The Books of 2022

The Plot

So many books, so little time—part 16.

My son started keeping a reading list in third grade, so I did too. This is the 16th year we’ve done this.

Even though I was pretty busy this year, I read a LOT and audiobooks are definitely a big part of my routine these days as well.

Lessons in Chemistry

My favorite books this year were The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (a twisty tale about the dark side of being a writer), Beartown by Fredrik Backman (one of those books that tons of people recommended to me for years, with sports parents as one of the scariest and realistic elements of a complex story), and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (a funny, feminist tale that made me laugh out loud several times). I also really liked Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, which is one of Reese Witherspoon’s recent picks; The Candy House by Jennifer Egan; Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin; Apeirogon by

The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Colum McCann; and The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne.

I’d love to hear what else people loved.

Here’s the 2022 list:

The Wife Stalker Liv Constantine
The Startup Wife Tahmima Aham
The Cavendon Women Barbara Taylor Bradford
The Plot Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Fever Megan Abbott
One Day in December Josie Silver
Anxious People Fredrik Backman
The Book of Two Ways Jodi Picoult
Three Last First Dates: A Sweet Romantic Comedy of Love, Friendship and Even More Cake Kate O’Keefe
The Unhoneymooners Christina Lauren
The Guilt Trip Sandie Jones
Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography Laurie Woolever
State of Terror Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny
The Starless Sea Erin Morgenstern
Cavendon Hall Barbara Taylor Bradford
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler Kelly Harms
The Cavendon Luck Barbara Taylor Bradford
Tell the Wolves I’m Home Carol Rifka Brunt
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird Josie Silver
If the Fates Allow Rainbow Rowell
You Can Thank Me Later Kelly Harms
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? Lorrie Moore
The Night She Disappeared Lisa Jewell
That’s What Frenemies Are For Sophie Littlefield and Lauren Gershell
99 Percent Mine Sally Thorne
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman
Five Tuesdays in Winter Lily King
Tweet Cute Emma Lord
Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life Sutton Foster
Only Mostly Devastated Sophie Gonzales
A Sweet Mess Jayci Lee
Evvie Drake Starts Over Linda Holmes
The Book of Form and Emptiness Ruth Ozeki
We are Inevitable Gayle Forman
The Playground Jane Shemilt
I Was Here Gayle Forman
Where She Went Gayle Forman
The Reading List Sara Nisha Adams
The Story of the Lost Child Elena Ferrante
Music is History Questlove
My Name is Lucy Barton Elizabeth Strout
Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus
High Stakes Danielle Steel
Going There Katie Couric
The Unsinkable Greta James Jennifer E. Smith
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care Ashley Herring Blake
Vivian Rising Daniella J. Brodsky
The Summer Place Jennifer Weiner
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead Elle Cosimano
Oh William! Elizabeth Strout
Honey Girl Morgan Rogers
Love Her or Lose Her Tessa Bailey
A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman
Lorna Mott Comes Home Diane Johnson
Meant to Be Emily Giffin
No Words Meg Cabot
Ulysses James Joyce
Good Rich People Eliza Jane Brazier
Beartown Fredrik Backman
Old Filth Jane Gardam
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting Clare Pooley
Tracy Flick Can’t Win Tom Perotta
The Messy Lives of Book People Phaedra Patrick
Carry On Rainbow Rowell
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry Gabrielle Zevin
Wayward Son Rainbow Rowell
No One Asked For This Cazzie David
Any Way the Wind Blows Rainbow Rowell
I Kissed Shara Wheeler Casey McQuiston
Apeirogon Colum McCann
Nora Goes Off Script Annabel Monaghan
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin
When No One Is Watching Alyssa Cole
Fix Her Up Tessa Bailey
Heartstopper Alice Oseman
By the Book Jasmine Guillory
It Happened One Summer Tessa Bailey
The Roughest Draft Austin Siegemund-Broka
You’ll Grow Out of It Jessi Klein
Cover Story Susan Rigetti
Kiss Me Now Melanie Jacobson
Counterfeit Kristen Chen
Second First Impressions Sally Thorne
Hook, Line and Sinker Tessa Bailey
About Grace Anthony Doerr
Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words Annika Sharma
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Sangu Mandanna
Yes & I Love You Roni Loren
Marrying the Ketchups Jennifer Close
Carrie Soto is Back Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Bit Swings, and a Hit Ron Shelton
The Heart’s Invisible Furies John Boyne
The Nickel Boys Colson Whitehead
The Candy House Jennifer Egan
Heard it in a Love Song Tracy Garvis Graves
Anna K Jenny Lee
Luster Raven Leilani
Dava Shastri’s Last Day Kirthana Ramisetti
Uncharted Waters Sally Hepworth
Dear Reader Mary O’Connell
Dating Dr. Dil Nisha Sharma
The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard Robert Bryndza
When You Get the Chance Emma Lord
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing Matthew Perry
Southern Lady Code Helen Ellis
Solitaire Alice Oseman
Our Missing Hearts Celeste Ng
The Emma Project Sonali Dev
As It Turns Out: Thinking About Edie and Andy Alice Sedgwick Wohl
Something Wilder Christina Lauren
The Last Chance Library Freya Sampson
Mid Night Victoria Shorr
Wrong Place, Wrong Time Gillian McAllister
Drunk on Love Jasmine Guillory
The One True Me and You Remi K. England
The Heartbreak Bakery A.R. Capetta
Recipe for Persuasion Sonali Dev
When You Were Mine Rebecca Searle

Previous Book Lists

The Books of 2021

The Books of 2020

The Books of 2019

The Books of 2018

The Books of 2017

The Books of 2016

The Books of 2015

The Books of 2014

The Books of 2013

The Books of 2012

The Books of 2011

The Books of 2010

The Books of 2009

The Books of 2008

The Books of 2007