This is the 9th year of First Book and it is one of the staples that keep this blog (me) going. Whenever life takes over and this space, unfortunately, goes quiet… every January I am renewed with this post and all the book lovers and great books that people are choosing for their first book of the year.
That said….
This is also the most unorganized duck-taped-together First Book Event I have ever hosted in the 9 years of doing so. I hardly promoted this year – one post here and one post on my Facebook Page. Goodreads no longer allow you to set up events and notify people so that great source was lost. Many of the personal contacts I make to friends, family, Authors, my book club…. didn’t happen this year due to work, commitments, and just honestly, overall exhausted from a really FULL event season. And yet here I am smiling today as I look at your pictures and see the books – or see you joining again because you love this event. While this is the smallest grouping of all the years, I am still thrilled that so many of you remembered even without my cheerleading and reminders.
So, I bring you a day late (Grandbaby in my life now- throws my timing off in so many good ways 🙂 ) The 2022 First Books. If you missed out you can still send to me through Facebook, text, or email me at sdechantal@gmail.com – if I missed any of you I apologize, I searched through all my contact options to make sure I had everyone -however if I did miss you, just let me know and I will update.
Happiest of the New year to you. My word for 2022 is: JOY (I want to seek it, find it, remove things in my life that don’t provide it, and bring it and share it as often as I can).
(The Book list is below the pictures)
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
An Impossible Imposter by Deanna Raybourn
A Sinister Service by Alyssa Maxwell
The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle
Collected Stories by Shirley Hazzard
State of Terror by Hillary Rodman Clinton and Louise Penny x3
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
The Collection Of Narnia by CS Lewis
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner
The Silent Sisters by Robert Dugoni
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
The Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel
The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris
The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville
Crossroads by Jonathon Franzen x2
New Years Kiss by Lee Matthews
Janesville An American Story by Amy Goldstein
The Sentence by Louise Penny x2
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
The Witcher: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, Danusia Stok
My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle
Honor by Thrity Umrigar
The Attic On Queen Street by Karen White
The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams
The Art Of Living by Epictetus
The Things We Cannon Say by Kelly Rimmer
Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
End Of Days by Brad Taylor
A History Of Violence by Edouard Louis
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Last Bookseller by Gary Goodman
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Prodigal Son by Greg Hurwitz
Christmas By The Book by Anne Marie Ryan
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart
The House In The Cerulean Sea by T J Klune
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson
Cul-De-Sac by Joy Fielding
Dreams of Falling by Karen White
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (20th Anniversary edition)
The Final Girl’s Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Charlotte’s Web by EB White
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
The Sum Of Us bu Heather McGhee
Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
The Childrens Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
A nice variety this year with a couple duplicates with two of Louise Penny’s books and also Franzen’s, Crossroads. A few new to me titles that inspired me to add them to my TBR list and I hope the same for those of you. You will see I show up not once, but twice when I could not get out of my head that I really wanted to read the Sorcerer’s Stone again. I am experiencing a lot of nostalgia this time of year and the Harry Potter Reunion Special that aired last night did not help as I laugh-cried my way through it.
Here is to a great year of reading. I hope (hope hope!) that I will be more active here and take more time to pick up a book than I did this previous year.
Cheers to you – Kings and Queens and all Royalty of the written word.
~Sheila
Book Journey 
I like seeing all those books, and your Colleen Hoover pick is one I really loved. Thanks for hosting and sharing all of our book love! Happy New Year, filled with JOY!
Hi Laurel, Thank you for participating! I’m curious to see what I will think of the book. I can not even recall where I first heard of it. The review are mixed – strong loves and strong hates….
I know I’m not alone in saying how very much I appreciate your First Book efforts (duct-taped together or not!) every year. This is always a great way to start a new bookish year. I’m participating even though I didn’t manage to get you a photo. My First Book is CALL US WHAT WE CARRY by Amanda Gorman. Happy New Year, Sheila. May it be a joyful one for you and those you love.
Ooooh such a good choice!
Now Im curious about that book too 😀
Thanks, Melissa (it’s not too late to send a pic!) I do love this event – it was one of those years where I planned to more promoting and it just never happened. I love starting my year this way as well. Happy New Year!
What a great variety! My first book is Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseeem Khan. Thanks for putting this together!
That sounds good! Its not too late to send in a pic 🙂
Wow Sheila, even with theholidays and g’baby this is a great group of people!I’ve already sent the post to my storage account, where I THINK I’ve saved them all. My word this year is *CARE*. Keep on keepin on!
I think so too! I was surprised how many sent in when I have been so inactive here and barely mentioned it. Love your word!
Thanks for gathering us all together again, Sheila. Congrats on a grandbaby!!! Have a wonderful joy-filled year.💗
You bet Mary and thank you – she is a big JOY! Total game changer!
Thanks so much for doing this when you’ve got so much going on in your own life! Glad it’s at least a fun thing for you to do.
Wasn’t the Hogwarts reunion great???????????? I laughed and cried all the way through it as well.
Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
The Hogwarts Reunion was so good and I was so unsure of myself. I really can’t watch the movies anymore as they are way too emotional and have too many memories strung throughout them all so the reunion was a “can I?” As soon as it started I had a good cry – angry with what will never be… and then I was able to watch and cautiously allow my heart in.
Thank you, Sheila! It’s wonderful to see the beautiful faces of so many of my friends here!
I agree. I miss the great connections, conversations, and of course BEA which brought it all to life. Someday there may need to be a meet up. 🙂
Having your post come a day late makes me feel much better about not getting my First Book of the Year post up at all! 😉 Thank you for pulling the First Book of the Year collage together with everything else that’s been going on. Maybe 2022 will be a great year for reading, blogging, and spending time with family, at the very least!
LOL – no worries at all. I am usually saving the pics in a file as they come in and this year that did not happen. I literally started putting it together yesterday afternoon and then when I did not have time to finish was absolutely ok with giving myself grace that it will be done when its done – I have something (someone) more important going on 🙂
HI Laurie! Your pic was the first one I noticed!! woot. Thank you Sheila! Happy New Year everyone.
Thank you for hosting this wonderful book event! I love seeing everyone with their books.
Me too!
That ‘s amazing…i have been in a group throughout 2021 who word was JOY…
Sent from my iPad
>
Nice!
You ROCK, Sheila! (I think “rock” should be your word, for so many reasons!) 🙂 This is the first year I didn’t participate, simply because I had four books I was trying to finish at the end of 2021, and a too-huge stack of tbr books waiting in 2022, and couldn’t pick just one. Thank you for all the work you do (everywhere, not just here) to bring the joy of books to readers!
Awe thank you, Jill (you totally could have sent a pic with 4 books… look at Sherri’s lol
I thought about posting the four I’ve been reading but two are kindle, one is an audio, and one in print – too hard to group them all together!
Thank you so much for hosting this event each year, Sheila! I love seeing all these books and readers! Happy New Year!
Thank you!
Dear Sheila
Thanks for hosting this again. It’s such a lovely way to start a new year with everyone’s happy faces. I love having a clean reading slate – it motivates me to tidy up all the leftover ones as well (which is why I found myself posting 4 reviews the last 4 days of the year!!)
My word for the year is the same as it has been for the last couple “letting go”.
Have fun with you precious grandbaby
Thank you I do love doing it for so many reasons. Holidays are not my thing so it really gives me something to wrap my mind around during the weeks of Thanksgiving to New years – I also love to see all of these connections we have made through the years between here and New York.
And thank you – Kylie is truly the best of all things and I love having time with her!
Thank you for doing this! I appreciate you putting it together even despite being crazy busy. Happy new year!
Hi Shella – Thanks again for hosting. JOY is a great word. I am choosing “Thankful” this year as that fits my mood and the way I want to focus. Stay well and have a Joyful 2022!
Thankful is also a great word – so often (especially in today’s world) many forget that we do have a lot to be thankful for. 🙂
Thank you Sheila, day late or not, we appreciate your efforts. Congrats of a grandchild – such joy! Have a wonderful year.
Thank you Diane 🙂
Thanks Sheila. Nice recognising some of the faces from over the years. Enjoy being a grandmother.
Thank you and I agree – I love seeing our fellow book lovers 🙂
I LOVE this….thanks for bringing “us” all together again.
It’s fun when I recognize other folks. 😊
Lots of good books.
Happy Reading, and Happy Grandmothering. 😊
Thank you 😉
So glad to see such a wide range of books featured. Happy New Year and here’s to a great year of reading!
Thanks Stacy – yes I picked up a few titles from this post!
I forgot to say that my word last year was Joy. It was the perfect word to remind me to choose joy even when I was frustrated or disappointed. I hope it is just the word for your year. My word this year is Pray.
I always enjoy seeing this post! I didn’t get my act together enough to send in a picture but I did chose my first book with great care. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Love this yearly tradition. I started my book yesterday and it is already drawing me in. I’m not doing a new word for this year. Just going to stick with my life word which is ONWARD. I love your word and I know you will live it to the fullest. 🙂
First of all, congratulations on your grandbaby!! Such a blessing and joy. So glad you are hosting even though it has been busy. It is one of the “events” I will participate in this year as I am reducing my blogging due to some life circumstances that will need more of my time. Thank you!
Thank you for hosting this event again. I’m a bit behind but I’ll catch up soon. Love the turn out and love how one mama was posed with her son and his book. I’ll have to try to get one or both of my kids to join in next year. I love how you’re finding joy this year and I love, love that you have a grandbaby to cuddle and spoil now. XO
I love this so much. Thank you so much for hosting and letting me be a part of it 😉
I love seeing all these faces and covers (I’m SUCH a “cover” gal). I’m glad it has the effect on you that it does, Sheila 😀 It certainly perks me up! And,of course, I feel the bittersweetness for you with HP (hugs)…the illustrated versions are gorgeous! Have you seen A MAGICAL YEAR yet? It’s a daily “HP quote” book 😀 Thank you for doing this! oxox
And CONGRATS on the grandbaby!!!! SUCH an indescribably joy ❤ I have two blessings myself 😀