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At the end of each year, we look forward to the awards and “best of” lists that reinforce our favorite books, movies, songs and more each year, but waiting so long to find a great recommendation can feel like an eternity.
Fortunately, Amazon has released its list of the top 20 books of the year so far, so you can find a great new read selected by its editors.
Amazon publishes monthly book polls, but in early summer, its editorial team votes for the best books published from January to June. While some of his are “best books of the month” lists, others are customer favorites, bestsellers, or little-known picks that pack a literary punch. Whether you’re looking for a thrilling nonfiction read or an emotional historical fiction journey, here are the best books of the year, according to Amazon.
The best books of 2022 so far, according to Amazon editors:
“What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma” by Stephanie Foo
“What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma” by Stephanie Foo
“Remarkably Bright Creatures,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $23. On the same subject : Travel tech: the best gadgets to pack for your holidays this summer.99
Stephanie Foo seemed perfectly successful on paper when she was diagnosed with complex PTSD after years of panic attacks, uncontrollable anxiety and years of wondering what was “wrong” with her. This personal and researched read is part psychology book and part memoir as Foo examines the effects of generational immigrant trauma while healing from her past.
“All My Rage” by Sabaa Tahir
“Remarkably Bright Creatures,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $9. See the article : 18 facts about what’s being streamed on Prime Video in July.05
Salahudin and Noor were once closer than best friends, but a terrible fight destroyed their bond and forced each of them to face some of the hardest times in their lives alone. Salahudin is left to save her family’s motel after his mother’s passing and his father’s debilitating grief, while Noor hides her college applications in an attempt to escape her brutal uncle. When it seems they can take no more, Noor and Salahudin must decide the value of their friendship in this breathtaking and heartbreaking young adult novel.
“The Maid” by Nita Prose
“The Maid,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $16. See the article : The high-tech reforestation company starts a forest fire in Spain.90
“The Maid” is a mystery about Molly Gray, a hotel maid who struggles with social skills but excels at her job due to her obsessive love of cleaning. One day Molly finds a hotel guest dead in his bed and her life is turned upside down when she becomes the prime suspect in his murder investigation – until her friends unite to search for clues, solve the murder and Molly’s To prove innocence.
“River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile” by Candice Millard
“River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile” by Candice Millard
“River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $19.50
This new historical reading describes Britain’s frenzied search for the sources of the Nile and the race to colonize and exploit the area in the 19th century. Millard’s account follows the very public rivalry of Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke on their expeditions to and from Africa, as well as the previously overlooked story of Sidi Mubarak Bombay, a formerly enslaved East African man whose resourceful exploits on each journey to the led the English themselves. -proclaimed successes and may even mean the difference between life and death.
“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
“River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $17.69
“Lessons in Chemistry” is a bright and funny historical fiction story about the chemist Elizabeth Zott, who in the early 1960s is faced with inequality in the research institute where she works. Years later, Elizabeth finds herself the star of a popular cooking show. With an unusual approach to combining chemistry with traditional cooking, Elizabeth unwittingly changes the status quo for women everywhere in this heartfelt, funny and entertaining read.
“Memphis” by Tara M. Stringfellow
“Memphis” by Tara M. Stringfellow
“Memphis,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $14.59
When Joan, her mother, and her sister flee their father’s violence in favor of their mother’s ancestral home in Memphis, Joan processes her anger and grief through art as she learns the complexity of her family’s past, while painting portraits of the women around them sketched. Inspired by the author’s family history, “Memphis” is a multi-generational story about justice, violence, freedom, and healing through time.
“Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel
“Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel
“Sea of Tranquility,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $12.50
“Sea of Tranquility” blends science fiction and historical fiction as readers follow a young man in the 1912 Canadian wilderness who hears a violin in an airship terminal, a famous lunar colony writer on an Earth book tour for her pandemic novel, and a Detective hired. to investigate a strange anomaly in the North American desert. Readers love this book because it is complex, expansive, reflective and dazzlingly relevant.
“Half-Blown Rose” by Leesa Cross-Smith
“Half-Blown Rose” by Leesa Cross-Smith
“Half-Blown Rose,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $13.99
After a shocking betrayal by her husband, Vincent settles into her new life in Paris, where she studies at the art museum, spends time with new friends, and even falls into a passionate relationship with a young man named Loup. When Vincent agrees to see her estranged husband again at her son’s wedding, she must look inward to find what she wants from life and who she wants to become.
“Hello Molly!” by Molly Shannon
“Hello, Molly!” by Molly Shannon
“Hello, Molly!” Available at Amazon and bookstores, $18.18
Comedian Molly Shannon is known for her years on “Saturday Night Live” and her role as Mary Katherine Gallagher on “Superstar.” In this memoir, Shannon reflects on the tumultuous events in her young life that made her who she is today, and the long and interesting road through show business that led to her iconic roles and clear successes as a comedian and actress.
“The Kaiju Preservation Society” by John Scalzi
“The Kaiju Preservation Society” by John Scalzi
“The Kaiju Preservation Society,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $20.99
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamie Gray is reunited with an old acquaintance, who offers Jaime a job as a last-minute grunt for an upcoming field trip with his “animal rights organization,” not to mention that the “animals” are not from our earth. In an alternate dimension, Kaiju are the world’s largest and most dangerous panda and the Kaiju Preservation Society is not the only group that knows of their existence, but must go to great lengths to ensure their protection in this science fiction novel perfect for those who like “Jurassic Park.”
“Sleepwalk” by Dan Chaon
“Sleepwalk,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $22.52
Loved for its fast-paced plot and intriguing main character, “Sleepwalk” is about Will Bear, an off-the-grid, good-natured craftsman who performs dangerous feats for others while creating several volumes of his own. When a young woman claiming to be his daughter calls him in need of help, Will, unsure if she is AI or not, embarks on an increasingly complicated road trip as the line between friend and foe becomes increasingly blurred. .
“The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty” by Neal Thompson
“The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty” by Neal Thompson
“The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty,” Amazon and Bookshop, $24.49
Although many of us today think of the Kennedy family as symbols of wealth and power, former President Kennedy once connected with blue-collar voters through his family’s working-class history. Now, with new genealogical information, this historic biography traces the story of the first Kennedys who arrived in America after the Great Famine and rose to success despite poverty and discrimination.
“Such Big Dreams” by Reema Patel
“Such Big Dreams” by Reema Patel
“Such Big Dreams,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $22.42
Rakhi lives in a Mumbai slum and works as an office assistant at Justice For All, a human rights organization, when Alex, a graduate student from Canada, arrives for an internship and asks Rakhi to show him the “real” India. When her seemingly harmless transaction brings challenging moral choices to the surface, Rakhi must fight for redemption and her right to live her life on her own terms.
“Young Mungo” by Douglas Stuart
“Young Mungo,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $14.79
From the author of “Shuggie Bain”, “Young Mungo” is the story of the first love between two young men, destined to be enemies, because Mungo was born Protestant and James was born Catholic. Despite everything, the boys fall in love and when Mungo’s mother sends him on a fishing trip with two strange men, he must dig deep into his inner strength to get to a safe place where he and James can finally be together.
“Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases” by Paul Holes
“Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases” by Paul Holes
“Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $17.62
Perfect for any true crime fan, this memoir is written by the detective who helped uncover the Golden State Killer and solve the murders of Laci and Conner Peterson and the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard. Through a personal and insightful narrative, Paul Holes describes his life to solve America’s toughest cold cases and the sacrifices he had to make for his career.
“Nightcrawling” by Leila Mottley
“Nightcrawling” by Leila Mottley
“Nightcrawling,” available at Amazon and bookstores, $18.17
Living in an East Oakland apartment without parents or a high school education, Kiara struggles to make ends meet for her, her brother, and the young abandoned boy next door until she happens upon a well-paid but unexpected job nightcrawling. When Kiara’s name comes up in an investigation by the Oakland Police Department, she finds herself at the center of a major scandal and a failure of the justice system.
“Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson
“Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson
“Black Cake,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $13.99
This pick is about two estranged siblings whose recently deceased mother left behind a strange legacy of a black cake recipe with a deep story and a voice recording that tells her story. In this historical fiction read about lineage, heritage and relationships, siblings Byron and Benny take an extraordinary journey through their mother’s past to fulfill her last request to share the black cake when the time is right.
“The Final Strife” by Saara El-Arifi
“The Final Strife” by Saara El-Arifi
“The Final Strife,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $26.49
Chosen for its masterful writing, beautiful yet painfully human cast, and deeply compelling fantasy landscape, “The Final Strife” is a debut fantasy novel rooted in African and Arabian mythology. In this sapphic high fantasy story, Sylah, Anoor and Hassa, each with their own checkered pasts, find each other and ignite a revolution to set a terribly divided empire right in a world where red blood rules the kingdom, blue blood belongs to the worker, and clear blood leaves many invisible.
“The Unsinkable Greta James” by Jennifer E. Smith
“The Unsinkable Greta James” by Jennifer E. Smith
“The Unsinkable Greta James,” available at Amazon and Bookshop, $17.86
Months after her very public breakdown just before the launch of her sophomore album, Greta is still reeling from her mother’s sudden death when she agrees to take an Alaskan cruise with her father, one originally planned for her parents’ anniversary . In this story of healing, loving recovery and hope, Greta meets a historian facing upheaval of her own, confronts her broken heart, and slowly learns how to find her voice once again.
Katherine Fiorillo is a freelance content writer specializing in books, beauty, and e-commerce.
Katherine holds a B.A. in journalism from Marist College and previously wrote for BuzzFeed’s Shopping and Products Beat. She is an Army veteran, an avid reader, and designs book themes for her Etsy shop.
Say hello to Katherine at katherinemfiorillo@gmail.com or on Instagram as @kats.stacks.
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