2022 still doesn’t feel like a real year… and yet here we are! Like 2020, this past year was challenging, but some good things did come out of 2021. I got top surgery, my parents got an amusing new dog, and so many musical artists put out awesome music. Plus, I read some awesome books.

The books on this list are the ones that I’m still thinking about and keep suggesting to people. They’re the ones I wanted to reread right away (and I sometimes did). They’re in mostly chronological order. And now, without further ado, onto the books!

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I’ve read Phantom before and seen the musical and watched the movie, but the first translation I read of the text was not good. This translation was much less clunky and lived inside a cute little Macmillan edition. I keep this edition on display on my bookshelf. And with my virtual “trip” to France planned by my sister, the experience was complete. One of my favorite classics, for sure.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

It kind of feels weird to call this a “favorite” because of the brutal nature and history of the story, but this is a book that sticks with you forever. Not just because of how horrifying it can be, but because it’s written so well. There’s even a sort of twist at the ending that adds to the themes of identity and trauma—and how these two things are entwined forever. I recommend this book with caution, but it’s a necessary story to be told and to be read. And I’m super pumped to read some of Colson Whitehead’s other books.

In Waves by A.J. Dungo

In high school, I did a project on the history of ukuleles, which is part of Hawaiian history. It was a super fun subject to research, so when I randomly came across In Waves at the library and saw that part of it included the history of surfing (also part of Hawaiian history), I checked it out immediately. The illustrations are wonderful, the history backstory is informative, and the main story about the author’s wife’s illness is heartbreaking. But it was hopeful, too. I’ve been recommending this book to anyone who will listen, and I recommend it to you, too! A wonderful depiction of grief and loss and how you can move forward without fully leaving that part of your life behind.

Fence, Vol. 1-4 by C.S. Pacat & Johanna The Mad

I love me a good LGBT sports story, but the reason this series has stuck with me more than others is because of the friendship between Seiji and Nicholas. I love the “sunshine and bothersome” person makes friends with the “serious and antisocial” person trope. And being queer in this book is just a normal thing, nothing overromanticized or villainized. Plus, knowledge of fencing has really helped my crossword puzzle game.

These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

Chloe Gong really debuted with bang. (Well, multiple bangs, really. There’s a lot of shooting in this duology on account of the gang activity.) I would never have picked this book up normally because I’m not a huge fan of Shakespeare, but Chloe Gong made me appreciate Romeo and Juliet like I never have before. Her writing is incredible, her characters now live rent-free in the corner of my mind, and her plots are amazingly complex. And I have to say that the monsters really did freak me out, which is not common when I read. Literal shivers down my spine. And the romances and the villains and the city—ugh, it was just all so good.

I can’t wait to pick up more from Chloe Gong. These books are definitely new all-time faves!

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Like Phantom, this was also technically a reread, but it was a whole new experience this time around because I did a little research about the history it’s based on. Violent historical fiction really had its moment in my reading life this year. (Should I be concerned about that?) I usually don’t like war stories, but this book is definitely the exception because it tells the story through the people and the trauma and the dehumanization instead of facts and statistics and the battle names.

The Poppy War makes you both love and hate its characters in an even more brutal way than Chloe Gong’s books. I haven’t read the rest of the trilogy because these books can be emotionally challenging, but I can safely assume they continue to be as amazing as the first. I just need to work up the mental energy needed to continue on in this series… Hopefully soon!

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

John Green is one of my favorite authors, and this nonfiction is based on his podcast of the same name which rates things on a 5-star scale. I read this one with my sister, and let me tell ya, it is peak pandemic literature. John Green is the best at taking anything from scratch-and-sniff stickers to the first few minutes of The Penguins of Madagascar 2 and making it both existential and hopeful. I even got a tattoo loosely based on the essay about “Auld Lang Syne” and imperfect circle drawings. It’s one I’m excited to reread, because I feel like it will give me something new every time I read it. (And I can’t get the phrase “Gunther, give them a shove” out of my head. It’s in there forever. I never even saw the second Penguins of Madagascar! It’s all John Green’s fault, but I’m not mad at it.)

Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater

Anything in The Raven Cycle universe is automatically a fave for me, but for good reason. I love Maggie Stiefvater’s writing and her characters and her weirdly specific knowledge of things like rare pigments and cars. Getting to know a new side of Declan in this series has been just as fun as continuing to follow Ronan’s story. I can’t wait to get bruised by the curveballs Maggie Stiefvater throws at me in the final book of the trilogy. 

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Man, I love this book. I love it so much. The atmosphere and the bees and the stories… I’ll let past Ryn take it from here: “It’s so beautiful and the characters are lovely and everything is complex and confusing in the best way possible. This book is so beautiful and contemplative and storyful (which might be a word I just made up). I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.” And I haven’t. The reread was just as wonderful.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

This is another graphic novel that snuck up on me. I love browsing the graphic novel section at the library and reading one before I walk back, but this one I took home with me to flip through again. The art was really stunning; it seemed alive. The illustrations not only added to the story, they were the story. Trung Le Nguyen shows how language barriers can be more than just language barriers. They can be cultural barriers, emotional barriers, communication barriers. But through fairytales and storytelling, the main character and his mom are able to communicate exactly what they need to communicate.

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is the queen of bittersweet endings, and this book was no exception. A common theme amongst my favorite books of this year is that they explore the overlap between “human” and “monster.” This one does it even more literally than These Violent Delights, but it still works really well. To be honest, the first book in this duology wasn’t the best. The pacing was weird and parts of it were kinda boring.

But this sequel really picked up the torch and raced to light the fire. And the fire blazed. One particular character in this book grabbed my heart and held onto it tightly. I’m just glad that I didn’t give up on the duology after the first book didn’t fully impress me. Such a good ending! Plus, the cameos from some of my favorite Six of Crows characters made me smile.

Continuum by Chella Man & illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky

I really enjoy the Pocket Change Collective series, and this is by far my favorite of the ones I’ve read. Chella Man discusses deafness and transness with such wisdom and insight into the world. Parts of his story were familiar to me and parts of it weren’t, but his is a story that I can definitely learn from and find strength in.

Well, there you have it! Here’s to many more great reads in 2022 for everyone. I’m hoping my 2022 is full of lots of cups of tea, hours of writing, good music, and conversations with the people I love. And I hope that your wishes for 2022 come true, too. Happy New Year!