My Favorite Books Of 2022!

 Book Love | Book Reviews | Recommendations 

My Favorite 15 Books Of 2022 

My favorite 15 fiction novels and 4 favorite nonfiction novels of 2022! 

Hello, Sweet Friend! 

Eek!!! I can’t believe 2022 is coming to a close and 2023 is almost here!! This has been such an incredible year and it feels like it has flown past! So much has happened this year. I have read so many incredible books and found new favorite authors along the way! 

I am so excited for 2023 and all the amazing reading we will do! I am also super excited to be joining in on my friend Erin’s Heroes Reading Challenge (from the Story Of A Christian Girl blog)! She is also hosting a really amazing book club that I am so excited to be a part of (a whole club of Christian women bloggers who love to read clean faith-filled books, how incredible is that?)!!! 

Today I want to highlight my FAVORITE reads of 2022 (not counting re-reads because I re-read a lot of my favorites this year 🥰)! 

Let’s start with my favorite fiction books from 2022 and then go to my favorite nonfiction reads of 2022! <3 

Far warning: this is a very long post BUT there are lots of pictures so hopefully that helps! XD

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| My Favorite 2022 Fiction Reads | 

| TOP 4|

|  Shadow by Kara Swanson  |

Oh my Neverland!!! I Love this book SO incredibly much! I can’t get this story and CHARACTERS out of my head. 

Shadow is book two to Dust by Kara Swanson. Originally I was going to have Dust be first but Shadow needed to be first. Again and again I keep getting more reasons to love this book. The story, the themes, and the characters are all so incredible and I cannot shut up about this book. Recently I was talking to a friend on goodreads and we were talking about this book and she mentioned something that made me love this story even more (but I can’t share it here because it reveals massive spoilers to both books). 

My review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/07/shadow-heirs-of-never-and-book-two-by-kara-swanson-a-bookish-review.html 

|  Dust by Kara Swanson |

This book is SO good!!! This story made me fall in love all over again with Neverland. I love the backstory Kara gives the characters (namely Peter who I love and want to hug). Clair is such a relatable and real character. She is the perfect strong female but is beautifully portrayed and keeps her feminine side which I love. 

I will stop talking now because if I don’t then I will never stop. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!!! 

My review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/07/Dust-Heirs-of-Neverland-Book-One-by-Kara-Swanson-A-Bookish-Review.html 

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|  Anne Of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery |

How is it that I only read Anne Of Green Gables this year? This is such a beautiful, joyful, sunshine, cottage core, spring, bookish, incredible book! I love this book to pieces and Anne! Oh Anne I just love! 

Also, can we just appreciate that this wasn't a romance? I love romances but this was so beautiful and wholesome and I loved that Anne who is still a young teenager doesn’t have a romantic relationship at the end of this book. So many books with a teenage protagonist end up in a romantic relationship (my writing included) but I loved that this story was Anne growing up and maturing. This was the main storyline without needing romance. I love that she is willing to wait and isn't rushing into love. She is taking her time and I feel like this is very realistic (at least it is to me). This is tied at the top for me! 

My Review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/06/Anne-of-Green-Gables-by-L-M-Montgomery-A-Bookish-Review.html 

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|  Romanov by Nadine Brandes |

“It is if you separate the two- old life and new life. But once you learn that it's all one life and each day is a new page, it gets a bit easier to let your story take an unexpected path.” ― Nadine Brandes 

Romanov made me cry. 

This book is so beautiful and it really did inspire me. The characters inspired me and Nadine inspired me. If I hadn't read this book, I don’t know if I would have outlined and worked on historic fiction. Along with that, without Nadine’s guidance I wouldn’t have understood the emotional cost it takes to write a book about a hard time and the depression you can go through. This may sound odd but it is very true to me (and it's why I still haven’t written my historical novel). 

The movie musical Anastasia has always been one of my favorite musicals with me memorizing each song by heart. I was interested in this book for that reason alone. But reading this book changed me. It changed how I viewed this time. I had heard about the legend of Anastasia for years, but this book broke me. So many times I was just sitting in shock feeling so broken for what was happening to these characters. This book took me on the most emotional rollercoaster this year (besides Transcending Darkness which completely broke me way more than Romanov). 

I hope I’m not scaring you away from this book *nervous laughs*. This book is BEAUTIFUL and I highly recommend reading it. Please read this. It is an emotional book but the beauty of the ending is worth it. It is so worth it and worth you crying over. Please read this book!

(Also this was my review. I didn't mean to review this now but I love it and the words finally came!) 

If you want to see my clean guide of the book, check the comments in my goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4898735405 

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| Top 5–15 |

|  Wishtress by Nadine Brandes |

This book was BEAUTIFUL!!! I loved the autumn—winter vibes! The characters were wonderful, complex, and I loved all the relationships between the characters. I love how family was a big theme and how Bastaan kinda aborted Runt! Both are my favorite characters! 

Also, the way Nadine wrote the two main characters and the techniques she used to give them completely unique character voices from each other were chefs kiss! 

My review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/10/wishtress-by-nadine-brandes-a-bookish-review.html 

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| Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever by Abbie Emmons |

Abbie Emmons is a beautiful writer. I loved reading this sequel to 100 Days Of Sunlight, and I actually prefer this to the latter. It is sweet, real, features complex relationships, and is so Christmasy!!! 

*This is an independently published novel

My review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/12/tessa-weston-the-best-christmas-ever-by-abbie-Emmons-bookish-review.html 

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|  100 Days Of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons |

This book is sunshine! I love this book (though there are a few things that bug me like lots of cursing). From this book, Abbie made me a believer in YA contemporary fiction which I wasn't into or liked until I found this book (and then you know that three of my own books are contemporary including Broken Ballerina). If it wasn’t for Abbie (and my wonderful cousin for introducing me to her book and writing content) I don’t know if I would be writing contemporary (I would still be a writer but my most important works may not be here). 

*This is an independently published novel

My review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/08/100-days-of-sunlight-by-abbie-emmons.html 

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|  The Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum |

Again, how is it that I haven’t read this book until this year? 

Since I was a little girl, I had been obsessed with The Wizard Of Oz. I alway wanted to be taken to a magical land and wear ruby slippers (though I know now that in the books and plays that it is in fact silver shoes). When I was little I had a pair of sparkly red slipper and they were my FAVORITE. Now I wish they had ruby slippers in my size (oh well). 

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5025261970 

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|  The Wonderland Trails by Sara Ella |

This was my favorite dystopian of 2022. This has also won a place as one of my new FAVORITE YA dystopian novels ever! Considering dystopian got me into teen fiction in the first place (The Hunger Games changed my reading life), this is a high honor for me to give a dystopian book. 

Alice in Wonderland is also one of my all time favorite stories and I loved this twist on the story. I would say this is my second favorite Alice in Wonderland retelling I have read so far! 

Side Note: Have you noticed that I love magical worlds where the characters are living their normal lives until one day they are brought to a new land? Peter Pan flying you to Neverland, falling down a rabbit hole, your house gets picked up by a tornado, and a magic wardrobe takes you to Narnia. These are my favorite stories and it's a wonder really that I haven’t written a retelling or a story with this element.  

My review: https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-wonderland-trails-by-sara-ella.html 

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|  Gilded by Marissa Meyer |

“Your stories, I think they’re sort of like spinning, too. Because it’s like you’re making something beautiful out of nothing.” ― Marissa Meyer

This is a beautiful story about a girl with the gift of storytelling. I loved the elements of magic, fairy tales, and stories. This is the first book in Marissa’s retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Marissa is a master of retelling fairytales and keeping their core while being completely her own story with twists and turns I could never guess.

The story and the characters stuck with me. I think the more time passes the more I fall in love with this story! 

BUT there is a reason this book isn’t higher in rating and why I haven’t recommended it before. There are some…questionable content explained in my more in-depth review on goodreads. I’d say to not read this without checking the content guide. 

More in depth review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4897000856 

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|  Fawkes by Nadine Brandes |

“But perhaps bravery meant entering into a storm you already knew would destroy you.” ― Nadine Brandes

This was the first book I read by Nadine and is the book that made me fall in love with her writing. What made me fall in love were the beautiful THEMES!!! Oh my! The themes in all of her books are incredible and remind me of my favorite author, C. S. Lewis. The way she weaves God and Christian values into her books is absolutely beautiful and always impresses me and makes me tear up. 

The color magic was so cool! I love that (SPOILER: White Light is a picture of God who saves & redeems and makes himself available to all of us!!)! He never gives up on us. That is beautiful! 

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|  Gallant by V. E. Schwab |

This book is one of the most aesthetic books I have ever read. Each page and word paints a picture that is moody, dark, artistic, spooky, and beautiful! I loved the main character, NAME, who is nonverbal (mute)! 

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4956203666 

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|  White Bird by R. J. Palacio |

This is a graphic novel by the author of Wonder! This story follows Julian’s grandmother who survived the Holocaust and tells her story. I love learning about this time (I have a novel I’ve been outlining in this time period). This was a beautiful story that did bring me to tears (which I was not expecting from a kids graphic novel). 

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4898739376 

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| The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson |

Originally this book wasn’t in this list, but the more I thought about it, the more this couldn’t not be here. There is something about this story that has sticked to me. I can’t really explain it. It’s not the story, action, or characters. Actually that’s not true, it is the relationship between Fern and her niece/foster daughter. Something about that relationship has stuck with me. Maybe because there is a small part (a secret part) that wishes I could do this. A part of me that aches to do what Fern has done for her niece that was being ignored and fading into the background. 

Anyways, the effect on me, the thoughts I’ve had thinking and discussing this book are what has landed it in my top 15! 

*This is an independently published novel

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4997430925 

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|  Honorable Mentions | 

More favorite books of 2022 that almost made the list. 

Bravely, Love & Gelato, Enchantment Of Ravens, And Then There Were None, There You Will Find Me, Flipped, Book Of A Thousand Days, Goose Girl, Persuasion 

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You may also like…

• My Favorite New Authors of 2022 

• When Characters Become Real (part I) 

• God The Good Author (part II) 

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| My Favorite 2022 Non-Fiction Reads |

|  Transcending Darkness by Estelle Laughlin |

My charter school had a history class on WW2 and the Holocaust. On the last day we zoom called a Holocaust survivor named Estelle LaughlinI. She is a sweet 78 year old woman with a thick polish accent and she told us her story. About when she was little, how the war started, being in the Warsaw Ghetto, going to concentration camps, watching people die, and the hardships even afterward, walking through the snow for hours starving at times because there was no place for her to live even after she was liberated. 

She is such an inspiring and strong woman. Her story inspired my WW2 novel that is currently in a waiting period (I tried to write it in the spring but the subject matter was too much for me leaving me depressed and wanting to cry daily. I want to write a story true to this time and the people who suffered and went through unimaginable pain and situations. I am currently not in a place where I can write this and that’s okay). Her story is very inspirational and I am so glad I was able to read her autobiography. 

This book was hard. I cried on multiple occasions and felt sick on others. There is a heaviness to this book, a brokenness. Transcending Darkness follows Estelle before war begins and ends with her being a woman who transcended darkness and immigrated to America and started a new life getting a currier and having a family. A sad and broken story turns into a hopeful story showing that even after great darkness, you can still find the light. 

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|  Part Of My World by Jodie Benson |

I want everyone to read this book! If you are a Disney fan, a singer, theater kid, lover of musicals & Broadway, or are a Christian looking for an inspirational autobiography…look no further than this wonderful book written by the voice of Ariel herself, Jodie Benson! 

This is a beautiful and inspiring story where we get to follow Jodie right before she heads to college up to being a Disney legend. We see her struggle, get turned down, fall in love, hurt, find success, become Ariel, have children, and experience life to the fullest. She is joyful and finds the positive in life, she also loves her family, makes mistakes, forgives, and lives. 

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5001894778 

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|  Live Fearless by Sadi Robertson Huff |

This book is about living fearlessly. Finding out your fears and defeating them with God to become free. I read this at the beginning of 2022 with my sister and best friend in a book club I led. 

I saw each of us growing and becoming more and more free and fearless by the end of the book. We all have things to still work on but I loved seeing the growth not only in myself but in my sister and friend! I was very thankful for that experience and book club! 

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|  Who Are You Following by Sadi Robertson Huff |

This was the second book by Sadi Robertson Huff that I read this year! My mom and I both read this and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to start social media or who has. It shares about social media, the pros and cons, and how to set boundaries and to be intentional with who you follow. I highly recommend this! 

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4898866538 

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Discussion Time

I hope you liked this post about my favorite books of 2022!! I am SO excited for 2023 and all the new books we will be reading! Thank you so much for reading this post and letting me be a part of your 2022! See you next year! 

I want to hear from you! Meet me in the comments and tell me what are some of YOUR favorite books from 2022? Did we read any of the same books? I would love to chat! 

If you have any questions or want to talk, make sure to comment down below! Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay in the know because I post new content here every week. ALSO, If you want to hear more about my writing and read snippets from my newest story, make sure you are subscribed because I am doing special updates for BLOG SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! 

Happy New Year sweet friend!!! 🥳🥳🥳 

XOXO Moriyah 🤎