She may have taken a four-and-a-half-year hiatus but book-nerd Praise is back and truly thriving. After going out into the world, becoming an adult, getting a degree and now working full-time as a registered pharmacist; I finally have *some* free time and can therefore spend it with my one true love. Books. My love affair with books is much like my other affairs, cultivated with lots of joy and meticulousness. I not only got back into reading this last year, I started taking extensive notes on all the books I read. See, sometimes I make a book recommendation but find it hard to remember why I loved it or specific plot details. Using a book notes template on Notion, (thanks to Jenn Im for the idea), I could write down my feelings on every book I read to refer back to later. I have to admit that I also did this to avoid picking up and rereading books I hadn't enjoyed. The notes are mostly for my own reference, but they will be used for this post [and many others] because I am an efficient content creator. Without some further ado, here are some details on the 10 best books I read this year. In order because I love competition.

**this should go without saying but all thoughts are my own and you may feel differently about some or all of these books. you would be wrong, but it is possible.

Number ONE: Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that takes some detours into politics, found family, gay rights and those of us with dreams that are bigger than us

Why I loved it: I don't even know where to start with what I loved about this book. It is the first thing I have ever read written by Casey McQuiston but I quickly bought 'One Last Stop' as soon as I finished this book because her writing made me feel at home. This book has the best-written love story I have had the pleasure of reading. It does come with a content warning though - there are quite a few sex scenes in this book so if that isn't your vibe, you may have to pass on this one. For me personally, I didn't see the sex scenes as purely unnecessary, I think they were written to show a side of their relationship we may not have had insight into otherwise. I am very sick of the narrative that people in relationships don't like their partners so I revelled in the experience of reading about a couple that is the very antithesis of this notion. Alex and Henry are so incredibly well written but the care expands beyond that. The supporting characters in this book are all so strong and could quite easily carry a book on their own [speaking of, Casey please give us a 'June and Nora take on the world' book please and thanks]. The book made me audibly cry, laugh, be wistful and want to make some dent in the world which for a romance is almost unheard of. It's sickly sweet in all the best ways and provides the kind of escape that makes you not hate reality, but be hopeful for what it could be. It's also the only book on this list that put me in a reading slump which is somewhat impressive. I honestly did not read another book for a month after finishing this one because I had to live with the knowledge that nothing else could compare. Talk about lasting effects.

What I would change: Nothing at all, she's perfect.

The rating: lifechanging 💗

ALSO NUMBER ONE: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

a found family of six misfits goes on the heist [and prison break] of a lifetime

Why I loved it: Yes there are two books at number one. No, I will not choose just one. It's my blog and I'll do what I want to.

This was the book that pushed me back into being my obnoxious book-inhaling childhood self. I read it in less than a week and quickly moved on to the sequel. It has everything; healthy love stories, some magic, knife girl, A LITERAL HEIST, and some of the best bamboozling I have ever seen an author execute. If you were to ask me how the bastard of the barrel executed half the schemes I read about, I couldn't help you. Leigh Bardugo confused me, pulled at my heartstrings endlessly and sometimes made me feel stupid with this one and I couldn't be gladder. The perspective shifts between all my babies [the crows] and not only does that add to the suspense, but it also further endears you to whoever's mind you're currently in. The best way to leave your audience on the edge of your seat is to make them visit at least three other characters before they get to see how one character's thought ends. Never before has an author created so many perfect, loveable and complex characters who fit together so seamlessly. Shoutout to one of my favourite characters, the city of Ketterdam – I wish I could visit, it makes me sad that I can't but I'm impressed at how a whole city could be written with so much care that it becomes a character in its own right.

What I would change: Absolutely nothing are you crazy?!?!

The rating: lifechanging 💗

NUMBER THREE: She's on the Money by Victoria Devine

financial advice for the person who values her investments as much as she does a bottomless brunch

Why I loved it: I have always wanted to learn more about money. How to manage it, how to invest, how to save… all the things. A lot of the financial advice available is the kind that assumes that you can afford to buy a coffee every morning or insists that the reason many millennials and zillennials will never be able to buy a home is because of expensive brunches. Not you know, capitalism, or the state of the housing market or greedy landlords. It's actually your avocado toast. 🙄 Victoria Devine is a millennial financial adviser from Australia that preaches a completely different message. Her podcast and this book have greatly improved my general financial literacy and helped me understand things like why I need superannuation, life insurance policies and that there is no minimum amount needed to start investing. There is no guilt-tripping or chastising and no mention of cutting down on the things that bring you joy, Vicky Dee wants you to stop spending more money than you have, or to stop spending on things you don't want, not to stop spending altogether and I love that. This will be the book I gift loved ones when they graduate, turn 18 or start a job because I think financial literacy is an asset worth investing into.

What I would change: The only thing that would make this book better would be the inclusion of that sexy budgeting spreadsheet that's included in her Budgeting and Cashflow Masterclass. Apart from that very specific detail, it's perfect.

The rating: lifechanging 💗

NUMBER FOUR: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

a found family of six misfits ft. chaos personified take on an entire city and its corrupted government

Why I loved it: Sequels are usually disappointing, it's a universally acknowledged fact. This sequel was surprising in the sense that it not only kept that same magic and intrigue that Six of Crows had, but it also built on it. Crooked Kingdom is fantastic as a standalone book and even greater as the second part of this iconic series. This book gave us more insight into the love of my life, Wylan Van Eck and gave us some of the most iconic crow couples content ever [including THAT bathroom scene]. It spoke about trauma, about complicated parental relationships and in true Six of Crows fashion was also one of the most confusing things I have ever read in my life. In Crooked Kingdom, Bardugo blew my mind not only with her world-building but her ability to once again keep delivering plot twists that made me audibly gasp in the work lunchroom. The devil works hard, Kris Jenner works harder and Kaz Brekker puts them both to shame. The shifts in perspective not only cemented my love for these characters, it also gave insight into who they were, who they are and who they were becoming because of the relationships they had with each other. We are all shaped by the people we love and my crows are no different.

What I would change: Chapter 40. The girls that get it, get it and the girls that don't, don't.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

NUMBER FIVE: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

eleanor oliphant is not and has never been completely fine but maybe she can start working towards it

Why I loved it: This book was not what I was expecting in any sense. The blurb hinted at discussions of loneliness or maybe mundane existences but what I got was a story of yes loneliness but also human relationship, our need for deep connections, dealing with parental trauma and a friendship between two misfits. Let me say it here. This book may not be for everyone. The main character has been through a lot, and she hasn't dealt with most of it. As the reader, you, therefore, get to unpack her memories [read: trauma] with her and in turn feel her feelings as she does, which can be a lot at times. Despite her haunting backstory, Eleanor is cemented as one of my favourite literary underdogs. She is not her story or the way her mother sees her. Instead, she is, quirky, blunt, a fashion icon and someone who just wants someone on her side.

I loved how what I expected to be about one thing quickly turned into something else entirely. The topic of loneliness isn't something many write books of fiction about, yet after watching a TV interview about a young woman who tries to see no one between Friday night and Monday morning, Honeyman took to discussing it. The book moved quickly, not in a confusing way but always slightly ahead of my own theories which did a great job at keeping me fully immersed. A discussion on grief and loneliness took a detour on the foster care system leading to childhood trauma with stops at clinical depression before finally stopping at the power of friendship/ human connection. What a ride. But what a lovely, lovely ride.

What I would change: I wish I would have googled what a jerkin is earlier, that image would have further enriched the reading of this book. The major plot twist of the book was definitely unexpected but I was disappointed that it wasn't explored in depth. It was dropped out of nowhere then kind of glossed over for the sake of a happy ending. I needed more time Gail.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

NUMBER SIX: Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

the classic novel "A Room With A View" meets "Crazy Rich Asians" with a detour in biracial identity crises

Why I loved it: This book, much like Kwan's other works gave me an insight into the intricacies and social obligations that come with extravagant wealth which always makes for an interesting read. A wedding is the setting for the first half of this book and much like the wedding in Crazy Rich Asians, it took my breath away. I think Kwan might have missed his calling as an event planner. Or maybe he's just that good a writer. The book is yes, one of those fluffy, saccharin, feel-good kind of novels but that's exactly what I wanted when I read it. In between that sugary sweetness, however, the book spoke of the struggle of being between two cultures. The main character Lucie is a biracial Chinese-American girl and though I am not biracial, as an African growing up in Australia, I could relate to feeling like your two sides are at war with each other. I loved getting to see Lucie realise that her white family's prejudice had made her feel an aversion to getting in touch with her Chinese side. She had some internalised racism against herself and didn't even know it. That makes for a really fun conversation.

p.s. The romance with George was perfection and he might be my favourite character in this whole thing. We love men written by women but we also love men written by Kevin Kwan.

p.p.s I've also just remembered that the author did this thing where he would define things that had just been mentioned or say that a character's anecdote was inaccurate and I loved the fourth wall breaking plus how it added to the depth of his storytelling. It was very Lemony Snickett which is one of the best compliments I could give.

What I would change: When I started this book I wasn't too fond of the schooling background they did for every character that was introduced. At first, it was kind of fun but it eventually became tedious (at least in big group settings). I know now that it was to pay homage to *A Room With a View* and I feel silly that that surprised me in the acknowledgements because they say so in the blurb which I apparently didn't read. I wouldn't necessarily change this detail but I didn't always love it and thought I should mention it.

The main thing I would change however would be how Lucie dealt with her realization of her feelings for George. I can understand her desire to stifle them but to bury them with such vigour that it leads her to sabotaging and hurting his mother – that I didn't get. Maybe Kwan should get points for giving us a flawed protagonist and because this is a homage to another book I understand that maybe it was a plot point he couldn't change? Either way, I thought this was unnecessary and simply out of character for who we knew Lucie to be.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

NUMBER SEVEN: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

“What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men." Bhagra was right.

Why I loved it: To start, I normally don't like a love triangle but I will let this trilogy off with a warning because though she likes Nikolai, Alina is always aware that she loves Mal. The only reason Nikolai is a viable option for her is because of destiny and the grander purpose, not because that's what her heart actually wants. Her choice is not between two boys but instead her head and her heart which I think is much more of a realistic or grounded and even believable plot point. Points for this depth in a love triangle and for not trying to convince me that someone could equally love two men in the exact same way.

Now. Let's discuss the Morozova family tree/ amplifiers/ big reveal. I refuse to post actual spoilers because the show only has one season out so far and even those of you I know won't read the books, are going to watch the show *cough* Louise *cough*. But what I will say is I was crying, screaming and throwing up. It's still hard to come up with actual cohesive thoughts regarding all that happened in the last third of this book. It is by far the best book in this trilogy. And it gave us Mal's redemption arc because even though he never truly sucked, he was such an annoying character that I never was truly rooting for him until this book. With Ruin and Rising, Bardugo ended this trilogy with a Disney Pixar kind of happy ending. Not the one I was hoping for or expecting, not the one where everyone is 100% happy but one that makes sense for all the characters, and makes my heart feel full even though my face is soaked with tears. It was pretty much perfect and I think a great way to end the trilogy. Bardugo doesn't pull any punches with this one and I love her for it.

What I would change: I can't think of anything I actually didn't like about this book. It was a perfect way to end the trilogy and I love all these characters. Even Zoya. Especially Zoya after that last scene… It's not in any way perfect but it got me, hook, line and sinker and I know that my thoughts were consumed with this world for days after reading it.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

NUMBER EIGHT: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

there are no good or bad people. this is a cavalcade of complicated and morally grey characters. also pirates.

Why I loved it: Alina (my queen) is as annoying and endearing as ever and I loved what Leigh Bardugo said in the interview at the book; she doesn't believe in just good or just bad because we all have a little darkness in us. Alina explores hers a little more in this book and I liked how at no point were we as the audience expected to see her as the saint that all her sun soldiers saw her as being. I liked the chapters in Novyi Zem because they were mundane but gave very much 'young married couple doing their best' vibes which makes my heart warm.

One of my favourite things from this book specifically is the line, "we do the best we can". That is felt again and again and again by all these characters and even in the face of certain doom, they keep doing their very best. It's also one of my life mottos, there are many situations I look back on now with disappointment and maybe regret but I understand that in every situation, I was doing the best I could and I can't ask for any more than that.

I also loved meeting Sturmhond then Nikolai because there is something very Kaz Brekker/ Dirtyhands about him. It's part child who deserved better and part hero who essentially became a villain for a 'greater cause' but also isn't that much of a villain when it comes to those he loves. I love Kaz and I love Nikolai. I'm a simple girl.

What I would change: The whole way Mal is written is the main thing I would change because my goodness did I not like that kid in this book. Alina is the queen of being afraid and anxious; she is the representation I have been searching for my whole life. Mal likes to do this thing where he responds to her fear with anger – not even specifically at her, but just anger. Anger and a newfound affinity for destructive behaviours. That's not only toxic, it's genuinely annoying to read about. I don't know if these scenes (and there are many of them) were written to make us question the future of their friendship/ relationship, all they did was make me roll my eyes and speed read.

I would also change the way Alina's affinity for the Darkling was written. He wasn't her third love interest. Her relationship with him is completely different from her relationship with Mal and her relationship with Nikolai. I think her pull towards the Darkling is not about love or desire but more about her feeling like the darkness in her understands and is understood by the darkness in him. She feels like he understands this part of her that no one else might. I think that's what Bardugo was going for but I would have liked it to be a bit clearer instead of all three love interests being weighted the same.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨

NUMBER NINE: Inspired by Rachel Held Evans

Why I loved it: This is the first full-length book of Rachel Held Evans' I have completed. As I have grown and matured in my faith and in life, I have come to see the bible not as I once did. As a kid, I saw it as somewhat two-dimensional – it was a good book about good people living good lives. As an adult who has seen the words from this good book be used to justify both sides of many arguments; whether it be about the LGBTQ+ community, a woman's place, abortion, vaccine mandates and racism, I was both disillusioned and confused. I have been afraid recently that I would have to distance myself from the church because I was starting to see all the cracks in not only the institution but its people. Over the past 5 years, I have both grown closer to God than ever before, at the same time, I have also grown more cognitively distant from Him than ever before. I think this book was my first step in actually realising that God doesn't expect me to have all the answers or to just suddenly be okay with genocide simply because the tribes of Israel committed it. This may sound stupid but that is not a thought that had ever crossed my mind. The blurb says this book is "One woman's journey back to loving the bible." I didn't realise the woman they were talking about would be me.

What I would change: I would change the insertion of a racial identifier in that scene where God's voice is a cafeteria lady. There was absolutely no need to play into some harmful stereotypes and make her Latina and the point would have still hit home if that detail was left out.

Though the book was absolutely wonderful, it was a difficult read. I'm not yet sure if it was because of the heaviness of the source material or if it was just that the writing style was more report and less stream of consciousness, but I couldn't inhale it like I wanted to or be as fully immersed as I wanted to. I will however be rereading this book and annotating it sometime this year because I know there is much more to glean from its pages. In discussing her internal conflicts, Rachel Held Evans also makes me feel more seen, known and loved than I have been when it comes to this subject.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨

NUMBER TEN: Love and Virtue by Diana Reid

trigger warnings: sexual assault, possible suicide, discussions of death

Why I loved it: I really liked how this book is set in Australia, I don't get to read a lot that are and it made it all feel a little more real in my mind. Plot-wise I think there was a lot that I missed in the beginning because I either didn't understand its significance or because I read it the same way I was reading the news articles on past assaults. That changed some of my interpretations of what was happening which led to me not understanding the gravity of Eve's actions until those final chapters and THAT EPILOGUE. I loved that epilogue, the narrative of Michaela finally getting to claim back her story was beautiful and all the more so because Eve was knowingly threatened by it. This book is the perfect footing for anyone wanting to have a discussion or think more about virtue politics and what it means to actually be a good person. The most obvious showing of this is the Eve-Michaela relationship. I won't discuss it in too much detail so as not to spoil anything but it was written so well.

Michaela's other relationships were also amazing to read. I loved her relationship with Claudia, Portia and Emily because there is something so relatable about stumbling upon kinship in university or high school or a boarding house and deciding it's a friendship, not because of common interests but because of you all needing a community. Balth is a gem of a character and though I don't know the nature of their relationship, I was glad to know that he and Michaela were still talking. Michaela's backstory of losing her father to her current vice and the underlying subplot of never letting herself be loved added some beautiful depth to her actions. This subplot not only humanised her, but it also put into perspective how she could so easily think about the man who assaulted her over herself or do whatever was in her power to protect him still.

What I would change: This book is not at all what I was expecting, and I wish I had read it all together instead of taking a break in the middle because I fully believe that would have changed my reading experience for the better. Either way, I liked this book on the first reading and I know I will love it on my second reading simply because of all the context and nuance that's in the beginning and that I missed on this my initial read.

One more thing I would change is the whole Paul storyline. I didn't love hearing about a 40-year-old professor having sex with an 18-year-old he found in his class. The power dynamic was so very off which I know it was meant to be but much like period dramas and their obsession with graphic r*pe scenes, it's a no from me dawg. Michaela should have had a worthy first love, not this chubby middle-aged man who relishes the thought of still being seen as relevant and worthwhile by a literal child.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨

Between September and December of 2021, I started and finished a total of fourteen books. That's roughly a book every 8.6 days which is not a bad effort. I feel like 2022 Praise can do better though. She's certainly going to try.

I think my reading goals for 2022 include finally starting a Good Reads account and reading an average of 1 book a week [52 books this year]. On a slightly deeper note, I would also like to not feel guilty for not enjoying a book. Life's too short to try and get through a book you don't enjoy.

*image from the canva pro stock photo library