Amazing, Show Stopping, Spectacular | My 15 Best Books of 2022 So Far

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We are over halfway through the year so it’s time to reflect on the books we read. I didn’t do a mid-year check-in because today, I am telling you about my 15 best books of 2022 so far! Ranging from Sci-fi and YA thrillers to non-fiction favourites, there are my favourite books that I read this year. Not all of them were released this year, but quite a lot of them were!

If you’re curious what books got a spot on my favourites list, keep reading!

My Best Books of 2022

Science Fiction & Speculative Fiction

Light Years From Home – Mike Chen

Ever since reading We Could Be Heroes, Mike Chen has been on my auto-buy list. And Light Years From Home did not disappoint! It’s a complex story about dysfunctional family dynamics, beliefs and truth mixed with an impending intergalactic war. Unexpectedly, I found this book to be strangely comforting in our new pandemic reality. It’s funny and sad and just the right amount of weird. You can find my full review here!

The Kindred – Alechia Dow

Next up, I fell in love with The Kindred by Alechia Dow. It’s a “royal romance meets soulmate sci-fi adventure” kind of book — all with Alechia’s special brand of softness and humour. If you are looking for a YA sci-fi book that feels like a hug and features a fat and demi-ace Black main character, this is the book for you!

Bluebird – Ciel Pierlot

I snagged an eARC of this but ended up listening mostly to the audiobook. Bluebird is a high-stakes sci-fi spy adventure with plenty of action, even more secrets and the coolest world-building! This whole book was such a blast, and I’m not just saying that because the main character is literally a gunslinger. Oh, and her girlfriend is a lesbian space librarian. There’s also a heist at a ball so really, this book ticked all my boxes. You can read my review here!

All Systems Red – Martha Wells

After hearing about the Murderbot Diaries, I finally gave this book series a shot. And wow, am I glad I did it! The books follow a security bot that hacked its control module and wants nothing more than to be left alone to watch TV. Relatable, right? Well, unfortunately, Murderbot is stuck with human scientists that it comes to care about, especially when a mystery on their research mission unfolds. I loved the world-building and really loved Murderbot as our narrator, it’s such a unique POV and perspective on a sci-fi world. If you haven’ given this iconic series a shot, this is your sign! Bonus points for most of the books being novellas and fairly short, so you really have no excuse!

Finna – Noa Cipri

Finna is probably one of the weirder books I’ve read this year, and I say that lovingly. This anticapitalist novella is set at a store that is definitely not IKEA where two workers (who just so happen to be exes) are sent into a wormhole to retrieve an elderly customer. Shenanigans ensue. There is no way to say anything else about this book without sounding absolutely insane. It’s beautifully strange and queer and joyous and I need more people to read it!

YA Thriller and Mystery

The Ivies – Alexa Donne

My love for YA thrillers and mysteries really comes through on this list, huh? The Ivies follows a group of prep school girls set on getting into ivy league universities. They will stop at nothing to get to the top of their class. But then their defacto leader ends up dead and the girls are left wondering what price they’re really willing to pay for their dreams. If you like books with smart and ruthless girls being equally compelling and insufferable, this is the book for you. I loved the twists and turns and the wider social commentary about classism and ivy league pressure. You can read my full review here!

Broken Things – Lauren Oliver

This book was recommended to me and I am so glad I listened! Mia and Brynn are accused of murdering their best friend Summer inspired in part by their favourite book and a fanfiction they wrote about it. Now, years later, they reunite to finally figure out what happened that night. Intertwining fact and fiction, Broken Things is a simmering thriller about female friendship, love, and the way they can get toxic and twisted. I particularly enjoyed the chapters that were just excerpts from the book or the girls’ fanfiction!

Dead End Girls – Wendy Heard

Next on the list of my best books of 2022 is Dead End Girls by Wendy Heard. Two teens fake their own deaths to get away from their family situation. But leaving your life behind isn’t as easy as they thought. This book had me staying up way too late to finish it because it was equally ensnaring and utterly unhinged. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve had this many “what the actual fuck?!” moments while reading a book in a long time. And what can I say, it was fabulous! Dead End Girls has earned a spot on my favourite YA thriller list, and if you feel like a sapphic “falling in love on the run” thriller is your cup of tea, here’s my endorsement. You can read my full review here!

I Hope You’re Listening – Tom Ryan

Finally, I absolutely loved I Hope You’re Listening. Delia’s best friend was kidnapped when they were children and she has never been found. Now a teenager, she anonymously hosts a true crime podcast focused on missing person cases. When another girl in her town goes missing, Delia sees her chance to finally uncover the truth. I loved this book’s take on the true-crime podcast trend in YA thrillers, it felt unique and fitting for the story! Delia was a wonderful main character, I just love lesbian teen detectives.

Non Fiction

A Killer by Design – Ann Wolbert Burgess

Admittedly, I was a little hesitant to pick up A Killer by Design because I have complicated feelings about true crime content. However, this is the memoir of a forensic nurse who helped establish criminal profiling and shaped the history of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. Equal parts insight into FBI history and personal experiences with cases, Ann Wolbert Burgess delivers a unique look behind the doors of profiling. As someone who is much more interested in science than serial killers, this book was refreshing because it actually explains what profiling is — and what it isn’t. I also appreciated hearing from a woman in a very male-dominated field and the challenges that come with it. You can read my full review here.

Tarot for Change – Jessica Dore

A book about tarot on the best books of 2022 list? Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. Tarot for Change has quickly become my favourite companion for my own tarot practice. Drawing from psychology and therapeutic practices as much as the power of stories, this is a wonderfully accessible tarot book. No matter if you’ve been reading tarot for years or just started, this book has something for you. It’s definitely the kind of book I can’t wait to annotate and dog-ear and scribble all over for years to come.

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Fantasy and Horror

Hell Followed with Us – Andrew Joseph White

As someone who doesn’t read much horror, Hell Followed with Us absolutely blew me away. In an apocalyptic world where an evangelical eco-fascist cult has decimated the population, a group of queer teens are the resistance. Benji, who is trans and full of rage, has a secret. He was bioengineered by the cult to be the ultimate monster. This book is action-packed and filled with spitting queer rage, religious trauma and body horror. It’s absolutely brilliant. You can read my full review here.

Nettle and Bone – T. Kingfisher

I haven’t read much fantasy this year, but Nettle and Bone quickly became a favourite. Marra is on a quest to kill a prince. He’s been abusing her sisters for years, killing the oldest, and Marra wants to stop him from doing it again. Together with a grave witch, a fairy godmother, a dog made of bone, a former knight and a possessed chicken, she embarks on a quest for revenge. Despite the darker subject matter, this book was almost whimsical in its casual weirdness. I feel like if you enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, you would love this book. You can read my full review here!

YA Contemporary

Ophelia After All – Racquel Marie

Like most people in my bookish circles, I read and loved Ophelia After All. Ophelia is known among her friends for being “boy crazy”. So when she starts to have feelings for a girl, she begins to question her identity. Set in the liminal time of the end of high school, Ophelia After All is such a soft coming-of-age story, filled with queer joy and exploration. It’s truly the book I would’ve needed as a teenager and I’m so glad it exists now! You can read my review here.

Long Story Short – Serena Kaylor

Lastly, one of my favourite books of the year so far is Long Story Short. A math geek who likes books more than people goes to a theatre camp to prove to her parents she can be a normal teenager. Otherwise, her dream of going to Oxford might go up in smoke. This book is the perfect summery romance for theatre kids and nerds alike. All I’m saying is that there are flirty Shakespeare quote battles. What’s not to love? You can read my full review here!

Let’s Chat!

These are my personal best books of 2022 that I’ve read so far! I’m sure the list will keep growing, I already have a few books in mind. As always, I would love to chat with you in the comments!

📚 What books are on your best of 2022 list so far?

📚 Have you read any of my favourites?

📚 Did any book in particular catch your eye?

I hope you have a lovely day,

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