This January, groups of librarians from across the country met up virtually to hash out what they think were the best books published last year. The Notable Books List features literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; the Listen List is all about outstanding audiobooks; and The Reading List, which I want to tell you about today, highlights outstanding genre fiction in eight genres: Adrenaline (aka thrillers, adventure stories), Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Relationship Fiction, Romance, and Science Fiction.
While each genre has a winner, it also has a four-title shortlist of runners up. Taken together, the five books in each genre represent a range of the types of stories a reader can find in that genre, with the idea that both longtime fans and new readers can find a title of interest. If you are looking to branch out into new areas of fiction reading, or for more suggestions in your favorite genre, it is a great list to browse.. Check out the 2022 winners and short list (for books published in 2021) below, with annotations from the ALA Reading List Council, or in our catalog.
Adrenaline
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Husbands Derek and Isaiah were estranged from their fathers, but after the couple is gunned down, ex-cons Ike and Buddy Lee seek personal redemption and bloody justice for their sons in this gritty, vengeance-fueled thriller.
Short List:
Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka ♦ Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian ♦ The Push by Ashley Audrain ♦ Red Widow by Alma Katsu
Fantasy
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
In an alternate 1912 Cairo, where the magical and the mundane collide, Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi teams up with a new partner and seeks help from the djinn as she investigates the massacre of a mysterious cult and races to stop a fake prophet who threatens to reshape the world.
Short List:
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho ♦ The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman ♦ When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo ♦ The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Historical Fiction
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Immediately after the Civil War, a grieving white couple and formerly enslaved brothers come together to form an unexpected friendship and vision for working the land. Their small Georgia community is skeptical and even horrified at the arrangement and as the summer unfolds, secrets are revealed with tragic consequences.
Short List:
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood ♦ Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter ♦ The Rose Code by Kate Quinn ♦ A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein
Horror
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
A wedding party camped in a crumbling Japanese mansion falls prey to their own creeping dread and the encircling yōkai–hungry inhabitants led by a ghostly bride. She was buried alive long, long ago, and she has been lonely.
Short List:
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling ♦ My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones ♦ Near the Bone by Christina Henry ♦ This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
Mystery
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
Lila Macapagal reluctantly returns to her hometown to help with her family’s struggling Filipino restaurant, only to have a food critic – her ex-boyfriend – drop dead. A prime suspect, Lila spars with Detective Park while her best friend and nosy aunties help clear her name in this charming, cozy series starter.
Short List:
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest ♦ The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson ♦ Sleep Well, My Lady by Kwei Quartey ♦ Under Color of Law by Aaron Philip Clark
Relationship Fiction
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Patrick, a former sitcom star sequestered in Palm Springs, temporarily takes in his young niece and nephew after their mother’s death. Over the summer Gay Uncle (Guncle) Patrick is drawn out of his self-imposed isolation as he and the kids cope with their grief in this exuberant, witty, heartwarming story.
Short List:
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto ♦ The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams ♦ Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason ♦ The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan
Romance
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Recently arrived in New York, August Landry is mesmerized by her impossibly cool fellow Q train rider Jane Su. With Jane stuck out of time and unable to leave the train, August resurrects old skills to uncover the truth and save Jane in this sweet and sexy timeslip romance.
Short List:
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun ♦ For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes ♦ The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod ♦ People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Science Fiction:
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
In a post-collapse utopia, nomadic tea monk Dex spends their days visiting small villages providing respite from everyday life. Encountering the first robot anyone has seen since robots left human society, the two journey together. This gentle, tender story examines the roots of personal dissatisfaction and the joys of community.
Short List:
Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill ♦ Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ♦ One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky ♦ Unity by Elly Bangs
See the full list in our library catalog.
~ posted by Andrea G.
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