Our editor Imogen breaks down her January books that she kicked off 2022 with, including one of the biggest releases of the year and a slew of Sarah J. Maas backlist titles.
Let’s preface this by saying that my New Years’ resolution for 2022 was to read more non-fiction books… Well, that went hard out the window when I discovered Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses collection this year. I fell in love with the characters in this series and the world that Maas created and simply could not stop reading, particularly when I needed something a little lighter after the hefty tome that was Hanya Yanagihara’s hotly anticipated follow-up to A Little Life – To Paradise.
1. To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Hanya Yanagihara’s new novel To Paradise may be the most anticipated novel of the year, as a follow-up to her critically-acclaimed and viral hit – A Little Life. Like most reviewers, I will put the firm expectation in place that if you are expecting a sister novel to A Little Life then this novel is not it. Clearly, To Paradise is victim to its predecessor’s success, but even without that weight on its shoulders, this would still not have been a clear win for me. Still, it is a beautifully written and intricately woven creation that will sweep you off your feet through the power of Hanya’s writing.
Read our full review here.
2. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Helen Hoang’s widely loved novel The Kiss Quotient was a delightful palate cleanser after the grit and density of To Paradise. It’s a whimsical romance between Stella and Michael that is filled to the brim with immense charm.
Read our full review here.
3-5. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas
This one had been sat on my shelf for coming on a year, but every time I went to pick it up, some other book caught my attention. Why I did not discover this novel sooner or the rest of the series, I do not know. I had always been put off by the idea of this as ‘fantasy’ fiction – not a genre in which I had ever delved into before. However, I was sorely mistaken, A Court of Thorns and Roses was breathtaking in the pace with which it dragged you into this fantastical realm, filled with faeries and other beasts. Each novel just ratcheted up the pace and the romance to unfathomable levels – what a joy these books were and addicted I will now be to Sarah J. Maas’ releases.
A Court of Thorns and Roses: Read our full review here.
A Court of Mist and Fury: Read our full review here.
A Court of Wings and Ruin: Read our full review here.
