goodreads.com book reviews

The 17 best books of 2022, from 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' to Amanda Gorman's poetry

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• Goodreads is the world's largest platform for readers to rate and review books. 
• Every year, they host the Goodreads Choice Awards across 17 genres and categories.
• Here are the 2022 award winners, voted on by Goodreads members. 

Goodreads is an online platform where millions of readers track the books they read, leave reviews and recommendations, and participate in annual reading challenges. It also hosts the Goodreads Choice Awards, where readers vote on the most popular books of the year across 17 genres and categories from "best fiction" to "best debut author."

This year, over 5.7 million votes were cast in multiple rounds to narrow 20 great new books down to one winner per category. With nearly countless rave reviews, five-star ratings, and recommendations, here are the best books of 2022, according to Goodreads members.

Best Fiction

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $14.69

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" is the story of Sam Masur and Sadie Green, once childhood friends who drifted apart but reunite during a chance subway run-in. Having bonded over video games as children, this propulsive novel takes readers back and forth through time as Sam and Sadie's story of love, friendship, and second chances unravels while the two create a blockbuster game, drift together and apart, and face both beautiful and devastating moments. "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" was also Book of the Month's Book of the Year .

Best Mystery & Thriller

"The Maid" by Nita Prose, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $15.99

Molly Gray has always struggled with social skills but finds a perfect fit in her job as a hotel maid, which combines her love of cleaning and proper etiquette. But she finds a wealthy man dead in his bed, Molly's peculiar behavior creates suspicion around her innocence as she relies on her new friends to help find the real killer in this locked-room mystery novel.

Best Historical Fiction

"Carrie Soto Is Back" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.98

Carrie Soto was once known as the best tennis player in the world — until a young player threatens her record and she decides to come out of retirement to defend her title. Though it's been six years since she retired and an old knee injury threatens to slow her down, Carrie is determined to prove herself in this emotional story of greatness, legends, and the desire to be enough.

Best Romance

"Book Lovers" by Emily Henry, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $9.99

"Book Lovers" follows Nora Stephens, a literary agent in New York City, who agrees to take a month-long trip to the storybook town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her sister. Though she's ready to become the heroine of her own story, Nora finds Charlie Lastra, an editor with whom she has a frustrating past, time and time again in a series of coincidental run-ins. This was one of our favorite beach reads this summer — check out our full review here .

Best Science Fiction

"Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $12.50

This expansive novel combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy as it traverses centuries and worlds to tell a pandemic story of love, nature, belonging, and loss. From a Vancouver island in 1912 to a futuristic book tour, readers love this story for all it manages to encompass and the satisfying crescendo at the end.

Best Horror

"Hidden Pictures" by Jason Rekulak, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.63

In "Hidden Pictures," Mallory Quinn takes a stable and wonderful job as a nanny to shy, five-year-old Teddy who is always drawing. But when his drawings morph from cute, innocent pictures to sinister, detailed sketches, Mallory decides she must uncover the root of them to save Teddy and herself before it's too late.

"The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There" by Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.98

This nostalgic and beloved memoir comes from Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, two real-life best friends who played Pam and Angela on "The Office." "The Office BFFs" is an account of their blooming friendship as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the cast of the cherished and hilarious mockumentary.

Best Nonfiction

"Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience" by Brené Brown, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.78

Brené Brown has written many insightful self-help and personal development books that guide readers through leadership strategies, vulnerability, imperfection, and more. In "Atlas of the Heart," Brown pulls from two decades of research to map 87 emotions and experiences that define humanity to help us forge meaningful connections with others. You can check out our full review of this nonfiction award winner here .

Best Memoir & Autobiography

"I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.28

Made famous by her Nickelodeon roles on "iCarly" and "Sam and Cat," Jennette McCurdy began acting at six years old, as her mother's dream was for her to become a star. This brutally honest memoir depicts the emotional, mental, and physical abuse McCurdy faced at the hands of her mother, her journey through child stardom, and the challenging but meaningful work it took to regain control of her life. 

Best History & Biography

"Bad Gays: A Homosexual History" by Huw Lemmey & Ben Miller, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $17.59

Based on the popular podcast series of the same name, "Bad Gays" combines history and biography to explore LGBTQ history not through gay legends and icons but through "villains." The book looks at artists, politicians, celebrities, and other gay people through history who reveal more about sexuality, identity, and culture than we thought.

Best Graphic Novels & Comics

"Heartstopper: Volume Four" by Alice Oseman, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $11.54

This fourth volume of "Heartstopper" follows now-boyfriends Charlie and Nick as they get ready to say "I love you" while dealing with other challenges, like Nick coming out to his dad and Charlie's possible eating disorder. Readers love this series for the simple illustrations that pack an emotional punch and the honest story about love and friendship. 

Best Poetry

"Call Us What We Carry" by Amanda Gorman, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $12.90

Amanda Gorman was the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017 and the youngest presidential inaugural poet when she read " The Hill We Climb " at President Biden's 2021 inauguration. "Call Us What We Carry" is her first collection of poetry that addresses the hardships of the past while outlining a hope for the future.

Best Debut Author

"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $18.28

In the early 1960s, Elizabeth Zott is a chemist who faces suffocating gender discrimination at her job where she meets the brilliant Calvin Evans and falls in love. But years later, Elizabeth finds herself as the host of "Supper at Six" where she uniquely combines cooking and her love of chemistry to teach women how to make nutritious meals and defy the status quo.

Best Young Adult Fiction

"The Final Gambit" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $11.79

"The Final Gambit" is the third novel in the " Inheritance Games " series, which follows Avery Grambs, who just received a huge inheritance from a stranger whose four grandsons are furious. In this installment, Avery only has to survive a few more weeks in the Hawthorne House to receive her inheritance — but when one last puzzle and an unknown player arise, she and the Hawthorne brothers are thrust into another dangerous game.

Best Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-fi

"Gallant" by V.E. Schwab, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $13.84

Olivia Prior grew up in Merilance School for girls — until a letter invites her to come home to Gallant, though no one is expecting her when she arrives. As she begins to search for the home's secrets, she crosses a ruined wall and finds herself in a crumbling parallel world of Gallant, where she can finally see the ghouls that haunted the house, her family's past, and the mysterious Master of the House.

Best Middle Grade & Children's

"I Am Quiet: A Story for the Introvert in All of Us" by Andie Powers, available at Amazon , Bookshop , and Barnes & Noble , from $14.49

This sweet children's book is about Emile, a quiet child who is often assumed to be shy but has a beautiful and adventurous inner world. It encourages introverts to be themselves while demonstrating to others that being quiet or shy isn't bad and quiet people can be just as bold as anyone else. 

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6 Easy Ways to Get Started with Goodreads on PC and Mobile

Last Updated: April 7, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly , and Christopher Batchelor, a trusted member of wikiHow's volunteer community. Christopher Batchelor has been writing reviews on Goodreads since 2010. He has reviewed nearly 400 books on the platform. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 142,634 times. Learn more...

Goodreads is a website that allows book lovers to track reading history, review books, and share recommendations with others. After you sign up, you'll be able to make custom shelves for your books for easy sorting, join groups to discuss books with others, and lots more. You can use the website on your Windows or Mac computer, or the Goodreads app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. This wikiHow will show you how to get started on Goodreads using your computer or mobile device.

Things You Should Know

• The Goodreads mobile app has limitations; use the desktop version for more options.
• Keep track of books by going into "My Books" and clicking "Add shelf" to create a custom shelf.
• Goodreads is not an eBook. While some books may have a green "Read Book" option, you'll need to read primarily on another platform.

Organizing Your Books

• There are Exclusive and Regular shelves. Exclusive makes your shelf mutually exclusive, meaning added books will only appear in this shelf. Regular shelves will show added books regardless of its addition to other shelves.
• Once added, you can change the edition of books in your shelf, or you can easily remove a book from your shelf.

• You can also navigate to a member's profile and click Compare books to see how similar your reading tastes are. You could try some books they've enjoyed.

• Goodreads' review philosophy is forgiving in terms of creativity and critical statements. Honest opinions about books are encouraged as long as it is not against Goodreads guidelines.

Connecting with Other Users

• You can search for groups by topic or title or use Goodreads' suggestions with Featured groups and Popular groups .
• A group has plenty of discussion boards about a variety of tropics. Reply and add to the conversation after joining the group. You'll be able to subscribe to conversations to avoid missing anything important.

• Lists are ordered by members' votes. You can contribute to the master list by submitting your own votes.
• You can also search for a specific book and find Lists With This Book to find other books you may like.

• Use a direct link or use the search bar at the top of the website to find an author.
• Click Follow Author on their page to stay updated on their activity.

Participating in Events

• Kindle Giveaways are open to U.S residents, while Print Giveaways are open to U.S. and Canadian residents.

• This can help motivate yourself to read more books. You can also see the progress of other users you're linked to.

Creating an Account

• For mobile users, you'll need to download the Goodreads app. Goodreads is available for iOS in the App Store and for Android in the Google Play Store .

• If you continue with Facebook, Amazon, or Apple, you'll need to login with the respective account.
• After putting books on your Kindle , you'll be able to seamlessly review them with your connected Goodreads account.

• Passwords must be at least 6 characters.
• Check or uncheck the box to toggle password visibility.
• You'll need to re-enter your password to ensure it matches.

• If you haven't received the OTP, tap Resend OTP at the bottom of the page.

• Click Skip this step to do this later.
• Set a Goal by entering a number in the text field for I want to read (number) books in (year) , then click Take the Challenge .
• Click Skip this step to enter the Goodreads Reading Challenge later.

• Check the box for all the genres you enjoy as this will help Goodreads generate recommendations that fit your tastes.
• If you don't see a genre, click Don't see your favorite genres here? at the bottom. Enter other favorite genres, separated by commas.

• Navigate by clicking genres on the left panel or click the side arrows to sort through books.
• Rate books out of 5 stars.

Managing Bookshelves

• On mobile, this will be located in the bottom menu.

• You'll be taken to a new page with all your current shelves.
• Goodreads automatically adds Read , Currently Reading , and To Read shelves to your account. You cannot remove these shelves.

• Only one shelf can be marked as Feature . This will replace your favorites shelf at the top of your profile for quick access.
• Sortable allows you to sort the books within the shelf in a certain order.
• Sticky will display selected shelves first in your lists.
• Exclusive makes your shelf mutually exclusive, meaning added books will only appear in this shelf.
• To add a new shelf, input the name in the text field above shelf and click Add .

Joining a Group

• To search groups, input a group name or description in the search bar, then click Search groups .

• Digest will send all comments on group discussions bundled in a weekly or daily email.
• Individual Email will send an email instantly when there is a new topic or reply.
• Notification only won't send any emails, just notifications about group discussions.
• None won't send any notifications.

• To leave a group, navigate to the group's home page and click Edit Membership , then Leave this group .

Expert Q&A

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• ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/100-new-feature-listopia
• ↑ https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/How-can-I-edit-my-notification-settings

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Emma Buenen

Jul 18, 2019

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The 20 Most Popular Books on Goodreads Right Now

Are you reading any of the most popular books on Goodreads this month?

Abby Hargreaves

Abby Hargreaves is a New Hampshire native living and working as a Children’s Librarian in Washington, D.C. She fulfills the gamut of the librarian stereotype with a love of cats, coffee, and crocheting (and likes a good run of alliteration). Her MLIS degree enjoys the company of a BA in English from Hollins University, making Abby an advocate of women's universities. Her favorite color is yellow.

View All posts by Abby Hargreaves

But before I share this list with you, I wanted to make a few observations. Get your calculators out, nerds; we’re going data-ing.

It’s no big surprise that Michelle Obama’s Becoming is at the top of the list. What is also not a surprise, but still a disappointment, is how few other authors of color have made the most popular books on Goodreads for right now.

Of the 20 books, only four were written by authors of color. Womp, womp. Do better, Goodreads.

I mean, yikes. If you’d like to read more intentionally, check out some of our lists that focus on authors of color .

On the flip side, we have further evidence to support Beyoncé’s evergreen question, “Who run the world?” (Girls. The answer is girls. “Women” works even better.)

Of the 20 most popular books on Goodreads, sixteen were written by women and four by men. Unfortunately, this means no books on this list were written by nonbinary or otherwise gender-nonconforming individuals. The good news is, we have some suggestions for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming writers, too.

Then, there’s fiction and nonfiction. Spoiler alert: this is also a 4/16 split. While the top two books are nonfiction, there are only four total on the list. This may not be hugely shocking. With everything going around in this mess (*gestures vaguely to The World*), it’s no wonder people want to read about fake problems for a while.

It may also come as no surprise that we can recommend some great nonfiction reads for you, too. Check out our nonfiction content here .

Sadly, there were no graphic novels on the list. The kids in my life — and myself — love graphic novels, so it begs the question how this list would look differently if more kids used Goodreads. (We have thoughts on graphic novels and comics, too. )

A few other points of interest. The oldest book on the list was none other than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling which was first published in the UK in 1997 and then in the US in 1998. There is a tie for newest book — both Underlord by Will Wight and Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah were published on March 1 of this year.

The influence of western society (read: American) is obvious here — these books are in English, the authors are largely American, and often about American experiences or set in America. Whether this is a function of Goodreads being an American company and consequently used by more Americans or a function of the publishing industry, which favors these kinds of books, thus relatively limiting the availability of books by authors of color, for example, is unknown. It’s probably both.

The 20 Most Popular Books on Goodreads

Without further ado, here is the list of the 20 most popular books on Goodreads right now, starting with the most popular.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Educated by Tara Westover

Circe by Madeline Miller

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

There There by Tommy Orange

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Girls of Glass by Brianna Labuskes

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Underlord by Will Wight

Are you reading any of these books right now? Tell us in the comments!

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Goodreads: Book Reviews 12+

Kindle, audible, amazon & more.

• #4 in Books
• 4.7 • 4.4K Ratings

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Description.

Discover stories that matter to you, from readers like you. Goodreads is the world's largest community of readers. Find new and interesting books by browsing personalized recommendations based on books you've read and your favorite genres. See what your friends are reading, write book reviews, and keep track of what you want to read. Goodreads is a free service for book tracking, recommendations and reviews. Use our barcode scanner the next time you are in a bookstore. Add the book in your hands to your "Want To Read" shelf and browse reviews before buying. Features: • Get personalized recommendations and discover new books based on your tastes. • Goodreads Choice Awards: vote for your favorite books of the year and see the winners! • Participate in the Reading Challenge! • Book cover and barcode scanner! • Keep a want-to-read list. • See book reviews and updates from your friends. • Discover new books and explore popular book lists. • Rate and review books you read. • Share notes and progress updates as you read. • Recommend books to friends. • Join online book clubs and connect with other readers. By using this app, you agree to Goodreads’s Terms of Use (https://www.goodreads.com/about/terms) and Privacy Policy (https://www.goodreads.com/about/privacy).

Version 4.20.0

This release contains several bug fixes and improvements.

Ratings and Reviews

4.4K Ratings

You can never have TOO MUCH love

Tom Allen is correct you can never have too much love and he’s my hero. This book is a humorous and loving reflection on grief. I’m a huge fan already so this review is biased but you can shove it if you don’t like it! 🤣 I didn’t think I could enjoy this audiobook as much as his last, but I did. Now this may be partly due to losing my Mam and having buried her in recent days, or that my Dad has one foot in the grave as I type this, or that I had come to love Tom’s family from his first book & was sad to hear of his lovely Dad’s passing, or the fact that Tom Allen is one of those people who shares his life honestly and in a very endearing way all the while putting a smile on my face. I didn’t think I could manage it being so soon after my bereavement but I couldn’t stop listening. I thank him for the laughs, the tenderness, the love he shared with us in this book. It honestly equipped me to deal with my grief in a profound way. My Mam would have approved and she’d have been laughing along with me listening.

Decent book app

It’s a nice book app but needs work. It’s often hard to select or change the publication version of the book you are reading. I was reading one book and marked the pages I was on and the app said I was finished. I changed the toggle back to currently reading and the app assumed I read the book a second time. It could a delete/edit feature for these kinds of mistakes. Also the bookshelf allows you to create shelf titles for organizing you book choices but they don’t work well and I seem to have all of my books opening under the main shelf. Overal it’s fun to have a list of books, be able to review them, keep up with your friends readings and get good ideas for more reading.

User unfriendly but fun for book lovers

While I love being able to organise the books that I’ve read with an app, I find the app itself very user unfriendly. It’s hard to edit some things on the app; you often have to go on an actual laptop to do that. Also, you have to actively click into each notification for it to disappear, even though you can see by looking at it what the notification is. It’s a waste of time and just minor enough to be incredibly vexing over a long period of time of it continuously happening! When you go to confirm a friend request you have to press the “accept tick” about 6 times cause it keeps bringing you to that person’s page, and after you’ve finally managed to accept their request you get 2 push notifications; so-and-so added you as a friend, so-and-so is now your friend. Well, the first notification is obviously obsolete now cause I know that!! It can also be frustrating when searching for a book. If you spell a book title with one incorrect letter it refuses to recognize what you’re looking for, which seems totally counter-intuitive.

App Privacy

The developer, Goodreads , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info
• User Content
• Search History
• Identifiers
• Sensitive Info
• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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How Review-Bombing Can Tank a Book Before It’s Published

The website Goodreads has become an essential avenue for building readership, but the same features that help generate excitement can also backfire.

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By Alexandra Alter and Elizabeth A. Harris

Cecilia Rabess figured her debut novel, “ Everything’s Fine ,” would spark criticism: The story centers on a young Black woman working at Goldman Sachs who falls in love with a conservative white co-worker with bigoted views.

Listen to This Article

But she didn’t expect a backlash to strike six months before the book was published.

In January, after a Goodreads user who had received an advanced copy posted a plot summary that went viral on Twitter, the review site was flooded with negative comments and one-star reviews, with many calling the book anti-Black and racist. Some of the comments were left by users who said they had never read the book, but objected to its premise.

“It may look like a bunch of one-star reviews on Goodreads, but these are broader campaigns of harassment,” Rabess said. “People were very keen not just to attack the work, but to attack me as well.”

In an era when reaching readers online has become a near-existential problem for publishers, Goodreads has become an essential avenue for building an audience. As a cross between a social media platform and a review site like Yelp, the site has been a boon for publishers hoping to generate excitement for books.

But the same features that get users talking about books and authors can also backfire. Reviews can be weaponized, in some cases derailing a book’s publication long before its release.

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