Best of 2022

2022 was.... a year. There were some great moments but overall kind of forgettable? My reading felt a lot like that too - it was a forgettable reading year and I usually harp over what books make my favourites list, but this was an easy list to pull together. All of these books made me think, annotate, smile, stress, almost cry, and not stop recommending. I still think about all of them regularly! I think the longevity of a book is what really makes it a favourite of mine.

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara: Funnily enough, I gave this book 3.5 stars after reading it because I didn't like the ending. Enough time has passed that I've come to peace with it (man I'm dramatic), but again, this is one of those books I can't stop thinking about. It was such a vivid and memorable world the author built and I'm really excited to read A Little Life this year.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry: A really fun, cute rom com for (you guessed it) Book Lovers. I don't consider myself a romance reader, but Henry is someone whose books I'll always pick up!

The Trees by Percival Everett: I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if it wasn't on the Booker Prize longlist. It is a mish-mash of genres in the best way and reminded me of a Jordan Peele movie. I'm definitely reading more Everett in 2023!

Son of Elsewhere by Elamin Abdelmahmoud: A very beautiful collection of stories that make up this memoir. It's funny, sad, hopeful, and opened my eyes to a new perspective. Definitely my favourite memoir of the year.

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan: This was the first book I read in 2022 and it stayed a winner! It was a lightly dystopian read that frankly absolutely scared me but I think it was the constant feeling of stress while reading this that made it one that stuck with me. For fans of Handmaid's Tale!

Trust by Hernan Diaz: Another Booker longlist that I read, this was such a cool literary puzzle that was so satisfying the moment it all came together. The best of literary fiction in 2022 IMO.

You Made a Fool of Death with your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi: Whoops, this self-proclaimed romance reader has ANOTHER romance on her favs list. This one felt like much more than a romance though. I actually almost didn't finish it (I wasn't feeling it too much until I got 1/4 of the way through the book) and I'm so glad I kept going.

These Impossible Things by Salma el-Wardany: A very beautiful contemporary fiction story that follows three best friends as they drift apart and then are pulled back together. El-Wardany navigates some heavy themes (love, sex, faith, family and tradition) with delicacy and in a way that’s so readable (I read this within 24 hours) without being exploitative.

Babel by R.F. Kuang: A wild ride of a thought-provoking fantasy book on the use of language and translations as a tool of the British Empire. For as big of a book as it is, I'm surprised at how quickly I read it and was caught up in everything. Love a dark academia vibe.

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass: Last but not least (and not pictured), I had a MOMENT with this series earlier this year and think I binged three books in the series within a week. It's a cross between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor and it's such a great fun, escapist, palette-cleansing read. I was obsessed!