7 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2022
“I can’t think of too many things as exciting as reading a book for the first time!” - Jen Selinksy
Would we even be a book blog if we didn’t tell you about some of the books we’re excited to read in 2022!? While we could go on and on about all the books we’re excited about, we’ll just touch on some of the ones we’re looking forward to reading the most this year.
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation
By Imani Perry
Do we truly know the South? Even if you don’t live in the south, you probably can name a few important attributes: The Civil War, plantations, slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, and, of course, football. Yes, we can name these events or moments in history, but the South is a much more complex region than we truly acknowledge. In this novel, Imani Perry shows how the South is linked to the American meaning, and if we can understand this enriched historical culture, then maybe we could understand the American nation as a whole.
We learn about Imani’s journey as a Black woman and native Alabaman returning to the region with fresh eyes for the land which she always called home. She runs into many detours and stunning encounters with Southerners from all ages. With compassion and truth she shares her opinion about Southern history and culture and how these events have become the character that others recognize and attribute to Southern life.
Zodiac Academy 8
By Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
A synopsis has not been released yet for this final book in the Zodiac Academy series, but we can tell you about the series so far to see if you will anticipate the final book as much as we are!
This series follows twin sisters, Tory and Darcy, who were living in the mortal world, doing all they can to make ends meet. One night, a mysterious man finds them and says they are fae who belong in the Solarian world where their mother and father were once king and queen but were brutally murdered when they were babies. For 18 years, the twins were thought to be dead as well until their magic was felt in the Solarian world by the fae. As they try to adjust to a new life, their elemental magic, and witnessing things they thought were just from fairytales, they meet opposition at every turn from the Celestial Heirs, the sons of the current ruling leaders who took over once the king and queen were murdered. Tory and Darcy do not want the throne, or the title of princess, until the Heirs push them until they can no longer deny that they are the strongest fae and should rule the land. As they attempt to learn what truly happened to their parents, each finds a forbidden love.
While the main storyline follows Darcy, Tory, and the Heirs, you can’t help but fall in love with the supporting characters. There are so many twists and turns, we can’t give much more of a synopsis or we’ll give everything away!
Book Lovers
By Emily Henry
Nora Stephens’ life passion is books - she reads them all - but cannot say that she is a heroine like the ones she reads about. She isn’t a dream girl, sweetheart, knockout, or any other heroine. Nora only ever feels like a heroine in two instances - in her career where she is a cutthroat literary agent landing enormous deals for her clients, and for her beloved younger sister, Libby, who she will do anything for.
Which is how she lands in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August. Libby begged for a sisters’ trip away together. Libby has a vision that this small town could be transformative for Nora. For herself, she envisioned a meet cute with a small town doctor, walks through meadow, and picnics in the park, but instead, Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a pensive editor from back in the city. It would be a cute heroine meets the hero and falls madly in love except…well Nora has run into him…many times in the city… and it has never been cute.
Now Nora and Charlie are being thrown together again and again, and even though Nora isn’t the typical heroine, and Charlie ain’t nobody’s hero, they might discover that their story being written just might be an ideal heroine love story written just for them.
American Royalty
By Tracey Livesay
On the verge of signing a deal to make her one of the richest women in hip hop, which will finally give her control over her life, which she has craved for years, is rapper Danielle “Duchess” Nelson. However, her deal might just be in jeopardy after a small incident with a rising pop star that has gone completely viral. Now, with concern for her image, the powers that be insist she work on generating positive publicity for herself… or else.
Prince Jameson is a brilliant professor but a reclusive royal. He prefers to stay out of the spotlight as much as he can, only coming out for weddings and funerals. However, the Queen is now desperate because one scandal after another is being aired involving her children. In the hopes of receiving good press, she tasks Prince Jameson with putting together a tribute concert in honor of her late husband. Resentful of having to step forward, and completely unsure what to do, Prince Jameson takes advice from a student who has suggested he get “Duchess” to perform. What could be more perfect for a royal concert?
But Duchess is not what the Queen wanted and it’s too late to back out, even if Prince Jameson has a very different reaction to this sexy American rapper. Dani knows this is the right publicity to turn her image around and cement her deal, and who can pass up working with such a fine as hell royal. Thrust together to put on a concert of epic proportion, the Prince and Duchess give in to their off the charts attraction. But as the limelight heightens and interferences come from all sides – will this be the Cinderella fairytale for the books, or a disaster in the making?
How to Be Eaten
By Maria Adelmann
This is a dark, excitable, and diabolically funny tale that takes our popular childhood stories, exposes them as the the anti-feminist fantasy that they are, and transforms them into a new kind of myth for adult women. What can you expect?
Five women come together to process each of their traumas in a support group in a present-day New York City basement. Bernice battles with the repercussions of dating a blue-bearded billionaire psychopath. Ruby was once demolished by a wolf and now wears him as a coat. Gretel examines her memory; was she truly held captive in a house made of candy? Ashlee, questions if she really got a fairytale ending after winning a Bachelor-esque dating show. And Raina's love story is the biggest shocker of all.
Though each woman is wary of the other initially, being quite judgmental of each other’s stories and experience, they gradually begin to realize that maybe they do all have more in common than they thought. Why did they come to this support group? Will they reveal their secrets? Is it too late to help each other and rescue one another from their traumas?
Carnegie’s Maid
By Marie Benedict
Clara Kelley is not the experienced Irish maid hired to work in one of Pittsburgh’s grandest households. She is in fact a poor farmer’s daughter with no change in her pocket and nowhere to go. But this Irish maid, with the same name as Clara, has disappeared, and what better way to make some money to send home than to pretend to be her? If she can keep up with pretending, that is.
Clara has taken on serving as a lady’s maid in the home of Andrew Carnegie. The job requires skills that she doesn’t have, and she is working for a cold lady of the house who rules the household and her sons with an iron first. But Clara has a steel spine, just like what Pittsburgh is gradually becoming famous for, and quite the knack in understanding business. Now Andrew Carnegie is starting to rely on her and Clara cannot break the ruse, not even when Andrew becomes more than just an employer. If she reveals the truth, her family’s future, as well as hers, could be ruined.
Reminders of Him
By Colleen Hoover
Returning home after five years in prison for a tragic mistake, troubled mother Kenna Rowan hopes to reunite with her four year old daughter. But did Kenna burn too many bridges with no way to build a bridge back? Everyone who is caring for Kenna’s daughter is determined to keep her away, no matter how much Kenna is proving herself and working hard.
The local bar owner, and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter, Ledger Ward has not closed the door completely to Kenna. But if anyone finds out how important Ledger is becoming in Kenna’s life, both would lose the trust of everyone important to them and Kenna’s daughter.
Ledger and Kenna form a connection despite all the pressure around them, but as the romance between them intensifies, the risk does as well. Kenna needs to find a way to vindicate the mistakes from her past in order to build a future worthy of her daughter.
We know some of these books have been out for a while, but our TBR lists are never ending! We’ll probably never make it through our TBR lists, especially because we are always adding to them, but we’re happy to keep trying - so please tell us the books you’re excited to read so we can add them to our list. :)
If you’d like to see more of what we’re excited to read or what we’re reading now, check out our Goodreads profiles (Kelli’s and Chelsea’s) or follow us on Instagram and Facebook! Subscribe to our blog to stay up to date with our reviews and all things books! Thanks for reading with us!