Looking back on everything I’ve read in 2022, I’m pretty happy with this reading year. I’ve discovered some new favourite books and read some others that taught me what I don’t enjoy in a book.

2022 seems to have been the year that I discovered what genres I enjoy most. In the past, I’ve usually just been tempted to grab something light and fluffy from the young adult sections in bookshops. However, this year I branched out and discovered other genres that I love so much more. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with light and fluffy books. But for me personally, I love a dark and mysterious story.

In honour of 2022 coming to an end, here are the best books that I’ve read this year.

1. The Body In The Library by Agatha Christie. This was the very first book I read in 2022 and I started the year very well. I set myself the challenge of reading all of the Miss Marple series in order and I’ve been sticking to that goal pretty well. I managed to read up to A Pocket Full of Rye before I took a mini Agatha Christie break but now I’m reading them again and hope to finish the Miss Marple series in 2023. My goal is to start the Poirot next.

2. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. Something tells me that this book will be making it onto most people’s best reads lists. If wholesome stories are for you then you need to grab yourself a copy of this book. I know I said that light and fluffy wasn’t my thing but I’m pretty sure anyone could be charmed by Heartstopper.

3. If I Can’t Have You by Charlotte Levin. Sad, dark, twisted, and bloody brilliant. I honestly can’t believe that this was Charlotte Levin’s debut novel. Her writing had me absolutely gripped and this book was an easy 5 star for me. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so many conflicting emotions while reading one book and I need to read more by Charlotte Levin in the future.

4. My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. How can a dark, crime story be so funny and entertaining?! My Sister, The Serial Killer had me excited to read just from the title alone, but the rest of the book just added to the excitement. I’ll be honest, this book definitely wasn’t the most beautifully written book I’ve read this year, but the enjoyment I got just from reading it solidified its place on this list. Not all our favourite books have to be literary masterpieces.

5. Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery. I can’t believe it has taken me until 2022 to actually read this book. I had a feeling from the start that I would enjoy this book since it’s by the same author as Anne of Green Gables. As always, L. M. Montgomery created characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Emily is quite different from Anne but both characters make their books so magical and engaging.

6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is another book that I can’t believe I waited so long to read. If you didn’t believe in magic, you definitely will by the end of this book. The Secret Garden is full of magical friendships, stunning gardens and the beauty of life. I’ve never wished for my own garden as much as while I was reading this book. I long to have a garden full of rose bushes.

7. Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The hype around this book is definitely deserved. This was such a beautiful and heart warming read. I nearly rated it 5 stars and the only reason I didn’t was that it did become a little bit repetitive. I’ll definitely pick up the next book though.

8. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. This book is probably one of my top 5 reads of 2022. It was such a powerful, emotional and intriguing book. My Dark Vanessa was an easy 5 stars and I would have rated it even higher if I could. I do just want to quickly mention though that if you haven’t heard about this book before, please look up the trigger warnings before reading.

9. Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I already mentioned the first book in this post but I also read the second book this year and it was just as good as the first. I loved that we get to find out even more about the characters and we hear even more stories from the cafe too.

10. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is my first time reading a TJR book and I can official say that it lived up to the hype. I asked on Twitter which TJR book I should read and pretty much everyone said Evelyn Hugo with a few people saying Daisy Jones and the Six. Maybe that should be on my 2023 tbr list.

11. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera. It would have been almost impossible for me to not read this book as soon as I could. I absolutely loved They Both Die At The End and I might even say that this book was almost better. I was a bit sceptical when I first grabbed it because it had a lot of live up to, but it was great and I cried just as much as the first book.

12. The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll. I picked up this book on a bit of a whim and I’m really glad that I did. From the moment that I started reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. The friendship of the characters was so beautiful and I just wanted to keep on reading.

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I’m excited to see what 2023 has planned for me and I am hoping to read even more books next year.

Have you read any of these books? What was your favourite read of 2022?