Amazon Books’ editorial team selects their
favorite books across genres and categories to determine the Best
Books of the Year So Far
Amazon Books Editorial Director Sarah Gelman
reveals the top picks on CBS Mornings
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Today, Amazon announced its picks for
2022’s Best Books of the Year So Far, selecting Shelby Van Pelt’s
debut novel Remarkably Bright Creatures—cited by Amazon Editors as
“a novel that delivers a message about love and loss that’s
poignant, charming, and irresistible”—as the No. 1 selection. The
other top picks are Stephanie Foo’s What My Bones Know, a standout
memoir about healing from complex trauma, and Sabaa Tahir’s All My
Rage, a tragic and poignant young adult novel examining the
complexities of young and old love. In the children’s books
category, Christopher Denise’s picture book Knight Owl tops the
list, featuring wordplay and optimism in a story about how bravery,
cleverness, and friendship can rule over brawn.
Throughout the year, Amazon Books Editors pore over thousands of
pages and hundreds of books to determine the Best Books of the
Month, Best Books of the Year So Far, and Best Books of the Year,
discussing and debating new releases across various categories. The
Editors are passionate about uniting readers with their next
favorite read.
After reading titles released from January through June 2022,
Amazon Books Editors selected the overall top 20 Best Books of the
Year So Far, as well as the top 20 in popular categories like
literary fiction, mystery and thrillers, romance, history,
biographies and memoirs, cookbooks, and children’s books. Across
these lists, customers can find reads that are perfect for summer
reading—whether you’re looking for serious nonfiction, a rom-com, a
gripping psychological thriller, or something in between.
“Selecting this midyear list is one of the most fun parts of the
editorial team’s job,” said Sarah Gelman, Amazon Books editorial
director. “You haven’t seen passion until you watch a group of book
lovers argue for their favorite books to be shared with customers!
This year, fiction is having a real moment as readers look for an
escape, and summer is the perfect time to do that.”
After being told Remarkably Bright Creatures was Amazon Books’
top pick for the first half of 2022, Van Pelt said: “I’m beyond
thrilled to be Amazon’s top pick of the year so far! I never
imagined my little octopus story would touch so many people, and
hearing that readers are sharing it with loved ones across
generations makes my heart so happy.”
“We all fell in love with Shelby Van Pelt’s stunning debut,
Remarkably Bright Creatures,” Gelman said. “This novel is wholly
original and it somehow manages to be all the things at once:
sweet, poignant, funny, and wise. I still miss these characters,
but particularly the wise octopus at the center of the story.”
Here are the Amazon Books Editors’ Top 10 picks of 2022 so far,
and their reviews for what made each book stand out:
1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt:
We all loved this story of an unlikely friendship that begins at
the Sowell Bay Aquarium, between a misanthropic octopus named
Marcellus, and a widowed staffer named Tova. The grumpy
invertebrate turns detective to solve a mystery for Tova, as he—and
the novel—deliver a message about love and loss that’s poignant,
charming, and irresistible. –Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
2. What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma
by Stephanie Foo:
There is no dearth of books on trauma in the marketplace right
now, so it's no easy feat standing out. But What My Bones Know
does. A deep dive into the scourge of complex PTSD, this stirring
memoir serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit,
no matter what any of us is struggling with in life. – Erin
Kodicek, Amazon Editor
3. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir:
Dreams take a toll on the dreamer, and so it is for Misbah,
Toufiq, and their teenage son Salahudin. As a young couple’s fresh
start turns sour, Tahir exposes how relationships can burn
white-hot with love—and anger. Flipping between past and present,
this brilliant novel about immigrants, family, first love, and
forgiveness, is raw, real, and unstoppable. – Seira Wilson, Amazon
Editor
4. The Maid by Nita Prose:
This story of a quirky, endearing hotel maid who discovers a
dead guest—and nearly ends up accused of his murder—was another
novel that had us all raving about its charms. This is both a solid
mystery and a sweet, amusing ode to giving people a chance to bloom
where they’re planted. – Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
5. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the
Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard:
Full of adventure, ambushes, false starts, and the pursuit of
conquest, River of the Gods tells the story of three
explorers—Richard Francis Burton, John Hanning Speke, and Sidi
Mubarak Bombay—who set out to discover the origins of the Nile.
Using diary entries and letters, Millard thrusts you into the
jungle with these larger-than-life characters, while deftly
navigating the tangled reality of colonial exploitation…A thrill of
a ride. – Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
6. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus:
Elizabeth Zott stumbles into motherhood, and success as a TV
cooking host, when she’s blocked from becoming a
scientist—inspiring a generation of women who have been written-off
in 1960s America. This satisfying—and delightful—read is for anyone
who has felt underestimated, or held back due to fear of what
others may think. – Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
7. Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow:
This knockout novel follows three generations of unforgettable
Black women as they gather strength from one another’s fortitude,
humor, and care amidst the heartbreak, racism, and violence of
Memphis. With music sprinkled throughout the novel, ‘50s songs
become the soundtrack to falling in love with these women who are
bold, brash, hurting, and hopeful. – Al Woodworth, Amazon
Editor
8. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel:
If you’re sick of the pandemic and don’t like science fiction,
guess what? You’re still going to love Emily St. John Mandel’s
beautiful, absorbing novel that involves science fiction and a
pandemic. It is a lyrical and profound page turner. – Chris
Schluep, Amazon Editor
9. Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith:
An intoxicating summer read of love, lust, and second chances.
Vincent has left her lying American husband for the
art-and-music-filled streets of Paris. As she begins to uncover
more about her husband’s deceit, she also begins to fall hard for a
student in her class. Smart, empowering, and, like Leesa
Cross-Smith’s other books, a tribute to the beauty of all the small
moments that make life worth living. – Al Woodworth, Amazon
Editor
10. Hello, Molly!: A Memoir by Molly Shannon:
Shannon’s “break-the-rules, everything-is-an-adventure,
people-are-mostly-good mentality” is infectious and ever-present in
the pages of Hello, Molly!. Opening up about a childhood tragedy, a
complicated paternal relationship, and the hilarity of Hollywood,
this inspiring, optimistic, and very funny memoir is as original
and delightful as the Saturday Night Live characters Shannon is
famous for. – Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
To celebrate their appearances on the annual list of Best Books
of the Year So Far, three of the authors— Van Pelt, Foo, and
Tahir—will appear on the Amazon Live Author Live series on June 15
at 1:30 p.m. PDT to discuss their titles, their writing processes,
and more. Viewers can watch, listen, and join the conversation by
visiting Amazon Live.
To view the complete list of the Best Books of the Year So Far,
covering children’s, romance, science, mysteries, business,
history, and more, visit www.amazon.com/bestbookssofar.
For more coverage of the books featured on the Best Books of the
Year So Far list, as well as insightful reviews on new books,
author interviews, and hand-curated roundups in popular categories,
visit the Amazon Book Review at www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview.
You can also follow the Amazon Book Editors’ recommendations and
conversations on Amazon Books’ Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
About Amazon
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than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to
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