BEST OF 2022: Adult Literary Fiction
Be Here to Love Me at the End of the World by Sasha Fletcher
Matt says: So far my favorite book of 2022! I don’t see it being dethroned, either. I can’t, just can’t, adequately describe its tone: soft apocalypse, vaguely drawn, manic rushes of thought slowed by cooking soliloquies, sped by political rants, derailed by shocking events. Troubled lovers Sam and Eleanor are living through slow motion panic and extended joy, constantly face-slapped by recent history. Fathomless cynicism, luminous happiness, an end so beautiful and long-expected that its very incomprehensibility is pure wonder. I just love it.
The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker
From Emma: The Bellflower Village is convinced that the Chapel family is cursed, with their wedding cake shaped house and crazy (or clairvoyant depending who you ask) mother, and a fortune made from death. And then the six daughters start dying off, one by one, buried in their barely-cool wedding dresses. To survive, the remaining daughter has to become someone else entirely and run as far away as she can. But how long can she keep it up? A gorgeous 1950s gothic tale with phenomenal storytelling and spooky atmosphere.
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
Ginger says: The central character is odd but also slowly charms the reader over the course of the book. It felt like very little happens - but the book delves into grief and loss, while providing touches of beauty in the sentences. A hopeful book about the ability to choose the good action over the easy one.
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
From Belinda: Set in the mid 1800s, 1950s and today, a beautiful story of the almost spiritual connection and love between a man and a horse that plays out amidst the wrenching exploitation and cruelties man inflicts upon his fellow man and beast. A must read of that does not shy away from despair rendered by man's worst nature and the resilience that of the human and animal spirit that can prevail.
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
tee says: The slice-of-life storytelling allows this ambitious tale to be made deeply personal even though it follows humanity through generations. Heart-wrenching, heart-breaking, and ultimately hopeful, this book is absolutely stunning.
Liberation Day: Stories by George Saunders
From Todd: This was the first time I ever read George Saunders. It will not be the last.
Nuclear Family by Joseph Han
From Ginger: Part family drama and ghost story, part coming of age, and part critique of American imperialism in the Pacific.This novel is stylistically innovative in ways that reflect the changing mental states of the characters as they confront a family emergency: eldest son Jacob is teaching English in Seoul, when he appears on international news failing to cross the DMZ to North Korea. What no one back home in the US knows is that Jacob had been possessed by the grandfather he never knew. Words on the page form towers and walls; his sister Grace's attempts to escape her own racing thoughts lead to censored words and phrases on some pages within her chapters. Although some scenes in the story are heavy, the novel has a fundamental optimism. The love the family members have for each other is bigger than the understanding gaps between them, moments of levity appear throughout, and even the futures of Korea and Hawai’i themselves are presented as full of possibility.
Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore
Bill says: Sequel to "Noir". Say hello again to a rag-tag team of characters, & a dragon!
Recitatif by Toni Morrison
From Todd: Toni Morrison's only piece of short fiction also happens to be one of the best things she ever wrote.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Christy says: Sea of Tranquility is a breath-taking novel that begs to be read as quickly as possible. Mandel weaves a tapestry that defies gravity. She asks you to pull a thread, follow it through space and time, and she dares you to worry the knots and snags as you go. I was surprised with my ease as I read a novel about another pandemic and THE pandemic we are currently living through. But don't be mistaken, the pandemics play secondary roles in this tale of moon colonies and time travel.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
From Christy: A customer favorite that will give the warm fuzzies. Who knew a story about an octopus would be so sought after?
So Happy for You by Celia Laskey
tee says: What happens when you take one feminist lesbian in the midst of writing her dissertation on why the marriage industry is destroying our country, one marriage-obsessed best friend in need of a Maid of Honor, and a destination wedding at a (cursed?) California resort? A hectic ride full of manipulation, superstition, and attempted murder. I had so much fun!
The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid
From Sarah G: Mohsin Hamid explores race and identity in his slender, lyrical, provocative new novel, The Last White Man. Anders, a young white man, wakes up to discover he is now a black man. Denial, fear, shame, and anger take turns as he tries to come to terms with what is happening and finally reaches out to his old friend Oona, who has recently become his lover. As in Exit West, Hamid creates a world that is both timeless and placeless but at the same time contemporary and everywhere, told through a love story. There are no real villains here, but there are reluctant heroes. This book will linger with you long after you turn the final page.
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin
Belinda says: Inspired by true events during World War II, The Librarian Spy follows Ava, a staff librarian at the Library of Congress, and Elaine, a French housewife, as they are drawn into international spy agencies and the Resistance to counter Nazi atrocities. A gripping homage to the thousands of ordinary people who faced tragedy and unspeakable cruelty during the War with unwavering resolve and extraordinary bravery.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
From Emma: 16th century Italian historical fiction opening with a 16-year-old Lucrezia de'Medici who is convinced her husband is about to murder her. Dual timelines following her as she grows up and flashing forward to her stand-off with her husband. Really good feminist historical fiction.
The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
Todd says: Mr. McCarthy's done it again! This brilliant new novel follows Bobby Western as he gets swallowed up in the mystery of an airplane crash and its missing passenger. Meanwhile, there's another mystery for the reader to unravel in the form of hallucinatory interludes from the perspective of Bobby's sister. These two disparate sections combine to create a novel unlike almost anything Cormac McCarthy has ever written!
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
From Peggy: For the literary reader looking for a meaty, creative and gorgeous story
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Peggy says: My favorite book of 2022 (so far); clever, engaging with a big 'Whoa' of an ending.
We Are the Light by Matthew Quick
From Belinda: The sheer strength of will, forgiveness and support displayed by the narrator and townspeople after a horrific event left me awestruck by their capacity to overcome life's darkest moments. A profound and moving read that pairs unspeakable loss with the boundless capacity to rise above devastation.
Daughters of the New Year by E.M. Tran
Ginger says: Multigenerational family saga that traces a Vietnamese-American family in New Orleans back to Saigon and beyond, with a focus on mother-daughter and sister conflicts, using birth year animals and elements as a lens. This novel pulls a literary trick that I love: the narrators are fairly reliable, but lead readers towards incorrect assumptions based on partial information.
Life Ceremony: Stories by Sayaka Murata
From Kiwi: Short story collection from author of Convenience Store Woman. A mixture of sweet and disturbing stories focusing on bodily autonomy and questioning societal norms, specifically women's roles in society.
