My Best Reads of 2022

With 2022 coming to an end, I'm wrapping up my reading goal at 29/24. That's where I am now, at least. Maybe I'll work up the motivation to make it an even 30 before the year fully runs out.

About half of my reads have reviews written for them— they're in scheduled-post limbo. Even though my reviews haven't been posted, I wanted to highlight my top five reads from this year.

#5. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

I went hard with summer-themed reads this year and this one made it into my 2022 top 5. Every Summer After jumps between the present day and the past, making for an amazing coming of age story. I was hooked from the first few chapters and couldn't get enough of the narrative.

Every Summer After has the perfect balance, switching between topics like innocent childhood memories and mental health and the difficulties that come with getting older whether it be the age of 13 or 30. The well-rounded narrative means that while it gets heavy, it doesn't get too heavy. It's a great read for when you want some NeuroCandy that's more serious without being too serious.

#4. Give the Dark my Love by Beth Revis

This book does not get nearly enough credit. It is so slept on. As a fantasy newbie, this was a great break after my marathon read of the ACOTAR series. The worldbuilding is thorough without being too complicated.

I found Give the Dark my Love to be unique to my idea of fantasy, which helped expand my idea of what fantasy is. I read a fair amount of fantasy this year and this book was by far the most unique in a plethora of fantasy "X of Y and Z" titles (and it's not just SJM that has these). Where there were similarities between most of the fantasy I read this year, Revis' narrative is entirely different from everything else I've read this year.

#3. The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams

Coming in at #3 on my "Best Reads" list this year is The Fastest Way to Fall. Like Give the Dark my Love, this book is incredibly underrated and not nearly enough people talk about it. More people need to know about this book... you should read it.

Not only is the The Fastest Way to Fall total NeuroCandy, plot-wise, there's diversity and representation all around. It also focuses on fitness for the right reasons and making choices to be healthy rather than for purposes of vanity. It was a great read for me while starting my own fitness journey and I would highly recommend it for anyone who needs a reminder of what starting a fitness journey for the right reasons looks like.

#2. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This book was the turning point for me when it came to getting back into reading. I thought A Court of Thorns and Roses was fantastic, obviously, because it kept me hooked long enough to read the second installment and Mist and Fury outdid its predecessor.

I read about half of this book in one sitting. It kept me hooked the whole way through and it was the first book to remind me what it felt like for words on a page to increase your heartbeat, make you laugh out loud, make you yell with frustration... Had it not been a library book, I would have thrown it across the room a few times. The second book is my favorite of the series and this series is the perfect beginner's fantasy series.

#1. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

When I found out Book Lovers won Best Romance in the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards, my immediate thought was "AS IT SHOULD." I thought Mist and Fury was going to be my top read of 2022. I really did. Then Emily Henry swooped in with this perfect narrative that lines up so much with my own passions and goals.

Book Lovers is absolutely my favorite book. At least, it is right now. Not only does it show that Emily Henry does her research when it comes to her books, I also cannot get over how amazing she is with character development. They have real problems and deal with them like mature adults, which can be hard to find in contemporary romance. I would recommend this book to everyone because not only is her characterization top notch, but the story is just so good in its own right.