My Completely Biased Best Books of 2022

In which I give you a list of some of my favorite books of this year, explaining why I loved them and why I think you might, too!

Hi, Y’all! Glad You’re Here—

Every year, all of the major outlets list the books they think were the top reads of the year, which often include books that were featured on major award lists, books by celebrated writers, and the few debuts that publishers decided we needed to read. I love checking out these books to discover any I might have missed throughout the year, but also, I’m often disappointed in how many books were left off of these lists. I decided to take today to write about many of my favorite books of this year in the hopes it would encourage you to pick them up if you haven’t already.

BEST SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS:

We’re starting off with the much-neglected form of the short story. I know these aren’t for everyone, but I actually think they’re a great way for readers to take a break from tackling their tomes while still keeping their reading rhythm. I often pair a short story collection with any book over 500 pages, because I find it to help me not feel too bogged down.

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery - this is one of the linked collections featured today, which just means that most of the stories follow the same characters or operate in some way to tell a greater story—while still operating on their own as individual pieces. Escoffery has a great economy of language and a dazzling voice, with many of these stories featuring frustrating characters doing cringe-worthy things. I think it’s a great collection, and it was also longlisted for this year’s National Book Award.

Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho - This is another linked collection, following two friends throughout their lives, and so much of what I loved about this one is how each story just felt like a memory being told to you about these two friends. While the voice here is more restrained, the storytelling itself is where these stories really shine. Each one beautifully unfolds, offering us another layer deeper into the dynamics of these two people.

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma - possibly my favorite collection of this year, Ma’s stories here are inventive, well-written, and entertaining. There’s something so impressive in just how much Ma can do with so little. Each of these stories felt like a little jewel in the crown of this collection, and there wasn’t a single story I didn’t like. I think if you enjoy things that go a little more speculative at times, this one would be for you.

Nobody Gets Out Alive by Leigh Newman - I loved this collection focusing on the lives of various women in Alaska. In some ways, this collection reminded me of Annie Proulx’s Wyoming Stories, in how they focus so much on the landscape and quickly work to create an intimacy shared between that landscape and the characters. This is one of those books that doesn’t call as much attention to itself and is all the better for it. Oh, and this one was also longlisted on this year’s NBA.

The Haunting of Hajji Hotak by Jamil Jan Kochai - this collection was short listed for this year’s NBA, and I think had a real shot of winning the award, given its inventiveness, its stellar prose, and Kochai’s ability to tell moving stories without ever feeling manipulative. In some ways, this collection reminded me of Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson, which eventually won the NBA back in 2015. This book is about war and an exploration of masculinity in some ways, and I thought it was thoughtful and captivating.

Sinking Bell by Bojan Louis - This one slipped in at the tail end of my 2022 reading, but I loved it so much I had to make sure I included it here. Louis’s writing reminded me a bit of Denis Johnson, mostly in subject matter but also in a few lines here and there, and I think the way he writes about these various characters, most of whom are Navajo, creates something electric and vibrant and endlessly captivating. His sentences, the rhythm of his language, it just felt new and exciting without ever feeling showy, which I think is hard to do. Definitely worth checking out.

MEMOIR & ESSAYS

I’m a big fan of memoirs and essay collections, and I feel like most people who follow me are, but if you’ve been hesitant about the genre before now, hopefully one or more of these will be a great place to start!

Cost of Living by Emily Maloney - Not to be confused with Deborah Levy’s book with a similar title, Cost of Living is about Maloney’s journey through the American health care system. I found this memoir-in-essays both informative and engaging and gave me a deeper insight into a world that I only vaguely knew of.

High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez - This was one of my personal favorite memoirs of this year. I love memoirs that explore queerness and the intersections of identity, and I think Gomez is honest and smart and engaging, and so much of this book resonated with me. It’s also very funny.

The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser - This was one of my top two books of this year, and I have read it multiple times since first receiving the ARC back in May. I think Hauser is an immense talent—I was a big fan of her last book, Family of Origin—and I think she has such a deep understanding of the complex nature of relationships and how we shift and recalibrate our identities depending on who we’re with. I felt so seen by this collection and thought it was so smart and just lovely.

I Came All This Way To Meet You by Jami Attenberg - Earlier this year, I finally read Attenberg’s All This Could Be Yours and loved it, and since I subscribe to her Substack about writing, I thought this would be a great memoir to check out. I loved the way Attenberg wrote about her life as a writer and her journey to getting there. It was honest and charming and self-aware, and I think it made me feel a little better about my own struggles of trying to get to where I want to be as a writer. But to be clear, I think you could enjoy this kind of book even if you didn’t want to be a writer. It’s one for everyone.

Have I Told You This Already by Lauren Graham - I rarely read/recommend celebrity memoirs—I maybe listen to/read one or two a year—but after seeing my friend and local bookstore owner Annie B. Jones give it a good review, I decided to give the audiobook a try. It was so charming and funny and one of those that was engaging enough that I could actually multitask and stay engaged, which doesn’t always happen for me. I loved getting to see more about her life as an actress and a person, and I think even if you didn’t really care about who she is as an actress, it would still be enjoyable.

LITERARY BEACH READS

I don’t enjoy the typical beach reads—writers like Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry are harder for me to get into, despite many attempts, and while I have no issue with those who love them, I wanted to offer an alternative to those who might struggle as I do. This list of books are ones that I thought were well crafted, but also kept the pages turning for hours at a time—which, for me, makes a perfect beach read.

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan - I read this one back in January and it’s one that has stayed clear in my mind, and any time a book can do that I feel like it’ll have longevity. I found the first hundred pages to be the strongest and where it has the most momentum—things do slow down a bit after that—but I think it’s a great dystopian read, a very Handmaid’s Tale-inspired work, and if you enjoy those types of stories, it’s worth checking out.

Clean Air by Sarah Blake - I LOVED Blake’s last book, Naamah, and was excited to see the announcement of her sophomore book, which is a complete and total departure from her debut. Clean Air is a dystopian mystery / family drama, filled with all of the weird and surprisingly hilarious things that I’ve come to associate with Blake, and her sentences are just as tight as ever. I finished both of her books in one sitting, and as a person whose attention span is ever shortening, that’s no easy feat.

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett - This book reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls meets Lincoln In The Bardo and I think if you have watched/read and enjoyed those, this would be a great one. There’s a lot of mystery going on here with a missing friend among other things, and I found myself compelled very quickly. I’ve been a fan of Hartnett ever since reading her debut, Rabbit Cake, and will always be excited to see what comes next.

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas - This is one that I thought would get a lot more buzz— I also assumed it would be gay, but to be fair I always assume everything is going to be gay—but I read/listened to this one back in February and really enjoyed it. I thought it was fun and anxiety inducing in the way all books that discuss potential affairs are. If you don’t like books that deal with infidelity, maybe stay away, but if you love mess like me, give it a try!

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub - Straub is my go-to for when I need a light read that I know is still smart and well-written. I love her work and this one, a book about time travel and the relationship between a father and daughter, is no exception. Not gonna lie, I boohooed when I was done.

Just By Looking At Him by Ryan O’Connell - I don’t read a lot of romance books, but this one had such a strong voice and it mentions a boyfriend with a perfect penis in the first sentence, so I knew it was for me. It’s captivating and full of drama, and while it might rely too heavily on current references, I still think it tells a really honest story that hasn’t really been represented much before, and is worth telling.

Kings of B’More by R. Eric Thomas - I also don’t read many YA books, but I am a big fan of Thomas and knew I had to check this one out. This book was so charming and so well-written, had such great characters, I could gush about this one forever. I love books about friendship and the way Thomas is able to be hilarious without it ever feeling shoehorned into the work is just…*chef’s kiss*

So Happy For You by Celia Laskey - I loved Laskey’s debut, Under The Rainbow, and wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one. What I got was something totally different and just as captivating. The book is a little dystopian, deals with gender politics and the complicated nature of weddings, and it’s also about friendship and how tricky and messy it can be. I read this and also listened on audio, and I think both are great—the audiobook has a stellar narrator and it was fun revisiting the narrative that way. Definitely recommend.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - While I thought this book was a bit overhyped, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t captivated and invested throughout the whole ride. I wanted to shout this book out because while I think it got plenty of hype initially, I actually think that hurts books sometimes and wanted to say to try it out now that the hype has died down some and see for yourself what it’s all about. It felt like a mix between The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay mixed with A Little Life, but much less dark.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi - I don’t read a lot of romance, but I will read anything Emezi writes. This romance was so steamy and hard to put down—I do think books like this work better for me on audio, but I still think it’s good either way. This book deals with a young widow as she deals with the grief of her husband and begins to wade back into the dating pool. I found this one surprising and delightful.

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou - This is one of those books kind of like Such a Fun Age where it’s a social critique but full of juicy drama, and so you’re engaging in all of these greater ideas around things like racism, classism, etc. I guess this is the sort of thing we saw people like Jane Austen doing a lot? Anyway, it’s good, really compelling and about an Asian American woman reckoning with racism in academia, among other things. Thought it was really fun and highly recommend.

GENERAL LITERARY FICTION

There were many amazing novels that I loved this year, and I wanted to shout out some of them here—a lot of these are really accessible, but I wouldn’t necessarily describe them as “beach read” level.

Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet - This was one of my favorite novels this year. I love everything Millet has written before, and this novel about a man reckoning with his privilege and the state of the world, adaptation and a bunch of other interesting stuff, was so good I finished it in a day. If you haven’t read her before, I actually think this is a good introduction to her work.

The Hero Of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken - Okay, so I haven’t always loved the McCracken books I’ve read, but this memoir/autofiction hybrid sort of thing really hit the sweet spot for me and made me want to reread and reconsider a lot of her work that I’ve read before. It’s about her mother and the time soon after her mother’s passing. It’s super small, I think the audiobook is only four hours or so, and it’s just very moving and thoughtful and funny. I really enjoyed it.

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield - I love beautiful prose, the kind that conjure up the most lovely and grotesque images, and Armfield’s sentences are just so captivating and gorgeously written. I found this slow burn mermaid-adjacent book so intriguing and contemplative. Definitely a bit on the weirder side, but if you like that—or if you’re a fan of Lauren Groff or want to read more queer stories, I think this is a great option.

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews - This was one of the many debuts shortlisted for the NBA this year, and this was one of my top two favorites. I thought the protagonist was so realistically judgmental and frustrating and while I didn’t always like her, I fell in love with her. I thought the voice was strong and the story itself intriguing. I’d be surprised if this one didn’t end up on more people’s end of year lists.

The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela - I loved so much about this book, from the way it felt like a reconsideration of the suburban narratives popular in the sixties and seventies, to the beautiful and honest way Varela wrote about a queer experience very familiar to me. This was one of the stronger entries into the NBA shortlist this year, and the other of my two faves. Definitely worth checking out.

Paul by Daisy Lafarge - You know how sometimes you’ll read a book and think “well, that was good” but don’t think it’ll stay with you…only for it to stick in your mind for weeks and months until maybe possibly eternity? That’s kind of how I feel about this one. It’s just so captivating, a story about a woman who gets herself involved with this weird older guy while she’s staying with him during a trek through Europe. The style choices here are so smart and surprising and there’s this one moment describing bees that I can’t get out of my head. So good.

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh - I feel like there’s little I need to say about this one. It’s weird and there’s an old crone who breastfeeds people of various ages, a dead child, a poked out eyeball—It’s Moshfegh at her most grotesque, and the setting and such are surprising choices, but I think if you can stomach it all, it’s worth a read.

Greenland by David Santos Donaldson - This book about a writer who locks himself away to finish his novel slowly turns into a weird and magical story, full of literary references and social commentary, and it’s truly a joy to read. I think this one shares some DNA with last years NBA winner, Hell of a Book, but I feel like this one might even be a little more surprising.

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid - this Kafka-esque story, about a white man who wakes up to find that his skin has turned brown, is short and thought-provoking and brilliant. Just as readable as his last novel, Exit West, but really different in many ways that I loved.

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton - I was a huge fan of Burton’s last novel, Social Creature, and I think this one is just as good while being entirely different. It takes place at a boarding school and there’s religious stuff and possible murder—It’s definitely got some The Secret History vibes but feels very much of its own thing. I want everyone to read her books because I think she’s brilliant.

Trust by Hernan Diaz - This novel reminded me a lot of an all time fave, Fates and Furies. It deals a lot with privilege and the very idea of money, and I think that while the novel reads a bit cold at times, Diaz is absolutely brilliant in his construction. On a technical level, this work is a marvel.

Acts of Service by Lillian Fishman - This sad girl millennial novel is full of steamy steam, scandalous acts, and I think if you like messy people doing questionable things, this one is for you. I loved the sentences here, they for some reason reminded me of Mary Karr in their construction, and I found the story captivating—however, I just love stories with lots of sexual tension, so take from that what you will.

We Do What We Do In The Dark by Michelle Hart - I always enjoy stories with complicated dynamics between lovers, and this has that. It’s complicated and queer and messy, and I thought it was very sharp in its precision.

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka - This was my favorite novel of the year. It’s less than 200 pages, so well written, so well constructed, so moving. I laughed, I cried, I considered buying an in-the-ground pool. I know not everyone was as deeply moved by this book as I was, but I think if you go in and give it the time it deserves, you’ll be rewarded.

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Anyway, those are just some of the many books I read and loved this year. I’m sure there are too many I forgot about or thought maybe had been mentioned enough times that I didn’t need to worry about adding here, but feel free to share your favorites I might have missed. I thought it might be easier to make the list here, and I hope that I was of at least a little bit of help. Most people who follow this newsletter already follow my instagram and know that I have read and enjoyed these books. If you’re ever unsure if a book is for you, always feel free to reach out and I can help give more context. I know that people read for different reasons and look for different things, so I try to be as helpful as I can.

Thanks again so much for reading and subscribing to this newsletter. This is my last post of this year, and it’s just so wild to realize that I have officially been doing this newsletter for over a year now. I am so grateful and appreciate all of you.

Until next time,

XOXO