2022 Favorites: My Favorite Books of 2022

My reading goals have been off the charts the past few years and it makes me so happy! I love reading so much, it brings me so much joy and is such an essential part of my mental health/self-care routine. I am nothing without reading.

This year, I set a goal of 75 books. Last year, I set a goal of 60 books and I read 88. This year, I hit my goal around August and was pleased with that... it didn't look like I was going to exceed last year's goal actual number because truthfully, the books I was reading this year were not hitting as much as year's past.

I don't know if I was reading too many books, or trying to read genres that I didn't love, or was just picking books that didn't align with what I was looking for. I 'DNFed' more books this year than ever before and I'm semi-proud of that. I'm glad I didn't force myself to read books I didn't love.

In the end though, I'll be ending the year reading 90 books. I'm so proud of that and I'm so excited to discuss my favorite books of 2022. This will be books I read this year, not books that were released in 2022. 

Let's get into it! 

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

I received an ARC of Josie Silver's new book at the end of 2021 and didn't read it until a few weeks before the publication date in early 2022. I felt moved by this book; I felt like my DNA shifted and my life was made the better for it. I loved this book so much that I purchased the print version because it was a story I needed to hold in my hands.

I didn't do a book review of this (I'm not sure why, it must've just kept slipping my mind) but it's about a woman who is lost in life, who needs a safe haven for writing, going to an off the grid island and staying in a cabin she booked. However, a man, who is from the island, books that same cabin. They don't get along, and then they do. 

It was a beautiful story that you need to read to understand the magnitude of how wonderful it is.  

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacey Willingham

This was hands down my favorite thriller of the year. It kicked the year off properly with lots of twists and turns that I really didn't see coming. A Flicker in the Dark was also the debut novel from Stacey Willingham and I can't wait to read her new novel, "All the Dangerous Things".

The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman

I love a good nonfiction book, especially when it surrounds my favorite decade. I received an ARC of The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman which was released on February 8th of this year and I loved every moment of it. The 90s are such a unique decade where so much happened but nothing compared to what followed. This book touched on different moments and genres of happenings in the 90s; everything from movies to music to politics and more. It was so interesting to read and taught me so much but nothing compares to the emotion I felt reading the last line...

"The flights were hijacked, the planes crashed into buildings, 2,977 people died, and the nineties collapsed with the skyscrapers."

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

This was another thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat this year and I loved it. The Book of Cold Cases was the latest from Simone St. James, an author I have not read before this, and I throughly enjoyed it. It was part supernatural, part suspense and was very meta because the protagonist had a true crime blog. It was a novel that wasn't predictable and I thought about it a lot after finishing it. I highly recommend it! 

Girl on Fire by Cara Alwill Leyba

Cara Alwill Leyba writes a lot of motivational, self-help books that are borderline woo-woo but her book, Girl on Fire, was inspiring. I read it via my Kindle but I loved it so much I ordered it in paperback. It inspired me, motivated me, and lit a fire (pun intended) under my butt. I think I'm going to re-read it this week before the new year to put me in the right mindset.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

I read more romance than usual this year but the standout for me was Nora Goes Off Script. It was so fun, fast paced, and more than just a romance. I kept thinking about this book long after I finished reading and I can't recommend it enough. It's the perfect book to pull you out of a reading slump. 

Hook Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Tessa Bailey has me by the balls. She has the most unique way of weaving in a heartfelt, beautiful story with the raunchiest, steamiest sex scenes I've ever read. She has become one of my favorite authors and I loved the sequel to "It Happened One Summer" so much! "Hook, Line and Sinker" followed Fox and Hannah as they experimented with a friends to lovers relationship. I loved them so much more than Piper and Brendan because they felt so much more natural. They were fun, bubbly, deep and thoughtful... plus, they were a lot hotter. If you haven't read this series, you need to! 

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

This book was a wild ride! I don't think I've ever read something so unique, so riveting, so twisted! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I never saw the ending coming. I loved The Family Game because of the fast pace, the secrets hidden beneath all the characters' facades and the way the story was truly about family, no matter what. It was very interesting and I would love to read more 

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

This was the year that I continued reading Bridgeton novels. I read The Duke & I when I watched the first season and continued the tradition when I watched the second season. I made it my mission to read the entire series and I read three Bridgeton books this year - Anthonys, Benedicts and Colin's stories. Out of all of them, The Viscount Who Loved Me was my favorite because I am addicted to Anthony and Kate. I think they have the most beautiful love story and their chemistry is insane. I loved how different this was to the series, but equally as enticing. If you haven't read the Bridgeton series, please do! Especially if you like the TV show. 

The People’s Princess by Flora Harding

When I finished reading The People's Princess I knew I had to include it on the list. It was a unique historical fiction book, one that made me sad while also making me think about how much we focus on the present Royal Family vs the history that dates back centuries. It was a beautifully written book and I felt all the hope inside Princess Diana before her wedding. It broke me in ways I didn't think possible.

What were your favorite books of 2022?
xoxo
B