Rachel's favourites 2022

Yes, it's the time of year when every bookshop in the land tells you about their top reads and why there were no better reads in this particular year. We're no different, but we HAVE made it extra difficult for our booksellers by asking them to choose only three books. These needn't have been published in 2022; they were merely titles that our team picked up at some point in the year and which will stay with them long after the 2023 page has been turned.

First up, Rachel!

Salt Crystals by Cristina Bendek - a passionate, lyrical story about returning home and belonging. It is about discovering connections to ancestors and to the land, with discussions of race, identity, and climate change. If this sounds like an immense undertaking for one book, it is, but Bendek weaves these discussions with the rhythm of the Caribbean - both in music and in language - making the novel a joy to become immersed in.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - I picked this book up when I needed something full of delight. It was as joyful as I hoped, full of bi, trans, and all around queer representation. Captivating storylines and some perfectly spicy bits as well.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers - both this book and A Psalm for the Wild Built - Chambers' two books in the 'monk and robot' series - felt like a sigh of relief. These books are about being and purpose, and the learning that one doesn't need a purpose to be important.

Check out 2022 favourites from the rest of the Lighthouse team: Lindsay, Noor, Christina, Trisha, Nyrema Mairi and Jess.