When you shop through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Find out more.
We spent much of the last year curled up in our homes, reading. We’ve packed books for the subway, pressed play on audiobooks for late-night walks, and written dozens of guides on everything from this year’s best beach reads to the hottest new novels.
Below, you’ll find some of the best books we’ve read so far in 2022, from page-turners we finished in one night to nonfiction we still can’t stop thinking about. We’ve included new 2022 releases like “When You Call My Name” and “Happy-Go-Lucky,” as well as recent hits from years past like “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” “Empire of Pain ” and ” Truthfulness.”
The 15 best books we’ve read so far this year:
“Women I think about at night” by Mija Kankimaki
“The Women I Think About At Night” by Mia Kankimaki
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $22. On the same subject : The best new books to read in August.99
At 25 years old in 2022, I don’t share much with Mija Kankimaki, a successful travel writer in her forties, nor with the historical women she writes about, breaking the gender norms of her time. However, I connected with the struggles of the “night women” and Kankimaki herself: struggles to find a sense of home, to forgive yourself, and to find meaning. Half travel memoir and half biography, Kankiamki literally follows the footsteps of women travelers and artists through history to Florence, Tibet, Nigeria and Tokyo. I love that Kankimaki allows his heroes and himself to be flawed as well as brilliant, disappointing as well as inspiring. -Lily Alig, journalist
“Foreverland” by Heather Havrilesky
“Foreverland” by Heather Havrilesky
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $17. Read also : The 15 best books we’ve read in 2022 so far.99
I love Heather Havrilesky’s Ask Polly column, and although this book is a memoir about her marriage, I think it has the same amount of honesty and joy that makes her such a valuable writer in these confusing times. It’s an in-depth look at her long-term marriage, which looks perfect to us on the surface. She talks about the doubts, arguments, irritations, and growth that both partners must go through to stay happily married, completely demystifying the process for people like me who obsess over the national divorce rate of 50% and want to actually know how people stay happily together. for a long, long time. -Julia Pugachevsky, editor
“Happy-Go-Lucky” by David Sedaris
“Happy-Go-Lucky” by David Sedaris
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $17. See the article : 20 Best Books of 2022 So Far, According to Amazon Editors.79
I love David Sedaris. I’ve read all his books, attended a few signings, he once left me a voicemail where he called my mom the c word. He’s great. “Happy-Go-Lucky” is like many of his previous books: a collection of essays drawn from his life experiences. It’s full of dark humor, including dealing with his father’s death. But there are also happy moments, including shopping with his adorable sister Amy (of “Strangers With Candy” and “At Home With Amy Sedaris” fame), Sedaris’ writing is my happy place. -James Brains, reporter
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $14.40
I am a lover of short stories and poetry, so when dear friends recommended Ocean Vuong’s writing, I flipped through this collection of poems. His use of language and metaphors is breathtaking and often brought me to tears. He is now truly one of my favorite authors. -Maiya Pascouche, associate story producer
“One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway — and Its Aftermath” by Åsne Seierstad and Sarah Death (translator)
“One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway — and Its Aftermath” by Åsne Seierstad and Sarah Death (translator)
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $11.99
This book is one of the most memorable things I’ve read in a long time. Seierstad works a small miracle here, rigorously describing how a lonely boy became a lonely, dangerous man, while creating just as much space to tell the stories of those affected by the massacre. We learn about high school sweethearts, madly in love, raising two sons who are adored by the community. We meet parents who named their first-born daughter after a snowfall in a hospital without electricity, years before they immigrated to Norway.
I warn you, it was hard to read about a mass shooting when our nation has so many of them. But the Norwegian common spirit and humanity recreated through Seierstad’s perspective managed to evoke an incredible sense of hope in me. -Mara Leighton, Senior Reporter
“Dirtbag, Massachusetts” by Isaac Fitzgerald
“Dirtbag, Massachusetts” by Isaac Fitzgerald
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $18.97
Full disclosure: Isaac was my boss many moons ago, but even without my natural bias, I think everyone should read this book. It’s a collection of essays about his life growing up in Boston and rural Massachusetts and his experiences everywhere from fight clubs with friends to biker bars, often exploring the theme of how the least “safe” places can feel like home. -Julia Pugachevsky, editor
“Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” by Patrick Radden Keefe
“Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” by Patrick Radden Keefe
Available from Amazon and Bookshop, from $21
Who does investigative fiction like Patrick Radden Keefe? Each of his books is a Sistine Chapel of reporting and storytelling. I was blown away by “Say Nothing” and “Empire of Pain” is a worthy successor. It covers three generations of the Sackler dynasty and their impact on the opioid crisis. The book is so detailed that Keefe probably knows what the living members had for dinner last night, but it also has soul—not only in its efforts to hold power accountable, but in its windows into the lives of just a few of the hundreds of thousands of people who have died from opioids. -Mara Leighton, Senior Reporter
“The Courage to Be Unloved: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve True Happiness” Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
“The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness” by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $12.99
I forget how I heard about this book, but the title caught my attention and I added it to my reading list. It was conceived mainly as a conversation between a philosopher and a student, covering the psychological principles of Alfred Adler (one of the three giants of psychology of the 20th century, along with Freud and Jung). It gets to the heart of what your “tasks” are, teaching you to separate which problems in life are really your problems and which ones are even under your control. I have to say that many teachings really stuck with me in the end and I often remember verses from them. -Julia Pugachevsky, editor
“Verity” by Colleen Hoover
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $15.80
I was in a bind this spring and was looking for a page turner. I heard about this book on #Booktok and ended up reading it in one evening. It belongs to the genre of psychological thrillers with a questionable female lead that I just can’t get enough of. The premise is that a ghostwriter takes the gig to finish a series for a bestselling author who is injured. He goes to the author’s home in Vermont and finds a disturbing autobiography among her notes. There are some genuinely creepy moments that made me squirm, and all kinds of twists and turns. -Lauren Savoie, Deputy Editor
Here you can find more Colleen Hoover books, as well as books to read if you’ve already read all the Colleen Hoover books out there.
“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood
“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood
Available from Amazon and Bookshop, from $11.04
I edited a rave review about this book and wanted to give it a try, even though romance novels aren’t normally my thing. While it’s definitely an unusual plot, I liked that the characters (especially the leads) seemed polished and concerned about their careers as much as their budding love story. At times, I was even more invested in learning what a career in medical research was really like than the relationship itself—it felt like I was reading about real people instead of clichéd rom-com characters doing more glamorous jobs. -Julia Pugachevsky, editor
“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong
“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $8.70
Since I couldn’t stop at just “Night Sky with Exit Wounds”, I immediately picked up Ocean Vuong’s novel “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” and was amazed that it was just as good, if not better, than his first edition to work . This novel reads like one long letter to the main character’s mother and takes the reader through the family’s generational trauma, love and betrayal. I cannot recommend this book or Ocean Vuong’s work enough. -Maiya Pascouche, associate story producer
“No One Talks About This” by Patricia Lockwood
“No One Is Talking About This” by Patricia Lockwood
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $9.38
This book is beautiful. Sometimes I was out of breath. It reads like a free fall into the abyss of the internet — its incoherence and cacophony — and it’s painfully human and alive at the same time. Lockwood’s text reads like poetry – I’ve written down some sentences for safekeeping – but that’s no surprise for the poet’s debut novel. I read this alone, I read it to my sister, I re-read passages. If you don’t fall off your feet at first, keep going; the story deepens and the payoff is worth the investment. -Mara Leighton, Senior Reporter
You can read our review of “No One Talks About This” here.
“When You Call My Name” by Tucker Shaw
“When You Call My Name” by Tucker Shaw
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $16.19
Full disclosure I used to work with Tucker Shaw, but I couldn’t stop thinking about his latest book for days after I finished reading it. It gives such a wonderful insight into a time and experience we don’t often hear about: being young, gay and in love in the heart of the AIDS epidemic. It tells the story of Adam and Ben, two gay teenagers who discover themselves and their community in 1990s New York. Their individual stories are woven through plenty of sadness, but also lots of fun and joy. -Lauren Savoie, Deputy Editor
“Fleabag: The Scriptures” by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
“Fleabag: The Scriptures” by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Available from Amazon and Bookshop, from $20.49
I’ve been revisiting some of my favorite TV shows and reading the scripts in tandem. I read “The Scriptures” dialogue and direction for the Fleabag episode, and then the episode itself. It’s mostly the same on screen and on the page, but occasionally body language cues have added wonderful new meaning; in one scene, Claire and Fleabag are described as “sitting in sisterly silence” in a taxi. All in all, it has extended and deepened my enjoyment of something I already love. Perfect. -Mara Leighton, Senior Reporter
“The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula Le Guin
“Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula Le Guin
Available from Amazon and Bookshop from $9.99
I love fantasy, sci-fi, and gender theory, so The Left Hand of Darkness has been on my list for a while. I finally got my hands on a copy and was quickly mesmerized by Le Guin’s storytelling. Published in 1987, it still reads like a revolutionary novel, exploring gender fluidity, political science and imperialism. Le Guin packs all that and more into a thrilling intergalactic tale. -Lily Alig, journalist
Mara Leighton is a senior digital culture reporter.
If you’d like to get in touch, email mleighton@insider.com or send a DM on twitter to @maraleighton.
Read more
Read less
Sign up for the weekly Insider Reviews newsletter for more shopping tips and great deals.
You can buy the logo and license for this story here.
