It has taken me forever to share my Best Books of 22 list. I hosted a Last Chance Readathon at the end of December, and then a Review Week in January, that helped me sort out my thoughts. I’m finally ready to share my Best Books of 2022 with you!

I read almost 250 books in 2022 so narrowing it down to 10 was going to be impossible. Even by trying to limit my list to 22, I still ended up lumping a couple of series together as one! Even then, I’m pretty sure I ended up with 25 books. So here are what I found to be the Best Books of 2022!

There is no limit to my love of books. From memoirs to fantasy, historical fiction to YA books, romcoms to thrillers – my taste in books varies greatly. But what my Best Books of 22 list all has in common is heart. All of these books gave me ALL THE FEELS. They were all 5 star reads. They stopped me in my tracks and game me something to think about long after the last page. I love when books evoke strong emotion!

BEST BOOKS OF 2022: All books can be found here:

Best Books of 2022 list:

What the Fireflies Knew: Feb 1, 2022. Kai Harris. This is a coming of age story beautifully told through the eyes of an 11 year old girl.

I Must Betray You: Feb 1, 2022. Ruta Sepetys. An incredible YA book about the brave people of Romania in the late 1980’s.

The Celestial Kingdom Duology: January 11, 2022. Sue Lynn Tan. A stunning fantasy series inspired by the Chinese Moon Goddess. A young woman goes on a quest to save her mother.

These Silent Woods: Nov 16, 2021. Kimi Cunningham Grant. A beautiful, atmospheric mystery that follows a man and his daughter living off the grid in the woods.

The Diamond Eye: March 29, 2022. Kate Quinn. The queen of historical fiction is back! An incredible story about a female Russian sniper in WWII.

Remarkably Bright Creatures: May 3, 2022. Shelby Van Pelt. A charming and heartfelt tale of a widow’s connection to an octupus at the aquarium where she works.

A Woman of Endurance: April 12, 2022. Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. A harrowing tale that follows an African breeding slave in nineteenth century Puerto Rico.

These Impossible Things: June 7, 2022. Salma El-Wardany. Three friends navigate love, faith, and marriage and what it means to be a good muslim woman in modern times.

Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow: July 5, 2022. Gabrielle Zevin. A book that follows two friends over the course of thier lives. It’s about the choices we make in life, and the ones we don’t, and all those reverberating repercussions and ripples.

Thank You for Listening: August 2, 2022. Julia Whelan. You MUST choose the audio for this one!! A hilarious yet heartfelt novel about an audiobook narrator.

The Violin Conspiracy: February 1, 2022. Brendan Slocumb. A page turning mystery about a famous violinist, the racism he has faced, and the disappearance and origins of his violin.

Serpent and the Wings of Night: August 30, 2022. Carissa Broadbent. WOW! What a fantasy debut. This story follows a young human girl named Oraya, who is orphaned as a child but saved by the Vampire King and raised as his daughter. 

Babel: August 23, 2022. R.F. Kuang. A novel that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow: Sept 13, 2022. Zoulfa Katouh. A YA story of a Syria girl forced to quit pharmacy school when the war hits. After helping in the local hospital, she endures so much trauma her PTSD becomes a a hallucinated person. POWERFUL.

I’m Glad My Mom Died: August 9, 2022. Jennette McCurdy. Another audio must listen! An incredible memoir of a child star and the complicated relationship with the mom that put her on top.

Our Missing Hearts: October 4, 2022. Celeste Ng. A heart wrenching and beautiful dystopian tale of a mother and son trying to find each other again. This is an unsettling look at racism, discrimination, and censorship but also the hope that one person on a journey of self discovery can make a difference.

These Precious Days: November 3, 2021. Ann Patchett. Do this one on audio, too! This is part memoir, part Covid play by play, part eulogy to a passing friend

All My Rage: March 1, 2022. Sabaa Tahir. A breathtaking YA novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity. Should be required reading in high school.

The Light Pirate: December 6, 2022. Lily Brooks Dalton. One of the last books I read in 2022 and totally worth the wait! A beautiful and atmospheric climate catastrophe novel.

Elements of Cadence Duology: December 6, 2022. Rebecca Ross. This series will sweep you off your feet. Lyrically written, it feels like a Scottish fable. A River Enchanted may be one of my favorite books of all time. Romance, adventure, warring clans, and a elements of fantasy.

Lucy By The Sea: September 20, 2022. Elizabeth Strout. This story is classic Strout. It follows a middle aged woman named Lucy, who leaves NYC before the pandemic outbreak and heads to a little cabin in Maine with her ex husband. As the story unfolds, you learn of her children, her past, new friends she’s making and how the world is responding to the pandemic.

Meredith Alone: November 1, 2022. Claire Alexander. A beautiful story of a young woman, so traumatized by an event from her past, that she hasn’t left her home for 1214 days. After a home visit from a healthcare worker, she begins online therapy and starts to make new friends and small changes.

Iona Iversons Rules for Commuting: March 26, 2022. Clare Pooley. A quirky and endearing look at a group of strangers all commuting on a train and the ways their lives intertwine.

We All Want Impossible Things: November 8, 2022. Catherine Newman. A beautifully authentic book about two friends wrestling with life, death, friendship and family.

Demon Copperhead: October 18, 2022. Barbara Kingsolver. A David Copperfield retelling that is a poignant and tragic portrayal of the opioid epidemic in Appalachia,USA.

Next Steps!

To read more of my reviews, check out the rest of my blog.  To enter the latest giveaways and see what I’m currently reading, head to my Bookstagram account in IG.  And to listen to me chat all things bookish and share my latest reviews, head to my Booktube Channel. Or try some books on audio go here!