The Ten Best Books of 2022 from The New York Times

Last year I watched a livestream of The Ten Best Books of 2021 from The New York Times. It was fun! I had not read any of the books they listed, but I soon read The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen and thought it was excellent, despite the jarring cover. I was interested in reading Red Comet by Heather Clark, and I even checked it out from the library, but it was ridiculously long (1184 pages) and I could not commit. I’ll be honest, sometimes I find the NYT’s recommendations a little too heavy (haha) but I always like to see what they pick.

The new list came out this week. I don’t know if you can access the article yet without a subscription (I tried), so I apologize. By the way, if you have a library card, you might be able to get free full access (except for the crossword) to the NYT. That’s what I do and it’s great! I’ve linked them to Amazon in case you’re interested and the blurbs are also from Amazon.

I’ll probably read a couple of these, but, in keeping with my partly-rogue self, I’m going to choose them based on the blurbs and covers. So here they are:

The Ten Best Books of 2022 from The New York Times

FICTION

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan: From one of the most celebrated writers of our time comes an “inventive, effervescent” (Oprah Daily) novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection.

Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett: From the author of the “dazzling. . . . and daring” Pond (O magazine), the adventures of a young woman discovering her own genius, through the people she meets–and dreams up–along the way.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: From the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, a brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity

The Furrows by Namwali Serpell: From one of the most celebrated new voices in American literature, a brilliantly inventive and “enthralling” (Oprah Daily) novel about the eternal bonds of family and the mysteries of love and loss—“Already earning its author comparisons to Toni Morrison . . . Destined to end up on every Best of the Year list” (Lit Hub).

Trust by Hernan Diaz: An unparalleled novel about money, power, intimacy, and perception

NONFICTION

An Immense World by Ed Yong: A “thrilling” (The New York Times), “dazzling” (The Wall Street Journal) tour of the radically different ways that animals perceive the world that will fill you with wonder and forever alter your perspective, by Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong

Stay True by Hua Hsu: From the New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, a gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art.

Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv: The acclaimed, award-winning New Yorker writer Rachel Aviv offers a groundbreaking exploration of mental illness and the mind, and illuminates the startling connections between diagnosis and identity.

Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa: From an award-winning writer at the New York Times Magazine and a contributor to the 1619 Project comes a landmark book that tells the full story of racial health disparities in America, revealing the toll racism takes on individuals and the health of our nation.

We Don’t Know Ourselves by Fintan O’Toole: A celebrated Irish writer’s magisterial, brilliantly insightful chronicle of the wrenching transformations that dragged his homeland into the modern world.

What do you think? Have you read any of them? Do you want to? Leave a comment!

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