2022 in the Books
Highlights from My Reading Year & Book Club Plans for 2023!
Here we are on the last day of the old year, with the new year waiting just outside on the doorstep! I’ve been reflecting on my 2022 reading, month-by-month and book-by-book.
As usual, I put together a list to match the calendar…although now I’ve been second guessing my picks! I’m sad that I left out Mary Hallock Foote; I meant to include one of her short story collections which I read (at the Wilderness Lodge, appropriately) back in July, but she got shuffled off at the last minute as I tried to make room for some lovely Advent reads. I guess that just means I’ll have to read some more MHF next year, then she can claim a spot in my 2023 top reads video!
Another thing that did not make it into the video, and which has in fact been missing from my videos for a few months now, is my reading journal! I always seem to fall behind and then get caught up in batches, but I’m happy to report that my 2022 pages are all complete. I thought I’d share some of the sketches and quotations here…
My most concentrated artistic efforts of 2022 went into illustrations for The Book of Cymbeline, but overall, I’m pleased with how these quick reading journal drawings turned out. It was fun to try to capture memories from each month, like a naughty kitten trying to get a sip of tea back in January and the unexpected canopy of wisteria which revealed itself in May…
July is one of my favorite pages…can you guess which grand reading spot inspired the sketch? 😉 And of course I had to include some August sunflowers from my garden’s summer glory.
2022 has been a rather exciting year, from publishing my book to the launch of this blog to starting the monthly “Bookish Kingdom Book Club” with subscribers! It’s been so rewarding to be able to chat with so many of you face-to-face during the book club meetings this year. We do have our books picked out for the first half of 2023, see below! If you’re interesting in joining the online meetings this coming year, just send an email to emma@bookishprincess.com.
Saturday, January 21 at 1 p.m. eastern: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Saturday, February 25 at 1 p.m. eastern: Evelina by Fanny Burney
Saturday, March 18 at 1 p.m. eastern: Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde
April: Date and Book TBA (possibly something for Lent/Easter!)
Saturday, May 20 at 1 p.m. eastern: Airs Above Ground by Mary Stewart
Saturday, June 24 at 1 p.m. eastern: Death Comes to the Archbishop by Willa Cather
One last exciting bookish plan for 2023 that I wanted to mention is a meet-up! Kate Howe and I are planning to do an in-person book club meet-up with subscribers this spring. It will be in the Northeastern U.S. around April or May, and we’ll be discussing the book The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope. Just drop me a line (emma@bookishprincess.com) if you’d like to join us.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and I wish you all the best as we step into the new year!
I am so excited to be part of the Bookish Kingdom Book Club! Thank you Emma!
Your book journal illustrations are so lovely and creative! And the upcoming reads sound so great. I read Evelina last year for Febregency and it has a LOT to discuss. I love Willa Cather and Mary Stewart.