This year, my goal was to read 100 books in a year. This is partially because I don’t have a life outside of my biggest accomplishment: my yearly reading goal. The other part is because it was my initial goal last year, but I didn’t make it. I usually blame this on my dog because it was absolutely her fault. I got her in the summer of 2021, and puppies are a lot of work, so I lost time to read. Because of this, I was determined to accomplish this goal in 2022.
The good news is that I did it. Actually, I surpassed it. Turns out, one thing worked out for me this year, which means reading is now the most successful area of my life; I’m not sure if that’s impressive or sad. Anyhow, all of that is to say that I read some great books this year. Most of them were mediocre, but some of them really wowed me. Here is the top 10% (literally) that I loved in 2022.
10. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley is best known probably for her book, The Guest List. While I enjoyed reading that book, it was nowhere near as good as The Paris Apartment. I snagged The Paris Apartment right when it came out via my Book of the Month credit (love when that happens). The premise is that a girl travels to Paris after the disappearance of her brother in the apartment building he was staying at. As she investigates, she finds out that the case is a lot more twisted than anyone suspected. I enjoyed the suspense, and the way Lucy tied it all together was really well done. Probably one of the best suspense/mystery books of the year.
9. Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
This pick was an odd one, I can’t lie. I picked it up honestly because the title and summary sounded like my dating life. However, the book ended up being way more profound than a casual ghosting situation. The idea is that two people meet for an idyllic week of romance. Things go so well that she is blindsided when he ghosts her out of nowhere, but the reason for it is much more complicated than even she anticipated. This read brings up some really profound ideas surrounding love, loss, and letting go. Fantastic read!
8. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Admittedly, this book is so far outside of what I normally read; I’m surprised I even picked it up much less loved it as much as I did. The book is categorized as a horror book, but it reads more like a mildly gory suspense. The plot follows a group of what horror movies refer to as “final girls.” These are the girls in the story who survive the entire trauma, beat the killer, and are left alive at the end. In this book, however, these girls are real and so are their stories. But as with a lot of real stories, they were adapted into movies. These girls are now middle aged and meet in a support group, but strange stuff starts happening as they get picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. I loved the unique premise and nods to popular horror movies over the years. Not only that, there is an undercurrent of feminism throughout which is kind of badass for a horror novel. Really well written and great for people who are interested by horror, but maybe not willing to pick up Stephen King.
7. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
This book has been on my list for a while now. One of the teachers at my school raved about it, and I always try to make a point of reading what my students are reading, so on my TBR it went. I’m mad it took me this long to actually read it, but so glad I finally got to this year. The best way to describe this book is that it’s a crossover between Knives Out and Rebecca with the love triangle from Vampire Diaries. Young girl inherits a fortune of an extremely rich old man she is in no way related to, and the entire book her and this man’s family go on an expedition to discover why. My students absolutely love this one as well, and it’s been really cool to be able to recommend it to them this year. Probably my favorite YA book published within the
last few years.
6. Block, Delete, Move On by Lalalaletmeexplain
The way I came across this book is actually so random. Someone I follow on Goodreads had added it to her “Want to Read” list. The synopsis sounded interesting, so I did too. I eventually bought it and I’m so glad I did. The author is an influencer who basically posts relationship advice and discourse anonymously. This book is her manifesto to modern dating and by the time I finished it, I felt so seen I could have cried. The wisdom and humor with which she wrote this piece somehow makes the abysmally depressing modern dating sphere seem a little less lonely.
5. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
This book has been swirling around all year on my social media and Goodreads from all the book bloggers I follow. At the end of the year, I finally picked it up and it was one of the most pleasant book purchase risks I’ve made this year. It’s romance of course because that’s just who I am as a person, but the plot genuinely made me swoon. Basically, you have “enemies” Olive and Ethan. Olive’s sister and Ethan’s brother get married. Everyone at the wedding gets food poisoning except Olive and Ethan (of course), and so their siblings send them to take their non-refundable honeymoon on their behalf. Because of this, they have to pretend to be married. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating. It’s a romance trope overdose that I just couldn’t help but love.
4. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I don’t know about you, but one of my coping mechanisms for life’s inconveniences and tragedies is making a trip to Barnes and Noble (hey, my vices could be worse). One of the best things about B&N is that they have random BOGO sales. I had to purchase two books from the table and had found one, but I picked up this one because my sister had mentioned it was good. Anything to save money, right? All this to say, it was one of my favorite reading surprises this year. This book was incredible and well worth the hype. It follows a therapist who takes it upon himself to try to crack a woman in a psych hospital who has been mute since her husband's murder. He’s determined to find out what happened that night. Man, the twists with this book were completely unexpected, and I was completely engaged the entire time. I think I read it within a day. It wasn’t until like a few chapters before the great reveal that I guessed what was about to happen. It takes a lot to surprise a voracious reader; that in itself is a sign of a great read.
3. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Let me tell you something: Ali Hazelwood is my new favorite author. This book has been ALL OVER my social media feeds and has been on my TBR almost as soon as it came out. I only got around to reading it AFTER I read her second book, Love on the Brain, as a part of my Book of the Month (BOTM makes an appearance again). Turns out, I liked this
one more. The thing that is cool about Ali is that her books are so nerdy and academic. Given that I am a nerd and fond of academia, it’s perfect for me. Not only that, but her characters are smart AND hot, proving that it is possible to be both. Anyhow, this book is about Olive and Adam. Adam is a graduate level supervisor (not Olive’s though...important to note here) at the institute where Olive is pursuing her post-grad education. One day, Olive kisses Adam out of nowhere as a cover which unravels into an elaborate fake dating scheme. Of course, you know how those go. But wait…there’s more: Adam and Olive are grumpy/sunshine which makes the fake dating trope all the more fun. It’s such a fun read and I loved every second of it. Because of this book, I promptly bought all of Ali’s other books which aren’t many, but still…I love her.
2. Columbine by Dave Cullen
This book very well may be the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read, and very well may be the best one I will ever read. As the title suggests, the book is about the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999. Dave Cullen is a journalist who took a deep dive on the case at the time, and reported it quite a bit in newspapers. He takes all of his notes, findings, and supplemental research and weaves it into a narrative non-fiction story to rival even the best novels out there. It took him 10 years to publish it, and it shows because not only is the story is extremely cohesive, the tone with which he writes is kind of haunting which is only appropriate considering the subject matter. It's a book that I thought about for days afterwards, and to me, that’s the sign of an impactful read
1. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Truthfully, I could write a whole dissertation on Emily Henry’s works. I could also write one on how much I love her. Both of those interests converge in Book Lovers. I liked Emily Henry’s other works, but this one gave me the worst book hangover I’ve ever had. The thing about Emily Henry is that she is really good at creating complex characters. She crafts a story the way that good authors do: intentionally. While she writes in the romance genre, which is often criticized for its lack of depth, she always includes authenticity and depth. That’s the best thing about this book.
While a love story is the main plot, it’s not the only factor. In that way, it mimics real life doesn’t it? That’s how romance novels should be because love is not simple and while an escape novel is good from time to time, the ones that really impact us are those that make us feel something. Emily’s books always do that. They also give us the warm and fuzzy romance feels which are just as important.
Not only all of this, but also, I related more to Nora’s character than any of the others she has written. To make it better (or worse depending on how you look at it), Charlie is a man I’d kill to love. He’s my ideal book boyfriend and I swear I know what people mean when they say they fell in love with a fictional character. Emily Henry sure does know her audience though because a love story centered around books? What book lover wouldn’t love that?
So there you have it! My top 10 favorite reads of the year which were definitely not chosen lightly given that reading books is my only hobby. Which books were your favorite this year?
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