Top 22 Books of 2022

Hello everyone,

Today I am going to share my top 22 books of 2022. I am so excited to share this list. These are the best of the best. They are mostly in order, however, the book in my number 1 spot blew every other book out of the water (at least for me). I will share the links to the reviews of the ones I already have reviews up for, some of them are still forthcoming. This list will start from the bottom of the list and go all the way to my number 1 favorite book.

22. Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt

I discovered this book while browsing the Barnes and Noble website, and I will admit that this was entirely a cover buy. However, I really enjoyed it. I loved following Farley and Meyer, amidst the backdrop of Farley being an up-and-coming stand-up comedian. It was funny and steamy, and I will have a review sharing all my thoughts up in a few weeks.

21. Kamisama Kiss by Julietta Suzuki (Manga series).

I knew very little going into this series, and I’m kind of glad I didn’t because I ended up loving this series. I loved learning more Japanese spirituality, as well as the legends of the yokai. It had some great pining. There were times it seemed a little to angsty, but the ending was satisfying.

20. Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

This was a surprise addition to this list considering it was 1) my last read of 2022, and 2) Tessa Bailey has been hit or miss for me. I loved Love Her or Lose Her, it was a great second chance romance featuring an already married couple, and I loved watching Rosie and Dominic work through their strained relationship. I will have a longer review up for it next month.

19. The Hacienda by Isabel Canas

I loved this Rebecca-inspired gothic tale set in Mexico. It was creepy and I loved how religion played into the storyline. I highly recommend this if you loved Rebecca or if you are wanting to dip your toes into some mild horror.

18. The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

I was surprised by this book because it is Jennifer E. Smith’s debut. I was a little nervous going into it, but I loved how it follows our main character who not only must learn to find her passion for music again, but also work on reconnecting with her estranged father. I will have a longer (and much overdue) review up sometime next month.

17. Spoiler Alert and All the Feels by Olivia Dade.

Okay, so technically this is two books, but I couldn’t decide which one to include on the list. I loved both of these books. I loved reading about a fat main character finding love in both of these. I just love both of them so much and I can’t wait to read more from her soon. I will have a review up for both of these books in the next month or so.

16. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

This was my second Agatha Christie mystery and I loved it. I couldn’t put it down! I loved following Hercule Poirot put all the clues together. Unfortunately, the movie that came out last year was not good.

15. Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

Yet another book I read in December that ended up making it’s way onto this list. I’ll admit the synopsis had me a little skeptical. But this was a cute read that had some somber moments. It has some great discussions about figuring out your place in this world and what love looks like, and whether soul mates do exist. Also, have you ever wondered what the worst case scenario could occur on your wedding day? Then pick up Before I Do. I will have a longer review up next month!

14. A Lover’s Discourse by Xiaolu Guo

This was a beautiful novel following a young Chinese immigrant woman who moves to London to start over. While there, she meets an architect and starts a relationship with him. Together they explore what love is, is it worth it. The novel also explores language and language barriers, as well as Brexit. It was beautiful, and I want to read more of Xiaolu Guo in the future.

13. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

I loved Book Lovers, it is probably my favorite out of Emily Henry’s adult fiction offerings so far. I loved the setting of the small town, and I enjoyed getting to know both Nora and Charlie and watching their relationship go from enemies to lovers. If you would like to read more of my thoughts on Book Lovers, please check out my review for it.

12. Roxy by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Roxy is a somewhat controversial novel because it deals with addiction, but it also deals with adderall. I really appreciate how the novel is told in verse, and is told from the perspective of various drugs who are presented as immortal beings. More specifically we follow Oxytocin and Adderall, and a bet they make with each other to see who can cause a human to overdose first. We then follow two siblings, who both deal with addiction in some capacity. I loved how this was told almost like a Greek tragedy/ play. I highly recommend.

11. The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

The Swimmers is a short, poignant novel that starts at a community pool that eventually shuts down, it then moves onto one of the swimmers and her battle with dementia and the effect it has on her daughter. It is beautiful and heart-wrenching and definitely worth a read.

10. Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung

A beautiful novel following a young woman who immigrated to Canada with her mother and her father stays behind in Hong Kong and the effect that has on their relationship which continues to strain. I loved this look at father-daughter relationships, especially one fraught with cultural differences. If you would like to know more of my thoughts, check out my review.

9. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Normal People surprised me. I fully expected to end up DNFing it because I’d read a lot of different reviews about it. However, it was an interesting character study of growing up, friendship, love, and how destructive behaviors can affect one’s life. The characters aren’t likable, but it is still worth a read. I definitely plan on rereading this sometime and annotating it. Click here if you’d like to read more of my thoughts.

8. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore

This was a gripping non-fiction about a woman wrongly placed in an asylum because she dared to assert herself. It also looks at misogyny and what happened to women in the Gilded Age who didn’t not fit in the box that their society expected them to fit into. It also takes a look at the whole concept of insane asylums and how they were awful institutions. If you would like to know of more my thoughts, check out my review.

7. All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

This is the first and only Colleen Hoover book I have ever read. And I loved it. It takes a look at a couple who’s relationship becomes strained and what led to that. Even though it is kind of spoiler, trigger warning for infertility, which is a major theme of All Your Perfects.

6. The Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman

I am a little late to the party, but my friend Allison told me I had to read this series, and I am so glad I did. It is so cute and heartwarming, and it is like a warm hug. I wish the world was filled with acceptance like is depicted in this series. I am not ready for the final volume of the series that is supposed to come out this year.

5. Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

This is a gorgeous graphic novel retelling of Hades and Persephone, as well as the other deities of Greek mythology. The artwork is beautiful and I love the angst and pining. I can’t wait for volume 4 to come out in April.

4. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spencer

Dear Fahrenheit 451 is a quirky collection of letters written to various books from a public librarian. It was a quick, laugh-out-loud read and I need to re-read it soon!

3. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

I loved this book! It had some great, funny quotes and I loved getting to know Olive and Adam. I loved the backdrop of STEM research, and it was just a fun read. Click here to read more of my thoughts.

2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Technically this was a re-read for me, but I loved it the second time around. It is a beautiful story of an glamourous movie star and the many marriages that helped shape her into the woman she becomes. If you would like to know more of my thoughts, check out my review.

*DRUMROLL*

And the number 1 book I read this year is…

SHIP WRECKED BY OLIVIA DADE

Ship Wrecked was my most anticipated read for the latter half of 2022. I was excited to read it because both characters are plus-sized. And it didn’t disappoint. I became obsessed with Peter and Maria’s love story to the point that I re-read Ship Wrecked as soon as I finished it the first time. I loved it so much, and it is my favorite book of all time. I plan on re-reading it this month, and I will have a longer review up on February 1st, with my semi-coherent thoughts. I will never stop loving this book!

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.