Best Books of 2022

Since I find it nearly impossible to narrow down to one book, I broke it down to my favorites by category. I’d love to hear your favorite books you read this year, drop it in the comments below.

Book Stats:

• 35% non-Fiction

• 65% fiction

• 68% audiobooks

• 22.8% were 5-star reads

Highlights in no specific order (with a few honorable mentions)

• Best Classic: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. This was a re-read for me and just as good as the last time I read it. Historical fiction at its finest, loved learning about the Arizona/New Mexico frontier.

  • Best Classic, Family Read Aloud: The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. The kids did not want to put this down, we loved it!

• Best Family Read-Aloud: A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. I’d recommend this for kids ages 8 and up, solely because they will appreciate the humor more. This is such a loveable story, the grandmother is a hoot and will keep the whole family laughing.

• Best Historical Fiction: Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin. Set during the Great Depression, a Chicago-area librarian gets laid off and heads down to rural Kentucky to volunteer. A coming of age story and finding life’s purpose, a really good read.

  • Honorable mention: The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson. A beautiful story of preserving our family histories and traditions, land stewardship and re-awakening to our identities in respect of that.

• Best “Parenting” Book: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley. I think every parent and educator should read this.

• Best Self-Reflective Book: On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life by John O’Leary. True story of triumph over tragedy and so many helpful ideas to use in your own life. This story was so poignant, it had me laughing and crying.

  • Honorable Mention for Self-Reflective Book: Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. I highlighted a line from almost every single page of this book. Incredibly applicable to everyday life.

• Best Daily Spiritual Book: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I love to start my day with a Bible reading or something spiritual. This book was perfect to spend a few minutes with every morning and really fantastic points to think about how we lead our lives.

And drum roll please…my top two reads of the year:

• Best Fiction and Family Generational Saga: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. Don’t let the size of it scare you, it will hook you right away and is a page turner.

• Best Series/Cozy Mystery: The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I read books 13-16 this year in the series, I am savoring them since I am almost finished and I am not quite sure where to turn after these books. The characters appear in every story and you will fall in love with them. Step into the mysteries of Three Pines and Louise Penny will take care of you!

Love what you read?

I’d love if you shared it with a bookish friend! Thank you!