My Top Ten Favorite Books of 2022

It’s that time of year again! I’ve read a whole lot of books this year, 65 in total, and I figured I would make it a tradition to share the best ones with you. So whether you’re looking for recommendations, or just curious about what I’ve been reading, here are the top ten new books that I read in the year of 2022!

10. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This book was very rude and made me feel things. But that’s how you know it’s good! The story centers around two friends who make it big creating a video game, and all the personal struggles they go through along the way. I am not a gamer myself, but I am a storyteller, so it was really cool to watch their creative process unfold. (Now I want to try writing video games, haha.) This is also a story about a deep friendship that stands the test of time, and I really appreciated that. The characters are complex and real, and so are their relationships. I was honestly so impressed by how well I understood both Sam and Sadie’s points of view, even when they frequently butted heads. Truly some of the best character work I’ve read in a while!

9. Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor

I suppose this is technically a collection of multiple stories, but I read it all in one bind-up, so I’m counting it as one. I really need to do a better job of reading more sci-fi, because wow, I really enjoyed this story! It follows Binti, a girl from a futuristic Africa who goes off to an intergalactic university. It was completely unique from anything else I’ve read, but in the best way. I loved how it incorporated African culture, and I loved how it focused on making peace between alien peoples, and I loved how the science was so mystical yet still technically science. Although the first two stories in the bind-up were not my favorite, the last two were absolutely fantastic! I have to respect the creativity, not to mention the themes. Overall, just an excellent read, and I’m glad my dad recommended it.

8. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

I mean, okay, you know I’m a sucker for any stories that take place in Europe. This is just a fact. But this was a really GOOD story that takes place in Europe! It follows a woman whose brother went missing from this mysterious apartment in Paris, and she is trying to figure out what happened to him. It’s a really interesting mystery, and it was super atmospheric in the best way. I could just imagine myself there in that creepy apartment with all its secrets and suspicious inhabitants. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and I very much appreciated how all the plot threads tied together for the big ending reveal. I’ve been very much into mysteries this year, and this was absolutely one of my favorites.

7. Peril At End House by Agatha Christie

Speaking of fantastic mysteries, this is it! This was my favorite Agatha Christie book out of the ten I read this year, and it’s also my favorite so far. It had everything I love about Hercule Poirot mysteries. The plot was engaging, since it revolved around Hercule Poirot actively trying to prevent a murder from being committed. The twists were interesting, and I really liked the final villain reveal. And most of all, the characters were fantastic. The banter between Poirot and Hastings was endlessly amusing, and I loved how this book genuinely challenged Poirot and had him questioning himself. Overall, it was just excellent all around, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery!

6. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

I knew this book was popular. I knew it had won a lot of awards and people really liked it. But WOW, they really weren’t kidding! It’s so good! The story centers around twin sisters, both of whom are colored but one of whom decides to pass as white. The themes explored here were absolutely fascinating, and it was a brilliant way to discuss how people’s skin color impacts their prospects in this country. It was handled so expertly, no over-dramatization or anything, just calmly and quietly telling it like it is. I also loved how pretty much all the characters were likeable, even the ones you sometimes wanted to slap. There weren’t really any villains in the story, just a bunch of flawed characters trying their best. I read this book pretty early in the year, but it has still stuck with me even now. It definitely deserves the hype!

5. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

Wow, was this a fun read! It wasn’t deep and literary like some of the books on this list, but IT WAS ABOUT MAGIC MAPS! I mean, what’s not to love? The story centers around Nell, who is trying to uncover why an unassuming old map got her father killed. The mystery was so much fun to follow. I’m pretty sure I read this in like two or three days, and that almost never happens to me! I was just that hooked. (I’m telling you, maps are a trap!!) The characters were good, the plot was great, and the concept of maps having the ability to shape reality was utterly cool. Plus, the backstory reminded me a ton of the Marauders from Harry Potter, which is one of my favorite parts of that series! What else can I say? This was the perfect book for me, and I loved it!

4. If Tears Could Talk by Breanna Johnson

This is hard to rank on a list considering I’m biased, but I loved my friend Bre’s new book. And this is my personal top ten, so I have to rank it based on how much I loved it! It is a poetry/prose memoir of her experiences as a queer woman of color, and it’s very moving. Part of that is obviously because I know her personally, but wow, does she know how to write emotion. I was so impressed, and I read the entire thing in one sitting, and it definitely made me cry. I’m not even a poetry reader, but that didn’t change my enjoyment at all. I’m so proud of my friend for writing an excellent book, and you should check it out to support a self-published author!

3. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Surprise, it is a Brandon Sanderson book. And it was so good! Honestly, I really need to read more sci-fi, because three of the four I read this year are in my top ten. . . Ahem, anyway, Skyward! This was a really fun and engaging story about a girl who wants to be a pilot, but nobody wants to give her a chance because of her father. Spensa is such a fierce and fun protagonist, and I loved her talking ship, and her whole fight to prove herself despite the world being against her was super compelling. And then that ending. . . WOW. I’m not going to spoil it, but I did not see that coming, and I’m very interested to see where this series goes next. Overall, this was a great time to read and would definitely recommend!

2. This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Even more surprise, a time travel book. BUT IT WAS SO GOOD! This book somehow managed to balance the logic of time travel with the fun of time travel, and I am just so impressed. The whole premise of two opposing time agents writing letters to each other and falling in love as they chase each other across time was super cool. We got to go running around alternate timelines and exploring everything from the distant past to the far future, and yet everything was still connected in that fascinating time paradox sort of way. Great stuff! The writing was very poetic and beautiful and well-done, and the story was good too. It was just everything I could have wanted from a time travel story! I read it on audiobook, and I had to buy myself a physical copy I enjoyed it so much. If you like books about time travel, you should definitely give this one a try.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Okay, this is an actual surprise. I would never in a million years have predicted that a manga would be my favorite book of 2022, but here we are, and it’s not even a contest. Yes, I will admit this is technically not one book and more like 27 volumes, but the only proper way to rank it is together. And it’s my favorite!! This was my very first manga, and it was just fantastic. It follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse, as they try to get their original bodies back after an alchemy accident, but it’s so much more than that. The mystery is super compelling, the characters are literally all my favorite, and THE MORAL NUANCE! This story has some of the best moral nuance I have ever read in anything, ever, full stop. And it’s made out of pictures! The medium worked so well, though, and it really allowed the story to show instead of tell. You could just see the emotions on the characters’ faces as they went through some serious personal conflicts. I could probably go on ranting about my favorite things in this series forever, because it’s amazing, but I’ll just leave it there and say a ton of thanks to my friend Erica for recommending it and lending me all the volumes. I’m very glad I gave it a try!

So there you go, my top ten favorite new books of the year, with only minor amounts of cheating. Let me know in the comments what were your favorite books of the year, and if any of these made your list! And if anyone wants to know the secret of how I read so many books this year while working and writing two novels, the answer is audiobooks. Would recommend.

(Oh yeah, I should probably mention that I finished writing the sequel to The Balladeer’s Chase this November/December, and I have now officially written 20 novels.)

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!