My Top 30 Books from 2022

I was able to narrow down my list of 54 books that I read in 2022 to a top 30.... :)

I managed to read all 5 books in the ACOTAR series in the month of October - I read 13 books that month because I forced myself to read another book in between each book in the series to help space them out... lol. I had a major book/series hangover after this one. I picked up the entirety of 'Throne of Glass' and 'Crescent City' after I read these and plan to knock both of those series' out in 2023. I can't wait for SJM to publish more!

I love Kate Stewart's The Ravenhood Trilogy so much... this story broke me emotionally and then put me back together again. I just connected so much with these characters. We love rainy days, don't we baby <3

Joss Walker is the fantasy pen name that J.T. Ellison (the OG thriller chick) writes under. R.L. Perez is also a contributor for these books. I love this world so much. I would say these are urban fantasy. I relate to Jayne on a personal level, I feel like at times the character could have been based on me. These are just exciting and fun to read, the world building is great, and the characters are lovable and complex. The short stories are such a treat in between books so I always keep up to date with instagram because you never know when another short story is going to pop up. I am extremely grateful that I received a signed copy of 'Master of Shadows' from the author a few weeks before the pub date. It's always very special when an author truly connects with their audience and so Joss Walker/J.T. Ellison will always be an auto buy for me! 'The Keeper of Flames' (next in the Jayne series) is to be published in June and J.T. Ellison is coming out with 'It's One of Us' (a thriller) in February... I can't wait!

In June I was having a particularly rough time, and a friend of mine sent me 'Beach Read', and 'People We Meet on Vacation', (and 'The Unhoneymooners' which is pictured below). Emily Henry got me back into the Romance genre, which I had not been reading for years.. really since Fifty Shades. These books were just amazing, and Emily Henry is going to be an auto buy for me. I devour her books in one day, and usually one sitting. Can't wait for 'Happy Place'!

So after reading Emily Henry, and getting back into Romance, I was introduced by the same friend to Tessa Bailey (shewww). I have since then purchased several other Tessa Bailey novels, and have dove back into Romance with full force. 'The Unhoneymooners' was another favorite this year, along with Carley Fortune's debut novel 'Every Summer After'. Let me tell you, this book made my heart grow three sizes. It's the PERFECT read if you go to the lake or have a consistent summer getaway spot. Ugh, I just wish I could read it for the first time again! I can't wait to see what Carley Fortune has in store for us in her next novel 'Meet Me at the Lake' that is coming out this Spring. 

After I fell in love with ACOTAR I decided to try my hand at some other Fantasy worlds. 'The Priory of the Orange Tree' kept popping up on my bookstagram feed, and so I purchased it back in the summer. It took me a couple months to get the courage to read it as the 800+ pages were a bit intimidating. So worth it though, I loved this one and am so ready for 'A Day of Fallen Night' to come out in February. I will say it took me about 50 pages to really feel confident that I understood who was who and the world building, but it really is a beautiful story. 

'The North Wind' by Alexandria Warwick was a book that I had never heard of - but after a coworker referred me to the 'Once Upon a Book Club' website, I stumbled upon their "Romantasy" box - which featured this book for 2022. 

They send you the book box, and included are several gifts related to the story that you open when you get to specific pages. This was a really cool experience. I read this 550 pager in one sitting after not even being sure that I would like the book. It reminded me a lot of ACOTAR with the enemies to lovers trope. It also gave me Hades and Persephone vibes. After reading it I looked it up, and it was indeed a Beauty and the Beast retelling. 

For me, Ruth Ware and Mary Kubica are automatic buys. 

I am very much looking forward to Mary Kubica's 'Just the Nicest Couple' to be published here in the next couple of weeks! 

Ruth Ware is going to be coming out with 'Zero Days' in June also - 2023 is going to be such a good year for all of my favorite authors!!!

Historical Fiction has always been a genre that I enjoy, but this year with getting back into Romance, and then discovering a new love for Fantasy - I didn't read as many historical fics as I usually do. A friend was very persistent in her recommendation of 'The Home for Unwanted Girls' and rightly so - this story was phenomenally written. I remember that I finished it in one sitting. What a touching story. 

Bonnie Garmus debut novel 'Lessons in Chemistry' was a very unique story - showcasing women in STEM back in the 60s. I really liked the feminist themes in this one - highlighting the struggles that women in science - and really the workforce in general had to endure.

'The Women of Chateau Lafayette' by Stephanie Dray is a beautiful story about three women, from three different generations who occupied the same place - and the differences they made in the world during their tenure. Dray always tells a captivating story - and this was no exception.

In 2022 I read 7 Colleen Hoover books - and although I really did enjoy all of them in their own way, these were the two that stuck with me the most. 

'Reminders of Him' was just such an emotional story and you are rooting for the characters so much. It is heartbreaking at times - like all of CoHo's books. But she was a way of putting you back together mid-story and then breaking you one more time before all is well in the end. 

'Verity' was very different than most of her books - you still have a lot of WTF moments, but this one was kind of f*ck3d up on another level. I even purchased the special edition copy just to read the bonus chapter which really got me wondering if there was going to be more to the story in 2023...

Well - if you're still reading thank you for sticking with this one! I hope you have some rec's from this list for your 2023 TBR!

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