What. A. Year. When I was writing my 2021 Wrap-Up, there is no way I could have predicted how 2022 would go. A baby? Me? Also more books than I’ve ever read in one year? Wow. I’m amazed at how fast the year has gone, and since I’m currently in that newborn, what-day-is-it fog, it feels like a good time to reminisce about all the reading I’ve done for the last year.
That being said, I do want to put the disclaimer that the data on here is through December 20, and while I hope to finish a couple more books between now and the end of the year, I may not be updating this post’s visual data to represent the total numbers (though I probably will come update the numerical stats because this post is mostly for my own record keeping). Edit: I have updated the final counts on all of the books, just not the visual stats.
If you’re interested, here’s my year-end wrap ups from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.
The Stats
Number Of Books I Read: 115
Average Books Read Per Month: 9.58
Number of Re-Reads: 5
Number of Books I Quit: 3
Average Year of Publication: 2018
Total Pages Read: 24,348
Total Audiobook Hours: 433.75 (about 18 total days!)
Average Number of Pages Per Book: 343
Average Rating Given: 4.00
Visual Stats
Diversity Goals
Additionally, I have a goal of reading at least one nonfiction, one book written by an author of color, and one book featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist each month.
- Total Nonfiction: 14 Books
- Total Written by a Person of Color: 36 Books
- Total Featuring an LGBTQIA+ Character: 22 Books
These numbers are lower across the board from where I was at the end of 2021, but this year had a lot of comfort reads, so I’m not too upset about it. These numbers still feel like an accomplishment!
And now, on to the books…
I tried not to let any one book win in more than one category, but…. it was hard. So I’ve thrown some *very* honorable mentions in there along with the main winners. And just know that Backman’s trilogy could have fit like… every single category, so I tried to limit it as best I could.
Best Adult Fiction
A book by a male author! Gasp! But honestly, this book… Nothing topped it. There was science, and occasionally, the science got a bit overwhelming. But Weir knew exactly when it was time to pull back on the science and focus on the friendship, and MAN this book had the best friendship I’ve read all year. I laughed, I cried, I loved so much of this. For a book that only featured two characters for the majority of the book, and no female protagonists… it still hit so hard. I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t like this book (other than the two book club members that I will leave unnamed who rated it one star, but they are outliers, I promise).
Honorable Mentions: The Winners by Fredrik Backman
Best Young Adult Fiction
This is a bit of cheating on my part, because this really could have gone under Best Series, but I didn’t read a lot of YA this year, and what I did read was… ok. But this trilogy? Whew. It had me completely hooked from the very beginning. El’s voice, her whole character, just completely captivated me and made me laugh at out loud the whole time I was reading. If you’re looking for a sassy, smart, independent protagonist who is tough as nails, this is the series for you. It also happens to be set at a school that is actively trying to kill the students. So… it’s action-packed, but has great relationships, features adventure with a bit of magic and monsters on the side. I loved the whole series so dang much.
Honorable Mentions: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova; The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Best Nonfiction
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya was by far the most impactful book I read this year. This harrowing memoir was written by a girl who escaped the Rwandan genocide and made it to America. Her story flashes back and forth between her childhood in Rwanda and her later years in America, and her storytelling was so powerful. Definitely recommend on audio, because she narrates her own story and wow. It’s a book that has stuck with me all year, even though I read it back in February.
Honorable Mentions: Find Your Unicorn Space by Eve Rodsky; I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Best on Audio
I’m making a controversial pick on this one. If you follow @goodreads_reviews on Instagram, you’ll recognize this title as one book they feature pretty regularly — for it’s one star reviews. And I get it, it is definitely not a book for everyone. But I’m picking it as my best audio because I would not have finished this book if not for listening to it (versus reading it in print). It is set at a contemporary art school that puts on Shakespearean plays exclusively, so the characters tend to adopt antiquated language… thus being better to hear rather than read. I really enjoyed the mystery to this story and the unique characters, but I also recognize that I am an English nerd who occasionally enjoys Shakespeare, so take that with a grain of salt.
Honorable Mentions: The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans; Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Best Series
I feel a bit like this is cheating, since I read Beartown back when it came out in 2017. But the final book in the series was released in October of this year, and so I finally got around to reading both Us Against You and The Winners this year, and wow. Honestly, nothing comes close to this series. For one, only Backman could make me care so much about hockey. But also these characters… We know Backman is going to break our hearts over and over again (he tells us he will), but man, did he deliver both the lighthearted, laugh-out-loud, tender moments as well as the gut-wrenching, sob-in-my-car moments as well. We have a whole grief group text and as each friend picks up the series, we add them to the text thread so they can commiserate amongst friends. It will make you laugh, it will make you nostalgic, it will make you feel.
Honorable Mention: The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik
Breakout Read
Book that was surprisingly good or exceeded expectations
I’ve tried to read Sally Rooney in the past, and I could not get into her writing style, but I was determined to work my way through the Tournament of Books list this year and Beautiful World was on it. Surprisingly, this book ended up being one of my favorites of the year. This book is pretentious (as in, the characters have conversations about the meaning of life that real human beings just… don’t have), but I really loved the storytelling and the way Rooney zoomed in and out on the characters.
On the other side of the spectrum, I picked up The Westing Game for my 40 Before 40 list, and wow… I really loved it. To be honest, I haven’t had much success with books on this list, but this one felt like Clue meets Only Murders in the Building. It was a classic whodunit, with a twist I wasn’t expecting, and it was just a fun romp when I was expecting a bit of boredom. Hooray!
Honorable Mention: The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey; True Biz by Sara Nović
Most Recommended
Book I would recommend to anyone and everyone
I’m going easy this year with the Most Recommended category, mostly because that’s where my brain has been drawn all year. The Unsinkable Greta James was one of my top BOTM choices this year, and it was approachable while also being poignant and meaningful. I appreciated the relationship between Greta and her father, and I laughed and cried and just really enjoyed the entire reading experience.
Lessons in Chemistry is one that will probably end up on every person’s “Best Of” list and is also widely recommended, so there’s not much I can contribute to the conversation other than saying everyone is correct. The main characters are fun and dynamic and powerful, and the storytelling was great. Another book that I laughed and cried through, another book I’d recommend to just about anyone.
Honorable Mention: (for some more socially-conscious, heavier reads) Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds; Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Biggest Push
Book that got me most out of my comfort zone
Two sci-fi mystery thrillers for my Biggest Push this year, but that makes sense. Both were 5 star reads though! Once There Were Wolves will not be for everyone… in fact, our book club was radically split on this one — everyone either gave it 5 stars or 1. It was violent and gut-wrenching and contains a pretty heavy trigger warning for animal violence. But I found it beautiful and suspenseful and full of unexpected twists and turns. I won’t read it again, but I’m glad I read it once.
Blake Crouch is one of my favorite sci-fi authors, mostly because he does a great job of making a book science-y without being too technical. Upgrade was a very masculine book, full of fighting and running from fights and adventure and macho-man things (the dude is literally upgraded). But underneath that layer of masculinity was a man who loved his wife and family, a man who wanted to spare the world. I dove headfirst into this book and didn’t resurface until it was over.
Honorable Mention: Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke; Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Best LGBTQIA+
Best book featuring LGBTQIA+ characters and/or written by an LGBTQIA+ author
Look, T.J. Klune can honestly do no wrong, and Under the Whispering Door was no exception. It did start slower for me than most of his novels, and it took me a bit longer to connect with the characters, but once I did… dang. This novel was such a ray of hope in the face of death and grief, and the love story was so beautifully developed. We all know that I’ll read anything Klune writes, but I promise this is worth reading.
I also really enjoyed Blackout, which was written by some of my favorite YA authors and featured a set of short stories that all took place on the same night — when there was a blackout in New York City. The stories weave together in an unexpected way, but each story has its own distinct style and characterization that kept me wanting to keep listening.
Honorable Mention: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (all volumes); Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Best Book Club Pick
Book that sparked discussion and encourage debate
As I mentioned above, Once There Were Wolves was the perfect January pick for book club, as it inspired a lot of heated debate. January is always our most attended month, and I was surprised at just how many people read the book and had BIG OPINIONS about it. For those few people who were in the middle on it, the discussion easily swayed them to 5 stars or 1 star. That’s the sign of a good book club pick!
I am a bit biased here, but I’ll Give You the Sun was another great book club pick. Not as many people read this one (some of our members boycott all YA on principle…) but this was another book that inspired great discussion and strong feelings. While I LOVE this book (it’s one of my all-time favorite YAs), many people struggled with the flowery language and storytelling. I was grateful to get the opportunity to read it again, and to vehemently voice my opinion on it.
Honorable Mention: Find Your Unicorn Space by Eve Rodsky; Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Most Timely
Book that spoke to our current culture
Long Way Down is a short novel in which the main character finds out his brother was murdered, and he finds a gun to go enact revenge. The whole story takes place on the elevator ride down from his apartment, where he is visited by people (ghosts?) who are trying to give him perspective on what he is about to do. While the book is 300+ pages, the audio was a little over an hour because the book is written in verse. It was relevant and poetic and beautiful and gut-wrenching and such an impactful read.
Take My Hand is another novel that features violence at its core, but this one is historical and systemic. I love a historical fiction that teaches me about something I didn’t know before, and this book really fit the bill, even if it’s heartbreaking and infuriating. This book really shone a light on the crisis in healthcare in relation to Black patients, and gave historical context to why this population often feels so distrustful of medical interventions. I’m glad I read it, but whew, it hurt my heart.
Honorable Mention: Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke; True Biz by Sara Nović
Best Characters
Book whose characters stuck with me long after I finished the book
This one was a bit of a surprise for me, but The Forest of Vanishing Stars stuck with me mostly because of the cast of characters. Sure, it was a WWII novel that featured Jewish refugees, but I really, really appreciated the way the characters were full-bodied and dynamic. So often, we get the “sad Jewish person” trope in WWII novels, and this book took that and turned it on its head. There were so many types of characters, with so many different motivations, that none of them fell into a stereotype, and I really appreciated that.
The Maid featured a different type of character. I’ve loved reading more neurodiverse characters, and Molly was such a fun, unique character to read. It reminded me a bit of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but with less trauma and more positivity. It helps that she was placed in a fun mystery story, with a great cast of supporting characters. I did this on audio, and it was really great.
Honorable Mention: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik; Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Best Time Machine
Historical fiction book that set the scene
I love a historical fiction, but I don’t typically do them on audio. However, on a whim, I picked up The Last Bookshop in London, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I haven’t read a lot of WWII set within London during the bombings, and this one was just so good at transporting me to that time. The characters were great, and the setting really drew me in.
Black Cake is a novel that jumps between present-day and the past, and the premise is that a woman leaves behind a series of recordings for her children to listen to after she dies. I loved being transported back to Eleanor’s past and finding out all of the secrets she left behind. There was so much to this book, so many intriguing dynamics between the characters and the time period, and so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
Honorable Mention: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams; Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Most Thought-Provoking
Book that made me think the most
I picked up True Biz on a whim from Book of the Month, and it turned out to be one of my favorite BOTM choices of the year. It was set in a school for the Deaf community and discussed at length the variety and nuances within the Deaf community… while also being a page turner and a fun mystery. This book exposed me to a community that I don’t often read about, and it did it in a way that was unapologetic and not pandering to the masses. There was also some awesome sign language thrown in there, and I definitely think you should read this one in print because of that.
Tell Me An Ending is a sci-fi novel in which people have the ability to have memories removed. I was expecting this novel to be a sci-fi drama, filled with relationships and action. And while it definitely had both of those things, I was surprised at how much dialogue was given to the question of identity and what creates our identity. Each of the main characters had memories removed, and they each question (in their own ways) how that memory removal affected who they are as individuals. It was thoughtful while also being a quick and intriguing read.
Honorable Mention: The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya; Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Best Dressed
Book with the most attractive cover (that shows the greatness within)
Enough said.
Best Place
Book that was set in an interesting environment
I love magical realism. Truly, it’s one of my favorite genres when it’s done right. And The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina was done right. The grandmother turns into a tree? On ancient land that is full of secrets? And the main characters have to travel to Ecuador to find out the family secrets? Sign. Me. Up.
I mentioned above that A Deadly Education is set in a school that is actively trying to kill the students. I’m not sure how much more I could say about this setting and how integral it is to making this book so unique. The Scholomance (the name of the school) is intricate and detailed, and the monsters it produces play an important role in the story, both plot-wise and for comedy’s sake. I can’t say I’d want to visit this school any time soon, but it was definitely a setting to remember.
Honorable Mention: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune; If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio; Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir; Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
Best Shock
Book that made my jaw drop in surprise
In true Blake Crouch fashion, Upgrade was full of unpredictable twists and turns. I loved action of this story, and I read it this year at the perfect time — I needed something upbeat and nonstop to get me out of a reading rut and this delivered. Over and over again, I was surprised by the twists and turns of the story, and I couldn’t get enough of the action.
You find out in chapter two of The Echo Wife that the protagonist’s husband cheated on her with her clone. Chapter two! And it only gets crazier from there! I can’t say much about this book without spoiling it (more than I already have), but I will say that I had a group chat going about this novel, and it was always so fun to add a new person to the group as they read this novel and needed to talk about the ending.
Honorable Mention: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir; Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Most Humorous
Book that kept me laughing
Emily Henry can do no wrong in my eyes, and Book Lovers was the perfect example of her witty writing. While the plot was not my favorite of her books (hello, Hallmark channel), the banter between the main characters? Perfection. I was painting the nursery while listening to this novel and my husband had to check on me multiple times because he heard me laughing out loud while I was listening.
I did text my friends about The Secret Lives of Church Ladies because they clearly tricked me into reading literary smut with this novel. That being said, there were many, many laugh-out-loud moments throughout this series of short stories, as you can imagine from the title. This book was ironic and irreverent and full of tongue-in-cheek humor that came across beautifully in the audio.
Honorable Mention: Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke; True Biz by Sara Nović
Best Feelings
Book that made me really emotional
Lessons in Chemistry was one of those novels that everyone loved and no one warned me about. I won’t spoil anything at all, but suffice to say that this book had me crying on the beach, which was unexpected. I loved the characters of this novel, over and over again, despite their flaws, and I felt deeply for each of them.
The Dictionary of Lost Words had me sobbing on an airplane. Seriously, multiple times, my husband had to look over and ask me if I was ok because “omg get it together Emily, we are in public”. It took me a second to connect with the characters in this book, mostly because it starts with the protagonist at age 10, but once I was hooked, I was hooked, and each small and large tragedy knocked me out.
Honorable Mention: The Winners by Fredrik Backman; Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Best Fluff
Book that broke my routine of misery and heartbreak in books
Both of these books (Weather Girl and One to Watch) were books I picked up on a whim, and books I ended up enjoying more than I thought I would. They featured tropes I wouldn’t normally be attracted to, but it worked in these novels really well, and the audio completely captivated me.
Honorable Mention: Book Lovers by Emily Henry; Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman; The Finlay Donovan trilogy by Elle Cosimano
Worth the Pages
Book that was long but worth it
To be fair, these are the only two novels I read that were long… ish. The Once and Future Witches came in just over 500 pages, while Project Hail Mary finished around 460. That being said, they both read really quickly, and had me wishing they were longer.
Great list. I’m a super nerd too (read 174 books in 2022)
Project Hail Mary was the best sf book that I read last year, and I also loved Upgrade by Crouch
btw, how do I get in the Bonne Vie book club?!!!
🙂