My Top Books of 2022 (+ reading year breakdown)
Happy end of the year!
Choosing my top books for the year is especially difficult because I like to try and balance what books I think were objectively good from a craft standpoint, with what books I had the most fun reading.
A book that can take up space in both of those spheres will undoubtedly end up on my list.
I read plenty of books I didn’t include that I think were very well done, but did not provide unforgettable reading experiences for me. As well as books that I had a blast blowing through in a day or two, but had some serious problems, in my opinion, in terms of their craft when I take a step back and look at them.
Here is the breakdown of what I read this year:
Total Books: 79
Age Categories:
Adult: 46
YA: 23
Middle Grade: 10
Genres:
Romance: 22
Fantasy or Sci-Fi: 23
Nonfiction: 16
Classics: 6
Mystery/Thriller/Horror: 6
Contemporary/General: 4
Historical Fiction: 2
Ratings:
5 stars - 10
4 stars - 36
3 stars - 30
2 stars - 3
1 star - 0
Writing Craft:
Although I am constantly devouring podcasts, blog posts, YouTube videos, and spending countless hours every week doing my own work to break down stories, I only read (in full) 3 writing craft books in 2022.
That said, they were all excellent. Take a look:
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
I read the original Save the Cat! last year (or maybe the year before), but I found this version to be much more applicable and useful in terms of writing a novel. (Go figure.) I got so much insight out of her genre breakdown especially. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you pick it up.
Note: I watched a webinar hosted by 2 literary agents last night, and they both referenced this book more than once. Seriously, pick it up.
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
I think this is my favorite writing craft book I have read so far. I feel like my brain works exactly like Lisa Cron’s, so her breakdown felt like magic.
Tons of great detailed prompts, analogies, and guides. Another must-read if you are a writer.
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
This year I wrote a romance novel! Don’t expect to see it anytime soon (or possibly ever), but I had so much fun with it, and this very short guide helped a lot.
If you haven’t heard of Romancing the Beat, it’s basically a structure breakdown for romance writers. Highly recommend if that’s you.
Honorable Mentions:
Next, let’s talk about a few honorable mentions for my fiction reads. These books weren’t my favorites of the year, but I’m extremely glad to have read them.
Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY)
Summary:
15-year-old Evie is happy healing people. So when her best friend, Wormy, unexpectedly proposes, she kindly turns him down. She simply isn’t in love with him. Unfortunately, a meddling fairy named Lucinda is listening in. Disapproving of Evie’s rejection, she transforms her into an ogre, giving her sixty-two days to accept another proposal, or stay an ogre forever.
I write middle grade fantasy, so I had to include one on this list. Unfortunately, I didn’t read many this year. I was, however, very excited to learn that Gail Carson Levine had released a prequel to Ella Enchanted (one of my all-time favorite books). When I found out, I eagerly picked this up.
While Ella Enchanted is definitely better, this story had all of Levine’s signature wit and whimsy, and I had a blast reading it in less than two days.
In all honesty, it probably wasn’t one of the 8 best books I read this year, but I wanted to include a children’s fantasy, and Levine is able to do something that very few authors I have encountered can do well: write a story that’s fun for both children and adults.
These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall (YA HORROR/MYSTERY)
Summary:
Helen Vaughan doesn't know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, or why they haven't spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she's shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she'll be left with nothing.
This was one of the weirdest books I have ever read. Granted, I do not tend to pick up horror. Ever. But the premise of this story intrigued me. And I was not disappointed.
Marshall’s prose is sometimes a bit purple for me, and the side characters read very YA, but the story was strange and imaginative, and the ending was incredibly satisfying.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (ROMANCE)
Summary:
One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones. When Mae keeps waking up on the plane bound for her vacation with family friends, starting her back at the beginning of the same holiday over and over again, she’ll have to discover the answer to her Christmas wish in order to find true love and finally break free of the cycle.
Rom-coms have become one of my favorite types of books to read. I read a lot this year, and Christina Lauren’s stories always top my list.
This is one of the writing duo’s lowest rated books according to Goodreads, but I found it delightful. However, I admit that I had a difficult time choosing which of their books to include on this list. I read 3 of them in 2022 (In a Holidaze, The Soulmate Equation, and Love and Other Words), and highly enjoyed each one. Mostly because they tend to craft my favorite love interests (I still think about River Peña).
Truth be told, this is basically an adult version of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which I also read and loved this year, just set during Christmas and with a Groundhog Day twist. If that sounds like your jam, pick it up.
Top 5:
Here we go! My top 5 favorite books I read this year. If you enjoy these genres, I highly encourage you to pick up any one of these books.
5. People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry (ROMANCE)
Summary:
Poppy and Alex are best friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship.
As I said, I read a ton of romance this year. This particular romance has received a LOT of hype, and there’s a reason. I initially thought, after finishing it, that Book Lovers was my favorite Emily Henry novel. But after sitting on it for a few months, I’m team People We Meet on Vacation.
It’s sweet, fun, and full of dimension. I can’t wait for the movie.
4. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle (YA CONTEMPORARY)
Summary:
Vicky Austin is spending her summer on the small island where their grandfather lives. He’s very sick, and watching his condition deteriorate as the summer passes is almost more than she can bear. To complicate matters, she finds herself as the center of attention for three very different boys.
This Newberry Honor book (with a speculative twist) came out more than 40 years ago, and it feels just as true and relevant today.
I am a helpless sucker for love triangles (or, in this case, love squares), and the way L’Engle weaves beautiful speculative elements with grief and coming-of-age moments, all while guiding us toward a timeless love story, is magnificent.
3. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (FANTASY/MYSTERY)
Summary:
A deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.
I stole that summary from the first line of Goodreads, and honestly, it’s all you really need to know.
Adrienne Young is incredibly talented. Her voice is atmospheric and emotional, and I cannot help but get lost in her stories.
This one is no exception. This is Young’s first crack at an adult novel, and she nails it. The mystery kept me hooked, the love story gave me chills, the low-level magic bewitched me, and the morally gray characters had Young’s trademark depth and edge.
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (HISTORICAL FICTION)
Summary:
During the German Occupation, a used book finds its way to the small island of Guernsey, where its previous owner, Juliet Ashton, is introduced to the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Honestly, we’re not surprised that my top 2 books for the year are both delightfully charming stories featuring eccentric found families, are we?
Seriously, delightful is the word. I can’t say it enough: this was one of the most delightful books I’ve ever read. I squealed, I sobbed, and I was left breathless. (Literally. I cried so hard that I gave myself a low-level panic attack and ended up scaring my 8-year-old half to death—there’s a reason I rarely pick up books centered around WWII.)
I know I was late to the party on this novel, but if you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor and put it at the top of your TBR.
1. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (FANTASY)
Summary:
(I’m sorry, you just have to read the full Goodreads summary here because it does a great job of capturing the essence of this story.)
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.
Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.
On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
This book had a bit of a slow start, but it more than made up for it in the end. SO charming and whimsical (2 of my major buzzwords, in case you hadn’t noticed).
It’s another fantastic found family story. Speaking of which, here are a few more of them from the last couple of years that made my list. In case you enjoy books with lovable oddballs coming together as much as I do:
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Fable by Adrienne Young
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
And, if you have a good found family story that is sweet and charming (bonus points if there is magic), send the recommendation to me IMMEDIATELY.
So there you go. My top 5 books of the year, plus a few honorable mentions.
But before you go, I may come to regret this, but let’s talk about classics for a second.
I only read 6 classics this year, and…I borderline hated almost all of them.
What is going on?? Usually at least one or two of the classics I read in a given year will become a new favorite.
Yes, I’m aware that this probably says more about me than anything else, but it feeds into what I discussed at the beginning of this post: for a book to make my list, I need it to feature strong storytelling, a clean (as in not messy) plot, compelling, well-developed characters, AND keep me hooked from start to finish while giving me all the feels.
Unfortunately, I tend to go for the good feels. It’s hard for me (though not impossible) to love a book that leaves me feeling more bleak and depressed than anything else. And that’s how I ended up feeling after finishing pretty much all of the classics I picked up this year.
While most of the classics I read have earned their place in our canon for obvious reasons (ones I could objectively appreciate), they just weren’t my cup of tea. My experiences ranged from boring to downright unpleasant. (I’m looking at you, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Brave New World, and Wuthering Heights.)
Wuthering Heights was especially disappointing for me, considering Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time. I thought Charlotte’s sis might offer a similarly transformative experience (my life can evenly be split into pre and post Jane Eyre), but…no. I know this will be an extremely divisive opinion. Some people LOVE Wuthering Heights. Unfortunately, I’m just not one of them.
Anyway, I need some good classics next year. Luckily, I’ve got a few I’m really excited to pick up. We shall see…
Here I come 2023.
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