It’s the end of 2022! This year I have read an awful lot of books (60 to be exact) and read some absolute bangers. I’ve read some books that I know will be added to my top books of all time. Of the sixty books, I’ve picked out a handful of them that really stood out to me as the very best books I’ve read all year.
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Don’t get me wrong, I think only one of these books actually came out in 2022, so these aren’t the best books that came out in 2022, just the best that I’ve read this year.
I’ve narrowed the list down to 10 books that really were absolute bangers. These books would be reads I’d recommend to anybody who wants to read, not just those who enjoy reading or who are looking for a specific genre. They’re genre-breakingly good.
Pre-warning: if you’ve not yet read the books below, there may be some minor spoilers. If you’ve not yet read them, it may just be best to jump through to the spoiler-free reviews or just straight through to the Amazon links to purchase them.
So the best eight books I’ve read this year are:
10. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
This is my most recently finished book. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a book I’d seen around a lot on social media as a book which was fairly unanimously enjoyed. What also intrigued me is that it didn’t seem to be a rare debut from a young author, the follow-up books have been very well received too.
When I first picked it up, I was a little sceptical it would be a book aimed towards teens (due to the age of the characters) however, as an adult I felt I could still appreciate the great characters, slightly darker storyline and some of the nuances of family life. It was also nice to see the main character with a full family for once – far too often they come from split homes and such, so it was nice to be able to relate to a family for once.
If you’re looking for an easy but enjoyable and addictive read, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder would have to be my top recommendation for you this year. With some great twists and turns and a genuinely enjoyable bond and the relationship between the two main characters, I imagine almost everyone will enjoy this.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
9. Verity by Colleen Hoover
When I initially reviewed Verity, I may have sounded a little underwhelmed. It’s a book that, once I’d finished it, I found myself blown away by and absolutely loved. However, I couldn’t stop thinking that there were moments in the middle when it was a very average book. But, if you’re looking for something that’s easy to read, tense and comes with a wicked ending, Verity would be fantastic.
Colleen Hoover writes characters very well. Her personality seeps through into the books as someone who clearly has a good sense of humour and a really mature emotional spectrum. Her characters therefore also often have a good connection with one another, with great banter and the ability to express their feelings rather than bottling them up like you often find far too often in books.
Verity was a bit of a social media sensation for a while for its shocking twist, but don’t let that put you off going into a book that I think you will still find absolutely shocking despite your best-guessing efforts.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
8. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Eighth on my favourite books I read in 2022 is another written by Colleen Hoover (in fact she’s one of three authors who feature twice). It Ends With Us ranks above Verity for me because it felt like a more complete book. The story itself is about domestic abuse and how essentially it’s not always as obvious or as nasty as one may think domestic abuse is. Ryle, the eventual abuser in this story is a nice person most of the time, he cares for her and loves her but also has a dark, awful temper that causes him to do things that are not acceptable. This mature storyline is handled very well, highlighting how domestic abuse likely is for many people.
Hoover’s incredible ability for writing genuinely likeable characters is also rife in this book. This makes up part of my love for the book – as a reader, you really enjoy Ryle as he’s smart, witty and does care a lot for Lily. Even when he starts to show darker signs, you vouch for their relationship, but would likely show how far into the relationship you would go yourself.
There’s also the relationship between Lily and her childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan who, even from the point of view of another man, is a dream guy! He’s sweet, apparently tall and good-looking, he seems selfless, cares about Lily and is a broken puppy who needs fixing. What ensues is a genuinely enjoyable love triangle which I’ve never experienced in literature before.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
7. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
Janice Hallett has, in 2022, become a must-read author for me. The two books I’ve read of hers so far this year (both on this list) have blown me away with how clever they are – both in their unique styles and in the plot itself.
The Twyford Code focuses on Steven Smith after he’s just released from prison and is on parole. 40 years ago, he remembers finding a book on a bus, taking it to his teacher at the time and then her taking the book from him and reading it to them in class despite it apparently being banned in schools. She then takes them on a school trip and, in Steven’s memory, goes missing. He then sets out, rekindling relationships with old schoolmates, to find out the secret to the book which takes him down a rabbit hole that sees him investigating “The Twyford Code”.
The book is all set out in audio notes. This means some parts of the story come before others and some parts are conversations between two characters which you have to focus on to know who is who. If you stick it out though (at times it can get confusing) it’s very well done and, as with Hallett’s previous novel, there’s a phenomenal ending which will blow your mind. She clearly had a big plan from the very start and executed it well.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
6. Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson
For a man who is a massive fan of fantasy, Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson is one of two fantasy novels and the only high fantasy on this list. If you’re on Bookstagram or BookTwitter, it’s very likely you’ve heard of Daniel T Jackson and Illborn; despite it being his very first novel, Illborn has shot Jackson into the limelight as one of the most exciting fantasy writers today.
Illborn throws you into a whole new world filled with its own religion, cultures, armies, wars and geography. The story follows four young people who have all experienced the same fantastical dream, though none of them knows it yet. Each of them leads their own life in different parts of the country until they are slowly drawn to one another by natural circumstances.
The elements that most impressed me with Illborn were its ability to keep me hooked despite being over 700 pages long. It utilises the multiple POV method where each chapter is distributed amongst the four characters and you pick up their storyline each time, yet I found myself always happy to pick up each storyline, there weren’t any of the characters where I thought “ugh, not thus guy again”.
I’ve just been given the eARC for the sequel and I am so excited. Was Illborn just a fluke or do we really have one of fantasy’s most exciting new authors on our hands?
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
5. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is a wonderfully unique book, written by Susanna Clarke (also famed for Piranesi now). In 1806, during the ongoing war with Napoleon, England is in a place where it is looking for answers on how to win the war. When Mr Norrell begins to gain fame as the greatest magician in England, his arrogance and unwillingness to experiment with magic means that when young, good-looking Jonathan Strange comes along, an unexpected rivalry ensues.
Jonathan Strange is willing to aid the government with the war using his magic to support England in the fight against Napoleon and his army. We then follow Strange and Norrell’s stories over a couple of decades as Strange’s fame increases and Norrell’s uncomfortableness with it all becomes more prevalent.
It’s a truly fantastic book that explores magic in a very unique way (there’s no wand-waving or bright lights). It doesn’t feel like the magic is the main plotline here – it’s very much about the stories and lives of Strange and Norrell and the goodies and baddies around them. The relationship between Norrell and Strange is utterly fantastic – they are arrivals without ever really disliking one another; their high level of respect for one another’s abilities and intelligence makes them unable to ever truly dislike the other.
It’s. long one this one – one of the longest books I’ve ever read but it isn’t a series and so once you’re done with the 1,000ish pages, you’ll feel like you’ve completed a whole series in itself. What a thoroughly masterful book.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
4. The Appeal by Janice Hallett
Back once again with Janice Hallett. The Appeal was the first of her books I picked up after seeing that it was formatted in a very unique way and seeing people rave about it. The Appeal is told entirely via the medium of emails and some text messages.
The story revolves around a theatre group who are preparing for a performance. There’s a whole cast of characters, including the theatre manager whose daughter suddenly becomes very seriously ill and they must raise vast funds for unique treatment for her. There are a lot of suspicions around every single character and when deep into the book someone is killed (not a spoiler as it’s on the blurb) there are a lot of questions as to who it could be.
In Janice Hallett fashion, she’s written the book with an end goal in mind that means when you reach the end, you can look back through the whole book knowing the twist and learn as she’s interweaved it all so well. Whilst these characters are emailing each other, we’re brought back into the present time where two law students are texting one another as they’ve been assigned with trying to solve the murder using only the emails as evidence.
Again, it’s very smart, it’s utterly addictive, and the characters are all so unique and brilliantly written (even in the way they email, how they sign off their emails and their opinions on the other members is unique to each character). It’s genius.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
3. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
And so begins the start of my final three books. These next two could swap around as they’re both as absolutely incredible as one another. Taylor Jenkins Reid is my absolute new favourite author and has been added onto my list of must-reads alongside the likes of Hallett, Sanderson etc. Reid has an incredible talent for writing books about fictional characters and their lives that feels so deeply believable.
Daisy Jones and the Six focuses on the rise and fall of the band Daisy Jones and the Six from before Daisy Jones was even involved to the heights of their fame and all of the problems that come from having big personalities, too much money and not enough guidance.
I finished this book whilst listening to it on the way to work one day and spent the rest of the car ride in silence as I felt like I’d listened to the autobiography of one of the most famous bands of all time. The highs, the lows, the difficulties, the dark times, the conversations… all of it felt so real. It’s told in an interview format where the band are all speaking from their point of view on the history of the band. The audiobook by the way makes this feel so immersive as every single character is voiced by a different person!
Daisy Jones and the Six, like the next book on my list, is one of those books that you’ll remember for an incredibly long time after reading it and despite not blowing anybody’s mind with the writing style or a twist or anything, Reid’s ability to continuously and consistently craft a believable fictional life is well worth a standing ovation.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This brings us to my second favourite book of the year. When I was looking back at the best books I’d read this year, I had to stop and consider whether I could in my right mind put this above East of Eden. Having to have that internal discussion with myself is in itself some of the highest praise I can give this book – it’s phenomenal.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo sees Monique, a local small-time reporter asked to interview arguably the biggest star in history, Evelyn Hugo. She’s confused as to why but when convinced it’s because Hugo was impressed with a previous article she wrote, she decides to do it.
What ensues is the autobiographical telling of Evelyn Hugo, one of the biggest fictional film stars to ever grace the screen. She revolutionises how women are portrayed in cinema, and how films are made pushes the boundaries of film for many many decades, whilst also marrying some incredibly famous men for many different reasons along the way. Awaiting this whole story is a twist at the end that will have you quite possibly clapping your hands as you try to read.
As with Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid creates a believable life, a believable history and a wonderfully enjoyable storyline here. You’ll want to believe Evelyn Hugo is real as she would be most people’s idol. But she ain’t. Daisy Jones and the Six could easily swap with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but for some reason, I felt Hugo just tipped it for me.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
East of Eden is a masterpiece. If you’re a fan of reading and haven’t heard of John Steinbeck, then… well… who even are you? John Steinbeck is considered one of the greatest storytellers and writers of all time. Lines from his books are always quoted in tv series, films and on those quotes you see on Facebook! He’s a genius with the English language and some argue East of Eden was his greatest ever.
For a quick summary: East of Eden covers the lives of The Trasks and The Hamiltons and how their lives interweave over many years. Despite never blowing any minds with its storyline, at the same time it covers almost every plot point a book possibly can: love, passion, family, death, loss, grief, crises, loneliness, joy, despair and so much more. When I say it covers almost all aspects a lifetime can include, I really mean it.
Steinbeck has been famed since his life and ever more since his death for his incredible writing. Despite being hundreds and hundreds of pages long and covering many decades, his ability to describe and narrate with language that both draws you in and amazes never falters. Steinbeck’s language makes me envy his ability to get across points that many fail to articulate how they want.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck may well be the best book I’ve ever read. It’s a masterpiece and ticks every box a book needs. If you’re looking for a book that may well change your perception of life or beat your current favourite, I reckon East of Eden could well be that book.
Read my full review here | Pick up a copy here
Summary
So there you have it. Those are the ten best books I’ve read this year. Narrowing it down to ten and also rounding it up to ten were both equally hard. I had to have the conversation with myself “this book was so good, but was it really that book that I’d suggest everybody reads it?”
Therefore I can safely say that I’d recommend every single book on this list to everybody – they’re all truly remarkable in their own way. I hope every book on this list will leave a mark on you and will be a book you won’t forget about.
Do let me know if you’ve read any of these or intend to pick up any in 2023. Even better if you’re going to pick up a book because I’ve recommended it!
You can find the review for all of these books here:
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
- Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- Illborn by Daniel T Jackson
- The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- Verity by Colleen Hoover
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
You can find Amazon links to all of these books here:
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
- Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- Illborn by Daniel T Jackson
- The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- Verity by Colleen Hoover
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
