Jessica Flory's Top Ten Books of 2022

Happy New Year, my friends! I hope the holiday season was filled with love and joy for you all.

2022 was an incredible year for me. I signed a contract for my YA fantasy novel, Oceans of Sand, which will be published in June THIS YEAR. Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. This has been a dream since I was a little girl, and I am just THRILLED that it's coming true! Thank you so much for your support as I go on this journey.

I read a TON (obviously) and so, without further ado, here are the top ten books I read in 2022. There are a bunch of genres, so it's a bit of a jumbled list. Most of what I read is YA fantasy or romance (or both!), so there's a lot of that ahead.

In descending order from least to most favorite, here we go!

10) American Royals by Katherine McGee

This was such a fun read! It explores the questions, "What if George Washington became King instead of President? What if America had royalty?" It's a super fun YA romance and well-written. I enjoyed the whole series.

9) The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

This contemporary YA really spoke to me. (Plus there was a great romance subplot!) The main character is missing an eye, which was super interesting, and it makes her afraid of doing lots of things. I really related to and cheered for her!

8) Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

This was stinkin' adorable! It's a YA retelling of You've Got Mail, and it was soooo cute!! Great enemies to lovers story.

7) One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

This YA mystery was soooo good! Really gripping. Four teenagers are framed for murder. It's told from all four perspectives and was really well done. Be warned, there is some swearing and talk about teen sex. (Something you will never find in my writing.)

6) Places We've Never Been by Kasie West

This YA road trip romance was ADORABLE! I loved every second of it. Clean, sweet, and swoon-worthy. The main characters were really well done and relatable.

5) The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

This was like my soulmate book. It was SO CUTE! It's an adult romance with lots of sciency fun. (My degree is in Molecular Biology, and I related to so much of what the main character did!) It also has fake dating, so that's always fun :) Warning: there is a very detailed sex scene that I had to skim over.

4) Renegades by Marissa Meyer

This Sci-Fi/Fantasy YA was fantastic! I loved the whole series. The main character is a "bad guy" gone undercover in a world where super heroes govern. Such a fun concept, and the romance sub-plot was fantastic.

3) Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This YA Sci-Fi was fantastic. The world-building and plot were top notch. It's a trilogy, and I loved every book! There are seven main characters, all with a viewpoint, which is a lot. I didn't think the authors could pull it off. But they DID and it was amazing!!

2) Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

This YA romance was SO SO CUTE!! It made me melt into a puddle of goo, and I loved it. Adorable enemies to lovers with a fun setting and great characters. Clean and sweet.

1) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The number one book I read this year, hands down, by a landslide, was Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It's an adult sci-fi, and I loved it so, so much. The science in it was super legit and realistic, which I adored. The plot was amazing and the characters were phenomenal (which is uncommon in sci-fi!). Earth is in jeopardy. An alien life-form is eating the sun, and the main character is charged with studying it. Absolutely fantastic. If you read anything in 2023, read this book! There is some language, but not a horrible amount. (One or two F-bombs.)

Bonus: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This book didn't quite earn a place on the list, but it was soooo close so I had to include it. It was really good and well-written. Not my typical genre, but I still enjoyed it. A YA mystery/thriller, the main character is a teenage girl who inherits 42 billion dollars. She doesn't know the billionaire and doesn't know why he chose her to inherit. Super interesting! Loved the whole trilogy.

Now it's your turn! Comment below and tell me the best books you read in 2022. I will check them out! For more literary fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Hugs!