This past year, I read 171 titles in exchange for reviews. I also read something like thirty books from my backlist. I did a terrible job keeping track of my backlist reading, something I’m hoping to do better at this year. All that to say that I read just about 200 books, and so many of them were great. It’s really hard to narrow that list down to just the top ten.
What you need to know: A gender-flipped retelling of sleeping beauty where the prince waits for a kiss to wake him, and two fierce, determined treasure hunters will stop at nothing to break his curse. Features a M/F romance and a F/F romance. I LOVED this book. It is, hands down, my favorite of the year.
What you need to know: An icy planet. A race run with sleds and wolves. A girl whose only chance for survival depends on the race. I couldn’t put it down. Fantastic characters. Intense, action-packed story.
What you need to know: An island with a history of unsolved murders. A girl whose best friend and sister were both murdered on the island will stop at nothing to find out why. This book gripped me from the first page to the last. I love the ending. I didn’t at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved it for the risk the author took in writing it.
What you need to know: A magic river kept a girl’s family safe in WWII Hungary. Now she must decide whether to finally take her chance to escape to safety or fight for revolution. Oh. My. Gosh. The writing in this book left me aching. The magic. And the revolution. And the characters. I love it.
What you need to know: This has been a great year for me with reading novels in verse, but this one is my favorite of all. I loved the magical Prague setting. The sweet, slow burn romance. It was all beautiful and fantastic.
What you need to know: I don’t know what I expected going into this book, but I was completely blown away. The forest is creepy and the small community feels so real with its prejudices and complex connections. And… ugh Jay. (I loved Winnie and Jay!)
What you need to know: I adore this book with its cat-who-is-not-a-cat and its sentient inn filled with a magic-wielding family. And the boy on his own looking for answers. This was the book I didn’t know I needed.
What you need to know: Anonymous letters lead a girl and a shapeshifting boy/crow on a journey to save their world in a mysterious place called Nowhere. This one totally blew me away. I loved Roda and Ignis so much. I’ve already got Hassan’s debut YA novel which comes out this year on my TBR!
What you need to know: A girl guarded by birds, who’s never left the safe haven of her tree until a sinister force threatens its existence. The story of this one is excellent, but the illustrations are absolutely stunning.
What you need to know: The cover copy calls this one “folksy” and “fresh” and it totally is! I loved the southern feel of the town and characters, and the exploration of identity and magic in this book. I’m super excited to read more by Ash Van Otterloo.
What are your favorite books from 2022?
Take a second and think through the books you read in the last year. What are the best books of 2022 that you read? Tell me below. I would love to know what you read last year.
Did you read any of the books on my list? What did you think of them? Leave a comment and let me know!
Here we are, at the end of another year. A lot has happened this year, and more than ever, I’ve found myself grateful for the opportunity to read and talk about so many great books. In my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up post, I’ll focus on some overall stats and list a few favorite books I read this year.
I discovered that I enjoy finding out reading stats of other bookish people and reviewers. Mara at Books Like Whoa on YouTube is probably my favorite for this. I love the way she breaks down and shares her reading stats. I’d like to work reading stats into my wrap-up posts. Not an overwhelming amount, just a few key things.
With all that in mind, let me share some of the high notes from this past year, including a breakdown of what I read, what I loved best, and what my faithful readers love best. Here’s my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up.
205 Books Read
That’s a lot of books. In 2021, I read 139 books, obviously I read a lot more than that this year. In fact, that’s the highest amount I’ve read since I’ve been tracking my reading habits on Goodreads. I made a few changes to my reading habits that I think contributed to me reading more. Here are the big ones:
I read more e-books on my phone. Sometimes it was just a page or two at a time while I waited in a parking lot. Those minutes added up.
I read more than one book at a time. This is tricky for me, but I can do it successfully if I’m reading different genres and/or age groups in different formats. For example, a nonfiction audiobook, a paperback middle grade historical, and an ebook young adult fantasy. Usually I only read two books at a time.
I take more breaks from reading. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it has really worked for me. I’ve given myself a lot more permission this year to spend evenings in other ways besides reading. Sometimes I chat on the phone. Sometimes I watch TV or play a video game. I thought taking time away would leave me running way behind on reviews and super stressed, but I’ve found it to be the opposite. (Thanks due to THE GIFTS OF IMPERFECTION by Brené Brown.)
So I read 205 books. What kinds of books were they?
Breaking Down the Books By Age Range
Middle Grade: 67
Young Adult: 131
Other – mainly adult crossover or nonfiction: 7
2022 Reading Wrap-Up: My Favorites
Now, the good part: my favorites! Every time I read an amazing book, I try to decide if I think it’s the one that will top my list for the year. This year, I read my favorite young adult book really early. Despite lots of incredible books that came later in the year, this one remained my top favorite all year long. Other books were late arrivals to my reading list and immediately topped my list.
I’m including a favorite from middle grade, young adult, nonfiction, and backlist plus some other categories with standout books.
Favorite Middle Grade Book I Read in 2022
Ravenfall Kalyn Josephson Delacorte Press Published September 6, 2022
How I acquired the book: Review request from the author. ARC on NetGalley.
This book took me completely by surprise in all the best ways. I loved the sentient hotel. The cat-who-is-not-a-cat. The unpredictable magic. And the friendship between Annabella and Colin. It’s perfect and amazing, and I can’t wait to read more by Kalyn Josephson– I’ve already purchased her YA duology. Super excited about that!
Favorite Young Adult Book I Read in 2022
The Bone Spindle Leslie Veddar Razorbill Published January 11, 2022
How I acquired the book: ARC on NetGalley (I purchased a finished copy later.)
THE BONE SPINDLE is also one of my favorite books of 2022. It’s a gender-flipped retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I’m so hooked on the story and characters. You’ve got Fi, the treasure hunter who accidentally forged a magical connection with a sleeping prince; Shane, the mercenary who carries a battle axe– don’t mess with her! And Briar Rose, the prince under a sleeping curse who hopes his magic combined with Fi’s wits can break the curse that’s kept him asleep for one hundred years. I cannot wait for the sequel, THE SEVERED THREAD, which comes out in February 2023.
Favorite Nonfiction Title I Read in 2022
Pirate Queens Leigh Lewis Illustrated by Sara Gomez Woolley National Geographic Kids Published January 11, 2022
How I acquired the book: received a finished copy from the publisher.
I kept seeing this book all over Twitter, so I was super excited when a publicist offered me a review copy. Before reading this book, I had NO IDEA there were so many powerful pirate ladies. I loved the exploration of history surrounding each pirate leader and the context which allowed me to compare what they’d done to other pirate leaders of their time (or any time). Another great thing about the book is that it doesn’t glorify the pirate life. Many times the book calls attention to how these pirate fleets treated others and the harm they did.
Favorite Backlist Title I Read in 2022
Cattywampus Ash Van Otterloo Scholastic Press Published August 4, 2020 (PB February 1, 2022)
How I acquired the book: pre-ordered the paperback version.
CATTYWAMPUS was another book that I felt like I saw everywhere when it came out in 2021, but I hadn’t had a chance to read it until this year. I picked up a paperback copy in one of Barnes & Noble’s pre-order sales, and loved every single page. It’s a wild, fun story packed with magic, mayhem, and heart. A total must-read.
Favorite Novel in Verse I Read in 2022
The Ghosts of Rose Hill R. M. Romero Peachtree Teen Published May 10, 2022
How I acquired the book: received a finished copy from publisher.
THE GHOSTS OF ROSE HILL is a novel in verse about a biracial girl (Latine and Jewish) who meets a ghost boy in a graveyard in Prague. She vows to break the curse that holds him, though doing so may mean losing him forever. It’s haunting, romantic, and unforgettable. I love the writing. In fact, there’s currently a quote from the book on my fridge.
Favorite Graphic Novel I Read in 2022
The Legend of Brightblade Ethan M. Aldridge Quill Tree Books Published March 1, 2022
How I acquired the book: purchased. Ethan Aldridge is an auto-buy author for me.
I’ve been a fan of Ethan Aldridge since I read THE CHANGELING KING, and this book only further cemented my admiration for his work. His worldbuilding is fantastic. I love the expressions on his characters’ faces. While this color palette is a lot different than his other work, I loved the way the colors worked in support of the story. Also, a band of bards fighting with magical music?! YES. As soon as I saw that premise, I knew I had to have this book. It’s so much fun.
Favorite Book Outside My Comfort Zone
It Looks Like Us Alison Ames Page Street Press Published September 13, 2022
I don’t usually read horror, but this one had me completely hooked. It’s set in Antarctica in a research station, so kind of a closed environment. An alien or infection begins infiltrating the group of teens doing a volunteer project there. They have to stop it in order to survive. I loved the relationships between the characters and the way those relationships were challenged by the thing infiltrating their group. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
2022 Reading Wrap-Up: Your Favorites
One of the most fascinating things about blogging this year has been watching my statistics and tracking what my readers are most interested in. Here is a sampling of some of the most interesting data.
Your Favorite Review
You’ve Reached Sam Dustin Thao Wednesday Books Published November 9, 2021
YOU’VE REACHED SAM is by far my most popular review with more than 6,500 views this year alone. I don’t quite know how that’s possible. It’s my top performing post almost every month, which is pretty wild. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine, to be honest. I liked a lot of things about it, though, and I’m excited to see Dustin Thao’s next book. WHEN HARU WAS HERE is supposed to come out until December 2023.
Your Favorite List
26 Stories Inspired by Asian History, Folklore, or Mythology
Originally posted July 23, 2020
I’m a little bit embarrassed about this post? I wrote it before I learned of the controversy surrounding the filming of a live-action Disney movie, so my first version celebrated the movie coming out and offered a list of books by Asian authors, inspired by Asian history, folklore, or mythology to read while waiting for the movie’s release.
After learning more about the filming and some comments made by actors, I updated the post so that it focused on reading these books as perhaps an alternative to supporting the movie. I still think the original title is… weird? Awkward? It doesn’t quite say what the list truly is.
At any rate, it’s been a really popular post with more than 5K views since 2020, and about half of those from this year. I’ve started an updated list that includes more recent releases, but there are SO MANY BOOKS to include (yay!) that I haven’t finished it yet. Probably it’ll need to be a two-part list, too, with middle grade and young adult posted separately.
Most Discussed Post on The Story Sanctuary
Top Ten Tuesday My Summer Reading List
(of backlist book titles)
Since I posted my list of anticipated summer releases a few weeks before the Top Ten Tuesday meme topic, I made this list of backlist titles that I wanted to read. At 25 comments, it’s the post that had the most discussion on my blog. I loved that people stopped to comment. It’s always fun to talk books with visitors and to see which books people have read and what their feelings about them are.
Most Discussed Post on Twitter
Best Middle Grade Books I Read in 2021
Over 9K Twitter Impressions. 9 Comments. 8 Retweets. 41 Likes.
I’m not very engaged on social media these days. It’s so much just keeping up with my blog, reading, and making sure reviews get posted when they should be. So these stats probably aren’t very impressive to someone with a regular Twitter plan, but they kind of blew me away. I have Middle Grade Twitter (my favorite twitter!) to thank for the love on this post.
2022 Reading Wrap-Up: Overall Stats and Goals for the Year
This past year was the best my blog has ever had. I more than doubled my visits and page views over my totals for 2021 with about 202K page views and 131K visitors for the year.
One of my goals was to post seasonal reading lists, which I did pretty consistently. Sometimes I posted one list with both YA and MG titles, and sometimes I posted separate lists, depending on how many books there were between both categories. This summer, I began doing recap posts, tracking how many books I read from my anticipated list and which books turned out to be my favorite. I loved doing that, so I’m definitely planning to continue that.
I’ll talk about my goals for 2023 in a Top Ten Tuesday post after the New Year, so more on that in the other post!
What’s in your 2022 Reading Wrap-Up?
Let’s talk about your favorites. Favorite book you read this year? Favorite post you read or wrote for your own blog?
Or feel free to tell me about your favorite part of my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up, too! I’m very much still experimenting with my recap format, so I’d love to know what parts you find the most interesting or things you wanted to know that I didn’t share.
Best wishes to you all as we head into the new year. May your bookshelves be full of fantastic chapters yet to be read. May you find the right book at exactly the right time. And may your journey be filled with great friends, both on the page and in your life.
Seems like every month I have a harder time figuring out my review calendar. There are just too many amazing books coming out these days. I want to read them all! This winter is no exception. Lots of these titles are by authors of books I read last year (or earlier) and loved, so I’m really excited about their newest titles. There are a fair amount of romance titles on here, but some fantasy, historical and murder mysteries, too.
These are the 23 most-anticipated young adult books coming winter 2023 that I’m most looking forward to. I’ll post a list of my most-anticipated winter middle grade titles separately.
What you need to know: This one had me at TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE meets PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. I love those rich colors on the cover, too. I can’t wait to get into it.
What you need to know: Tobias Madden’s debut made me laugh out loud and outright sob. This one is about a boy who joins a local production of Chicago to meet his online crush. Sounds like so much fun!
What you need to know: The cover copy calls this “a remarkable reckoning with our present moment, a call to action, and a plea for a more just future.” Includes a photo insert featuring memorials for victims of unlawful killings. This is one I really need to read this year.
What you need to know: Mica begins dating the perfect guy–and winning at life– only to discover his family roots mean she’s living in a horror novel. Looks like a lot of fun.
What you need to know: The cover copy says this one delivers the thrills of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD and the icy magic of FROZEN. Looks like a magical rebellion kind of story, and I’m excited to check it out.
What you need to know: I loved Meg Long’s debut, COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES, and this novel follows a minor character that I loved from that book, so I absolutely cannot wait to read it.
What you need to know: The premise of this one reminds me of THE CODE FOR LOVE AND HEARTBREAK, so I’m kind of hoping for those vibes plus humor and hijinks.
What you need to know: Monsters, magic, and wicked fae. Hassan’s middle grade fantasy, THE PRINCE OF NOWHERE, was one of my favorite middle grade titles this past year. I loved the writing and complex characters, so I’m hoping for more of those things in this one.
What you need to know: A group of people bonded by grief over a lost loved one. A story of grief, hope, and finding the courage to love again. Looks really heartfelt and sweet.
What you need to know: College (mis)adventures and a pirate radio station. I’m in. I’ve discovered a love for a “just kiss already!” romance, so I’m excited about this one from an author whose books I’ve enjoyed.
What you need to know: A D&D master– yes, please!– and a girl who keeps her emotions under wraps. Love over the course of a year’s worth of holidays. This sounds different and sweet.
What you need to know: THE BONE SPINDLE was my absolute number one favorite book last year, and I’m desperate to read this sequel. I need more of Red and Shane, and I have to know what happens with Fi and her prince in this gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty reimagining.
What you need to know: A band of kids try to free a city with the help of a mysterious Architect. The cover copy promises: sinister schemes, bumbling superheroes, unexpected friendships, and plenty of humor and plot twists. I’m intrigued.
What you need to know: A trans-boy who feels like he’s always almost enough. A piano competition he resolved to win. The ex he needs to win back. And the new boy… who seems to truly see him like no one else does. Yes, please.
What you need to know: A masked killer targeting frat boys. A sole survivor of a world-famous murder spree. Last year I read two horror novels that were really good, so this year I picked a couple more to try. This one could be chills-inducing good, or over the top for me. We’ll find out!
What you need to know: A missing girl who was never found. A true crime podcast featuring the case. Two girls who must decide whether the secrets they uncovered would destroy an innocent man or identify Clarissa’s murderer. Looks twisty and intense.
What you need to know: This is part of the Remixed Classics that I’ve been following but haven’t managed to read yet. I’m super excited to read Kalynn Bayron’s reimagining of Jekyll & Hyde. I really enjoyed her middle grade novel, THE VANQUISHERS, last year.
What you need to know: A Renaissance Faire under new management. A girl who liked the old faire better. A boy who pulls her into the new theatrical experience. I have loved both Ashley Schumacher’s other novels, so I’m dying to read this one.
What you need to know: A girl chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first air race for youth. Sabotage and secrets. Maybe even… murder?? I’ve loved both the books I read by this author before, so I’m expecting the same great storytelling and unforgettable characters here.
What you need to know: A best friend and first love disappears, leaving only snapshots of grief and secrets behind. This one looks like the kind of book that can wreck you. I’m totally in.
Buy links and cover art to come after the cover reveal in Jan!
What you need to know: CASTELON is the final book in the Wraithwood series, which I’ve really been enjoying. It’s got some Merlin-based lore and magic. A slow-burn romance. I have to know how it all ends.
What you need to know: This looks like magical realism or maybe a portal story? A girl who supports her family by scavenging elf corpses. The elf prince whose fate is tied to hers. Looks like it could have some THE LUMINARIES vibes?
What you need to know: A best friendship nearly wrecked by a summer fling. A surly new stepsister. A community theater production in jeopardy. Sounds like Junie is juggling a lot of big things, and they’re all about to come crashing down. I loved Markum’s debut, and this one looks like it’ll deliver the same sparky tension and hilarity.
What amazing young adult books coming winter 2023 are you most looking forward to? What genres do you think you’ll read the most of in the next few months? Are you reading any books outside your normal habits?
How are there so many great books coming out in the next few months? It gets harder and harder to limit my calendar to the books I can actually read, because it seems like there are so many great ones out there. I read three to five middle grade titles in an average month, but I wish I could read more. These books will all be published from January to March 2023. My list is mainly contemporary, historical, and fantasy novels. Here are the middle grade books coming winter 2023 that I’m most looking forward to reading.
Amazing Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2023
The Librarian of Auschwitz: The Graphic Novel by Antonio Iturbe, Salva Rubio, and Loreto Aroca
What you need to know: The story of a fourteen-year-old girl imprisoned in Auschwitz becomes the guardian of 8 books slipped past the guards as a graphic novel. I really want to read this.
What you need to know: Described as “WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE with a #METOO message.” A girl uncovers what’s behind a classmate’s fall from popularity. I’ve loved both books by Claire Swinarski that I’ve read, so I’m really looking forward to this one.
What you need to know: Described as “a brilliant middle-grade survival story that traces a harrowing family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s.” I’m excited to finally read a book by Katherine Marsh!
What you need to know: The true story of two Austrian-Jewish brothers who experienced the atrocities of the Holocaust in very different ways adapted from an adult book. Looks heartbreaking and moving. There are still so few stories of Jewish Holocaust survivors or victims– I am eager to read this one.
What you need to know: A cursed princess waiting for a prince to break her curse… or ready to take matters into her own hands and save her kingdom herself. The cover is lovely, and I’m super intrigued by the description of the story.
What you need to know: A twelve year-old school shooting survivor living in the National Quiet Zone– a place where there is no internet. I loved Erin Bow’s YA books, so I was really excited to see this MG title.
What you need to know: A world inspired by pre-Shogun era Japan. A girl who will go to the ends of the earth to save her sister. I love sister books, so I can’t wait to read this one.
What you need to know: A girl who can discovers she can borrow others’ talents for a day tries to save her dad’s failing planetarium. Looks like a funny, sweet story.
Release Date: February 7, 2023
The Swallowtail Legacy 2: Betrayal by the Book by Michael D. Beil
What you need to know: A young writer and her favorite author. A writer’s conference and a suspicious death! The first book in this series was fantastic, so I’m really excited to see what happens to Lark and her friends next.
What you need to know: A boba tea shop in trouble. A girl determined to save it by selling handmade amigurumi dolls. A story about friendship, family, and entrepreneurship. This looks super sweet.
What you need to know: Described as “THE PARENT TRAP meets THE HOLIDAY.” Two girls who become friends when their families swap houses for the summer. I loved GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE, so I’m super excited to read another book by Yvette Clark.
What you need to know: Two siblings fight to save the marsh they love and learn the story behind a statue revealed by a drought. I think I’ve read every novel Gillian McDunn has written– which I can’t say for many other authors. I can’t wait to read this one.
What you need to know: 14th Century Europe. A lost girl who can’t remember her name traveling from Norway to England looking for safety from the plague. A really intriguing premise from an author I’ve enjoyed before.
What you need to know: Identical twins drifting apart agree to swap places for the summer. Whoever does a better job impersonating her sister gets to decide where they’ll go to school in the fall. This looks like a fun, fresh spin on a sister story– and I am desperate to read it.
What you need to know: Celtic mythology. A magical boarding school. A girl who must overcome her people’s prejudices against her to recover a stolen artifact before the world is plunged into darkness. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but this one looks awesome.
Release Date: March 28, 2023
What titles are on your reading list this winter?
What are your most-anticipated middle grade books coming winter 2023? Are you planning to read any of the titles on my list? Have titles to recommend? Leave a comment so I can add more books to my reading list!
I didn’t realize until a few years ago how much the holiday season stirs up feelings of dread for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of the holiday events and celebrations. There are moments I look forward to. Christmas morning with my family. Quietly contemplating the long ago night that a tiny child who would change the world was born in a manger. Those are meaningful times for me.
But the hustle. The shopping. The decorating. All the pressure that comes with seeing all the people in a few short days. We have a big family and some relationships and events are, well… a bit challenging. It’s a lot.
At any rate, I didn’t realize how stressed I was about Christmas until the year that I lost a baby just a few days before the holiday. Somehow that terrible grief unmasked some of the other things I’d been feeling for a long time.
My family is great. My mom and my oldest daughter keep asking me how they can make the holiday season a little easier, and I really appreciate that. (For my teenage daughter, the number one answer is: GIVE ME A CHRISTMAS LIST!)
One of the funny things about being a bookish person is that people don’t generally give me books for Christmas. I suppose that’s partly because they don’t know which ones I’ve already read and what I might be looking forward to. It’s hard to keep track, I get it. (I’d be lost without my spreadsheet and Google calendar.)
But just in case anyone who loves me is checking out my blog posts and hasn’t finished their shopping yet, let me share a few of the bookish things I would love to find under the Christmas tree this year.
What you need to know: Two sisters who join the staff of a magical, traveling hotel and learn it hides dangerous secrets. I’ve heard so many great things about this book.
What you need to know: Described as a love letter to Syria and its people. Speculative and set during the Syrian revolution. A girl desperate to flee until a fateful encounter makes her consider what it would take to fight for Syria’s freedom instead. I’ve heard incredible things about this book.
What you need to know: A twin’s sister dies under horrific circumstances, and he will do whatever it takes to find out why. I’m not usually brave enough to read horror, but I’ve had really good experiences with the couple horror books I’ve read this year. And this is RYAN LASALA. I adored REVERIE. I’m all in.
What you need to know: A young Romanian writer forced to betray everything he believes in by informing on those he loves joins the revolution to fight for freedom. It’s Ruta Sepetys, y’all. I am really excited about reading this one.
Release Date: February 1, 2022
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
What you need to know: An ogress who secretly delivers gifts to the town. A missing orphan. A smooth-talking mayor who’s very good at pointing fingers. I loved THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, and this story looks just as magical and wonderful. I’m all for a book about the power of generosity and love.
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
What you need to know: A girl with powerful magic she must keep secret teams up with friends to preserve the balance of magic in her world. I remember people raving about this series, but I never read it. Now I’ve read and loved THE LUMINARIES and I need more Susan Dennard in my life, please, thanks.
What you need to know: A girl travels a war-torn country in search of her sister when she discovers her own magic and becomes swept up in the war. I really wanted to read this when it came out, and just wasn’t able to fit it into my calendar. I read a sample chapter and must have more.
What you need to know: Second book in the Bone Spindle series, a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling and my top favorite book of 2022. Yes, this is a pre-order. I can’t help myself. I want this one really, REALLY bad. It’s at the very top of my Bookish Holiday Wishlist!
I recently got pre-ordered a book and received this gorgeous metal peacock bookmark as a pre-order thank you. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love the idea of a metal bookmark. They’re a bit expensive, but so pretty.
I like bookish shirts, and I have a couple. This one made me laugh (only a tiny bit maniacally).
I was looking for a shirt that says “I’m with the Banned” but all the shirts that I saw included a certain boy wizard book that I’ve decided not to promote, so I feel a little weird about having it in a shirt.
This is a relatively new thing I’ve been trying out. I’ve been posting most-anticipated reading lists for the season, with my most looked-forward-to new young adult and middle grade releases and why I’m excited about them. Then at the end of the season, I post a look back at the list following up. How many books from the list did I actually read? Which were my favorites? So. Here we are with a list of the best books I read in fall 2022. Let’s get to it!
How many books from my Most-Anticipated Fall Reading List did I actually read?
I created two separate posts to talk about upcoming fall books, one for middle grade and one for young adult with 37 books total. This time, I managed to read all the books on my most-anticipated lists plus about 15 others that are a combination of last-minute requests or books from earlier in the year that I finally managed to read. Here are a few highlights from those 15.
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile
What you need to know: This graphic novel was longlisted for the National Book Award and tells the story of Olympic Medalist Tommie Smith as he lifted a black-gloved fist to protest the treatment of Black athletes in the United States.
What you need to know: I’m not usually a horror girl, but so many things about this book hooked me. The post-apocalyptic setting. The escape from a traumatic, abusive cult. Love in the midst of pandemic and disaster. I loved it. Though I was eagerly looking forward to this one, somehow it didn’t make it onto my most-anticipated list.
What you need to know: This has been a great year for me with reading novels in verse, but this one is my favorite of all. I loved the magical Prague setting. The sweet, slow burn romance. It was all beautiful and fantastic.
Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Favorites by Familiar Authors
In the last few months, I read 15 books by authors I’d read before. Brigid Kemmerer (9 books) and Courtney Summers (6 books) are the authors I’ve read most. For most of the other authors on the list, I’ve only read one book by them before this fall.
Here are my favorite YA, MG, and nonfiction titles from all the books I read by familiar authors.
What you need to know: Honestly, I liked this one even more than THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END. I think it perfectly celebrated its predecessor and brought entirely new ideas and characters into the Death Cast world. This was a total win for me.
What you need to know: I really enjoyed Dobbs’ debut novel and the first book about Petra Luna, but this one is even better. I loved the community she weaves around her and the surprises those connections bring.
What you need to know: I think this is the only nonfiction title by a familiar author that I read this fall. I love that this book makes justice and activism accessible to kids. It was a very easy read and very encouraging.
Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Favorites by a New Author or Author New to Me
The majority of the books that I read this fall were by authors who were new to me. Some of them were debut authors, which is always exciting. You never really know what you’re going to get with a debut, so I feel like when a debut is amazing, it’s all the more awesome to feel like you’ll get to follow that author’s writing right from the beginning.
Some of the authors who are new to me are authors I’ve really wanted to try for a long time. For the first time this fall, I read books by Crystal Maldonado, Justina Ireland, Dean Atta, and Susan Dennard. All of them are authors I’ve heard amazing things about and just hadn’t managed to read yet. My reading list only gets longer the more great authors I discover!
At any rate, here are my favorite books by authors I’d never read before this fall. I chose one each for YA, MG, nonfiction, and backlist books.
What you need to know: I don’t know what I expected going into this book, but I was completely blown away. The forest is creepy and the small community feels so real with its prejudices and complex connections. And… ugh Jay. (I loved Winnie and Jay!)
What you need to know: I adore this book with its cat-who-is-not-a-cat and its sentient inn filled with a magic-wielding family. And the boy on his own looking for answers. This was the book I didn’t know I needed.
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer
What you need to know: I had heard really great things about the adult version of this book, so when I saw that there was a young adult version, I jumped at the chance to read and review it here. I loved the introspective questions, the history and ecology lessons woven together in perfect harmony.
What you need to know: A beautifully written novel in verse following a biracial gay boy as he comes of age in London and discovers drag.
Book that Surprised Me the Most
Reading a lot of new authors gives me a LOT of room to be surprised by a book, and I love that. I do enjoy the security of reading a book by an author I’m familiar with and having a really high likelihood that I’ll enjoy the book. But I also like to gamble and see what other voices are bringing to the book world. This season, I’d say that gambling more than paid off because several books completely blew me away in ways I couldn’t have predicted.
What you need to know: Did I mention that I’m not usually into horror? I couldn’t get enough of the Antarctic setting. The tenuous friendships disrupted by an alien or infection. Also, there’s a wildly rich, rocket launching, electric car manufacturing guy named Anton Rusk. Lol.
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston
What you need to know: Another title longlisted for the National Book Award– and so deservedly! Lotus is vibrant and talented. I loved the way she heard music in everything.
What you need to know: This one had been on my TBR for years. A journalist puts together a series of interviews and research on indirect aggression and bullying between girls. It’s a bit of a harrowing but necessary read.
What are the best books you read this past fall?
Now I’ve shared all the best books I read in fall 2022. What are your favorite books that you read this fall? Tell me about your favorites so I can check them out, too. Did you read any of the books on my lists? What did you think of them? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought.
