddhist beliefs into her stories, without ever preaching to her readers. As with her “A Tale for the Time Being” I feel that once you’ve read this book, you’ll be forever changed. This is why I didn’t wait for the ARC of this book, and I pre-ordered it the minute I heard it was to be released. I’m glad I did, and I’ve put it in pride of place on my book shelf!

#2

“A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice” by Rebecca Connolly. The biggest reason why this one is ahead of the Ozeki is because of how much I cried while reading the novel. Oh, yes, I cried and cried so hard. Who knew that a story about the Titanic – or more correctly, about the Carpathia, which was the only ship that picked up survivors from the Titanic – would be such an emotional roller coaster! This is another book that isn’t getting nearly as much media coverage as it deserves, so here’s me again, championing a lesser known book.

#1

“No Land to Light On” by Yara Zgheib! Okay, so… I actually read most of this at the end of 2021, but it was released in early January, and I knew as I was reading it, that it would be a winner. I cannot recommend it enough, and this is one of those books that isn’t getting nearly enough hype. Yes, it is contemporary fiction, and yes it is about a couple very much in love, but it isn’t a romance novel at all – not in the classic sense of the word. I know, hardly anyone has heard of this author or this book. Well, I don’t care; I fell in love with this novel, and I’m going to shout it from the rooftops – as often as I can! And yes, of course, I cried.

How about you?

What are your favorite five books you’ve read so far this year?