It can be hard to choose which books to read with so many great ones coming out, so I’m here to help. I read over a hundred books this year so you don’t have to. Whether readers are looking for a deliciously dark treat of a thriller, a sweeping love story, or simply something to pass the time with, I’ll give you the scoop on the best books of 2022. So get ready to mark your reading lists – these ten books are sure to be the highlights of the year!
Together We Burn
About the Book
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Review
An enthralling fantasy with dragons, flamenco dancing and burning love.
Zarela’s the daughter of the most famous couple in Hispalia. Her mother’s flamenco dancing is legendary, and her father’s reknown as a Dragonador (dragon fighter) is second to none. Zarela’s feared dragons since the day a runaway burned her mother to death right in front of her. She’s following in her mother’s footsteps, dancing as her father’s opening act on their famed dragon arena. However, when the dragons escape during their 500th anniversary celebration, the dragons attack the crowd and injure Zarela’s father. With the Dragon Guild threatening her with fines and more, Zarela is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the family business, even if that means facing a dragon in the ring herself.
But first, she’ll have to face the only dragon tamer willing to train her: the surly Arturo, a former Dragonador who refuses to fight dragons himself anymore. Arturo’s determined not to be won over by Zarela, even if her ferocity and endurance proves him wrong in calling her a spoiled little rich girl. However, Zarela quickly finds out that his grumpy exterior hides a protective heart of gold. Sparks begin to fly between these two, even as Zarela’s father tells her to date anyone but Arturo. This forbidden romance brings heat and longing to the pages.
The poetic language brings the rich colors and dangers of Hispalia to life in the reader’s minds. The characters live under constant threat of attack from wild dragons, despite their thinning the population by hunting dragons for the arena. However, Arturo is convinced that dragons aren’t innately evil and refuses to kill them himself. My favorite part of the story was when one particular dragon’s personality began to shine.
The beauty of the ending left me stunned. This was an instant favorite.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Hester
About the Book
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Genre: Historical Fiction/Retelling
Book Review
I absolutely loved this book! It brought to life the epic story arcs of classic tales, but with a modern feel.
I imagine if Hester Prynne had been narrating the Scarlet Letter, she would have told a very different tale. This retelling of the classic gives Hester her voice and agency back.
Hester’s a skilled seamstress with a secret: she can see colors when people speak. After her older husband loses their house and business in a bad business deal, they travel to America for a fresh start. They are befriended on board by the ship captain, who hires her husband for his next voyage. Her husband pays her rent for a year on the cottage, then promptly leaves her all alone in a new country. Hester soon meets the mysterious young Nathaniel Hawthorne, who enchants her. As her woes pile up, their friendship provides a welcome escape, with Hester even entrusting him with some of her deepest secrets.
This book brought a gothic touch to New England, where the witch trials a few generations past still loom over the current inhabitants. Each of the founding families had a side, with none more prevalent than the Hawthornes, whose ancestor served as chief prosecutor. Anyone who is too skilled at something still runs the danger of being accused of witchcraft instead of celebrated for their talents, including Hester with her embroidery.
Hester’s an enchanting heroine, both vulnerable and fierce as she carves a space in a man’s world for herself and her future baby. Hester’s life was wrecked by the man who was supposed to make it secure, her husband, but she pulls herself up with her wits and skill. She loves, suffers rejections and failures, and finds a way to triumph through learning to trust again.
This is a book I will read again and again.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Violet Made of Thorns
About the Book
Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Review
Perfect for fans of The Wicked Prince, this YA fantasy novel has a lying prophet and a smoldering enemies-to-lovers romance.
Violet can see strands of the future, which allowed her to save the Prince Cyrus’s life in the market one day when they were both kids. She was immediately brought to the palace and began training as a seer. Now, as prophet to the king, she regularly lies for him, causing Cyrus to despise her, even though he’s no longer the sweet boy she saved, either. Violet’s an opportunist building a future in a palace, and Cyrus is a charming flirt who is chased around by all the girls in the kingdom.
However, when the kingdom is threatened by mysterious beasts, who arrive at the same time as a potential bride for Cyrus, Cyrus may have to trust Violet to get the answers he seeks. Violet keeps being visited by the fates – or other beings – encouraging her to kill Cyrus to secure her own future. However, all of this is complicated by how hate seems to be turning to passion between the two of them on the eve of Cyrus’s marriage to another.
This story has a glittering court setting, where everyone enchants themselves with fairy glamours to look more alluring than they really do. Even Violet regularly wears fairy-made gowns, and the descriptions of the balls and all the desserts served are a delight.
The romance takes center stage, with the witty, scathing banter between Cyrus and Violet bringing a lighthearted balance to the danger they face. Their ups and downs keeps the reader guessing who Cyrus will end up with, and who he really wants to end up with.
This engaging fantasy left me eager to read the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tokyo Dreaming
About the Book
Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean
Genre: YA Romance
Book Review
The second part in this Princess Diaries retelling set in Japan is just as sweet as the original.
Izumi’s mother is in Japan, preparing to marry the Crown Prince, Izumi’s father. Izumi is thrilled, until the Royal Chamberlains vote to oppose the marriage. Then she finds out that her American ways may be a stumbling block to her parents’ marriage, and vows to reform, even if it means befriending her vile cousins, who she calls the Shining Twins.
The one thing she won’t compromise on is her relationship with Aiko, her hot former bodyguard, until he dumps her. Then, in her loneliness, she finds herself drawn to Eriku, the upper-class, palace-approved boy who’s tutoring her for her university entrance exams. He, too, dreams of a freer life, so Izumi and Eriku agree to fake date to gain some measure of freedom from their parents’ and the palace’s scrutiny. Everyone’s thrilled, until Izumi begins to suspect Eriku may be developing real feelings. Her traitor heart may be falling for him, too.
Izumi must decide how much she’s willing to compromise to fit into the Japanese Imperial Household, which has opinions about everything, from her college major to who she dates to her hobbies and what she wears. How much is too much to get her mother her happily ever after?
I enjoyed the chance to get to spend more time with Izumi, as she’s conflicted about following her heart. It was sweet to see her parents’ relationship take shape finally, and I enjoyed seeing a new side to familiar characters, including the Shining Twins.
A very enjoyable read.
Secrets so Deep
About the Book
Secrets so Deep by Ginny Myers Sain
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
A deliciously dark treat of a thriller, this book dishes up all the right ingredients: an isolated theater camp filled with ambitious students, a mysterious drowning, and a nightly fog haunted by whispers and shadowy figures.
Avril has returned to the theater camp where her mother drowned long ago. She’s seeking the one thing she doesn’t have: memories of her mother, even if they are second-hand from people who knew her. But as soon as she arrives, she hears the legend of the sea calling to those it claims. And she’s one of the ones who can hear the whispers. Haunting, atmospheric and creepy, this book draws you into its dangerous fog.
The camp begins to trigger memories, and every night the fog sets in, bringing ghosts and confusion. But Avril finds an ally and a romantic interest in Cole, the son of the playwright, Willa, who also happens to have been her mother’s best friend. Together, they fight off the darkness.
This book is a page turner, with twists and turns will keep readers guessing. In the end, Avril and Cole may find out that the most dangerous thing of all is lurking in the fog: the truth.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Final Gambit
About the Book
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Book Review
I’m 100% Team Grayson, and I so hope we get another book in this universe! This engrossing, page-turning finale to the YA mystery series cements its place as one of the great YA series. It has non-stop action, smoldering feelings and a love triangle as Avery is torn between two brothers.
Jameson Hawthorne said it best when he said that his grandfather set “traps upon traps. And riddles upon riddles.” This book continues the cat-and-mouse games of riddles and puzzles readers came to expect from the other books.
Avery faces her most dangerous opponent yet when prodigal son Toby Hawthorne gets kidnapped. Luckily, Avery has the four handsome, smart Hawthorne brothers to help her solve the puzzles the kidnapper sets for her. She just has to keep herself from getting too distracted by her romance with Jameson Hawthorne and her lingering feelings for troubled brother Grayson. This book sees Avery getting closer to solving the mystery of why she was chosen as heir to a $40-something billion fortune from a stranger. It’s not as random as she once thought, as Avery discovers Hawthorne connections she never dreamed of.
Romantic entanglements and double-crossing relatives provide tension. Avery’s overall goodness is given several moments to shine through, and as she grows closer to the Hawthorne brothers, it’s interesting to see them more allies as than adversaries.
This book left me hoping for more spin-offs, because I’m not ready to be done with the Hawthorne brothers!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book.
Book of Night
About the Book
Book of Night by Holly Black
Genre: Fantasy
Book Review
Enter a world where some shadows are magical and can move independently of their owners, feeding off their blood. A world where shadows can be altered, stolen and used as currency. Charlie is dating a man with no shadow, with a sister who wants to find a way to force hers to be magical. This book will have you wanting to keep an eye on your own shadow!
Charlie is a fierce, crafty con artist trying to stay out of trouble after a stint stealing magical artifacts for rich customers. That’s why she’s working as a bartender and dating solid Vince, hiding her past from him. But trouble keeps trying to find her, and even those close to Charlie are not what they seem.
A friend hires Charlie to find her missing husband, but he’s involved in the black-market world Charlie’s trying to leave behind. When Charlie’s attacked at her bar by a gloamist, someone with a magically alive shadow, who sends his shadow down her throat, she’s forced to reckon with her choices. Someone seems to think she knows where a very valuable book is stored and is willing to kill to find it. But Charlie’s also a force to be reckoned with herself, as she fights to save herself and those she loves.
This immersive fantasy draws you fully into its world, where blights – untethered shadows – roam, and gloamists fight to have the most knowledge of shadow magic. With a romance to die for, a savage but enticing main character and a mind-blowing final twist, this page-turner will keep you hooked until the very end.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.
Under the Golden Sun
About the Book
Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Review
This will absolutely be one of my favorite books of the year! This sweeping, poignant love story takes readers from WWII-torn England to a wild ranch in Australia.
Rose Hamilton is struggling to move on from the loss of her unborn child, and her fiancé is less than sympathetic. When she sees an advertisement to bring a young, orphaned child to Australia, she applies on a whim. She immediately falls in love with shy, sweet four-year-old Walter, who has been in the care of his dying great-aunt Vivian. When she’s chosen for the task, she can’t say no.
When Rose arrives in Australia, the family she has been promised will meet her are nowhere to be seen, and when she makes her way to the house, no one answers the door. But the next morning, Uncle Max, a young airforce pilot forced to retire after serious burns, returns and allows them into the house. But Rose soon learns that there’s much more to biracial Walter’s story than she’s been told, and the secrets Vivian kept from her have the potential to upend all their lives. As Rose stays to get Walter settled in with his new family, she also finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Max, whose care for her provides a stark contrast to her fiancé’s neglect.
Max is delightful as the wounded warrior who struggles to believe he’s worthy of love, and you’re rooting for Rose to find healing from her past in Australia. Walter was such a sweet soul, and you want him to be able to keep all the people he loves in his life, as he’s lost so much already.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This Golden State
About the Book
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
“We’ll always be together.”
Poppy’s parents won’t tell her anything about their past. Instead, they live by a set of rules designed to keep them safe – don’t tell anyone your real name, your mother can never be seen in public, if anything feels off, go to the meeting place. Every time Poppy or her younger sister Emma start to get close to someone, the family packs up their bags and moves, picking up a mysterious package with new fake identities and a wad of cash. But one day, on a whim, Poppy takes a DNA test, setting into motion a chain of events she can’t take back, no matter how much she might want to.
Poppy’s seventeen, facing a future where she can never keep one identity long enough to finish a class, much less go to college or build a career. When she enrolls in a number theory class on a whim, she discovers how many gaps she has in her knowledge and how many opportunities she’s missed by moving around so much, but she also discovers she has a keen intellect ready for the challenge of catching up, and a handsome boy in her class ready to help her discover all the things she’s missed. But stopping running means giving up on her parents, a choice Poppy isn’t sure she’s ready to make. Poppy’s determined to find out why they live the way they do and what her parents are running from.
This book is complete with tension, drama, a handsome rich boy and a star-crossed love story. The mystery of Poppy’s parents’ identity kept me hooked, frantically turning pages to find out what clue Poppy would discover next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Anatomy: A Love Story
About the Book
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Fantasy
Book Review
Dark, sinister and foreboding, this historical fantasy is set against the backdrop of a mysterious plague.
Hazel’s wealthy and expected to marry into the British aristocracy, with her future husband all picked out – her cousin, Bartholomew. But all Hazel wants is to become a surgeon and save lives. With a father in the Navy and a mother distracted by mourning the death of a son, Hazel’s found the freedom to do what she wants for a few precious months. When she cons her way into an anatomy class by pretending to be a boy, she discovers a whole new world where she can excel.
Jack’s a resurrection man, who steals bodies for medical students to practice on. But someone’s hunting resurrection men, and it’s not the police. Chance crosses his path with Hazel’s, and when she’s cut off from practicing, she turns to Jack to find her bodies to dissect. Together, they attempt to solve the mystery of what’s causing so many poor people to disappear in Edinburgh and find a cure for the dreaded Roman fever. It appears two plagues may be stalking the citizens of Edinburgh: one viral and one very human.
This book is gloriously bloody and gory, with Hazel never hesitating to dig into the disgustingness of the human body. But the forbidden romance between Hazel and Jack brings the perfect balance of sweetness to the story. And the ending is to die for.
Need more recommendations? Find my fifteen best YA books of 2021 here.
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