Top 7 Books I Read in 2022
Many books were read in 2022. Some of them were life-changing. Others...horrible. Let's focus on the good. Here are the top 7 books I read in 2022.
Note: The books on this list are just those that I read for the first time in 2022. So no Hobbit, etc.
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| No, I didn't put my books on the list. I'm not that conceited... |
7. Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
Ryan Holiday
A bit off my usual reading-interest with this first one. However, I published two books in 2022 and, as part of the process, I've had to educate myself on how things work. This book was excellent. The emphasis was on producing quality work that, though maybe not an overnight sensation, has the qualities needed to stand the test of time.
6. Prairie Lion: The Life & Times of Ted Byfield
Jonathan Van Maren
Of course I grew up seeing copies of The Western Report/Alberta Standard lying around. The highlight was always Ted Byfield's column at the end. However, I really had no clue who he was, or why he mattered.
Written by the always-witty Jonathon Van Maren, Prairie Lion is an eye-opening biography of a man who really was larger than life. We need more Ted Byfields. I'm not sure we're capable of producing more Ted Byfields.
5. My Side of the Mountain
Jean Craighead George
Surprisingly, I hadn't read this classic until 2022. In the story, a young boy "runs away from home" (he sort of, kind of, has his father's blessing). He lives, rather he thrives, alone on a mountain. The book is interesting from start to finish, and yet it ends by posing some deep questions about society and humanity. Is there anywhere in the world untouched and unspoiled? Is it possible to not settle new land, nor especially spoil it?
Your kids (especially boys) will love this book.
4. Remembering
Wendell Berry
This is a little misleading. I got into Wendell Berry novels near the end of last year, and plowed through Hannah Coulter and A Place on Earth. In 2022 I eagerly finished the rest of his novels. It is misleading because I could legitimately put Wendell Berry books for all seven places on this list. But I will limit myself to two.
Remembering is the musings of fictional character Andy Catlett and how he must overcome the loss of the family farm, as well as the loss of his right hand in a farming accident. It's one of Berry's shorter novels. The ending though... Wow!
In short, the books examine how we've totally lost touch with reality when it comes to the papacy. We either expect every word to come from a pope's mouth to be Gospel (untrue), or, failing that, we insist that the papacy is vacant (also untrue). Kwasniewski has a masterpiece here. I look forward to reading his latest (The Once and Future Roman Rite) in 2023.
2. No Apologies: Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men
Anthony Esolen
Interchangeable with Kwasniewski on this list, Esolen's book is brilliant. It examines why society needs men. Spoiler alert, men can do things that women can't (and vice versa). I offer a full review here: No Apologies - Why Civilization Needs Esolen's Latest Book (bravestthing.com)
"There have been many books released of late critiquing feminism while promoting a return to traditional masculinity. But none, I dare say, achieve the level of insight, brilliance, and brutality which Esolen’s work provides. It is the definitive arrow into the heart of a fallen society’s constructed irreality."
1. Jayber Crow
Wendell Berry
How can a novel about a fictional barber in a fictional Kentucky village be number one on my list? You'll just need to read it yourself. It is entertaining. It is profound. It is tear-jerking. It is laugh-out-loud hilarious. It is thoughtful. It is impactful.
The world has not recognized, nor does it deserve, Wendell Berry's contribution to literature (and culture). If you do not know what I am saying, please find out for yourself in 2023.
You can thank me later.
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