fav books of 2022
Hi!
How was your weekend? Did you have MLK day off? Regardless, I hope you were able to get extra rest and pause to remember what MLK day is all about.
As promised, today I want to share my favorite books I read in 2022! 2022 overall wasn’t the best reading year for me – I hit my quantitative goal, but I think I was just in a personal rut that made me not connect as deeply with the books I was reading. Or my standards are just higher these days? Who knows. Point being, out of the 82 books I read, none of them made it to my favorites-of-all-time list. BUT I’ve still chosen five books to share with you all today that I think are worth your while.
#1 BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson
A pair of estranged siblings come together to learn about their mother’s will and discover their family history and secrets. Okay this one was my favorite book of the year because the unraveling of the family secrets was SO fascinating. It was like slowly peeling an onion, layer by layer. It was so satisfying!! Also HIGHLY recommend the audiobook – that was how I consumed the story and it was amazing.
#2 TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin
Childhood best friends begin to develop video games together and take the video game industry by storm. I’ve seen this book on countless favorites lists of 2022 and for good reason. Zevin’s writing is so readable and the characters are truly endearing in this one. The greater theme of friendship is complex and heartwarming – I loved this one.
#3 OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xóchitl González
Two Puerto Rican siblings living in New York struggle to find their way as a wedding planner and politician among the wake of the devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico. This one was so dramatic and twisty and entertaining. I’m always looking to read from different perspectives and sadly, the Puerto Rican perspective is one we rarely get at the forefront. Also loved this one via audiobook!
#4 BOOK LOVERS BY EMILY HENRY
An author and a literary agent find each other in a small town after a not-so-great first impression in the city. I, like many other 20-somethings who identify as female, have enjoyed at least one of Henry’s books. I was a big fan of both Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, and Book Lovers was also sooo cute. I loved the sister relationship emphasis intertwined in the plot. This one is also probably Henry’s steamiest one yet…
#5 INTERIOR CHINATOWN by Charles Yu
The “classic Asian man” being cast in various “roles” in a movie, and, in life. This one has stuck with me since I read it in early 2022, mainly because I felt really seen in reading this as an Asian-American, but also because the format is so unique. It’s written in a movie script format and it’s extremely witty, in my opinion. Highly recommend.
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That’s it for me from 2022! 2023 has already been an amazing reading year so far… I’m optimistic I’ll find some favorites of all time this year. (Looking at you, Braiding Sweetgrass!).
What were your favorites of 2022? Let me know!!
Jen x