My Favorite Reads of 2022

This year has been filled with great books, so I thought I’d share my favorite reads of 2022 with you.

But before I get into my top reads of 2022, check out this gorgeous spread. I’ve organized the covers in a chronological, descending order, with the latest book I read being RF Kuang’s The Poppy War, and the first book I read this year being The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall.

Best Reads of 2022

Okay, so I couldn’t pick which of my favorites was the “best”, so I’m providing categories for the books I really enjoyed, with affiliate links.

Cozy Vibes

Four of the books I read (outside of the two cozy mystery series!) were deliciously cozy.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

This is such a charming tale. The magic is super fun and the character’s growth was perfect.

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Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

I happy sobbed my way through this book. Prepare yourself!

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Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

If you like high fantasy and cozy twists, check out Legends and Lattes. It is a clever twist on a beloved trope.

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Miss Percy’s Travel Guide (to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons) by Quenby Olson

This is the second book in the Miss Percy’s series. If you enjoyed Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons) like I did, you’ll find this book delightful, too.

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Beautiful Prose

Literary fantasy is something I enjoy. Not only do these three books deliver great stories, they do it with lovely language.

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

This lush tale mixes a gothic aesthetic with gorgeous descriptions. Add magic, a sapphic relationship, and the glitzy glamor of the 1920s and you have a super fun book.

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Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Harrow has become one of my auto-buy authors. Her writing is beautiful, lyrical, and enhances her superbly crafted stories.

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The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Vo’s novel is a queer, Asian retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, but with magic.

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Best Twists

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

This paranormal fantasy is the first book in a trilogy that floored me. It blends mythology with contemporary society flawlessly.

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Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

The twists and turns in this book kept me guessing… which never happens.

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Great Characters

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Rin is a complicated protagonist who could be called an anti-heroine.

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Jade City by Fonda Lee

This is the first book in the Green Bone Saga, an astonishing trilogy that reminded me of James Clavell’s Asian Saga, but with magic.

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Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

This book was incredibly hard to define or describe, but the characters are so well written I felt like I’d always known I’d read their story eventually.

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There is Never Enough Time…

Of the 85 fiction books I read this year, 91% were some sort of fantasy. The other 9% included science fiction (2), literary fiction (2), historical fiction (1), thriller (1), and general fiction (2). My reading habits in 2023 will likely be similar.

I had a blast reading both indie and trad published books. I also loved how women and/or Asian authors wrote much of the fantasy I enjoyed this year. And even with as much reading as I accomplished this year, my to-be-read pile continues to grow.

What were your favorite reads of 2022?

Header Photo by Hope House Press – Leather Diary Studio on Unsplash