Written By: Graham Chitty, Account Management Intern
How often do you read? Do you jump at any chance to indulge in the binds of a book? Do you simply skim pages here and there on newsstands or from long forgotten shelves? Whether you are an avid or leisurely reader, it’s important to appreciate what a book can bring to the table. Here at Crawford we love our books, and we’re excited to welcome you to our Crawford Book Corner where we share a few of our favorite reads from 2022! Come along with us as we discuss adventurously tasteful range of old, new, fiction, and nonfiction favorites.
Fantasy and Thriller
The two leading genres in our Crawford book corner were fantasy and thriller. Titles within these genres featured modern and vibrant-looking covers with intriguing titles and a new collectors gleam.
A recurring favorite was A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first installment of a New York Times best-selling fantasy drama by Sarah J. Maas. It follows a mortal huntress who becomes entangled in mythical creatures.
Colleen Hoover’s Verity is a sensational psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you read of financial ruin, death, and life altering accidents.
The Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan divulges a high-profile marriage that unravels as the husband is accused of a terrible crime.
In TJ Klune’s book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, a fantastical story unravels involving a case worker, orphans who are magical beings, and the Island of Marsyas that brims with mystery.
Self-Help
Coming in close second in the Crawford book corner were books on self-help, holding the ability between their binds to help you grow in countless aspects of life.
Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks provides a roadmap to finding purpose and success as you age, entering new phases of life.
Lysa Terkeurst’s It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way outlines the author’s journey in faith with grit, humor, and vulnerability.
The Business of Expertise by David C. Baker is a manifesto that heightens the impact of advisors who give insight as entrepreneurs.
Others
In a category of its own, by an author that needs no introduction, is Taste by Stanley Tucci. This delicious and savory memoir is filled with quips and antidotes about his life and how food fits closely intertwined.
Novels spark insight in the minds of their readers through descriptive written word and representations of life that instructs or diverts, gleaning popularity through a shared love of their meaning. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens made it onto the list, and is anyone surprised? This book took the states by storm as it unearthed a marsh girl and her entanglement with life, love, and murder.
Rebecca Serle wrote In Five Years, a futuristic vision-oriented novel based around a love story. It follows a corporate lawyer who has everything planned out in a five year plan, or so she thinks.
Watership Down by Richard Adams evokes an epic theme translated through rabbits as they escape destruction and establish a new home. This novel has both overt and covert meanings. The overall message of the book relays the nature of leadership and how it should promote a successful and just society. I couldn’t help but think of Animal Farm by George Orwell in hearing about this book.
Top 3 Favorites from the Crawford Book Corner
Lastly, there are three books from the agency’s recommendations that stood out significantly— each with their own timelessness and intricacies.
First is The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño. This novel follows a search for the 1920s Mexican poet named Cesarea Tinajera, by two poets of the 1970s, Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima.
Anthony Doerr wrote Cloud Cuckoo Land, which tells of five characters over six decades as they find themselves bound together by a single book.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is set in the late 50s to early 60s. It delves into Elizabeth Zott’s life as a brilliant chemist who finds herself forced to become a TV Chef. A single mom, this book talks about motherhood and empowerment mixed with circumstantial repression.
Lastly, The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Written in 9 short stories, this book details life as an immigrant from India to America. It speaks on love, loss, and varying cultures, adaptation and its burdens.
Final Crawford Book Corner Thoughts
Regardless of your personal taste and genres that compel your literary interests, we hope a book within this list piques your curiosity. In the meantime, we will to get back to reading so that we can provide you with even more recommendations!
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