It’s July. Among all the things I look forward to this month (including a well-deserved long weekend), is the book freak out tag. As much as I enjoy participating in the tag, I also enjoy reading all the posts from the book community. The graphs, the statistics, and last but not the least, the recommendations.
It has been a demanding year, both personally and professionally. As always, books have come to the rescue. I have been picky with my reading this year. Needless to say, it paid off and I read some excellent 5-star reads.
Read on as I share my reading statistics and book recommendations. A fair warning. This is going to be one long post.
The Statistics
I am a visual person and I love to see a graphical representation of how my reading has evolved. It is interesting to check out the genres I gravitated towards. Read on as I share the statistics of my January 2022 to June 2022 reads.

I have read 41 books this year up until now with only one DNF. My reading has been pretty balanced with no major peaks or troughs. Although the reading time did vary considerably. I have already surpassed my reading goal both at Goodreads and Blogchatter. The revised goal stands at 50 now.

One of my favorite graphs is the genres chart. It is as expected and a long shot from reading in phases a few years back. I explore more genres now, even those that are out of my comfort zone. And quite often, have been pleasantly surprised. Classics are missing this year and I hope to get back to them soon.

As always, this graph is not surprising at all. I have mostly read audiobooks this year. And some ebooks with text-to-speech for non-fiction. I don’t shy away from the digital format. Books are books, whatever the medium.

This graph was a bit surprising. I have been a moody reader this year and veered more towards new releases. Not that I mind it since there have been some excellent picks. There are quite a few backlist books on my TBR. It would be interesting to see how this looks by the year-end.

This year, I have made a conscious decision to support authors by purchasing their books, whenever possible, instead of ARCs and review copies. Due to work commitments, I have cut down on ARC requests and blog tours. The borrowed books still do make a sizable chunk since they are books from my subscriptions – Storytel ranking at the very top.

I have always attempted to diversify my reading. And although it is just below 50%, I am glad to have included more diverse books this year.
Mid-Year Freak Out Tag
The best books you’ve read so far in 2022
Although I have had limited time this year, it has been an excellent one for reading. I picked some great books that I enjoyed thoroughly. But some stood out for me and deserve all the hype. The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo By Taylor Jenkins Reid, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, Maybe You Should Talk To Someone By Lori Gottlieb, and Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen. Highly recommend each of them.




New releases you haven’t read yet but want to?
My TBR is bursting at the seams and there are quite a few new releases I want to read this year. At the top of my list is In the Language of Remembering: The Inheritance of Partition by Aanchal Malhotra since books around the partition always have a special place in my heart. Book Lovers by Emily Henry is another one that is highly recommended and I am keen on reading.


Biggest disappointment?
I have spent a lot of time second-guessing this. I rarely talk about books I do not finish. But then, this one needs to be called out.
I had been looking forward to reading Khabaar ever since I received the ARC from the publicist. But it was a major letdown. It suffered a similar “we be the best” that Onam in a Nightie did. What tipped me over the edge was the way 1984 Delhi anti-sikh riots were written in. Something so gruesome written about with such a callous manner with an utter lack of sensitivity. As someone who had lived the horrors of the genocide and lost family including a cousin who was still a teenager, I refused to continue reading or promote the book.
This is something that should never need to be spelled out. But dear authors, when you write about genocide, even in passing, please do so with sensitivity. And nothing, absolutely nothing justifies it.

The biggest surprise?
I have read a lot of retellings. And when it comes to Indian mythology, if the protagonist is the villain, the actions are often justified by the authors by painting the good all black. I expected somewhat the same from Valmiki’s Women by Anand Neelakantan but was pleasantly surprised that the author did not go the tried and tested way. Instead, we get a peek into the minds of characters such as Kaikeyi, Manthara, Surpanakha, and Tataka. And the repercussions of their actions. Do give it a read.

Favourite new author (debut or new to you)
Without a doubt, it has to be Debarati Mukhopadhyay. I recently reviewed her book Chronicles of the Lost Daughters. She has more translated books in the pipeline and I cannot wait to read them. I wish I had continued to learn to read Bengali and would have loved to read her books in the original language.

Book that made you cry
I am not an emotional reader and very rarely cry when reading a book. But The Reading List By Sara Nisha Adams left me overwhelmed. Particularly the story of Mukesh. I could relate a lot to it.

Book that made you happy
I veered towards a lot of light reads this year. And books that made me happy. All aside, Four Aunties And A Wedding By Jesse Q. Sutanto was a fun read. So were The Charm Offensive By Alison Cochrun and The Spanish Love Deception By Elena Armas. And I absolutely loved One For All By Lillie Lainoff.




What book(s) do you need to read by the end of the year?
Where do I start! There are so many books that I want to read. And the moody reader I am, I may not get to even half of them. That said, here are the books I do want to read this year.
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah is at the top of the list. I have been hearing great things about The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao too. There are also a few non-fictions that I want to get to. False Allies by Manu S. Pillai, Read This to Get Smarter by Blair Imani, and The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi.






Favorite post you’ve written this year:
I have got back to writing more reviews this year. But the posts I write for the #CauseAChatter series always have my heart. I have lots more recommendations to share. Stay tuned.
- Gender Identity & India – LGBTQIA+ Memoirs and Personal Narratives
- Disability & India – Memoirs and Personal Narratives
- Gender Identity & India – Must-Read LGBTQIA+ Non-Fiction Books
It has been fun participating in the tag and sharing my favorites. What have been your favorite books this year? What are the ones you are looking forward to reading? Do share about them in the comments below.
2022 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag & Statistics @CindyAnnDSilva @nooranand #BlogaberryDazzle #BohoPonderings Share on X
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.

Photo credit: Canva.com
July 1, 2022 @ 9:55 pm
I’ve been hearing a lot about Anchal Malhotra’s book, and it’s on my tbr for sure. Love your graphs and analysis, Ritu.
July 6, 2022 @ 2:58 pm
Thank you Sonia 😊. Love her books and looking forward to this one too.
July 2, 2022 @ 1:25 pm
Loving the graphs and pies! Ill ask you how to do that next year. This year I’m still trying to read books and reach my goal. Saving this post on Pinterest to check out some of your recommendations! Even I’ve read some books and thrown it half-way!
July 6, 2022 @ 3:02 pm
Thank you Cindy 😊. There are quite a few spreadsheets available for the graphs. Kal’s works the best for me.
July 3, 2022 @ 6:16 am
Eventually my year for reading is going great until now… The anchal malhotra book sounds interesting. Also great work on the charts.
July 6, 2022 @ 3:03 pm
Thank you Monidipa 😊
July 3, 2022 @ 9:09 am
I never knew about the reading graph, wow definitely doesn’t show wr we rise up n fall, informative post for me thanks
July 6, 2022 @ 3:03 pm
Thank you Flavia 😊
July 3, 2022 @ 1:10 pm
I love these charts of yours. I wish you had added all of them. I will surely pick up the aunties series soon. You have been after me for so long.
July 6, 2022 @ 3:05 pm
Thank you 😊. That would have been one long post. Maybe I will post one with just the graphs at the end of the year.
July 3, 2022 @ 3:36 pm
Wow this is super impressive! You inspire me to try and read more too!
July 6, 2022 @ 3:05 pm
Thank you Meetali 😊. I am so glad to read that.
July 3, 2022 @ 7:20 pm
I don’t know about this graph and all. It look interesting. I would love to read Aunty Series. I can’t read online too much.
July 6, 2022 @ 3:06 pm
The aunty series is a lot if fun. You should definitely check it out.
July 4, 2022 @ 11:02 am
Your Stats look really cool Ritu… congratulations on coming this far this year and I hope you have many many more in your kitty by the end of ’22. The visuals do make a difference, i agree. My tbr is Chronicles of the lost daughters upon your recommendation as I absolutely loved the feel of the book. Ordered a paperback😊
July 6, 2022 @ 3:07 pm
Thank you so much Kaveri 😊. Music to my ears. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
July 4, 2022 @ 11:43 am
I idolise you for your reading prowess, Ritu and now the graphs and pies are mind-blowing. I think I should learn but then think I will leave it to ypu young ladies.
July 6, 2022 @ 3:08 pm
Thank you so much for your kind words, Harjeet. 😊 I am not much younger than you 😁
July 4, 2022 @ 5:20 pm
I love your reading lists and I always bookmark them. I am not aware about the book Kabbar but your call out was justified as some topics are too sensitive and when an author writes about such topics they should also do so with sensitivity. Horrified to hear about your experience! Your graphs are so colorful and they just prove how much of a ardent reader your are! Keep going!
July 6, 2022 @ 3:10 pm
Thank you so much Shail 😊. I wish the author or publicist had included a trigger warning. Some things you can never get over, they are imprinted in the mind.
July 4, 2022 @ 7:15 pm
Your stats are amazing! Love ask the books on your list. My eyes were drawn to “Valmiki’s Women” I downloaded it immediately before I forget…
July 6, 2022 @ 3:11 pm
Thank you so much Brinda 😊. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on it.
July 5, 2022 @ 7:47 am
I don’t have any benchmark to compare this with. However I’m highly impressed by the use of analytics to track the progress. All metrics chosen are relevant. But just one question. Doesn’t it take away the fun out of reading when your surrounded by pressure to do more?
July 6, 2022 @ 3:17 pm
Thank you Raghav 😊. For me, these graphs are more about how the year has been. And not a goal I need to achieve. Even where reading challenge is concerned. Reading with a goal in mind can take the joy out of it. One needs to find a balance.
July 7, 2022 @ 11:43 am
That one is an interesting article. I will be following your footsteps
August 8, 2022 @ 10:56 pm
I always enjoy a peek into your reading world! But this time, I haven’t read any of the books mentioned here! My favourite so far this year has been Douglas Stuart’s ‘Shuggie Bain’. Highly recommend it if you haven’t already gotten to it!