If you’re in need of book recommendations, here’s a summary of the fiction and non-fiction books I read in 2022. I reached my goal of 50 books. This post includes one-word book reviews and star ratings.
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2021 one-word book reviews
Monthly wrap-up of book reviews
Below you’ll find book reviews of each book I read by month. I’ve also sorted all one-word book reviews by ratings immediately following the monthly book reviews. They are, in my opinion, rated as the best books to read right now.
December 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in December 2022.
- 6 books
- 1,458 pages
- YTD: 50 books; 14,815 pages
One-word book review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Courageous | 4*
Number of pages: 286 pages
One-word book review: The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman
The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman
Book genre: Fiction short story
One-word book review and rating: Compelling | 3*
Number of pages: 36 pages
One-word book review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Book genre: Fantasy novella
One-word book review and rating: Classic | 5*
Number of pages: 104 pages
One-word book review: Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Book genre: Magical realism
One-word book review and rating: Enchanting | 5* This is one of my favorite books in 2022.
Number of pages: 304 pages
One-word book review: Sapiens: A brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens: A brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Book genre: Nonfiction
One-word book review and rating: Don’t | 1* [I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I was not a fan.]
Number of pages: 414 pages
One-word book review: Verity by Colleen Hoover
Verity by Collen Hoover
Book genre: Thriller / romance
One-word book review and rating: Twisted | 3*
Number of pages: 314 pages
November 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in November 2022.
- 4 books
- 1,373 pages
- YTD: 44 books
One-word book review: Braving the Wilderness: The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone by Brene Brown
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Book genre: Self-improvement / nonfiction
One-word book review and rating: Empowering | 5*
Number of pages: 208 pages
One-word book review: The Neighbor’s Secret by L. Alison Heller
The Neighbor’s Secret by L. Alison Heller
Book genre: Thriller / suspense
One-word book review and rating: Choppy | 3*
Number of pages: 336 pages
One-word book review: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
They Called Use Enemy by George Takei
Book genre: Graphic memoir
One-word book review and rating: Moving | 5*
Number of pages: 212 pages
One-word book review: The Winners by Fredrik Backman (Beartown #3)
The Winners (Beartown #3) by Fredrik Backman
Book genre: Contemporary fiction
One-word book review and rating: Engrossing | 5* (my second-favorite book this year)
Number of pages: 617 pages
See related post: All Fredrik Backman books ranked!
Post currently ranking #1 on Google
October 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in October 2022.
- 5 books
- 1,212 pages
- YTD: 40 books
One-word book review: The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Absorbing (for Hannie’s narratives) | 3*
Number of pages: 400 pages
One-word book review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Book genre: Contemporary fiction
One-word book review and rating: Delightful | 5* (favorite read of 2022!)
Number of pages: 336 pages
One-word book review: Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Book genre: Romance / short story
One-word book review and rating: Engaging | 3*
Number of pages: 86 pages
One-word book review: Maid: Hard work, low pay, and a mother’s will to survive by Stephanie Land, Barbara Ehrenreich
Maid: Hard work, low pay, and a mother’s will to survive by Kim Michele Richardson
Book genre: Memoir / nonfiction
One-word book review and rating: Underwhelming | 2*
Number of pages: 270 pages
One-word book review: Why I Write by George Orwell
Why I Write by George Orwell
Book genre: Essays / nonfiction
One-word book review and rating: Ok | 3*
Number of pages: 120 pages
September 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in September 2022.
- 2 books [Learn why I only read two books in September 2022: Top things to do in England; Top things to do in Oxford, England; Top scenic and historical day trips from London]
- 724 pages
- YTD: 35 books
One-word book review: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Absorbing | 4*
Number of pages: 355 pages
One-word book review: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Book genre: Historical fiction / saga
One-word book review and rating: Easy | 4*
Number of pages: 369 pages
August 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in August 2022.
- 5 books
- 1,269 pages
- YTD: 33 books
One-word book review: Final Girls by Riley Sager
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Book genre: Thriller / suspense
One-word book review and rating: Suspenseful | 3*
Number of pages: 352 pages
One-word book review: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Book genre: Fiction / children’s literature / saga
One-word book review and rating: Nostalgic | 4*
Number of pages: 198 pages
One-word book review: Maus I and Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale [2-book volume]
Maus I and Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: by Art Spiegelman
Book genre: Graphic novel / historical fiction / banned books
One-word book review and rating: Affecting | 4*
Number of pages: 144 + 159 = 303 pages
One-word book review: Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
Book genre: Fiction
One-word book review and rating: Predictable | 2* [Read Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale or Night Road instead; both of those are 5* reads for me. The Four Winds and The Great Alone are also really good.]
Number of pages: 416 pages
July 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in July2022.
- 3 books
- 1,459 pages
- YTD: 28 books
One-word book review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Book genre: Paranormal / historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Ambitious | 4*
Number of pages: 849 pages [longest book I read in 2022]
The Last Summer by Ann Brashares
Book genre: Fiction
One-word book review and rating: Light | 3*
Number of pages: 306 pages
One-word book review: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Book genre: Thriller / suspense
One-word book review and rating: Twisty | 3*
Number of pages: 304 pages
June 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in June 2022.
- 5 books
- 1,281 pages
- YTD: 25 books
One-word book review: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
Book genre: Philosophy / Non-fiction
One-word book review and rating: Inspirational | 5*
Number of pages: 416 pages
One-word book review: The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Inspiring | 5*
Number of pages: 435 pages
One-word book review: The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
Book genre: Thriller / suspense
One-word book review and rating: Justice | 4*
Number of pages: 302 pages
One-word book review: Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni
Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni
Book genre: Humor
One-word book review and rating: Amusing | 3*
Number of pages: 96 pages
One-word book review: My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood
My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood
Book genre: Fiction / short story
One-word book review and rating: Touching | 4*
Number of pages: 32 pages
May 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in May 2022.
- 4 books
- 1,592 pages
- YTD: 20 books; 6,610 pages
One-word book review: Breathless by Amy McCulloch
Breathless by Amy McCulloch
Book genre: Thriller
One-word book review and rating: So-so| 3*
Number of pages: 343 pages
One-word book review: Dune by Frank Herbert
Dune by Frank Herbert
Book genre: Science fiction
One-word book review and rating: Complex | 4*
Number of pages: 617 pages
One-word book review: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Book genre: Thriller
One-word book review and rating: Twisty | 4*
Number of pages: 360 pages
One-word book review: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Book genre: Classic
One-word book review and rating: Thought-provoking| 4*
Number of pages: 272 pages
April 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in April 2022.
- 4 books
- 787 pages
- YTD: 16 books; 4,518 pages
One-word book review: Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Gripping | 5*
Number of pages: 64 pages
One-word book review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Book genre: Historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Stirring | 5*
Number of pages: 344 pages
One-word book review: Between Shades of Gray – The Graphic Novel by Andrew Donkin
Between Shades of Gray – The Graphic Novell by Andrew Donkin
Book genre: Historical fiction / Graphic novel
One-word book review and rating: Stirring | 5*
Number of pages: 160 pages
One-word book review: The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr
The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr
Book genre: Short stories
One-word book review and rating: Wistful | 4*
Number of pages: 219 pages
March 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in March 2022.
- 4 books
- 1,330 pages
- YTD: 12 books; 3,731 pages
One-word book review: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Book genre: Fiction
One-word book review and rating: Indulgent | 3*
Number of pages: 466 pages
One-word book review: The Collective by Alison Gaylin
The Collective by Alison Gaylin
Book genre: Thriller
One-word book review and rating: Disturbing| 3*
Number of pages: 338 pages
One-word book review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Book genre: Fantasy
One-word book review and rating: Dark | 4*
Number of pages: 190 pages
One-word book review: The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Book genre: Thriller
One-word book review and rating: Suspenseful| 4*
Number of pages: 336 pages
February 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in February 2022.
- 4 books
- 1,158 pages
- YTD: 8 books; 2,401 pages
One-word book review: The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
Book genre: Essays
One-word book review and rating: Captivating | 5*
Number of pages: 293 pages
One-word book review: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Book genre: Fantasy
One-word book review and rating: Suspenseful | 5*
Number of pages: 176 pages
One-word book review: The Humans by Matt Haig
The Humans by Matt Haig
Book genre: Science fiction (with a side of psychology and sociology)
One-word book review and rating: Brilliant | 5*
Number of pages: 304 pages
One-word book review: Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Book genre: Fiction
One-word book review and rating: Heart-rending | 5*
Number of pages: 385 pages
January 2022 one-word book reviews
Here’s a round-up of the books I read and reviewed in January 2022.
- 4 books
- 1,243 pages
One-word book review: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Book genre: Suspense
One-word book review and rating: Satisfactory | 3*
Number of pages: 357 pages
One-word book review: One Hundred One Poems by Gordon S. McCulloch
One Hundred One Poems by Gordon S. McCulloch
Book genre: Poetry
One-word book review and rating: Sweet | 5*
Number of pages: 128 pages
Special note: I had to read this after seeing the viral and heartwarming tweet about the 96-year-old author who published his first book.
One-word book review: Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Book genre: Suspense
One-word book review and rating: Suspenseful | 3.5*
Number of pages: 320 pages
One-word book review: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Book genre: Classic literature / historical fiction
One-word book review and rating: Powerful | 5*
Number of pages: 438 pages
In the following section, I’ve compiled a list of all the books I’ve read in 2022 by their star ranking.
5-star one-word book reviews
Books earning five stars include:
- Address Unknown by Katherine Kressman Taylor
- The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
- Between Shades of Gray (novel and graphic novel)
- Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
- The Humans by Matt Haig
- The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan
- Night Road by Kristin Hannah
- One Hundred One Poems by Gordon S. McCulloch
- Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- The Winners by Fredrik Backman
4-star one-word book reviews
Here are the books I read, reviewed, and rated with four stars.
- 11/22/63 by Stephen King (4.5*)
- The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
- The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
- Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Maus I and II: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman
- My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood
- The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr
3-star one-word book reviews
The following books earned three stars.
- The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
- The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman
- Breathless by Amy McCulloch
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Collective by Alison Gaylin
- Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Final Girls by Riley Sager
- A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
- The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
- Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni
- The Neighbor’s Secret by L. Allison Heller
- Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins (3.5*)
- Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (3.5*)
- Verity by Colleen Hoover
- Why I Write by George Orwell
Have you read any of these books? Any good reads you recommend for my TBR list? Please let me know in the comments and follow me on Goodreads and Instagram. Watch for the best books to read in 2023 post coming soon.
Pin it for later: Best books to read right now
Heavily impressed by your reading goals and achievements, Karen. That Matt Haig book has been on my radar for a little while, so might give it a shot now, considering your ‘brilliant/5’ endorsement. Thank you.
Thank you! I loved The Humans by Matt Haig. It was so different from what I expected. Loved how he held up the mirror to human nature – some of the observations were profound and kinda funny.
I’ve been wanting to read Night Road and am glad to see 5*
I will continue returning to see each new review! Love this concept!
Thank you so kindly. Night Road is an emotional read, but very good. I did have to set it down every now and then as it is heart-rending.
I love Kristen Hannah’s books, so I’d definitely want to try out Night Road. What a great run down of book reviews!
Thank you! I love Kristin Hannah books also. Happy to share these book reviews.
So many great book recommendations
Thank you! Love sharing my one-word book reviews.
That is an impressive amount of reading. I’m lucky if I can get one book done per month for book club. I’m going to have to suggest a few to my group.
Thank you! I have to be very intentional to stay on track for my reading challenge. Lots of great reads here for book club!
I love your one word reviews! This is good timing. I was looking for a good book to take on my trip!
Thank you and so good to hear my one-word book reviews provided some inspiration. Have a great trip!
Love this as I am always looking for some good reads. The Kristin Hannah book looks like it will be on my next list!
Awesome! I love Kristin Hannah. Night Road was an emotional read for me.
This is an amazing one word book review list. A friend suggested Reckless Girls awhile back and now it’s on my list.
Thank you so kindly! Reckless Girl would make a good thriller beach read.
I love your one word reviews! It looks like I have a few books to add to my reading list now. Looking forward to seeing what you review in the upcoming months!
Thank you! It’s fun and challenging to come up with one-word book reviews. More recommendations coming soon!
I love the idea of a one-word book review and your format so I can easily see the genre that I’m looking for :). I’ve been getting more into historical fiction lately and I see several that I will be adding to my book list!
Awesome! And thank you! Historical fiction is my favorite…so I have a few great reads here.
Love your one word book reivews. I have read many on the list. I particularly liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and I agree, it was delightful.
Thank you! It can be challenging to come up with one word for book reviews. I adored Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
Love the one word review! Quick & easy to find a good read 🤗
Thank you so much! Love sharing my one-word book reviews.