There’s nothing easy about finding your way through a world loaded with obstacles that others can’t or don’t see.
In 2022, many authors found inspiration to write a new batch of classic reads despite uncertainties hanging around the world. Join What We Reading as we take a look back at 10 of the best-selling books from 2022, ranging from biographies to gripping works of fiction.
It Starts With Us – Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover’s It Starts With Us is a fitting follow-up to her masterpiece, It Ends With Us, and became a best-seller after going viral on TikTok as a contemporary romance novel.
Hoover weaves the past of Atlas and the present struggles of Lily, who separated from her ex-husband Ryle, into a powerful story about lost lovers and second chances.
The Light We Carry – Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times is a follow-up to her inspiring work, Becoming, and was listed as one of Time’s must-read books from 2022 and a New York Times best-seller.
Obama delivers powerful stories and eye-opening advice designed to ignite conversations and kick-start change, combining compassion with practical strategies for overcoming self-doubt and life’s biggest challenges.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? – Dr Julie Smith
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? is Dr Julie Smith’s debut book, a resource for readers looking to overcome everyday challenges while maintaining their emotional and mental well-being.
The 2022 best-seller provides readers with practical coping techniques, from anxiety management to finding motivation, presented in manageable steps and with an empathetic tone.
Dream Town – David Baldacci
Dream Town by David Baldacci is a 2022 historical mystery-thriller and the third entry in his Archer series.
Set in 1953 Los Angeles, private investigator Aloysius Archer investigates a case involving screenwriter Eleanor Lamb, who disappears after receiving strange calls and finding a dead body in her apartment. Baldacci weaves shocking twists into the layered conspiracy, revealing the corrupt nature of both cops and criminals and the lengths to which America’s most powerful will go to keep their secrets hidden.
Sea Of Tranquility – Emily St. John Mandel
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel is a beautiful take on humanity’s fascination with the stars and a contender for the best 2022 sci-fi book.
The book whisks readers across multiple perspectives split centuries apart, from Vancouver Island in 1912 to an isolated lunar colony two centuries in the future. Mandel challenges readers’ imagination with how they understand time, presenting dazzling imagery against the backdrop of the wonders of space.
Finding Me – Viola Davis
Finding Me by Viola Davis is an Oprah’s Book Club Pick and Goodreads Choice Award winner, a heartfelt memoir detailing Davis’s heroic journey from a crumbly apartment in Rhode Island to being a multi-award-winning actor on the stage.
Davis brings her story to life in one of the most powerful and honest works of the year, doubling as an uplifting tale for any reader to be inspired by.
I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jenette McCurdy
Jenette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died is one of the most hotly-anticipated pushback biographies from 2022. McCurdy details her path from a child star to an acclaimed artist, bringing her toxic upbringing to life in her first memoir.
The book describes the harmful effects the pressures of stardom had on her emotional and physical health, as well as navigating through the hardships brought on by her abusive mother, making it an unapologetic must-read.
Looking for more great biographies? Check out 7 insightful biographies from 2022 here!
The Satsuma Complex – Bob Mortimer
Bob Mortimer, a British personality, wrote the witty crime-thriller story The Satsuma Complex in 2022. The story follows Gary, a thirty-something solicitor who connects with a girl at a pub after work. However, when she suddenly disappears from the table, he chases after her based on the only thing he can remember about her: the book she was reading, The Satsuma Complex.
Readers follow Gary on his colourful quest to inject some life into his bland existence through the streets and estates of South London. This hilarious debut in the literary world marks Mortimer’s foray into writing.
Book Lovers – Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, the 2022 New York Times bestseller, follows Nora Stephens, a no-nonsense literary agent whose work is the sole thing that occupies her time. Her world is thrown into disarray following a holiday to North Carolina and an encounter with the moody Charlie Lastra.
While Nora spends her time critiquing the tropes and unbelievable scenarios of rom-coms, she begins to find herself ensnared in a series of coincidences that shift her whole worldview. From one of the best romance writers in the world, Book Lovers celebrates who you are, not who you are expected to turn into.
Fairy Tale – Stephen King
Stephen King’s Fairy Tale marked the horror veteran’s first foray into the world of fantasy in one of the best-selling books from 2022.
It follows a seventeen-year-old named Charlie who, after experiencing a traumatic upbringing, encounters an eccentric old man, his big dog, and his grand estate on the top of a hill. When the old man, Mr Bowditch, dies and leaves his house to Charlie, the young man finds himself embarking on a journey that proves even the most ordinary of people can become superheroes. Fairy Tale marks King’s triumphant entry to the fantasy genre with alternate dimensions and sinister characters lurking in a world just inside the old man’s shed.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
