Bestselling Books Of 2022 so Far

Books that made it to #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list this year (so far).

There are so many ways to discover a great book, but the New York Times Best Sellers list has compiled the most popular fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books from vendors across the country for almost a century and has become a measure of success for writers everywhere.

Titles that reach the coveted #1 spot are usually highly anticipated releases from beloved authors, sequels to which readers have been counting down, or juicy celebrity memoirs. But with the rise of influencer recommendations on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, books published years prior still make appearances again and again, like It Ends With Us, which was published in 2016 but has been a #1 New York Times Bestseller for nine weeks so far in 2022.

The full list is posted weekly on the New York Times website, but I have collected some of the best new fiction and nonfiction books to hold the #1 spot so far in 2022.

1. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover.

This 2016 Colleen Hoover novel continues to reach the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list due to its huge popularity on BookTok. It Ends with Us is a fast-paced contemporary romance novel about Lily, who dives heart-first into a relationship with the almost-too-good-to-be-true neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. When a past love and life resurface, her relationship with Ryle becomes threatened.

2. Dream Town by David Baldacci.

Dream Town is the third book in David Baldacci’s “Archer” series but can be read as a standalone. As a private investigator and World War II veteran Archer plans to celebrate the New Year with a friend, Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter, who feels her life is in danger and hires him to investigate.

When a body is found in Eleanor’s home and she suddenly disappears, Archer winds through the glamour of 1950s Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Hollywood in a suspenseful and exciting series of events to find Eleanor and the murderer in this noir crime thriller.

3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Readers still can’t get enough of this 2018 Reese’s Book Club pick as it continues to outshine new releases for the top spot on the New York Times Best Seller list, four years after its original publication. In this historical fiction read, Kya Clark is known as the “Marsh Girl,” who learns and lives from the land until a popular boy is found dead and her community immediately suspects her as the murderer.

4. In the Blood by Jack Carr.

As former Navy SEAL James Reece watches the news from his Montana home, he sees a name he recognizes from his time in Iraq listed as a victim of a missile attack on a passenger aircraft in Burkina Faso, Africa. With ties to the intelligence services in two nations, James is sure her death is no accident and enlists old and new friends on his mission to track down her killer, unaware of the dangers that may await him.

5. Nightwork by Nora Roberts.

Nightwork blends romance and suspense as Harry Booth leaves Chicago, continuing his work as a subtle thief-for-hire after his mother’s death. Though his work requires him to remain unattached, he finds his resolve softening as he grows nearer to Miranda Emerson until his past catches up to him and casts a dark shadow over his life once more.

6. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman.

2021 Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman’s latest collection, Call Us What We Carry, was the first read to top the New York Times Bestseller List in 2022, praised by readers for Gorman’s insightful and profound views.

These poems include brilliant reflections on history, society, and the human experience including painful memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and hopeful dedications to the future.

7. Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong.

In this mixed-media memoir, disability activist Alice Wong outlines her journey as an advocate and educator. Wong was born with a form of progressive muscular dystrophy; as a young woman, she attended her dream college but had to drop out when changes to Medicaid prevented her from retaining the aides she needed on an inaccessible campus.

In one standout essay, Wong recounts her struggle to access Covid-19 vaccines as a high-risk individual. The author’s rage about moving through an ableist world is palpable, but so too is her joy and delight about Lunar New Year, cats, family, and so much more. Innovative and informative, Year of the Tiger is a multidimensional portrait of a powerful thinker.

8. Finding Me by Viola Davis.

This honest and unforgettable memoir is Viola Davis’ reflection upon her journey to self-love by facing herself and her past. From poverty and bullying to systemic racism in Hollywood, Davis recounts the challenges she faced during childhood, her rise into stardom, and those she continues to face today.

9. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.

Written by a trauma expert with over 30 years of experience working with trauma survivors, “The Body Keeps the Score” is a psychology book about how traumatic stress “rewires” our brains. As an alternative to drugs or talk therapy, Dr. van der Kolk asserts how we can reactivate many trauma-affected areas of our brains through innovative treatments and therapies.

10. Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris.

“Happy-Go-Lucky” is a collection of funny personal essays about how David Sedaris’ life changed during the COVID-19 lockdown and continues to change as the world adjusts to a new normal. In these essays, Sedaris captures the humour and irony of these experiences and the ultimate desire for connection that drives our society.

11. Bittersweet by Susan Cain.

Bittersweetness is often thought of as a moment or feeling where something good and bad intersects, but in this psychology read, Susan Cain demonstrates how embracing a bittersweet state of mind can help us connect to ourselves and each other.

Already known for her heartfelt and enlightening writing style in her other bestseller, “Quiet,” this nonfiction book uses bittersweetness to teach readers about our relationships with creativity, compassion, leadership, longing, and love.

12. Sparring Partners by John Grisham.

Josh Grisham is a bestselling author of legal thrillers like A Time to Kill and The Pelican Brief. His new collection, Sparring Partners, consists of three novellas, one starring his beloved character Jake Brigance, another featuring a death row inmate three hours before the execution, and the final story following two feuding brothers who inherited a law firm when their father went to prison.

13. Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb.

J.D. Robb is the pseudonym under which Nora Roberts publishes her “in Death” series, with Abandoned in Death as the 54th instalment.

In this latest mystery novel, detective Eve Dallas begins to investigate the peculiar homicide of a woman found neatly arranged on a New York City playground bench, with a fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon on her neck and an ominous note reading “Bad Mommy.” As Eve investigates a clearly troubled killer, other similar disappearances emerge and intensify the urgency of the case.

14. The Match by Harlan Coben.

This action-packed sequel to The Boy from the Woods follows Wilde as he discovers the identity of his father through a DNA genealogy website and a second match that pulls him into a secret community of online doxxers. As the story unfolds through murder, scandal, and gripping suspense, it seems a serial killer is targeting the online community — and Wilde might be poised as the next target.

15. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley.

When Jes moves into her half-brother’s Parisian apartment in search of a fresh start, she’s not only surprised by his apparent wealth but his sudden disappearance. As she begins to dig into his situation in an effort to find him, Jes’s worry grows and her brother’s peculiar and unfriendly neighbours each emerge as suspects.

16. The Investigator by John Sandford.

Letty Davenport is bored at her desk job when her boss, Senator Colles, offers her an investigative role with the Department of Homeland Security to uncover a series of reported crude oil thefts, possibly part of something much larger and more sinister. As Letty and her partner head to Texas, they soon find a far deadlier and more dangerous situation than they could have imagined.

17. James Patterson by James Patterson.

James Patterson is one of the world’s most successful writers and his memoir is a collection of interesting and remarkable stories from his life.

Written with a comfortable and casual tone, Patterson explains how he developed a love of reading as an adult, met famous musicians and actors before he made a name of his own, and even wrote the famous “Toys ‘R Us” jingle while working in advertising.

18. Enough Already by Valerie Bertinelli.

Valerie Bertinelli is an award-winning actress whose new memoir uses personal and relatable stories to offer readers advice on how to achieve a healthier and happier outlook on life. Bertinelli shares her struggles with harsh personal criticism and the journey on which she embarked to transcend our need for perfectionism and reach, instead, for joy.

19. From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks.

This self-help read identifies how many people, including the author himself, struggle to find purpose and success as they age, often feeling as though they may be “declining” as a sense of professional or social irrelevance emerges with age.

In “From Strength to Strength,” Arthur C. Brooks demonstrates how readers can refocus their priorities and habits in order to make their older years equally full of happiness, purpose, and success.

20. Freezing Order by Bill Browder.

After Bill Browder’s lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was beaten to death in a Moscow jail, Browder set out to uncover why Magnitsky was killed and bring the killers to justice. In his investigation, Browder followed a trail beyond a tax refund scheme, through Russian government involvement, and to the corruption that runs far deeper than he could have imagined.

21. Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson.

Written by a beloved music legend and the bestselling author of all time, Run Rose Run is an entertaining and suspenseful James Patterson mystery about a young woman running both from her past and towards a promising future in the music industry. As AnnieLee Keys lands in Nashville, she still finds herself constantly looking over her shoulder as her past and secrets lurk ever nearer.