A Book A Week

2022 was a banner year for A Book A Week in more ways than one. In January, I celebrated my milestone 10th anniversary of the blog. It is crazy to think I've been doing this for as long as I have. The connections this outlet has afforded me have been the number one thing sustaining me through all these years. I'm so grateful for the friendships I've made and the fantastic books I've been exposed to. 

In addition to this being a landmark year for the blog, I also achieved a personal best of reading 59 books this year. There are always way more books on my TBR than I have time to read. I'm at a point where I enjoy reading most of the books I pick up (I usually set a book down if I don't like it), so distilling my reads down to 5 favorite titles proved to be more challenging than usual. I was surprised that the books I most enjoyed were also all published this year. That speaks to the quality and diversity of selections that were published this year. Without further ado, here are my Top 5 Favorite Reads of 2022 listed in the order that I read them. 

Unmasked by Paul Holes

Part memoir, part true crime, Unmasked sees Paul Holes recall his life as a criminal investigator on some of the most high-profile cases in recent history. From bringing the Golden State Killer to justice to investigating the murder of Laci Peterson and the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, Holes has had a front-row seat to the headline-grabbing crimes that have captured our nation. He writes of balancing the pressures of his demanding work with trying to be present for his young family. The book succeeds as both a fascinating inside look at the mechanisms of solving a crime and as a memoir of one man who has dedicated his entire life to seeking justice.

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Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alsion Espach

The loss of a child brings the kind of inconsolable grief that defies comprehension. Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance sees Alison Espach present her own contemplations upon grief and loss through the eyes of a young woman directly in the process of dealing with it. Espach doesn't pretend to have answers. Instead, she writes an intimate novel that allows her characters to naturally go through life, making decisions that seem authentic to each of them. I was riveted by this challenging yet rewarding work. 

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Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

It is hard to comprehend that Nightcrawling is a debut novel. Mottley has crafted a narrative akin to the best writing from the most seasoned and celebrated authors. Inspired by the true story of a young girl who was physically and mentally taken advantage of by a group of corrupt police officers, Mottley weaves the crumbs of that reality into a sobering portrait of poverty in America. Nightcrawling is a phenomenal debut from a promising author who is worthy of all the hype and praise she has already received.

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The Measure by Nikki Erlick

What would you do if you knew the exact length of your life? In her debut novel, Nikki Erlick takes this grand "what if" concept of moral ambiguity and unleashes it upon an ensemble cast of well-crafted characters. Erlick effortlessly shifts perspectives as she tells the stories of people coming to terms with the lengths of their lives. The Measure is a novel that dares its reader to contemplate their own life and place within the world. You'll be thinking about it long after you turn the final page.

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

It is rare to find a nearly perfect book, but this one is. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a big book filled with big ideas, all grounded through some of the most brilliantly crafted characters I've ever read. We follow these characters through three decades of life, feeling companionship, exhilaration, frustration, and heartbreak. Zevin shifts perspectives between the main characters, ensuring the plot moves in a way that is authentic and ever-compelling. By the end, Sam and Sadie are completely known to us, as real as the people we know in our own lives. I don't often heap universal praise upon a novel, but this is easily my favorite book of the year. 

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Have you read any of these books? What was your favorite read of 2022? As always, thanks for supporting A Book A Week. I can't wait to share all the great reads that 2023 will bring. 

The loss of a child brings the kind of inconsolable grief that defies comprehension. I was glued to the news yesterday as the reports of a horrific school shooting broke across the US. This too-common occurrence hit me with sadness, frustration, and hopelessness. It probably didn't help that I was nearly finished reading a book that hit very close to the subject matter. Alison Espach's Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance deals with the tragic death of a child and its impact on the family. When I accepted a copy of the novel from the publisher, I was drawn to the summery image on the cover, unaware of what the book was actually about. Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance is an ode to the family bond and the power of love in spite of despair. It amounts to a literary journey that is far more emotional and impactful than your typical summer read. 

It is safe to say that Sally Holt idolizes her older sister, Kathy. Sally loves that her sister seems to know everything about everything. The pair are inseparable as they spend that last summer together. Sally soaks up every moment and bit of information as she prepares to start her first year in high school. Kathy develops a crush on Billy, the attractive boy who has drawn the eye of many of the local girls since his daredevil antics back in the fifth grade. Before the end of the summer, Billy and Kathy officially begin dating, and they reluctantly let Sally tag along. It isn't unusual then that Billy and Kathy give in to Sally's begging and agree to take her to school. By the end of the day, Kathy will be dead, and Billy and Sally will be left to pick up the pieces. 

The next fifteen years see Sally learning to live in her sister's absence. She has lost the one person she could trust, confide in, and just be herself with. Sally can't help but blame Kathy's death on herself. She was the one who insisted Billy and Kathy drive her to school that day. Had she not done so, her sister may still have been alive. The impact of Kathy's death doesn't stop with Sally. We see Billy struggling to accept his hand in the tragedy, turning away from his bright future to a self-destructive path that no one can stop him from following. The parents of both girls are equally impacted. Their relationship devolves into one party, unable to accept the reality of their loss as the other simply wants to move past it. All of this comes together to form a somber coming-of-age story that you can't help but absorb. 

Everyone deals with heartbreak differently. Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance sees Alison Espach present her own contemplations upon grief and loss through the eyes of a young woman directly in the process of dealing with it. By having the younger sister of the tragically lost girl narrate the novel, we are provided with an intimate view of a family and community dealing with their agony. Despite the melancholy subject matter, I was struck by how funny the book could be. The dichotomy between grief and humor seems to go hand in hand. After all, there cannot be darkness without light to compare it against. Espach never dares to pretend to have any answers. Grieving is such a personal process that it would be impossible to say whether this is the right or wrong way. Instead, she writes an intimate novel that allows her characters to naturally go through life, making decisions that seem authentic to each of them. This is a powerful novel that delves into subject matter that may not be everyone's ideal reading material. Still, I'm glad to have read and experienced this thoughtfully written narrative. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2022, 20)