
Top 5 books of 2022… so far
Hello bookworms!! Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday!! This week’s topic is top 5 books of 2022… so far!
I don’t know about you all, but I am having a HARD TIME wrapping my brain around the fact that we are halfway through the year already. Like, how is it the end of June 2022?! My tiny little brain cannot fathom this concept. But at the same time, I am also doing a lot of end of financial year paperwork ― so it must be true!!
The April-June 2022 topics are here. And, the July-September 2022 topics are out now ― sorry for the delay! Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, and is now being hosted here @ Meeghan reads.

top 5 books of 2022… so far
How am I even supposed to pick a top 5 this early on?! I feel like it should be easy ― especially since I could definitely do a bottom 5 of the year already… But picking my top 5 is always harder. However, I have given it a red hot go based on books that I have finished so far.
The Kings of Nowhere — C. G. Drews

The Kings of Nowhere one is actually a no-brainer, because I think that it might just top my fave book of the year ― although, it IS early to make that call. I can absolutely say that it has made me cry the most so far this year.
Drews delivers another powerful punch to the solar plexus AND the emotions with this sequel to The Boy Who Steals Houses. And at this point in my life, I’m pretty sure she just owns my soul from all the wishes I have made.
Blurb:
Avery Lou has given up stealing houses ― now he’s meant to build them. Forced to stay with the De Lainey family until Sam’s return from juvie, Avery feels like he’s drowning. He hates that Sam chose the De Laineys instead of running away with him. And he hates working in their construction company while Vin, the thief who hurt Sam, still walks free. Avery wants revenge.
Swapping the sharp-edged world of burglary and car theft for the homey chaos of big family life is a wild adjustment, and Avery’s determined to sabotage his time with the De Laineys and get locked up with Sam instead. Avery just has to stay immune to Jeremy’s charming shenanigans. Easy… sort of. But Avery’s war against Vin has brought trouble to the De Lainey door and he can’t survive this fight alone.
The Trouble With Hating You — Sajni Patel
I have actually been reading a LOT of ‘women working in STEM career’ romances (*cough* Ali Hazelwood *cough*), but The Trouble With Hating You takes it up a notch. In fact, it takes it up several notches.
Firstly, we have own-voices Indian culture, arranged marriage, family expectations, general social pariah-ness due to perceived faults and rumours, and you can tie it all up with enemies to lovers. I got this as a review book in 2020 and I REGRET not reading it sooner.
Blurb:
Liya Thakkar is a successful biochemical engineer, takeout enthusiast, and happily single woman. The moment she realizes her parents’ latest dinner party is a setup with the man they want her to marry, she’s out the back door in a flash. Imagine her surprise when the same guy shows up at her office a week later ― the new lawyer hired to save her struggling company. What’s not surprising: he’s not too thrilled to see her either after that humiliating fiasco.
Jay Shah looks good on paper… and off. Especially if you like that whole gorgeous, charming lawyer-in-a-good-suit thing. He’s also arrogant and infuriating. As their witty office banter turns into late night chats, Liya starts to think he might be the one man who truly accepts her. But falling for each other means exposing their painful pasts. Will Liya keep running, or will she finally give love a real chance?

House of Blood and Earth — Sarah J Maas

I finally got on the Crescent City train earlier this year, and read not only House of Earth and Blood, but also House of Sky and Breath. I liked them pretty much equally, but we all know that I HATE a cliffhanger, so HoEaB is the one that is making my list. Because f*** y0u Sarah J Maas for that ending of HoSaB. We don’t even have a name for any ‘next books’, let alone dates.
Blurb:
BOUND BY BLOOD.
TEMPTED BY DESIRE.
UNLEASHED BY DESTINY.
Bryce Quinlan used to light up Crescent City, partying all night in the clubs where the strict classes of angel, shifter, human and Fae merge into a sea of beautiful bodies.
And then a demon murdered her closest friends.
Two years later, when the supposed killer is behind bars and the crimes start up again, the city’s leaders command Bryce to help investigate. They assign an enslaved fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, to make sure she does. But as Bryce fights to uncover the truth ― and resist her attraction to the brooding angel who shadows her every step ― she finds herself following a trail that leads deep into her own dark past.
The No-Show — Beth O’Leary
Every time I get a new Beth O’Leary books I think “don’t get too excited ― it can’t be better than the last one.” And every time I read a new Beth O’Leary book, it IS better and I am blown away by how much I love it.
The No-Show defies all expectations for what a contemporary romance novel, with a hint of mystery, is. It was everything that I didn’t even know I needed in my life. This book might even replace the coveted ‘reread every year or so’ place held by Back After the Break (by Anita Notaro) since 2003. That’s how good it is.
Blurb:
Three women. Three dates. One missing man…
8.52. Siobhan’s been looking forward to her breakfast date with Joseph. She was surprised when he suggested it ― she normally sees him late at night in her hotel room. Breakfast with Joseph on Valentine’s Day surely means something… so where is he?
14.43. Miranda’s hoping that a Valentine’s Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job. It’s a fresh start and a sign that her grown-up life is finally falling into place: she’s been dating Carter for five months now and things are getting serious. But why hasn’t he shown up?
18.30. Joseph Carter agreed to be Jane’s fake boyfriend at a colleague’s engagement party. They’ve not known each other long but their friendship is fast becoming the brightest part of her new life in Winchester. Joseph promised to save Jane tonight. But he’s not here…
Meet Joseph Carter. That is, if you can find him.

Book of Night — Holly Black

I was so nervous to read Book of Night. And excited. But mostly nervous. Because I wanted to love it. But I had also wanted to love The Atlas Six… and we all know how that turned out.
You’d think, given my absolute adoration of Black’s fae books, that I would just automatically love this. BUT, the rest of her books are less hit, more miss for me. Her short stories I mostly disliked, and I’ve basically DNFed the Curseworkers trilogy. (I might still finish it, DB!) So yeah, I was nervous. But, all for nothing, because I LOVED this book.
Blurb:
In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences ― but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings ― and memories ― but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden ― a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.
Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear ― and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister ― all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.

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What are your top 5 books of 2022… so far?



15 Comments
wonderwall360blog
The trouble with hating you sounds good. Like idea of featuring a woman in STEM. Hope it shows her actually working. Some romances you are like … taking that much time off, daydreaming at your desk so much … how do you still have a job! Lol
meeghan
Hahaha, I totally understand that, but can confirm that Liya does in fact spend a lot of time in the lab running tests and things.
Davida Chazan
Here you go! https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2022/06/28/t5t-top-five-tuesday-for-june-28-2022-favorite-books-of-the-year-so-far/
Eustacia | Eustea Reads
The cover for Book of Night is gorgeous!!
The Trouble With Hating You sounds interesting, especially the own-voices part, but romance is not normally my genre so I’m a bit hesitant :p
meeghan
I understand that. Not all genres are for everyone!!
kathyscottage
Hi. Have a great day!
https://katiescottagebooks.wordpress.com/2022/06/28/top-five-tuesday-top-5-books-of-2022-so-far/
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Becky Lewis
Im hoping to get to Book of Night next month!
meeghan
Ooh, I hope you enjoy it!!
dbsguidetothegalaxy
I finally got The Boy Who Steals Houses so I can finally read it! AHHH I’ve got The No-Show on hold and then after that it’ll be The Road Trip! She’s definitely a new favourite author! Thanks so much for constantly shouting about her until I read her! 😆😆 I honestly have no idea when I’ll finish The Curseworkers trilogy either lolll
meeghan
Hahahaha, I love all of this. Also, I just might… never? finish the Curseworkers?! 😱
Kristina
How is it possible that I didn’t knew about the kings of nowhere?? Iknow I live under a rock, but man! 😅
Ooooh ive been really wanting to read the no show/ happy you really liked it!
meeghan
The Kings of Nowhere is like a really well-kept secret that I scream about every so often. It made me cry like 18 times. 100% recommend.
Kal @ Reader Voracious
Gosh it’s so hard to pinpoint a top 5 so far, but The Wolf and the Woodsman, People We Meet on Vacation, Devil in the Device, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, and The Luminous Dead!
meeghan
Oh, I really need to read People We Meet on Vacation!! I really enjoyed Beach Read. 💕