Best Books 2022
BEST BOOKS of 2022
Thank you for visiting our “Best Books of 2022” page. We hope you find these books as interesting and entertaining as we have. This year’s books were selected by a group of booksellers, book buyers, executives, and other members across Hudson. We had the privilege to review hundreds of books that were published this year and as always it was very difficult to choose which books made the list. If you agree or disagree with our selections please let us know by tweeting with us @HudsonBooks
2022 Book of the Year
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
By Gabrielle ZevinA chance childhood meeting and subsequent bond over a mutual interest in videogames leads to a partnership with the goal of designing a game of their very own. Sam and Sadie’s friendship develops similar to the videogames they create together: they run into bugs and issues that need to be worked out, but the final product is always better than what they originally envisioned. As an avid gamer, I not only enjoyed a glimpse into the game creation process, but it was also a nice reminder that games are not just code; there are people behind the screens. –Rebecca, Atlanta
Best Fiction
Trust
By Hernan DiazComparisons to Edith Wharton’s New York are what drew me to Trust, a multigenerational narrative of the NYC elite in the early 20th century. Trust is told from four different points of view and spans over 100 years. At the heart of the story is one woman who is determined to unravel history’s truths from fiction, finding in the end that not everything is as it seems, especially among the rich and powerful. –Paige, New Jersey
Book Lovers
By Emily HenryThe perfect lighthearted book for an easy read, with humor, romance, and good storytelling from beginning to end. Make no mistake – this is a rom-com – but if you’re looking for an enjoyable way to spend a relaxing afternoon with a few laughs and tears along the way, you will find all that in Emily Henry’s latest novel. –Cindi, New York
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
By Jamie FordMy favorite author, Jamie Ford, who wrote Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, has outdone himself! The Many Daughters of Afong Moy spans the years between 1834 and 2045, and is a very emotional examination of epigenetics. The trauma inflicted on Afong seems to manifest itself throughout several generations, however, Dorothy is determined to break the cycle and learns that her past is the key to the future. –Sandra, Seattle
Devil House
By John DarnielleI’ve never read anything by John Darnielle before, but as a fan of the Mountain Goats I felt it was high time I give him a try. Devil House is a generation-spanning story of gruesome murders, teenage angst, artistic obsession, and the power of a well-told story. A dire warning against the recent true-crime wave sweeping popular culture, Devil House shows what can happen when reality and imagination collide, and the devastating effects of an artistic rendering of the truth. –Russell, New York
Young Mungo
By Douglas StuartI loved this complex and thoughtful coming of age story set in 1990’s Glasgow which, even though far from the Troubles in Belfast, has a history of Protestant and Catholic conflict. Mungo struggles with the local bully who is also his older brother, a mother with her own dreams and desires, and keeping his sexuality hidden. Young Mungo is beautifully written with distinctive voices and characters. –Cathy, Atlanta
One Italian Summer
By Rebecca SerleOne Italian Summer is a transcendent jewel of a book that you won’t want to put down. Set among the shores and hills of the Amalfi Coast this stunning work takes on love, loss, and the life we live in between. –Della, Atlanta
The Candy House
By Jennifer EganThe Candy House further extends the interwoven narratives in A Visit from the Goon Squad, mirroring the endless ways our connections expand and shift through time and space and culture, and capturing how dizzyingly fast and profound those shifts have felt in the ten-ish years since Goon Squad was published. I love the way all of Egan’s characters radiate with intensity, and the sometimes reckless urgency of their explorations, their quests for experience, for knowledge, for connection, for meaning. I love also that her variety of styles amplifies the range of perspectives and pursuits. The Candy House is a thrilling, thoughtful, and eloquent affirmation of the power and value of authentic experience, true human connection, and the ways in which they are enabled through art and storytelling. –Sara, Atlanta
Best Nonfiction
Also a Poet
By Ada CalhounI came to this book as a Frank O’Hara fan hoping for something like a biography but this one is more along the lines of a Charlie Kaufman-esque book about failing to write that particular book and yet much better for having tried. Certainly, O’Hara and his milieu are ever-present, and you can learn much about O’Hara’s rich and interesting life within these pages but the real joy and sorrow here is expressed in the latter part of the title. This is a beautiful book about a daughter coming to terms with her father, his legacy, and, frankly, the fact that he was kind of a jerk. What Calhoun achieves here is almost three books in one, an O’Hara biography where his life is defined as if by negative space, a memoir, and an ode to her father who may or may not have deserved it. –Matt, Los Angeles
I'm Glad My Mom Died
By Jennette McCurdyNot typically big on celebrity memoirs, but the hype is real on this one. Not just for iCarly fans (my younger self being one), but for anyone who grew up watching shows on Nickelodeon. Jennette pulls back the curtain on the life of a child star and reveals the manipulative forces fueling them on their journey. –Russell, New York
Stories I Might Regret Telling You
By Martha WainwrightMartha Wainwright "almost didn't make the cut" into this world. Destined to be an artist by her lineage, she writes, "once in the circus, it's hard to get out". That's quite a backdrop to live against. More than the autobiography of an independent songwriter with an incredible voice and explosive musical output, her book is an endearing, humorous and merciless dissection of herself, and a navigation through the complexities we all bring with and to ourselves. Saying that writing it must have been therapeutic sounds like both an understatement and completely missing the point. If you care about the journeys we travel, following one's passion, foolish dreams and compromise, kissing hard, rejection, loss, the smell of New York, and putting yourself first, you may find solace in these words. –Jordi, CEO, Hudson
Happy-Go-Lucky
By David SedarisDavid Sedaris does it again! In Happy Go Lucky, he balances his specific brand of humor and storytelling as he copes with a more serious topic: the illness and subsequent death of his father. Still, Sedaris manages to find humor in the absurdity as he navigates family relationships and loss in the midst of lockdown in the early days of the pandemic. –Paige, New Jersey
Bird Brother
By Rodney StottsBird Brother is a candid tale of one man’s journey to becoming a master falconer. This thought provoking story of second chances and following your dreams is one you won’t be able to put down. –Della, Atlanta
The Monster's Bones
By David K. RandallA must read for fans of dinosaurs or histories of Gilded Age America. Randall does a wonderful job of weaving the story of the men who discovered the T.Rex (or took credit) and made it the centerpiece of museum exhibits for decades. –Justin, Atlanta
The Metaverse
By Matthew BallIf you are going to read one book about the metaverse, Matthew Ball is the expert and this is the one to pick up. I came to The Metaverse as a skeptic. After reading it my opinion that a metaverse, web3, web5 or whatever you want to call it will surpass the internet in the next few years is unlikely. However, the author does lay out a convincing case that decades from now Homo sapiens might be spending more of our time in an altered or virtual reality than we do in the “real” world. –Justin, Atlanta
Bomb Shelter
By Mary Laura PhilpottI struggle with a surfeit of adjectives in describing Mary Laura’s writing; she is honest, witty, entertaining, perceptive, moving. She is generous and stylistically concise. Her subject is everyday life, but her work is common only in the sense of shared experience. She worries, a lot. She acts with the hope that love, determination, and hard work will be enough to keep her, and her loved ones safe. When it is, and when it is not, Mary Laura is good company for all of us readers. –Sara, Atlanta
Staff Picks
Braiding Sweetgrass By Robin Wall Kimmerer
"This book is so beautifully written and well executed. Kimmerer delicately ‘weaves’ a personal memoir with Anishinaabe lore and ties both seamlessly into ecological science. The blend of these stories, memories, and explanations produces a truly compelling narrative." -Gwyneth, Detroit
Killers of the Flower Moon By David Grann
"Shocking would be the word, if countless cases hadn’t proven how terrible people can be to each other. Monstrous might be better. Evil. Horrific. For fans of Erik Larson, Jon Krakauer, or Grann’s previous book, The Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon exposes a little known saga of American history, and the previously unknown extent of the conspiracy which spiraled out from those events. In an ironic turn, massive oil deposits were found on the remote reservation that the Osage tribe had been forced onto, making them the wealthiest people per capita in the world. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. Based on original research and primary sources, Killers is a nonfiction thriller that ranks in the absolute best of the genre." -Sara, Atlanta
Firekeeper's Daughter By Angeline Boulley
"I was in love with this book before I even had a copy in my hands. I’ve read it twice and listened to it on audiobook because I wanted to hear the Anishinaabe words in Daunis' voice. This is part fish-out-of-water story, part over-coming-trauma, part murder mystery thriller, and all parts excellent. Firekeeper’s Daughter is the perfect counter-part to The Hate U Give with its details on the Indigenous experience, and examples of code-switching, this will definitely be a staple in the young adult genre for decades." -Gwyneth, Detroit
Fiction
Nonfiction
Children and Young Adult
National Book Awards
2022 National Book Awards
The National Book Award, established in 1950, recognizes excellence in literature across American publishing. Awarded each year by the National Book Foundation, the National Book Award recognizes literary excellence across 5 categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. With a mission to “increase the readership and appreciation of great writing in America”, the National Book Awards have quickly gained a reputation as one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the world. Here you can find the 5 finalists in each category, and for a limited time you can order any of the finalists for 30% off. Check back here on November 16 to see the winners!
The Finalists
Candice Millard
Candice Millard is the author of four bestselling books and the winner of numerous literary awards. Her newest book, River of the Gods, harrowing story of one of the great feats of exploration of all time, was featured as our July Read of the Month. Candice gave us a list of some of her favorite books of some of her favorite reads, and told us a little bit about each one and what made it so special to her. Check out her book list below, and also see her other bestselling books!
Check Out Candice Millard's Recommended Reads
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