CHPL Staff Picks: Best Books of 2022 - AdultsLike this list

29 items

• Delilah Green Doesn't Care

  Blake, Ashley Herring,

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  Budding photographer Delilah returns home to photograph her estranged step-sister’s wedding, only to fall head-over-heels for her sister’s best friend. All Delilah can think about is getting paid, and getting out of there, but when something feels…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Woman of Light

  Fajardo-Anstine, Kali,

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• Olga Dies Dreaming

  Gonzalez, Xochitl, 1977-

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  Successful NYC wedding planner Olga Isabel Acevedo caters to the elite in her professional life while struggling to navigate drama and strife in her personal life among her Puerto Rican family. A funny, thought-provoking debut novel that touches on…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Latecomer

  Korelitz, Jean Hanff, 1961-

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• Portrait of a Thief

  Li, Grace D.,

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• Sea of Tranquility

  Mandel, Emily St. John, 1979-

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  Recommended by three staff members! Compulsively readable, I flew through this. Beautiful writing, Mandel is an expert at weaving together story lines and drawing you into the lives of her characters. I appreciated the pandemic experiences and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nightcrawling

  Mottley, Leila, 2002-

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  A chilling exploration of poverty, power, corruption, and sexual violence, this debut novel shines a light on those who live in communities rife with such abuses. Based on true events that occurred within the Oakland Police Department in 2015,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My Government Means to Kill Me

  Newson, Rasheed,

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  An honest and sincere coming-of-age story about a gay Black man in mid-1980’s New York City. Having fled a traditional, stifling, upper class family, young adult Trey owns his newly claimed freedom, regularly visiting bars and bathhouses (where he…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• This Time Tomorrow

  Straub, Emma,

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  Great contemporary take on time travel. You know you're a nerd when you hear two references to the Grandfather Paradox in one week. I appreciate Straub's honest and realistic characters. Alice isn't perfect, and I didn't really like her at first.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Young Mungo

  Stuart, Douglas, 1976-

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  A new one by Booker Prize-winning Douglas Stuart. Like Shuggie Bain, Young Mungo takes place in a poor Glasgow neighborhood filled with absolutely unforgettable characters- some for worse but some for better, including Mungo, a Protestant, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ducks

  Two Years in the Oil Sands

  Beaton, Kate, 1983-

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  A graphic memoir total package, in my opinion, especially for readers interested in working class issues. Needing profitable work to pay off student loans and being unable to find it in her native Nova Scotia, Kate Beaton moved thousands of miles to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Wash Day Diaries

  Rowser, Jamila,

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  Follow four friends as they navigate relationships, mental health, family, and selfcare rituals. Great read if you want to feel warm ‘n cozy about friendship and community. -Sophie

• West Side Love Story

  Oliveras, Priscilla,

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  This Romeo and Juliet-esque contemporary romance set in San Antonio features an all-female mariachi in a Battle of the Bands. Of course the arch rival is super handsome and off-limits, but does that keep Mariana and Angelo apart? Of course not!…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Legends & Lattes

  a Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes

  Baldree, Travis, 1977-

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  It's funny, wholesome, sweet, and compelling. There's tension, just the right amount of danger, real emotion, and even a tiny dash of romance. If you're looking for a fun, light read that will make you want to forget your responsibilities to finish…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Prayer for the Crown-shy

  Chambers, Becky,

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  This short novel is quiet, thoughtful and creates a wonderful alternative world in a mere 150 pages. It follows last year's novela, Psalm for the Wild Built, second in the Monk and Robot series. A first I thought 'crown-shy' meant a crown on the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nettle & Bone

  Kingfisher, T.,

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  A sweet, funny, imaginative, wholesome fantasy adventure about a woman on a quest to avenge her elder sister and rescue her middle sister. A ragtag bunch gathers to help along the way, including a fairy godmother whose blessings aren't helpful, a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nona the Ninth

  Muir, Tamsyn,

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  The penultimate book in the Locked Tomb series tones down the necromantic space shenanigans of the previous two installments to focus on the day-to-day life of a new character, Nona. Nona’s life feels delightfully mundane despite the fact that she…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Golden Enclaves

  Lesson Three of The Scholomance

  Novik, Naomi

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  This conclusion to the Scholomance trilogy absolutely stuck the landing. I loved every minute of this series! I loved Gal from the beginning for being a sorceress of great power who is really *really* trying not to tap into her malevolent powers…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Poster Girl

  Roth, Veronica

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  Formerly the literal Poster Girl for the Delegation, a fascist government that gamifies compliance through mass surveillance and rewards for desirable behaviors, now Sonya Kantor is in prison under the new regime, the Triumverate. But when she gets…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A River Enchanted

  Ross, Rebecca (Rebecca J.),

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  On a remote enchanted island, a musician reluctantly returns home from the mainland, an heiress tries to establish peace between warring clans, and a series of mysterious disappearances ignite fear and unrest. This lyrical fantasy is Rebecca Ross'…Read moreRead more of this annotation