2022 year-end wrap up | ranting and raving about the media i consumed because i’m an extrovert with no self control
Hi, friends, and happy 2023! It’s me, your friendly neighborhood Lila, back again and this time I’m wrapping up the second half of 2022!
For me, 2022 was…well, it was a year. It had its ups and its downs, sometimes it seemed to pass slowly and sometimes time flew by. In terms of reading, it was my worst year yet…qualitatively. But you know what? I wholeheartedly enjoyed each and every one of the six books I read. And that’s what matters. I think sometimes in the book community we get so stuck in statistics and caught up in competing with ourselves that we forget that ultimately, for most of us*, reading is meant to be a fun hobby rather than an obligation.
*Sorry to my dear English majors, professors, librarians, editors, agents, and other book professionals
But low reading stats aside, I’m happy I managed to read, and I also got to some great series, movies, music, podcasts, and YouTube channels—and today I’m here to tell you all about those awesome things! So let’s not dillydally any longer, let’s dive right in to my 2022 Part II wrap up!!
books
best read of the 2nd half of 2022
I actually read five out of the six books I read this year during the second half of this year…So, um…yay for progress (kinda)? Hey, the good news is that at least this year I didn’t read anything below a three stars despite my abysmal stats, so can I get a cheer for quality over quantity? Anyhoo, my favorite read of the second half of 2022 was definitely Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse! Despite falling head-over-heels in love with Black Sun (book one in the Between Earth and Sky series), I’d seen a lot of reviewers say they were disappointed in Fevered Star and found it too slow and political…Which leads me to say…y’all are we reading the same series?! Y’all do realize that book one was equally as slow and this has always been a politics-heavy fantasy series, right?? But I digress. I thought Fevered Star was an amazing follow-up to Black Sun! I loved the political manipulation that each characters had to dance through, I loved seeing the characters grow through the plotlines, I loved the theme of identity and belonging! All in all, I thought Fevered Star was a great sequel and I can’t wait for book three!
top five six most anticipated books of the 1st half of 2023
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim This is an “Arabian fantasy” by a Lebanese author and so, as a part Lebanese fantasy fan, I’m beyond ecstatic and excited for its upcoming release! Apparently Spice Road has a spice-based magic system and discusses colonization in a deep and nuanced way. I can’t wait!!
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner I only recently heard about this book, but it sounds so amazing that it instantly hit the top of my “most anticipated” list! I’ve been craving a fantasy dealing with deities and this book sounds like it’ll really scratch that itch!
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett Y’all now I’m a fan of fae/fairy fantasies, and this one seems so cozy! I also recently heard Ashleigh of the booktube channel A Frolic Through Fiction describe this book as “cozy academia” and…that’s it, I’m so down for this!!
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi I loved Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves (although I still have to read the second and third book in the trilogy) and this book sounds like a lush gothic fantasy that I think her writing style would suit well, so I’m looking forward to checking it out.
The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten Necromancy, cults, and “sainted kings”? Um, yes please! This book sounds deliciously dark and I am so here for it!!
One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake After reading Clara and the Devil and The Atlas Six, I am definitely a certifiable Olivie Blake stan, so I’m so excited to read this one!
movies & series
favorite movies/series of the 2nd half of 2022
At this point in time, is there actually anyone who genuinely dislikes Netflix’s Wednesday? Maybe. But I feel pretty sure that they’re in the minority, if the sheer number of TikToks recreating Wednesday‘s dance scene are anything to judge by. I fall into the group of people who unabashedly love this latest spin on The Addams Family which focuses on the morbid daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams: the titular Wednesday. I feel like the show manages to perfect the sentiment of the original Addams Family theme lyric “they’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky!” without going too dark. The show also manages to tread the line of tasteful and campy spectacularly and doesn’t make a caricature of today’s teens. Can you tell I’m comparing this to a certain infamous teen show (*cough* Riverdale *cough*)? The thing that I especially enjoy about Wednesday is that it’s not an adult show pretending to be for teens nor is it a teen show trying to be adult. Wednesday knows its demographic target and is proud of it. It’s not too young and not too mature, thriving in the middle, like every teen must. In conclusion, Wednesday is definitely a new favorite of mine!
I also want to talk about Netflix’s original film, Do Revenge, which was the latest entry into the teen dramedy category—and what an entry it was! The movie is about two teen girls who decide to “do each other’s revenge” on classmates who wronged them. Of course, wild twists and hilarious shenanigans ensue! The film pays homage to classic teen dramedies like Clueless and Mean Girls (among other teen films) in creative ways whilst giving the genre a much-needed Gen Z update! I loved the characters, and the plot was hilarious and surprisingly feminist.
newest favorite characters of the 2nd half of 2022
One of my newest favorite characters is Enid Sinclair from Wednesday, namely because the dynamic between her and Wednesday reminds me of me and my own best friend. Honestly, my bestie reminds me mostly of Wednesday, with me being the “Enid” side of our friendship, but there are bits of her and of myself in both Wednesday and Enid. I love how Enid is the color and cheer to Wednesday’s darkness and gloom, but I also love seeing the fiercer side to Enid—how she refuses to be anyone but herself. I also love how Enid is committed to doing things (like “wolfing out”) on her own timeline, rather than trying to follow the same path as others (which I think is part of why she and Wednesday connect so well). She’s great character who adds that necessary bit of pizzazz to Wednesday!
most disappointing movies/series of the 2nd half of 2022
My most disappointing watch of the second part of 2022 was definitely Enola Holmes 2. I loved Enola Holmes, so I had high hopes for the sequel and maybe that was my downfall. I should’ve been tipped off by the fact that the sequel didn’t even really have a proper title but was just titled “Enola Holmes 2“! I mean, come on, y’all couldn’t even think of anything more creative?! But enough about my gripe with the movie’s title. A big thing for me was I felt like Enola Holmes 2 WAY OVERDID Enola’s quirkiness and tried too hard to make her “not like other girls.” Like, we get it, Enola is progressive and ✨quirky✨, but every single second of the film does not need to hammer that home, especially as those are traits we’d already established in the first movie!
most surprising movies/series of the 2nd half of 2022
I’m surprised to say that I actually really enjoyed Not Okay. It was definitely an uncomfortable movie to watch but that’s also what made it so good and so memorable? Not Okay very much captured what it’s like to be young and immersed in today’s world of online influencers and wanting so badly to be noticed too, but the movie dared to come at those things from an angle that I feel like a lot of movies and series are afraid to come at those topics from. And I love how the film makes it clear that the main character isn’t meant to be sympathetic, even if she is kinda suffering, because she’s caused so much more hurt than she’s ever been the victim of. Overall, I just feel like everything about Not Okay was very thoughtful and well done and I’d encourage everyone to watch it, no matter how much it makes you cringe from secondhand embarrassment.
top three most anticipated movies and/or series of 2023
Agatha: Coven of Chaos Agatha was a great part of WandaVision and her story was so interesting, so I’m excited she’s getting her own show!
Daisy Jones & The Six I’m halfway through this book and loving it, so I’m so pumped for this adaptation!!
Shadow and Bone (Season 2) I loved season one’s adaptation of the Grishaverse and I can’t wait to see all the characters and plotlines that season two brings in!
music
top five favorite songs of the 2nd half of 2022
“Mon Démon” by Odelly I came across this song at the tail end of 2022 and became completely obsessed with it!
“RAINFOLK!” by T H R O N E I’ma need y’all to do yourself a favor and listen to this song!
“Nsera” by Fatoumata Diawara ft. Damon Albarn This song had me up and dancing out of my seasonal depression.
“MOOD” by Jessie Reyez Y’all know I love Jessie and I absolutely adore her latest album, Yessie, as well as this song off that album.
“Mi Gna” by GIMS ft. Super Sako and Hayko This is another song that had me grooving out of my winter blues.
favorite new (debut or new-to-me) artist of the 2nd half of 2022
Towards the end of 2022 discovered this Indigenous (Mvskoke) R&B duo called T H R O N E and I fell in love with their music! I’m hoping they blow up this year because their music is honestly *chef’s kiss* perfection! I also love that they incorporate their language into songs and make music about things like colonization. Absolutely check this group out!
most disappointing song or album of the 2nd half of 2022
Ooooh, controversial opinion time! I’m not the biggest fan of Midnights by Taylor Swift. I know! “I’m the problem, it’s me!” Lol! Granted, while I enjoy a decent number of Swift’s songs, I’m by no means a Swiftie (or is it a Swifty??). I just felt like in terms of musicality, regardless of lyricism, Midnights was a tad boring and definitely a rehash of styles we’ve heard from Swift before.
miscellaneous favorites
best podcast of the 2nd half of 2022
Lately I don’t typically enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction, but recently discovered Birds of Empire and I am LOVING it! How do I pitch this series? It’s so tough because it’s super unique! It takes place in the Dakotas, centuries into a post-apocalyptic future where society has regressed to tribal societies living off the land. Think something like the grounders from The 100. Kinda like that. Anyhoo, the story and production of this podcast is ridiculously immersive—it’s almost like watching a movie with your ears, haha! Kudos to the production team for pulling this show off!
favorite youtubers of 2022
* e m m i e *
I actually have a very different reading taste from Emma, but her videos are so freaking calming that I love her channel anyway! Emma is an English major and reads a lot of classics and literary fiction, so if that’s your jam then definitely check her channel out. That being said, even if it’s not your thing (like me), give her content a try anyway—trust me!
jack edwards
Jack is another booktuber whose content I adore despite the fact that his reading tastes are the furthest thing from mine. I find his channel to be really fun, creative, and entertaining, regardless.
melreads
Mel is a booktuber who has a relatively similar taste in books to me! But beyond that, her vlogs and videos are so fun!! Her personality is so cheery and it’s positively infectious!
katie is reading
I found Katie’s booktube channel through Haley Pham and I’m so glad that I did! Katie and I have pretty similar taste in books and I love her journaling interludes, plus her content is somehow simultaneously fun and calming.
spill the beans, friends
- How was your 2022?
- What are some of your favorites of 2022?
- What are you looking forward to in 2023?
I’m looking forward to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries too. I am also looking forward to Shadow and Bone season 2 and Daisy Jones and the Six
i’m currently reading emily wilde and can confirm it is peak cozy academia fantasy!
Omg I can’t believe that I haven’t read Fevered Star yet as I adored the first book in that series. I’m glad you found the sequel just as good. And I’m super excited for all of your most anticipated books as well. I hope we both end up loving them.
oooh i hope you enjoy fevered star when you pick it up!
Do Revenge is amazing! I didn’t expect it to be one of my favorites last year!
yes!!! i actually wrote my final paper for my film appreciation course last semester on do revenge and it was really cool to see how intentional the filmmakers were with their decisions! and somehow despite having watched it a gazillion times to prep for that paper, i STILL love the movie!