The 10 Best Books of 2022

I thought picking my favorite books in 2021 was tough, but the competition only got steeper this year! 2022 was my second full year of tracking how many books I read. I finished 45 new-to-me books in 2022, one more book then 2021.

Please note that Part 1 of this post merely lists the book titles, and Part 2 dives into a quick review of what I liked about each book. This post is spoiler-free so read on!

Part 1: Criteria and Overview

Any new-to-me book that I finished in 2022 was in the running for this list. Books that I reread in 2022 were not in the running. A majority of my favorite books of 2022 were fantasy, but this list crosses genres and features poetry, memoir, and historical fiction. Although some of the books on this list were published recently, many are a few years old (in the case of Saki, over a century old).

Below are the Chip 10 Best Books of 2022, in alphabetical order by last name:

1. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
2. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
3. The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
4. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
5. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
6. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
7. Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
8. The Penguin Complete Saki by Saki
9. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
10. Dear Girls by Ali Wong

Part 2: Rationale

Below I’ll describe what I like in particular about each book!

1. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett – Cool Magic, Pageturner, Fabulous Heists

Strong characters and even stronger original magic system. I was hooked from the first chapter of this “thief with a heart of gold” story. Brandon Sanderson enthusiasts will fall hard for the writing and worldbuilding style in this one!

2. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake – Morally Gray Characters, Original Worldbuilding, Yummy Style

WOW. The thrilling plot, the compelling characters, the original magic system and worldbuilding, the absolutely juicy delicious writing style! This story deserves the TikTok fame. In particular, the characters are written wonderfully. Each character jumps off the page with cryptic weaknesses, annoying habits, and saving graces.

I highly recommend this book to any fantasy lovers looking for a contemporary page turner or for conflicted characters you can’t help but root for.

3. The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman – Hilarious, Swashbuckling, Fabulous Heists

Fast paced and hilarious fantasy in the vein of Gideon the Ninth, The Unspoken Name, and The Rook. Whether you like your humor dry, dark, gross, or sarcastic, this story has it all. The imagery and worldbuilding is inspiring. Definitely a new favorite “thief with a heart of gold” story. Thank you Rhiannon for this excellent recommendation!

4. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman – Powerful, Inspiring, Epiphany

Powerful and beautiful. Gorman’s ability to craft clear mind’s-eye visions using prose is inspiring. This book both helped me learn from the past and gave me new ideas for the future.

5. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – Beautiful Writing, Heartwrenching

A stunning historical fiction centering on a strong sisterhood bond and characters who are larger than life. I was completely swept along by the main character’s intense and difficult decisions!  Thank you Taylor for the brilliant recommendation!

6. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – Insanely Well Plotted, Brain Workout, Yummy Style

Extraordinary story and the plot is out of this world (forgive my pun hehehe)! The third book in a series, this story is so complicated I had to read it multiple times and ask for help from Rachel (thank you Rachel!) to begin to understand the twists.

I love a book that makes me think hard. Muir has knocked it out of the park again.

7. Fireborne by Rosaria Munda – Amazing Idea, Complicated Characters, Original Worldbuilding

An epic dragon fantasy inspired by Plato’s Republic! The author uses lots of quick-change points of view to show “both sides of the coin” and that technique is employed with expert effect. The premise is fabulously original and the worldbuilding is excellent, with political showdowns and inter-character arguments that I live for! Thank you Hannah for the fantastic recommendation!

8. The Penguin Complete Saki by Saki – Hilarious

This is a collection of short works, different from my usual top 10 books, but such a compelling body of work with themes that have stuck with me for a long time afterwards. My favorites were the Reginald and Clovis short stories. Saki’s wit can put P.G. Wodehouse to shame, which is no easy feat.

The pro-war (WW I) shorts were sad when read with the knowledge that the author died in WW I. The satire series comparing various British politicians to Alice in Wonderland characters was *chef’s kiss*. Thank you Mom for the wonderful recommendation!

9. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – Outstanding Characters, Compelling Worldbuilding, Swashbuckling

I fell in love with the characters and was blown away by the worldbuilding. Kind of like Game of Thrones if Game of Thrones had cooler dragons, better magic and religious systems, stronger characters (especially stronger female characters), and more detailed worldbuilding. Thank you Alexis for the superb recommendation!

10. Dear Girls by Ali Wong – Hilarious, Inspiring, Amazing Idea

This book made me laugh until I cried multiple times! I love Wong’s idea to write essays for her daughters, and the stories she chooses to tell are priceless.

Happy reading!