On the second day of 2022, I walked into my local bookstore in search of the perfect book to start my 2022 off right. After spending a couple of hours at the store, searching reviews, and picking up a hundred different books, I finally picked up “Normal People” by Sally Rooney. What I found, after inhaling the book and reading it cover to cover in a single day, was that Sally Rooney was the perfect author to start your 2022 reading goal. 

  Like the rest of the world, I spent New Year’s Day pondering what my resolutions would be for the upcoming year. I quickly phased through the typical ideas like self-care, eating better, etc., and finally landed on reading fifty books. This resolution is one that, in my opinion, has grown right alongside the popularity of BookTok, a section of the popular social media platform TikTok where readers and writers have shared anything and everything book-related. The growth of both of these ideas is echoed by the Pew Research center Three-in-ten Americans now read e-books by Michelle Faverio and Andrew Perrin, “adults ages 18 to 29 are more likely to read books than those 65 and older.”

  Even more so, the rise of BookTok has supported the growth of book sales. According to The Economist, BookTok has passion — and enormous marketing power,  “Bloomsbury, a publishing house based in Britain, recently reported record sales and a 220% rise in profits.” This means, if your resolution is to read, you are likely one of the millions. BookTok has taken over the world, earning itself a specific section in nearly every bookstore, even on their websites.

 With all those different books, it can be hard to decide which is the right one for you. But trust me, BookTok favorite “Normal People” by Sally Rooney, or anything by Rooney for that matter is in my opinion the perfect way to start your 2022 off right. Not only are her books incredible, but if you read “Normal People,” you can watch “Normal People” the mini television series on Hulu.

 Rooney, the author of “Normal People,” “Conversations with Friends” “Beautiful World” , and “Where are You” is an Irish author and screenwriter that focuses on contemporary fiction. Since her debut in 2017 with Conversations with Friends, Rooney’s work has become an object of polarizing opinions. Rooney’s work lacks the use of quotation marks, enraging those who depend on them to dictate the conversation. In my opinion, Rooney thrusts the reader further into the book, forcing an intense and quiet focus on the book, so that the conversation plays in your mind like a movie, rather than simply being read. Rooney’s writing is emotional and intense, dragging you into the book and not releasing you till the story is completely finished. Additionally, her work is beautifully consistent, making reading more than one book from her sheer perfection, despite the fact that she does not have a series. 

  After I read “Normal People, I knew I had joined the giant group of people that absolutely adored Rooney’s work. Her work was different from anything I had read previously and made me anxious to devour the next book of hers that I could get my hands on. The book covered themes like first love, identity, social status and miscommunication right alongside intriguing and aggravating characters that forced you to read on, hanging on the edge of each word. At the end of the book, I rated it a full five stars and cracked open the next book I could find by Rooney. 

 In my opinion, Rooney encapsulates everything an author should be: strong writing, beautiful characters, an interesting storyline, and an amazing setting. Rooney is the perfect author to start off your 2022 reading goal and is a BookTok favorite.