2022 in Books
One of my favorite books of the year.
This year, I have read 142 books. I may still finish another before the New Year, but I’m going to go ahead and call it anyway. At the end of the year, I really like going back over the list and remembering my year in books–what I was thinking, where I was when I read them, whom I shared them with, why I chose them–and I also like deciding which ones were my absolute favorites.
The favorites list has 15 books for 2022, and they are a diverse group. Eight are nonfiction. Five are literary fiction. Two are romance. Several are essays. Some were books I knew I would love forever the second I read them. For others, I didn’t realize until I was reviewing my list how strongly they have resonated with me and impacted my thinking this year. The only thing they all have in common is how much enjoyment they brought me, even if they were tough to read.
So here, in no particular order, are my favorite books of 2022.
God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson–This one was Peterson’s love letter to Jesus and to the world through the lens of trees and gardens. I am no gardener, but his writing is as lyrical as his music, and you don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy this book.
Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter’s School by Courtney E. Martin–I read this in January, and it stuck with me all year. The author lived in Oakland, California, and she noticed that white families in her neighborhood avoided the local public school, which was ranked poorly in state testing and had mostly African American students. She wanted to know why, and asking this question led her to more questions about integration that are echoed in schools across the country.
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close–This one may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t think I could have loved it more. It’s set in Chicago, in a family of Cubs fans who run a restaurant near Wrigley. It’s about food, about baseball, about family, and about the people we ultimately want to be. And it’s definitely about the Cubs winning the World Series.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry–Emily Henry is one of my favorite romance writers because there is nothing fluffy about her books. In Book Lovers, her main character, Nora, is a cutthroat literary agent whose life revolves around books and her sister, Libby. Charlie is an editor with a reputation for moodiness and a sharp red pen. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story that deals with what we owe our families and what we’re willing to give up to be our true selves. Be warned: there is lots of spice in this one. Mom, it’s not for you.
I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When the Old Ways Stop by Shauna Niequist–It’s a collection of essays about her family’s move from Chicago to New York, about being middle aged, and about starting over and being willing to be a beginner. It’s about a deepening relationship with God and being willing to remake your life.
Booth by Karen Joy Fowler–This is a fictionalized account of the Booth family leading up to the assassination of Lincoln. As the Booth family was famous in its day for their acting careers, Fowler had a wealth of primary sources to use. The result was an answer to the question of how a fanatic is made, and it was both fascinating and heartbreaking to read.
Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott–Another collection of essays that also deals with the big questions of love, death, and finding meaning in all the fear that is life, but the spine of this one is parenting, and it is fabulous.
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan–I could not put this one down. Nora is a romance channel screenwriter, who finds herself writing her next script about her own life after her husband leaves her and her two kids. When the movie is made, it not only pays her bills, but it also brings a big-time and gorgeous actor into her life. He’s there for seven days, and then he’s gone, but that one week both broke her heart and changed her life. This one is powerful all the way through, and the kids are two of the best ones ever. I read this one multiple times too because I liked them all so much.
This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch: The Joy of Loving Something–Anything–Like Your Life Depends on It by Tabitha Carvan–A book about embracing the weird and wacky things you love, and why it’s important.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin–It’s about two friends who make a video game, but it’s also about friendship, growing up, and how creating things helps us heal.
The Confidence to Write: A Guide for Overcoming Fear and Developing Identity as a Writer by Liz Prather–A book for teachers to use in the classroom, but really for any writers to use to push past the writing issues we all share.
Southernmost by Silas House–A southern preacher is kicked out of his church and his marriage for wanting to marry a gay couple who has moved to their Tennessee community. With his life shattered, he has to build a new life, centered on the things he slowly discovers are truly important to him.
Start With Hello: (And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors) by Shannan Martin–She is the queen of teaching people how to be good neighbors. I’m not great at it, but Shannan Martin has excellent ideas for how to start.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken: A Memoir of Learning to Believe You’re Gonna Be Okay by Sean Dietrich–I laughed and cried, sometimes in the same chapters, at this memoir about how his father’s suicide upended his life, and how he rebuilt it again.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver–A modern-day Davy Copperfield set in Appalachia. I love Dickens and southern writing, so I couldn’t be happier. But even if you are not a Dickens fan, give this one a shot. It’s brutal in the beginning, but Kingsolver absolutely captures the right voice for this story, and it’s a brilliant and searing look at how the poor are treated today.