2022 was a great year for books, both fiction and nonfiction. Check out this list of 30 of the best books that were released this year…
As the year is coming to a close, I was reflecting on all the great books I read this year. There were obviously tons, but I pared it down to these 30 that were released in 2022. This book list is a combination of fiction and nonfiction, but all are worth reading.
Whether you’re looking for a gift for someone else, or one for yourself, or just want to get a jump on adding to your TBR for next year, this list has so many great reads to choose from. I hope you love these books as much as I do.
30 Best Books of 2022
[Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Please see below for more details]
Fiction books
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
I love a brainy romance and this author gives it to me. Set in the STEM world, Bee finds an unlikely ally in Levi, who she could have sworn was her lab-coated enemy. I love how Hazelwood slowly builds a relationship for her characters until you can’t wait to see them take on the world as a team. Funny, thoughtful, and sweet, I loved her question for all things: What would Marie Curie do?
The Maid by Nita Prose
A unique heroine, Molly is a maid in a luxury hotel who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. This would be a basic cozy mystery if not for the fact that Molly is neurodivergent and possibly on the autism spectrum. How she views the world and sees others makes her one of the most interesting narrators I’ve read in a while. The world through her eyes is fascinating, scary, and beautiful.
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
Four septuagenarians – a retired spy, nurse, psychiatrist, and blue-collar worker – mix with some local cops, murderers, celebrities, and more than a few unsavory characters (some of which are friends) and you have the Thursday Murder Club at work. These mysteries are perfectly entertaining.
Don’t miss the first two books in the series: The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice.
Red, White & Royal Blue
The son of the President of the United States and a prince from the Royal Family hate each other… or do they? After a fake truce is called for the sake of publicity, they suddenly find themselves bonding over late night texting, responsibilities, and similarities they didn’t realize they had. Funny and charming, this book will keep you entertained all the way.
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
This historical fiction follows the life of Mila Pavlichenko, a Ukrainian mother who picks up a rifle to prove that shooting isn’t just for men, and with the backdrop of WWII, becomes one of the best Soviet snipers of the time. She experiences love and loss, friendships with unlikely people (like Eleanor Roosevelt), and a nail-biting conclusion that pits her against another professional shooter. This is based on a true story.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
You know all those romance novel tropes? This is a romance novel that takes a good handful of them and turns them on their ears. Meet Nora and Charlie, two high-octane people from the NYC publishing world who can’t stop running into each other, despite not liking each other. If that sounds like a meet-cute, you’re only half right. That’s the beauty of this book. You’ll laugh as much as you sigh with this one.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera
Luz travels from Santa Domingo to Paris for the chance to expand her family’s rum business, but runs up against people’s prejudices about doing business with a woman of color. Evan is an earl’s son who has a family whiskey business and wants to distance himself from his father’s sins. What starts out as a partnership of convenience soon becomes more. This historical romance is worth reading for the diversity alone, but it’s also well-written and highly entertaining.
The Winners by Fredrik Backman
This is the final book in the Beartown series and I felt like I had waited forever for the English translation to be available. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to the people of this fictional north Sweden town, who are bonded by their love and hate of hockey, and sometimes each other. Backman’s understanding of humanity and writing is sublime.
Don’t miss the first two books in the Beartown series: Beartown and Us Against You.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
This is the story of a recent widow who befriends a Pacific octopus named Marcellus while working at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone gives him credit for, but it’s not until he meets Tova that he decides to put his smarts to good use and help her figure out what happened to her son who disappeared 30 years ago on the Puget Sound. A brilliant debut novel.
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
This clever suspense novel kept my attention to the very end. Jess comes to stay with her half-brother, Ben, in Paris after things go badly in her life. But when she arrives, he’s not there. As time ticks by, she starts investigating and comes into contact with the diverse bunch of neighbors in his building. With each new secret, you just want to read faster.
The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon
The self-appointed mayor of a small Italian town must come up with 70,000 euros or the water will be shut off, forcing the residents to leave. His heartfelt attempts to get the money, save the town, and not make anyone mad while doing it are hilarious and heartwarming.
Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone
This thriller about a woman who wakes up to find her new husband has gone missing while on a trip to Lisbon was twisty and surprising in all the best ways. The unreliable narration made the book really work, and I found myself rereading parts that I thought I understood, only to realize I had been duped. Even when I started to figure things out, I still couldn’t figure how it would end.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This book is a love story, just not a romantic one. Spanning 30 years, from the time Sadie and Sam create their first blockbuster video game to the eventual demise of their partnership, these two friends will travel from stardom to rejection to love and to tragedy, and back. It’s so beautifully written, and the love these friends have for each other truly stands the test of time and circumstance.
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
Savannah has written a romance novel manuscript, but when she hides it in a nook at work to avoid anyone finding out, she comes back to see it’s been marked up in the margins. When the editor has a similar view as the mysterious margin writer, Savannah enlists them to help her get her manuscript publisher-ready. Even while not knowing who it is, she finds this mysterious person becoming a big part of her life. I loved this great meta romance novel.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1960s in California who wants nothing more than to work in her lab. But misogyny, love, a baby, rowing, and cooking fame derail her time and again. You can’t help but love this unique character and the tribe she builds through the successes and traumas of her life.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Nonfiction books
Overdue by Amanda Oliver
This is based on the experiences and research of the author after six years of working as a librarian in a high-poverty public library. And it shows libraries in a way that many of us never see. From their playing the role of mediator to administering overdose treatment, librarians are tasked with things well beyond what we imagine. If you love libraries, you owe it to yourself to pick this book up.
Peace is a Practice by Morgan Harper Nichols
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Full of wisdom, practical advice, and stories, this book written by the former First Lady is well worth reading. She shares what she’s learned about letting our own inner light shine to illuminate others and the world around us. This wonderful book is hopeful, realistic, and inspiring.
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
For those of us who spent our formulative years in the 90s, this book is a delightful walk down memory lane. It’s also a thoughtful look at the way the world changed in that decade, from 9/11 to cell phones to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Life at the beginning of the 90s was nothing like life at the end of it. This poignant, funny, and very true look at a decade is too good to miss.
How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
Bittersweet by Susan Cain
In this well-researched book, Cain explores why we should embrace the bittersweet of life to increase our creativity and connection. When we acknowledge the pain of life we can better reach out to people and help them and ourselves. If you read her book, Quiet, and found it spoke to you, then this deep and thoughtful book will do so even more.
You Don’t Know Us Negroes by Zora Neale Hurston
A legendary author from the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston’s work is poignant and always worth reading. This collection of essays and articles spanning 35 years covers a time when schools were integrating and the Montgomery bus boycott was happening, among other events, and her writing is a window into the beauty of the Black life.
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott
Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami
Murakami is an international bestseller whose incredibly unique novels are unforgettable. This book is a look at the craft of writing from his perspective. What inspires him, how he goes about writing, and what he thinks about novels in general. This is a very personal and fascinating book that is perfect for readers and writers alike.
The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi
If you’ve read The Lazy Genius Way, then you know Adachi specializes in realistic, practical systems that are easy to implement and really work. In this book, she focuses on the kitchen and how to prioritize, essentialize, organize, personalize, and systemize to make it the stress-less heart of your home. Fun, sassy, and motivational.
Happy reading!
Looking for more great book lists? Check out these recommended reads:
Best Jane Austen-inspired Books to Read
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
Leave a Reply