My Favorite Reads of 2022

2022 was full of great reads and fun listens. I served on the ALA Listen List committee which highlights 12 of the best audio books each year. I also served on the New Hampshire Teen Reads Award committee which creates 2 lists of 10 books each for teens across the state to read and vote for their favorite each year. Let's dive into my favorites!

This was such a fun summer romance. The main character and the love interest meet at a family wedding. There's an intense game of assassin. Supposedly there are lots of Taylor Swift references so now I feel like I need to read it again because I somehow missed them! The main character is charming, the love interest is great, and the game of assassin is a romp! I love the grandparents too; there's just so much love in this book! 

---

This is an alternate history of the Russian Revolution featuring The Grand Duchess Anastasia and I loved it so much! I highly recommend listening to the audio book; I think hearing correct pronunciation of Russian words adds to the story. Also this YA novel somehow has *almost* no romance! There's like a hint of something maybe at the end but wow! Two strong female characters lead this incredible story. 

---

I'm not sure how I've made it this long without reading Kate Quinn, but I get it now. The hype is worth it. She's an incredible writer and this story is amazing. It's based on the real life of Mila, a Russian mother and librarian turned spy. Again, I highly recommend the audio book for amazing Russian accents. If you love historical fiction or spy stories, definitely pick this one up.

---

This is the most charming and heartwarming book I read in 2022. I don't think the title does the story justice at all. We meet Iona and the other characters while they're commuting, in fact they meet each other that way as well, but the story of friendship, joy and love is so much bigger than Iona's rules for commuting. This book will make you laugh, cry, roll your eyes, and recommend it to everyone you know. Enjoy the ride!

---

I don't read a lot of nonfiction but this one was engrossing. Yovanovitch's life has been incredible, and she shares her story with such power and purpose. She narrates the audio book and I highly recommend listening; I could listen to hear speak all day. This book brings to light a lot of issues with our government but also a lot of beautiful things our ambassadors are able to do with our allies overseas. I learned so much while reading this and spent some time after researching more. 

---