2022 is not even half over, and we have already seen some phenomenal new titles across a wide range of genres – from epic fantasy to literary fiction – all offering something for readers of every persuasion. With the launch of some excellent and thought-provoking books, the TBR list for avid readers has increased by a fat number. Till now, 2022 has already delivered some excellent reads involving debut novels, breakthroughs and compelling non-fiction experiments. We have chosen the most popular books of 2022 – fiction and nonfiction titles that are worth every second of your time.
Most Popular Books Of 2022 – Fiction
Anthem, by Noah Hawley
Release date: January 4, 2022
Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
Set in a not-too-distant future, Noah Hawley’s epic literary thriller Anthem is a literary experience of finding insatiable lights in dark corners. The novel depicts the end of the world where the nation runs into hopeless division, a broken political system and disastrous climatic conditions. A message that something is going to happen to teenagers in America but can be dissected only by them is spreading through memes. As high schoolers respond with a mass suicide movement, an incredible group of three young heroes sets out on the adventurous mission of saving a friend and might end up saving all of humanity. Written with boldness, literary authority, and restless foresight, Anthem explores the distinctive pulse of the American heart.
Olga Dies Dreaming, by Xochitl Gonzalez
Release date: January 4, 2022
Genre: Domestic Fiction
A technicolor novel by Xochitl Gonzalez, Olga Dies Dreaming is the story of two Brooklyn-born children of Puerto Rican revolutionaries, Olga and her brother, Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo who have a successful life but precariously lives in their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood. Olga is a status-driven wedding planner who all in the wake of Hurricane Maria struggles with her social aspirations, neglectful mother, and Puerto Rican roots meanwhile Prieto who is a popular Congressman fights for their Latinx neighborhood while concealing his sexuality. Packed with richly imagined characters and vivacious prose, the novel examines how we can lead meaningful lives in a world rife with inequality and questions the very notion of the American dream.
To Paradise, by Hanya Yanagihara
Release date: January 11, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction, Alternative History
This is yet another bold, brilliant novel from the author of the much-lauded classic A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara, and is one of the most popular books of 2022. The grand and sweeping novel spans three centuries and crafts an enthralling and ingenious symphony from three different stories, each one set in an American experiment about lovers, family, loss and the elusive promise of utopia.
The characters and the alternate American setting are united by their summation of human qualities of fear, love, shame, need and loneliness. To Paradise is yet another masterwork of marvelous literary effect and emotional genius from a visionary writer.
Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
Release date: April 5, 2022
Genre: Science Fiction, Epic Fiction
Sea of Tranquility is yet another sensational novel by the award-winning best-selling author Emily St. John Mandel. This book which is all about time travel and metaphysics unfurls a story of humanity across centuries in space. The story that starts from Vancouver Island in 1912 takes you three hundred years later to a dark colony on the moon. The novel will let you indulge in puzzle box plotting and high-flying imagination. Masterfully plotted and deeply moving, Sea of Tranquility precisely captures the reality of our current moment.
The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan
Release date: April 5, 2022
Genre: Science Fiction, Psychological Fiction
This electrifying and deeply moving piece from the Pulitzer Prize-winning iconic storyteller, Jennifer Egan is a literary sequel to A Visit From the Goon Squad. The Candy House takes you through an alternative reality where our memories are no longer ours but stored in the cloud and accessible to any user. This novel of interconnected stories of shared memories questions the innate human need for authenticity, privacy and meaning. The Candy House is the finest novel that makes sense of the social media age.
The Immortal King Rao, by Vauhini Vara
Release date: May 3, 2022
Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Satire
Written by a former Wall Street Journal technology Reporter, Vauhini Vara, The Immortal King Rao is the tale of a precocious child, King Rao who was born into a family of Dalit coconut farmers in an Indian village. He grows up to be the most successful tech CEO in the world and the leader of a global government run by the Board of Corporations. The Immortal King Rao is a novel that brings the ethical question about the boundaries between literary fiction and speculative fiction. The novel depicts how we arrived at the age of technological capitalism and hints at the future impacts of our actions.
Most Popular Books Of 2022 – Non Fiction
How Civil Wars Start, by Barbara F. Walter
Release date: January 6, 2022
Genre: War and Crime, Historical Analysis, Political Discourse
In this book, acclaimed expert Barbara F. Walter, who has advised on political violence to the CIA and the U.S. Senate to the United Nations depicts how civil wars happen and how to avoid them. Walter conveys that civil wars will become more common and long-standing than in the past due to the weakening of governments across the world and citizens becoming more divisive in their ideologies. She underlines the need to support the American experiment by making many changes including protecting voting rights, improving campaign finance laws and restricting social media extremism. Meticulously researched and coherently testified, How Civil Wars Start is a wake-up call for our path back toward peace.
Scoundrel, by Sarah Weinman
Launch date: February 2, 2022
Genre: Biography, True Crime
One of the most popular books of 2022 in non-fiction, Scoundrel is an astonishing true-crime story by the author of The Real Lolita and editor of Unspeakable Acts, Sarah Weinman. The book tells the chilling story of a convicted murderer, Edgar Smith, who deceives various powerful people around him including National Review founder William F. Buckley into helping set him free from Death Row. Smith’s conning set him free and brought him literary fame, but commits the murder of another innocent woman, leaving blood on the hands of Buckley and many others. Weinman proves once again to be a modern master of true crime by depicting how the justice system is easily manipulated.
True Story, by Danielle J. Lindemann
Launch date: February 15, 2022
Genre: Sociology, Television Criticism
This read by Danielle J. Lindemann that analyses the sociological impact of reality TV was named the best nonfiction book of 2022 by Esquire. True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us explores the rise of the medium to dominate our culture and how it reflects society’s outlook toward race, class, gender and sexuality. This edge of the seat book with everything from COPS to Honey Boo Boo while systematizing our deep traditionalism and fragile hierarchies of power. True Story is both a pioneering work of sociology and an entertaining chronicle of reality TV obsession at the same time.
Invisible Kingdom, by Meghan O’Rourke
Launch date: March 1, 2022
Genre: Biography and Memoir, Health and Fitness
Renowned writer Meghan O’Rourke takes us through a landmark exploration of the rise of a silent epidemic of chronic illnesses that affects millions of Americans. The book is a revelatory investigation into invisible diseases that are frequently marginalized and can go undiagnosed and unrecognized altogether. O’Rourke draws on her own experiences with the decades-long struggle with chronic autoimmune disease as well as interviews with doctors, patients, researchers, and public health experts. With the elegant fusion of lyricism and erudition, candor and empathy, The Invisible Kingdom offers hope for the sick and advocates for a community-centric healthcare model that treats patients as people, not parts.
These are the 10 most popular books of 2022 that are worth every second of your time. The list consists of both fiction and nonfiction titles of various genres so that every book lover can easily pick one. If you have already read any of these books, let us know your opinion in the comments below.
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