I’m testing the adage “Better Late than Never” with this listing of the Best Books of 2022 coming in mid January rather than in the last week of 2022. Since there’s never a bad time for a good book, I hope these titles find you when you’re hungry for a good book. The illustration atop this post is part of a series I love called “Ideal Bookshelf” by Jane Mount. This one titled “Banned Books” seems especially appropriate this year as book banning increased in schools and libraries across the U.S. Mount’s prints are available at https://www.etsy.com/shop/janemount
All of the books listed below are also listed on my Annual List with complete descriptions of each title.
The Best Fiction of 2022:
Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie was the best novel I read in 2022 that was published in 2022.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan was the best novel I read in 2022 that was published in 2021.
The Runners-Up for Best Fiction:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Lark Ascending by Silas House
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
Recitatif by Toni Morrison (1983, new release with introduction by Zadie Smith 2022)
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
The Winners by Fredrik Backman
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
The Best Historical Fiction, also known as Pigeon Pie:
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
The Runners-Up for Best Historical Fiction:
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
Cora’s Kitchen by Kimberly Garrett Brown
The Final Revival of Opal and Ned by Dawnie Walton
The Foundling by Anne Leary
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins Valdez
The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West
The Best Debut Novels of 2022:
Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie
and
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
The Runners-Up for Best Debut Novels of 2022:
Cora’s Kitchen by Kimberly Garrett Brown
The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
The Best Dessert, Happy, Pick-Me-Up Book of 2022:
Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
The Runners-Up for Best Dessert, Happy, Pick-Me-Up Books of 2022:
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The Best Mysteries, Suspense, and Thriller of 2022:
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
The Runners-Up for Best Mysteries, Suspense, and Thrillers of 2022:
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper (2017)
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
The Best Nonfiction Book of 2022:
Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz
The Runners-Up for Best Nonfiction Books of 2022:
Beautiful Country by Julie Qian Wang (2021)
The River You Touch by Chris Dombrowski
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley Day (2021)
Up North in Michigan by Jerry Dennis (2021)
Widowland by Rachel Brougham
