Well, friends, here we are at the end of December, and that means it’s time for everyone, everywhere to share their “Best Of” lists for 2022!

I loved so many of the books I read this past year, but some really and truly stood out. Some are 2022 new releases, some are books from earlier years that just came my way in 2022, and some are books that I’ve had on my shelves but only now got around to reading.

Here is a totally subjective list of the books I loved best. (For purposes of this post, I’m excluding rereads, even though there were a few of these that were 5-star reads)

First, I’ll highlight my top 5: The five books that were special reading experiences in a variety of ways — books that introduced me to new worlds or experiences, were beautifully written, and/or delivered an emotional punch that has stayed with me ever since.

• Fairy Tale by Stephen King: Masterful storytelling (and a very good dog) made this a delightful read.
• True Biz by Sara Novic: This book introduced me to a world I knew little about — informative, but also just a really great story.
• Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey: What can I say about a series finale that absolutely pays off with a satisfying conclusion? It brought me to tears, astonished me, and yet ended in a way that truly fit the characters and overall themes. What a series!
• Lute by Jennifer Thorne: Haunting and beautifully written.
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: I never would have expected to enjoy (much less love) a novel about video game designers. Absolutely one of the best new releases of 2022.

But these are by no means the only great books I read this past year! According to Goodreads, I gave 5-star ratings to 45 books in 2022. Here’s the rest of my favorites — not all 45 by any means, but the books I consider the best of the best:

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• Paper Girls: The Complete Story by Brian K. Vaughan
• Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison
• Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk
• Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
• Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
• Heat Wave by TJ Klune
• The No-Show by Beth O’Leary
• Snake Falls to Earth by Darcy Little Badger
• Drunk on All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson
• Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
• Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
• The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
• The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
• Getaway by Zoje Stage
• All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
• The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Beyond these, there were a whole bunch of other books that I really loved too, so all in all, I’d say this was a great year for reading!

What were your favorite books of 2022? Do we have any in common?

Wishing all of us a happy and healthy 2023, filled with amazing books!