The Best Books I Read in 2022

Well, the official tally is in, and according to my Goodreads bookshelf, I read 70 books this year! Considering I only just got back into reading regularly in 2021, I’m pretty pleased with that number—and I’m even more pleased with the fact that I’ve rekindled my love of reading after straying from it in high school. Check out my previous top reads list for why that happened.

While the majority of the reading I did in 2022 was for pleasure, a smaller percentage of it served as research for a climate change-themed young adult novel. I’ve become very interested in environmentalism and sustainable living recently, and a few of the titles that helped influence both my story’s plot and the way I currently live my life have made this list. After all, as much as I love escaping into a good book, I also love learning from books too, and there are so many incredible novels out there (both fiction and non-fiction) that can teach us so much about ourselves, others, and the world around us. That’s just one (of many) gifts reading can give us.

It wasn’t easy to decide on my favorite titles when I truly enjoyed so many of them. That said, here they are, in no particular order: the top ten books I read in 2022.

The Overstory by Richard Powers

If you think that a book about trees would be boring, then you wouldn’t be the only one. I thought so too at first, but this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which follows several individuals whose unique experiences with trees lead them to join the fight against deforestation, was quick to capture my attention. The characters feel like real people, the plot (minus a few fairly tedious sections) is consistently engaging, and the overall message about the importance of respecting and protecting the natural world is desperately needed in a society that so often takes nature for granted.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

When the diary of a teenage girl from Tokyo washes up on a remote Canadian beach, it’s discovered by a novelist who sets out to discover who this mysterious girl is, relying solely on the entries to guide her search. As she dives deeper into the girl’s harrowing life story, the novelist is forced to confront experiences from her own past as well as look towards her uncertain future for answers (but not in the way you might expect). This book does an excellent job of exploring humanity and the meaning of life. It’s smart, funny, heartfelt, heartbreaking, and an all-around great read.

Regenesis by George Monbiot

My second climate-related title goes to this 2022 nonfiction novel that analyzes the harmful ways in which we currently grow and produce food and presents solutions for how we can reshape our food system into one that’s more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate. We have the means to end world hunger, and we also have the means to grow enough food without destroying our planet. The answers are right in front of us, and when they’re spelled out, as Monbiot so articulately and unbiasedly does in Regenesis, you can’t help but question why we’re so resistant to adopt them.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

I read a lot of Stephen King this year (13 books total) but the one that’s stuck with me the most is this historical/sci-fi novel about an English teacher who travels back in time from 2011 to 1963 (well, 1958 technically) to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. 11/22/63 has an incredibly compelling plot, to the point where I read all 850 pages in the course of five days, great characters, and an ending that’s both surprising as well as satisfying by Stephen King standards.

The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch

I’ve read quite a few books about eating disorders, and this memoir by actress and animal rights advocate Evanna Lynch is easily my favorite. She neither glamorizes eating disorders nor boasts about hers (as so many novels written about this subject tend to do), but rather thoughtfully and eloquently tells the story of how her fear of growing up and becoming a woman led her down a dark road of self-hatred. In addition to being able to relate to a lot of what Lynch went through with anorexia, I appreciated the insight she offers into our relationship with our bodies, the inherent harmfulness of pursuing perfection, and the importance of exploring creativity and having creative outlets, both in recovery and in life.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

I absolutely loved A Man Called Ove and the Beartown series, so I was super eager to dive into this drama-comedy about a group of complicated (and very anxious) individuals who, while touring an apartment, are held hostage by a would-be bank robber. Needless to say, it didn’t disappoint. As a bumbling father-son police duo struggles to piece together the motive of the crime (and how on earth the robber vanished into seemingly thin air), the story shifts between past and present, revealing more about each of the characters and what, exactly, took place during the hostage. Anxious People is funny, heartwarming, and delightfully unexpected in just about every way possible.

Unbowed by Wangari Maathai

The second memoir to make this list, Unbowed tells the incredible life story of Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work in environmental and women’s rights advocacy. Maathai, who has since passed away, dedicated her life to fighting for women and the planet, a fight that would ultimately lead to a series of arrests and accusations and even attempted assassination. If you want a book about overcoming injustice that’s equal parts challenging as it is hopeful, then I’d highly recommend Unbowed.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

As someone who’s admittedly not very well-versed in Korean or Japanese culture, this novel was a fascinating and eye-opening read. Pachinko (which is a Japanese gambling machine, similar to a pinball machine) is told from the perspectives of four generations of the Baeks, a Korean-born family living in Japan, and delves into the hardships many Korean immigrants faced in post-war Japan. The five-hundred-odd pages are rich with history and characterization and explore the ever-timely themes of family, identity, and belonging.

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

This is one of those books that will stick with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Told from the perspective of a World War I soldier who awakens in the hospital after an explosion and discovers that he’s lost his arms, legs, and all of his face (though his mind is perfectly intact), it’s not an easy read, by any means. That said, it’s incredibly thought-provoking in the way with which it depicts both the horrors of war (the anti-war message here is strong) and the human condition as a whole. This is also one of the first times I’ve genuinely enjoyed a book written in stream-of-consciousness.

All We Can Save (multiple authors)

My third (fourth if you count The Overstory) climate-related read on this list is a collection of essays from thirty-odd women, including scientists, activists, teachers, artists, and more, who are leading the climate movement. The essays range from insightful to educational to emphatic to devastatingly realistic, but despite the dire nature of the climate crisis and the myriad obstacles the authors are up against, this book will ultimately leave you feeling hopeful for the future of our planet and inspired to take action against climate change. At least, it did for me.

And that concludes this list. What were the best books you read in 2022? Let me know in the comments!