I think this will be a hard blog to write – I read SO many great books in 2022!
But somehow I’ve narrowed it down to the 21 (couldn’t quite get down to 20!) that I think were my favourite, listed here in no particular order:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – Gabriella Zevin
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow is very much about human connection and the many different ways people resonate with one another and connect – as friends, partners, romantic partners, acquaintances…” – read my full review
The Twist of a Knife – Anthony Horowitz
“The locked-room style of the mystery is one I always enjoy and kept me guessing, with Hawthorne at his very best as he uncovers what really happened that night” – read my full review
Daisy Darker – Alice Feeney
“It’s definitely a deliciously dark book, with twists along the way and reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The writing is great, the plot is intriguing and I found myself completely absorbed in the story from the first page to last.” – read my full review
Fatal Witness – Robert Bryndza
“The writing is, as ever, skilful and the storyline is perfectly paced…this will always be one of my favourite crime series!” – read my full review
The Last Party – Clare Mackintosh
“Gripping, captivating… The Last Party draws you in and doesn’t let up!” – read my full review
Flamingo – Rachel Elliott
“This is a book that ignited so many feelings in me – it’s incredibly emotional at times, and manages to be heartwarming and optimistic – yet so sad and poignant too.” – read my full review
After Dark – Jayne Cowie
“It’s surprisingly easy to read – I raced through it in no time (partly because I just could not put it down!) and loved the characterisation.” – read my full review
Love Marriage – Monica Ali
“I enjoyed the everyday occurrences that take place in this novel which feel very relatable and the way it made me think about what family, relationships and friends mean to you. I can see why it’s been so popular and really enjoyed it.” – read my full review
Last One at the Party – Bethany Clift
“I found this book a wonderful mix of (darkly) humorous, emotional and uplifting, whilst simultaneously being terrifying because it’s just so realistic... I felt almost every emotion reading this book!” – read my full review
Devil’s Way – Robert Bryndza
“I absolutely loved the plot of Devil’s Way – I always find disappearance cases really intriguing and this one had twists and surprises along the way that kept me glued to its pages.” read my full review (review will be live 9 Jan 2023)
Wrong Place, Wrong Time – Gillian McAllister
Wrong Place, Wrong Time manages to combine so many elements I love in a book: mystery, twists you genuinely don’t see coming, a convincing main character, and – if it can’t be super realistic – an element of fantasy/ sci-fi that I REALLY enjoy: time travel!” – read my full review
The Ink Black Heart – Robert Galbraith
” For me, every book (after the first) in this series has been like returning to old friends, and it’s a joy to read. It’s definitely one of my favourite books of 2022.” – read my review on storygraph
A Slow Fire Burning – Paula Hawkins
“I loved the twists. They were a surprise but felt believable which left me finishing the book with a real sense of satisfaction. Highly recommended if you are after a well-written, thoughtful mystery story.” – read my full review
Stepping Up – Sarah Turner
“I struggled to put down this book. It’s so readable and felt like it struck just the right balance between its serious and lighter notes. The subject matter was dealt with so brilliantly…” – read my full review
Reputation – Sarah Vaughan
“There’s plenty going on in this twisty plot, from scandal to courtroom surprises, and the writing is brilliant. Sarah Vaughan has created a taut, suspenseful novel that kept me wanting to read on, without ever feeling overworked.” – read my full review
The Herd – Emily Edwards
“Incredibly relevant and gripping, The Herd manages to address an important and very controversial topic in a thought-provoking and balanced way.” – read my full review
Expectation – Anna Hope
“Anna Hope writes brilliantly – very matter of fact but also using language perfectly to get the reader completely invested in these women’s lives. She makes reading about these characters a very seamless experience” – read my full review
London, With Love – Sarra Manning
“London, with love manages to sum up the joy of living in London (and some of the drawbacks too) all with humour… It’s a great story that I would happily read again. As my first Sarra Manning book, it also makes me want to read much more by her.” – read my full review
Shrines of Gaiety – Kate Atkinson
“For me, the writing, characters, setting and content make it a hugely enjoyable piece of historical fiction. Kate Atkinson never lets me down!” – read my full review
Truly Darkly Deeply – Victoria Selman
“I absolutely LOVED this tense, compelling read which prompts the reader to ask themselves ‘would I have known, if a serial killer was part of my family…?'” – read my full review
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels – Janice Hallett
“The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is another great release from Janice Hallett, who never seems afraid to play with form and has, once again, written an intricate and capitulating mystery.” – read my full review (review will be live 12 Jan 2023).
And last but not least… a book I read right at the end of 2022 but HAD to include here:
Amazing Grace Adams – Fran Littlewood
“One of my favourite books of 2022 – an honest, heartwrenching, powerful novel about a woman whose life feels like it’s falling apart.” – read my full review (review will be live 16 Jan 2023)
A note:
It’s important to remember that these are the books I read in 2022 but I may have read some advance copies of 2022 releases in 2021, meaning though I may have hugely enjoyed them, they won’t appear here. However, I‘m too lazy to go back through all my 2021 reads and I fear I’d find far too many new books to add here if I did! The best place to find the books I loved is over on my Goodreads or Storygraph accounts!
Oh how I loved Shrines Of Gaiety! She did something very naughty at the end involving two characters, but I’ve read everything she’s ever written and you’re right; she doesn’t let you down!
Pleased to see Monica Ali on here – have enjoyed her since Brick Lane.
Can see we have very similar tastes so i must start following you – I just can’t read as quickly!
Great picks – thank you.
Sorry am terrible at checking notifications! Glad to hear we have similar tastes, I agree with the end! And Monica Ali is definitely an author I really enjoy. Hope you have a great reading year! ☺️