Once again, it’s time for the book lovers out there to choose new releases to pre-order for the year 2022. Every year, I look through various ‘anticipated reads’ lists by major sources to help amp up excitement for the year to come. Though I plan to mostly read books I already own, I do want to support new works from authors I love as well.
As usual, in 2022, my pre-orders will mostly be from BIPOC and/or woman authors. Since I am planning to move again shortly after the first quarter of the year, I need to read the books I own and declutter a bit.
Nonetheless, I do like to own a variety of genres because I read based on my mood. TBR lists never work for me because I cannot commit to a particular order, but I do know what genres I will gravitate toward.
Right now, my library is missing new thrillers/mysteries and fantasy reads from BIPOC authors. With that in mind, I have compiled a pretty good list for the year ahead.
Most anticipated ya books of 2022
Full stop, I mostly read adult fiction and non-fiction. However, some of the more imaginative fantasy/sci-fi and contemporary works are marketed toward young adults. With that in mind, I always look through lists to see if anything piques my interest:
- Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor (January 18, 2022): This work will complete the Black fantasy triology based on African folklore by Okorafor. I own book one (Akata Witch) and book two (Akata Warrior) of this series, but have waited for this release to dig in. Now that the third book is set to release in early 2022, my plan is to read all three books at the top of the year.
- Gallant by V.E. Schwab (March 1, 2022): Many wax lyrical about the wokrs of Schwab. So much so that I own a set of books from the author that I haven’t read. Gallant is a stand alone work with myserious and horror elements that seem right up my alley. Hopefully, I fall in love with Schwab’s writing style as quickly as everyone else.
- Merciless Ones by Namina Forna (May 31, 2022): I thoroughly enjoyed the fast ride by Forna in The Gilded Ones. The world building was fantastic, and I look forward to the continued development of the story within this sequal.
Upcoming adult fiction book releases
Every year, I tend to read mostly fiction because of the needed escape from everyday life. I live a very busy life and enjoy ending my day with a bit of escapism. My reading goal for 2022 is to read one book a week, and I am relying on fiction to help me reach this goal.
- Notes on an Execution by Danyale Kukafka (January 25, 2022): Jumping right into what seems to be a fan mystery/thriller plot, I am excited to dig into this serial killer thriller. Is that wrong? Regardless, the viewpoint seems unique, so I am looking forward to trying this work from a new to me author.
- The Last House on The Street by Diane Chamberlain (January 11, 2022): As an Agatha Christie super fan, at least one cozy mystery a year is a must. I know it’s crazy, but this will be my first read from Chamberlain, so I hope it lives up to the hype!
- The Hacienda by Isabel Canas (May 10, 2022): Every year I give a debut author a chance in hopes of finding someone new to support as they grow as a writer. The blurb for this read deems this work a mix between Mexican Gothic and Emma, which immediately grabbed my attention.
- Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen (February 1, 2022): In this sequal, Tabitha is a single mother trying to navigate the world with help from a colorful cast of characters. My book club read the first book in this trilogy and I wanted to know more, so I pre-ordered the sequal.
- The Mouthless God and Jesus No 2 by Jason Reynolds: We don’t have a release date for this book, but I am super excited to read adult fiction in the hands of Reynolds. I am a fan of his writing and am interested to see how his viewpoint changes for the adult reader.
2022 adult Non-fiction picks
This list is already longer than is necessary because I know that I will pick up a few other books haphazardly while browsing book stores. However, there are a few non-fiction works that I am looking forward to reading in 2022.
- Finding Me by Viola Davis (April 22, 2022): That is a lot of twos! One type of biography I love reading is that of famous actors. They spend their lives acting out stories, so with good editing, these types of biographies are always colorful and entertaining. Davis has been through a lot in her career, so I look forward to reading life through her voice.
- Red Lip Theology by Candice Marie Bendow (January 18, 2022): I stumbled upon this read thanks to subscriber suggestions during a YouTube livestream. Now, I am planning to review this novel via YouTube as part of our first book club discussion in February 2022. I am interested in the viewpoint, but also a bit tredipdacious to discuss this book because Black people take criticism of the church SUPER serious.
- Warrior Princesses Strike Back by Sarah Eagle Heart and Emma Eagle Heart-White (June 21, 2022): Let me frank. A large gap within my reading life is works by Indigenous Americans. The hope is to remedy that as I would anything else, little by little each year.
- Transitional: How to Live Your Authentic Life by Munroe Bergdor (August 9, 2022): Another group of people whose voice is not well represented in my library is trans individuals. I look forward to hearing about life from that of a Black trans-person and learning from a lens that is often buried.
I tried to keep this list short ?
Was I successful? Not quite ??♀️, but reading is a thing that gives me joy. Recently, I learned that I can donate books to prisons, so in 2022, I plan to donate the books I do not want to keep to local prisons. I have to learn more about the process, but at least that way I know that the books I give away won’t hit the garbage heap.
