As the year comes to a close, I usually keep an eye out for new books I can add to my TBR for next year. If you find yourself doing the same, here are my top 5 (and a few extras, it was difficult to narrow down!) favourite books I’ve read this year.
Verity by Colleen Hoover is definitely my favourite book of the year. It was insane! Although I did have to stop reading it at 3am and carry on the next morning because I was scared. I had no idea what to expect from this book but had multiple friends (and TikTok) telling me to read it, so I gave it a go and I was not disappointed. Coming from someone who HATES all things even remotely scary, I was shocked that I managed to get through this thriller, but it was definitely worth it! I immediately ran into my uni friends' room to discuss the ending and have since recommended it to everybody. The plot in summary is about a character, Lowen, who Jermey Crawford hires to complete his wife, Verity Crawford, remaining books in a successful series after she is injured and unable to complete them herself. When searching for notes in the Crawford's house to complete the books, Lowen comes across an unsettling unfinished autobiography by Verity, uncovering the family's secrets that Verity had no intention of anybody ever reading. This is a gripping story, one that I wish I could go back and reread for the first time a million times over!
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is one of my all-time favourite books I've read. This was a re-read for me in preparation for the sequel It starts with us which I read afterwards. This story follows the main character Lily following her falling in love with Ryle, a neurosurgeon she meets one night on a rooftop. However, when Ryle begins to show disturbing attributes that Lily has experienced in her past, she encounters a difficult decision to make as to how many chances she is willing to give him. The story also follows glimpses into Lily’s past with her first love Atlas, and the story develops as she meets him again in the present day. This story does contain lots of talk of domestic abuse, so bear that in mind before you pick it up, but the ending is so beautiful (I did shed a few tears!) The sequel picks up at the end of the first book and continues to follow Lily’s story. I am a sucker for some romance (and a Colleen Hoover story) so these books are definitely ones I'm always recommending to my family and friends.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab, is another book that I was pleasantly surprised with this year! I’m not a major fan of fantasy and magical-type books (excluding Harry Potter of course!) but this book was amazing and I was hooked! It follows a girl who, after being told not to, unintentionally prays to the gods after dark, leading her to be cursed, and everyone forgetting her as soon as they walk away from her. She lives for hundreds of years completely alone only being visited by the ‘darkness’ who cursed her and wants to take her soul for good. Addie runs into Henry when trying to steal from his bookstore, and to her surprise, he remembers her. The story follows the two of them as Addie attempts to discover what is so special about Henry that he is able to remember her. I loved this book as it was something different for me from the usual romances that I tend to stick to, and I will definitely be looking to read some more from this author next year!
After reading Verity, I decided to venture into the world of thriller books again this year and read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell after seeing it all over my TikTok for you page. Again, I was pleasantly surprised (and am slowly being converted into a thriller lover) This story follows Libby who was once the baby left happily cooing in her crib while 3 dead bodies lay in the kitchen downstairs, and the other 4 children living there have gone missing. 25 years later Libby is finally going to find out who she is while meeting the people who are also keen to meet her after all these years. This book had me hooked from the beginning and with plot twists along the way I couldn’t put it down.
The, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy by Holly Jackson is definitely up there in my favourite series ever. The books follow the main character Pippa Fitz-Amobi who investigates a recent murder in her town, that the police believe is solved, but she is not so sure. She uses the case for her project at school and uncovers secrets about someone in the town who is keen to stay secret. The two sequels follow on from where the first book left off, following the case of a missing person and finally the trilogy ends with a novel following the storyline of someone out to get Pip herself. These books were gripping and a very nice, easy read, which got me out of a reading slump halfway through the year! If you want a YA mystery this is definitely the series for you.
Well, that's a wrap on my top 5 reads of 2022. Be sure to let me know yours below, or if any of these are going to be added to your TBR for next year!