Best Books of the Year (So Far) 2022

In a world not unlike our own, 13-year-old Skandar dreams of becoming a respected unicorn rider and competing in the Chaos Cup. You see, unicorns are very real in Skandar’s world — and in fact, they are deadly, bloodthirsty creatures who are extremely dangerous unless bonded to a rider. But shortly after Skandar bonds with his unicorn, he learns an even greater danger is afoot — and it’s up to them to stop it. This adventure of epic proportions is set to take the world by storm.

This captivating fantasy seamlessly weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic. Inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, this debut is the first in a romantic duology and boasts lush world-building, a strong female protagonist and vivid characters.

In Holly Black’s adult dark fantasy debut, Charlie Hall is trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading, but she can’t seem to escape this maelstrom of doppelgängers, thieves and magic.  Manipulating shadows has a cost, and Charlie is about to be swept up in a battle for its secrets.

Emily St. John Mandel’s newest novel is filled with time travel, love and humanity. This book spans 300 years and follows an exiled son of an earl, an author on a book tour trapped on earth during a pandemic, and a Gaspery-Jacques Roberts alongside his childhood best friend who has seen the opportunity to do something great that would change the fabric of the timeline of the universe.

All is fair in love and chemistry, and this debut has a cast full of witty characters. It’s 1960s California and there are certain things that women just don’t do. When scientist Elizabeth Zott finds herself the host of a television cooking show, she kicks off a revolution that does more than challenge the status quo.

Emily Henry’s third novel tells an inspiring story of both selflessness and self-acceptance, with all the witty banter we have come to know and love. Nora and Charlie are anything but the heroine and hero of the stories they’ve made a living off reading, and yet, over one summer, these two rivals may have drafted the blueprint for the next great American love story.

Set in the same world as Goon Squad, The Candy House follows the rise of a new tech start-up that allows users to access all their memories and upload them to a cloud database. With a staggering array of characters and narrative perspectives, The Candy House is an uncanny examination of the role of technology, nostalgia and vanity in our culture that readers will remember for years to come.

Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this superb work of postcolonial Gothic horror. As a debut author, Isabel Cañas skillfully knows when to rely on haunted house tropes—and when to subvert them—in a way that will keep readers perpetually guessing.

A razor-sharp debut that follows four disparate people during the 2014 Maidan revolution in Ukraine. A novel that is both beautifully poetic and intensely moving, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is the kind of read that feels like a timeless ballad detailing the connections between humankind and the tragedy of war.

Three storylines spanning three centuries in alternate versions of America are woven together in this enthralling novel about love, loss, family, and the prices and promises of utopia. Hanya Yanagihara delivers a bold new story that both hinges upon and withstands the test of time.