My Top 5 Books I Read in 2022

By Sarah Armstrong | December 2022

In the twelve months that made up the year 2022, I was able to read a total of 25 books, fulfilling my Goodreads quota right on the dot. Almost every single one of those books I read, I absolutely loved. Here, I have compiled my top 5 favorites from this year.

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid was my very first read of the year, and ultimately it was my favorite. Gifted to me by my sister for Christmas, it was definitely the best gift I received. This book was fast paced, told a unique story, and kept me hooked the whole way through. I really enjoyed how it wasn’t the typical prose found in novels, but was instead set up as an interview between a reporter and the various band members. It follows the story of how a small town band called The Six rose to fame at the same time as another singer Daisy Jones. The interview style of writing allows for each of the characters to describe their point of view during their individual careers, the time while they all performed together, and everything in between. I ended up rating this book a solid 5 stars because of how immersed I felt into their 70s rock world. I would recommend this novel to almost any person because of how versatile it is. This is truly a book for everyone.

Trigger Warnings: Substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, profanity

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson tells the tragically beautiful story of a young girl who experiences a traumatic experience, and follows her through the healing process until she is finally herself again. I read this book because I remembered watching the movie for it in 9th grade health class, and heard many raves about how much better the book was, so I thought I would test it for myself. What I found was that everybody was right, the book brings so much more of the main character, Melinda’s, story to light and truly dives into all of the emotions she experienced during her freshman year of high school. While reading this book I could picture every single aspect of what Melinda experienced because of how great detail the writing holds. I thought that this book was just absolutely beautiful and I am so glad I took the time to read the book even after seeing the movie.

Trigger Warnings: rape, anxiety, depression

Just Kids by Patti Smith

I read Just Kids by Patti Smith for a book club I participated in, and I was not disappointed in the pick whatsoever. Going in, I was a little bit nervous because it was a memoir written by a woman I had never heard of before, but it turned out to be such a wonderful story I didn’t even care. Just Kids is the memoir Patti Smith wrote about her time in the music industry in the 70s and 80s, alongside her platonic soulmate Robert Mappelthorpe, a famous artist. While reading this memoir, all I could do was sympathize with Smith because of how much loss she experienced during her life, just from the people she was friends with while living in New York City, but also so many other people. Smith changed the face of rock music while she was in her days of stardom, and she detailed it perfectly in her novel. This book is truly something where you don’t have to be a fan of the artist to appreciate their art because there is just so much to learn from it.

Trigger Warnings: substance use, terminal illness, suicide mentioned, profanity

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Something Blue is the second book from a pair written by Emily Giffin. In the first novel, Something Borrowed, which was also adapted into a movie, it follows the story of two best friends, the one’s betrayal of the other, and their falling out. Most would classify it as a rom-com because the whole plot is that the one best friend, Rachel, steals her friend Darcy’s fiance. I read this book in 2022 as well, however I found that I loved Something Blue so much more. Something Blue tells the redemption story of Darcy, where she morphs herself from being an uptight, haughty girl living in New York City, to a girl that finds her true love in one of her best friends from home, after moving to London to live out her pregnancy there with him. I am a sucker for a good redemption story, and this book delivered it perfectly. It was not forced whatsoever, despite how many reader’s despised Darcy’s juvenile character after the first book. These books feature some of the most realistic and relatable characters I have ever seen in a book, and the plot never dries up in them.

Trigger Warnings: profanity

Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night by Barbara J. Taylor

Normally, I find it very difficult to genuinely enjoy a book I have to read as part of a summer assignment. Although, with this one I found it to be the opposite case. I could not put down this book, even while I was on vacation, because of how immersed I was into the story. Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night by Barbara J. Taylor follows the story of a young girl and her family, who live in Scranton, and their journey through becoming themselves again after the tragic death of her sister. However, while the rest of the family is healing and moving on, the mother is slowly slipping away as the personified emotion of grief encapsulates her. This book takes place in the early 1900s, so it is also fascinating to see what it was really like to live in Scranton way back when it was much smaller than it is today. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and all of the lessons it taught about friendship, family, healing, and life in general.

Trigger Warnings: death, depression

2022 was a year filled with many books, many 5 star reviews, and many themes explored. I enjoy books that are deep and explore difficult topics, and that is not for everyone so take all of my previously written words with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, I hope you journey into the worlds of these books as 2023 approaches.

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