The Best Books I Read in 2022
Reading is one of my favorite parts of every day. I remember when my kid was an infant and I talked to other parents about time management. We all quickly figured out that we couldn’t take care of our kids and do all the things we did before, but we had different opinions on what could be let go of. When some of my friends said they hadn’t read a book in months, I was astonished. Why would you give up the best thing? (I admit that their houses were much cleaner than mine during this period; I was happy to give up sweeping and mopping!)
I’ve read some fantastic books in 2022. Here are my favorites of the year in four different categories for all of the readers in your life.
Grown-up books
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill (2022)
In 1955, there was a mass dragoning throughout the country. Women — 300,000 of them — spontaneously transformed into dragons and left their families behind. Afterwards, no one is allowed to speak of what happened. Alex tries to discover why some women (like her aunt) changed while others (like her mother) stayed. And what would Alex choose, if she were given the option to transform? I loved this coming of age story with loads of heart and feminism.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022)
Elizabeth Zott is an uncompromising and whip-smart scientist. After losing her job as a chemist, she is recruited to host a local afternoon cooking show for housewives. To her, cooking is chemistry, and she spend more time discussing chemical bonds and reactions than recipes. In refusing to talk down to her audience, Elizabeth inspires the women around her and exemplifies a generation who fought for the rights and acceptance that many of us enjoy now.
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (2021)
Wallace is not a great person when he dies. After his funeral, he is taken to a teashop run by Hugo, who helps spirits move from this life to the next. Not ready to move on to the afterlife, Wallace stays at the teashop and learns about the denizens of Hugo’s world (living and not) and slowly figures out the person he wants to become in death. This book is sweet and sad and helped me process my own grief over the loss of a friend.
Graphic novels
Go with the Flow by Karen Schneemann and Lily Williams (2020)
This graphic novel is about the friendship between middle school girls (yay!) and about periods (super big yay!). Not only does it delve into the too-often taboo topic in a skillful and empathetic way, but it even talks about the pink tax and the impact of not having access to pads and tampons. I hope this book will build a generation of period activists like the characters in the book.
Magical Boy by The Kao (2022)
Trans super hero? Yes, please! Max belongs to a long line of magical girls, an honored family secret. But Max knows he is really a boy. Explaining this to his family while learning to control his magic is challenging, but the reader will cheer as he navigates his path.
Lightfall: The Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert (2022)
In book number 2 of the Lightfall series, Bea and Cad try to stop the bird who stole the sun from their planet. The visuals of this graphic novel are stunning, and the characters winning. The quest is exciting with twists and turns that will keep you turning pages.
Middle grade books
The League of Picky Eaters by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic (2021)
This hilarious novel centers around a group of misfits at a school for gourmets. In Muffaletta, children’s eating habits are more important than anything else. All lessons and grades are focused around food. Worksheets are pieces of nori to chew on at home. In sixth grade the students are divided into learning tracks. Minerva is placed away from her friends in Remedial Eating to Change Habits (RETCH) and meets a group of kids that share some of her feelings about food. They like what they like, but they don’t like everything, and wonder why the school thinks that’s so wrong.
The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu (2021)
Marya is overlooked by her parents, who only pay attention to her brother Luka because he may possess the magic to become a sorcerer. Sorcerers are the only defense their land has against the Dread, a terrible and mysterious force that kills whole villages with almost no warning, like a deadly fog. When Luka fails the magic test, the family blames Marya, who is banished to the Dragomir Academy, a school for girls who don’t fit in the the norms of their society. Marya suspects the teachers at the Academy are not telling the students the whole truth about magic and the Dread. She decides to dig into the history of the school and its secrets.
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton and Khadijah Khatib (2022)
I’m a sucker for any magical school book, but this one really grabbed me. Ella is the first Conjurer to attend school for Marvellers. When a magical criminal escapes from prison, Conjurers are blamed, and then her favorite teacher disappears. Ella’s status as an outsider makes her the perfect person to solve the mystery.
Young adult books
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor (2022)
The hotel appears in a new location every day, and only the rich can afford to rent a room there. When Jani’s sister Zosa gets hired as a singer, Jani manipulates her way onto the staff as well. But her unofficial presence there causes problems and leads her to try to solve the mystery of what makes the hotel’s magic.
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin (2021)
Mara needs to play a team sport for a season — without fighting — to earn her spot back on the basketball team. The obvious choice would be the girls volleyball team, but Mara is more interested in football. When she joins the team, four other female classmates join her, causing a stir in the school and her Texas town. A fantastic exploration of activism, sexism, gender, and sexuality.
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman (2021)
The premise of this intense novel is similar to The Hunger Games, featuring a battle to the death, but all the contestants have grown up together in the same small town. The teens fight to win a cache of ancient magic, until one contestant decides that it would be better to investigate the mystery behind the tournament.