A new year means lots of new things to come, and if you’re a book lover, then you have plenty to look forward to in 2022.
Among the most anticipated books of the year are new high-profile releases from bestselling authors Jennifer Egan and Ruth Ware, among many others.
“The new year is famous for bringing all kinds of newness into life: new opportunities, new concerns, new surprises. Happily for the dedicated reader, the new year also brings new books—and 2022 looks like a very good year,” says Danny Feekes, managing editor for Goodreads.
Goodreads pulls together its list of the most anticipated new reads based on how many members have added a book to their Want to Read shelf. The Amazon-owned property has more than 125 million members worldwide.
In line with similar patterns over the last two years of the pandemic, two of the most popular genres on the platform (and in book industry sales) are romance and mystery/thriller.
“During the pandemic people are continuing to escape into books. Interestingly, though, they’re also looking to some of their favorite authors to put the pandemic into a literary perspective,” Feekes tells Fortune. “In 2022, our members are clamoring to get their hands on the newest books from Lucy Foley (who wrote 2020’s smash hit, The Guest List) and Emily Henry (the author of 2020’s Beach Read and 2021’s The People You Meet on Vacation).”
For literary commentary on our current time, Feekes directs readers to new books from lauded authors such as Isabel Allende, Hanya Yanagihara, and Emily St. John Mandel—”who all weave pandemics (both past, present, and future) into their newest novels.”
“We continue to see a renewed interest in literary fiction books. In 2022, books that traditionally would have been released during the prestigious fall season are coming out earlier and earlier,” Feekes says. “This spring, especially, has a ton of really strong books that our members are feverishly adding to their Want to Read shelves.”
Here are the top 10 most anticipated books across fiction and nonfiction, according to Goodreads members, in the coming year:
- To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara (January 11)
- Violeta by Isabel Allende (January 25)
- Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (February 1)
- The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (February 22)
- Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart (April 5)
- The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (April 5)
- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (April 5)
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry (May 3)
- Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe (June 28)
- The It Girl by Ruth Ware (July 12)
Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.
