It’s that time of year again to reveal my top 10 books of 2022! This year was filled with some really unique reads and I am excited to share them with you. If you haven’t checked these books out yet, I think you definitely should.
Without further ado, I present my top 10 books of 2022!
10. Sign Here by Claudia Lux
The premise: Peytoe Trip has it pretty good working in the deals department in the fifth floor of Hell. The coffee is always bad, the pens never work, and the carpet is perpetually wet. But Peyote has a plan to get out: make a deal with the last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.
Why I loved it: This book is really different than other books I’ve read. The realistic and supernatural come together incredibly well and is honestly incredibly witty.
9. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
The premise: Marissa and Matthew Bishop are wealthy and have it all–until Marissa cheats. Desperate to save their marriage, even though the inside is riddled with overworking and zero intimacy, they seek out counselor Avery Chambers. Unlicensed and unorthodox in her methods, Avery helps those who need it the most. When the Bishops come knocking and Marissa reveals her infidelity, the three of them are set on a collision course where there are still many secrets left to be uncovered.
Why I loved it: Hendricks and Pekkanen are at the top of the game for thriller writing. Their plots are complex and entertaining, and this one is no exception.
8. And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer
The premise: Her second full book of poetry, Kate Baer expands on her typical themes: marriage, motherhood, love, and loss. Powerful works from the perspective of a woman living though quarantine and a life in the “new normal.”
Why I loved it: These poems are highly relatable and will speak to your soul, regardless of what life phase you’re currently experiencing.
7. Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases by Paul Holes
The premise: From the man who found The Golden State Killer comes a memoir about being a criminal investigator, finding some of the country’s most wanted individuals, and the toll it took on his life.
Why I loved it: If you’re a fan of true crime this is a must-read. Straight from the brain of one of the most popular and genius crime stoppers, Paul Holes dives deep into the how and why of his work as well as the way those things affected him personally. You won’t be able to put this one down!
6. Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
The premise: The prequel to the bestseller We Were Liars throws the Sinclair family back to a previous generation. A private island. An addicted heiress. An irresistible boy. A summer of betrayal and mistakes.
Why I loved it: I was so deeply invested in We Were Liars that I had this pre-ordered for months before it came out. This is one of those books where I can’t give too much away or it will ruin everything you read. So that’s all I’m going to say about that.
5. Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe by Keith O’Brien
The premise: This is the absolutely true story of an environmental catastrophe that occurred during the 1970s in a city outside of Niagara Falls. Hooker Chemical buried twenty thousand tons of toxic waste during the ’40s and ’50s, and later on a charming neighborhood, which attracted families because of the school and playground, was built over top of it. Only a couple of decades later, the toxins started to come to the surface and cause people to get sick.
Why I loved it: This is one of those nonfiction books that could either be really engaging or really slow. The way this played out was absolutely tragic and Keith O’Brien did a stellar job telling the story from various viewpoints. This is a definite nonfiction must-read.
4. Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach
The premise: What happens when you suddenly lose your sister to a tragic accident? What are the feelings you experience when your whole life is turned upside down? Sally Holt loses her big sister, Kathy, the summer before eighth grade and the hole left by her death stays with her for the next fifteen years. Told from Sally’s perspective as a narrative to her sister, this is the story about family, love, and loss that you won’t want to miss.
Why I loved it: At first I didn’t know where it was going to take me, but it had a grip on me until the very end. The nostalgia and pure innocence Sally describes are absolutely perfectly done. I cannot get over this book.
3. A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy by Jeff Bishop
The premise: Cam is really going through it his senior year. He needs surgery on his torn ACL. His girlfriend, Allison Tandy, broke his heart. And to make matters worse, now Ally is in a coma after a horrific car crash, leaving Cam uncertain of how he’s supposed to react to an ex-girlfriend being in the hospital, and potentially not surviving. But after his surgery, he starts taking his medication and Ally comes to him in visions.
Why I loved it: This book is brilliantly done and honestly one of the most unique and interesting reads I’ve ever come across. I think these feelings resonate well with so many people, and even though it’s set in the modern day, there is a hint of nostalgia to it that will have most readers grinning ear to ear.
2. Chevy in the Hole by Kelsey Ronan
The premise: Chevy in the Hole is the story of August, who in the very beginning pages nearly dies from an overdose in Detroit. After his recovery, he returns home to Flint to be with his family. Even though he doesn’t feel much different than before, he meets Monae, a girl trying to revitalize the city that so many have forgotten. The story is woven with the growth of their relationship and the crumbling of the city and its resources. Chevy in the Hole is a gripping and important story, and certainly one Michiganders will be able to appreciate from so many angles.
Why I loved it: This story reined me in from the very start. I absolutely love character development and the way their pain and personal stories are tangled together. Plus, I cannot pass up a book about Detroit and Michigan!
1. Come As You Are by Jennifer Haupt
The premise: Zane and Skye are two misfit teens drawn together by their love of music and their endless loneliness. But when a tragedy violently catapults them from best friends to lovers, their bond is forever strengthened and their relationship destroyed. Ten years later, they must come together as parents, putting aside abandoned dreams and broken promises. The question is: can they face the truth of who they are, and become the parents their daughter needs them to be?
Why I loved it: This is absolutely, hands down my favorite book of 2022. It is insanely sad and gutting and the ’90s nostalgia will blow you away. Maybe it’s because of the stage of life I’m in, or maybe it’s the super-engaging story line, but I could not put this one down.
Top 10 Books of 2022: Honorable Mentions
If you’re still looking for more great reads, here are some other books you absolutely should check out even though they didn’t make the top 10 books of 2022:
- American Injustice: Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System by David S. Rudolf
- My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer
- The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
- The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
- The Perfect Other: A Memoir of My Sister by Kyleigh Leddy
- The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
- When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff
