Year End Book Review Roundup for 2022

Updated on August 7th, 2026

AD – PR Product | It has been a while since My 6th Blogiversary post back in May, where I reviewed the books I read recently. I wanted to do a year end book review roundup and share reviews for some of the books I have read in the latter half of 2022.

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Cook it Eat it Live it by Jo Kenny

I was gifted a copy of Cook it Eat it Live it, and the cookbook includes 40+ recipes for stews, noodles and pasta, rice, sides, meat, and desserts. Every recipe has an image, which is especially useful so you know what the dish looks like and for deciding what you would want to make. Furthermore, the recipes include the equipment you will need, and the ingredients are not hard to find. The directions are also easy to follow.

All the recipes look delicious, and there are many I want to make, including the Three Bean Stew with Cheesy Potato Croquettes, Spinach Ravioli with Lemon and Sage Butter, Halloumi Fries, and Spiced Apple Fritters with Cinnamon Glaze. The cookbook also includes how to make your own pasta and chicken stock, and a guide to growing vegetables, including when to plant, sow, and harvest them, which I think is a great addition. I also enjoyed reading Jo Kenny’s Food Diaries sections and seeing pictures from her travels there. Cook it Eat it Live it is a delicious collection of recipes that I definitely recommend checking out.

Available at Amazon

Rating: 9/10

The Forgotten Keychains by Julian Kennedy

The first novel in my year end book review roundup is The Forgotten Keychains, which I received a free ebook copy of in exchange for a review. The Forgotten Keychains is the debut thriller novel of Julian Kennedy, and it follows Dannie, who is a real estate photographer, when they find a mysterious set of keychains at one of the homes they were doing a photoshoot at.

The plot of The Forgotten Keychains was engaging, and I wanted to know more about the keychains and the person behind them. The novel also switches between the perspectives of Dannie, Ashlin, who is Dannie’s coworker, Rosa, who is Dannie’s best friend, Charlie, the lieutenant in charge of the case of the murdered women, and Him, who is the killer. The changing perspectives flowed well, and they were not confusing. I especially enjoyed reading the killer’s perspective because you often do not get that perspective in books. Since parts of the book are rather dark, I also enjoyed the romance, and I look forward to seeing the relationship flourish in the next book.

As far as the characters, I loved Dannie. Dannie is non-binary, and this is one of the first books I have read with a non-binary protagonist. They do have some things they need to work through, but they are a solid protagonist and the novel had me rooting for them. I also liked Ashlin’s character, and I am happy that Dannie has a supportive coworker and friend. Rosa is also a great friend to Dannie, and I also liked her character. The novel also does a great job of making you despise the killer, and when the killer was revealed, I definitely did not expect it. The ending did leave on a cliffhanger, but I am excited for the second novel of the trilogy to see what will happen next.

Overall, I definitely recommend The Forgotten Keychains if you enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers with multiple perspectives.

Available at Amazon

Rating: 9/10

Happy Vegan Christmas by Karoline Jönsson

I bought Happy Vegan Christmas at a flea market as Christmas was soon approaching and I was unsure what I wanted to make for Christmas dinner. In Denmark, it is common to eat duck for Christmas dinner, but since I ama vegetarian, I make my own dinner, and this book seemed like it would be good to get some ideas. The cookbook is divided into 5 main sections – Winter Food, which includes items to have in your pantry, followed by Baking, Drinks, The Christmas Buffet, and Leftover recipes. As far as what I made for Christmas, I did follow the Garam Masala Bhajis recipe, which is onion fritters, and they were delicious!

There are other recipes I am also interested in making, including Saffron Bread, Ice Cream Pops with Cinnamon and Sea Buckthorn, Sticky Buffalo Cauliflower, Pulled Jackfruit, and Swedish Cheesecake. The cookbook also has recipes for æbleskiver (a Danish dessert similar to pancakes and popovers) and smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich with rye bread), and I have shared my own recipes for those on my blog. Every recipe in the cookbook includes a photo, which is a huge plus for me. Also, each chapter ends with a craft project, which I thought was a nice touch. Even though the recipes are meant for Christmas, they would be great for winter in general, and there is no wrong season to have ice cream pops and other delicious food!

Rating: 8/10

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

I reviewed both Heartstopper Volume 1 and Volume 2 in my Heartstopper Book Series vs Netflix Series post, and since then, I have read both Volume 3 and Volume 4 of Heartstopper. Volume 3 continues the story from Volume 2, and it follows the gang from the Truham Grammar School for Boys (Charlie, Nick, Tao, and Aled) and the Harvey Greene Grammar School for Girls (Elle, Tara, and Darcy) on their school trip to Paris.

I enjoyed the plot and seeing the sights in Paris that they visited, as well as the relationships developing between the various characters. I absolutely love Charlie and Nick, and Elle, Tao, Aled, Tara, and Darcy are all fantastic characters too. Also, I love the art style and the illustrations. There are serious themes in the novel, including Charlie’s struggle with an eating disorder and self-harm. I do like that Nick continued to be supportive of Charlie. Volume 3 is a great continuation of the series, and I recommend reading it if you read the first 2 volumes.

Available at Bookshop

Rating: 10/10

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

Volume 4 begins with the end of summer after the Paris trip and goes through the start of the new school year and winter. The book follows the same characters as before, with the main focus being on Nick and Charlie. I found Volume 4 more serious and emotional than the previous volumes because Nick is worried about Charlie, as his mental health is getting worse (I did appreciate the conversation Nick had with his mom). Charlie also opened up to his parents about his struggle with an eating disorder, and he did receive professional help in this volume.

Volume 4 did have feel-good moments between Nick and Charlie, and also between the other characters. At the end of Volume 4, I was left feeling hopeful for them, and I look forward to reading Volume 5 when it is released this year. I love the Heartstopper series because it is feel-good, and even though this volume was more serious, I do like that Alice Oseman focused on mental health.

Available at Bookshop

Rating: 10/10

The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman

I received The Heartstopper Yearbook as a Christmas gift, and I read through it that night. The Heartstopper Yearbook is a bit different from the series because instead of focusing on the comics, the focus is on the art. However, the yearbook does include mini-comics, including The Teachers with Mr. Farouk and Mr. Ajayi, Moments with Nick and Charlie, and Girlfriends with Tara and Darcy.

The Heartstopper Yearbook contains profiles of the various characters in the Heartstopper series, including Nick’s dogs Nellie and Henry, and the family trees for the Springs and the Nelsons. The yearbook also has how the art of Heartstopper evolved from 2013-2022, Heartstopper artwork based on pride, summer, Halloween, winter, and alternative universes, and the main settings in the Heartstopper series. Furthermore, the yearbook includes an Are You More Nick or More Charlie Quiz (I am more Charlie) and a tutorial on how to draw Charlie, Nick, and Elle. I loved The Heartstopper Yearbook, and if you enjoy the Heartstopper series, I recommend The Heartstopper Yearbook for a deeper dive into the art.

Available at Bookshop

Rating: 10/10

Poems to Fall in Love With by Chris Riddell

Poems to Fall in Love With is a collection of classic and modern poems all about love from Wendy Cope, Sylvia Plath, William Shakespeare, Emily Brontë, and many more. The poetry collection is divided into 5 chapters: Love and Friendship, Beginnings, Valentine, Let’s Stick Together, and My Life Closed Twice. I listened to the audiobook on Libby, and it was nice to pick the book up and listen to a few poems here and there.

The book is a lovely collection of poems, and I did like many of the poems, but there were others that were not for me. However, a great thing about this poetry collection is that if you are not a poetry reader, it is a great introduction to poetry, and if you do enjoy poetry, you can maybe find some new favorite poems. With that said, I would probably recommend the ebook or physical book over the audiobook as the poems include illustrations by Chris Riddell, which you miss out on if you only listen to the audiobook.

Rating: 7/10

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs

I have read the first 4 books of the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, and this book is a supplement to the series. The book has 10 short stories on peculiars that teach moral lessons to young peculiars. The tales range from a story on the first ymbryne and Cuthbert the giant to a girl who could take away nightmares and a boy who became a locust. I did enjoy reading the stories, but there are some tales that are definitely better than others.

Also, each tale begins with an illustration, which I thought was a nice touch. If you have read any of the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, I do recommend reading Tales of the Peculiar because it dives deeper into the folklore of peculiars. You can still read the book if you have not read any of the series, but I believe the book would have more meaning if you have at least read the first book in the series.

Available at Bookshop

Rating: 8/10

Why the F*ck Can’t I Change? by Gabija Toleikyte

I received an ebook copy of Why the F*ck Can’t I Change? through NetGalley for review. This book is divided into 9 chapters, and every chapter starts with what you will learn and ends with a summary. The first chapter is about habits and how they form, why they are hard to change, and why just stopping bad habits does not work. The second chapter focuses on emotions and the 8 major types, while chapter three is on personality and your own values, and separating those from other people’s values. Chapter four is all about productivity, memory, attention span, and procrastination, and chapter five covers brain health and neurotransmitters.

Next is chapter six, which is about decision-making, including emotional and rational decisions and biases, while chapter seven is about dissonant and resonant leadership, task-positive and default mode networks, and how to become more resonant. Chapter eight is focused on relationships, attachment styles, healing trauma and the inner child, and 7 core principles for building a solid and lasting relationship. Lastly, chapter nine covers effective communication, arguments, steps to express yourself effectively and to listen in an empathetic, non-judgmental way, internal communication, harmful interactions in relationships, and ways to introduce positive communication. The book concludes with a hypothetical example to show how the ideas in each chapter can help make lasting change and includes a list of references and future reading for each chapter.

The book has a lot of practical information and exercises to do, such as only changing one habit at a time and making a list of benefits and reasons for the new habit for each area of your life, as well as breathing exercises and writing things you are grateful for. Also, the book includes lists such as tips to get a better night’s sleep and a list of low-effort activities to change your brain chemistry when you are stuck in a dark place, as well as things not to do.

There was also the task of writing down the qualities of a leader who inspired you, compared to the qualities of someone who brought out the worst in you, to help understand the difference between resonant and dissonant leaders. The book can at times feel dense because it discusses areas of the brain and processes that occur, but the examples and metaphors make the book clearer. However, since the book is so neuroscience-heavy, I would not recommend it to those who are looking for a quick self-help read.

Available at Bookshop

Rating: 6/10

’90s Nostalgia: Influential Moments, Movies, Music and More from One of the Greatest Childhood Decades by Krista Brea

The last book of my year end book review roundup is ’90s Nostalgia, which I received an Audible copy from Krista Brea for review. I was born in 1993, and even though I was not able to experience the decade to the fullest, I do like to look back on a simpler time, and this book does just that. The book covers popular TV shows and movies, music, fashion, technology, and more that made the ’90s a special time.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and reminiscing about TV shows I watched with my dad, like Home Improvement, to cartoons like Blue’s Clues and Barney I watched as a kid. Also, I remember listening to Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys all the time. I also liked the chapter on fashion, as I wore headbands all the time as a kid, and I loved mood rings and slap bracelets. The technology section was also fun, and I clearly remember how slow dial-up internet was, and my mother always had a pager on her for work. Also, I remember receiving a portable DVD player as a Christmas present one year, and I always carried around a portable CD player with me. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, I definitely recommend reading ’90s Nostalgia!

Available at Amazon

Rating: 9/10

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Have you read any books from my year end book review roundup? What books have you read recently?