My Fav Reads of 2022!!

Would you look at that! It’s that time of year when people start releasing their BEST OF lists and TOP READ lists! 

In the past, I’ve done a variety of things. Usually it ends up being top reads FROM the year and top reads from OTHER years that I read that year. Not so this year. This year, I’m purely doing a list of the books I loved in 2022 and I’ll have an Amazon link for each.

So, grab some popcorn, sit back, tune in, drop out and check out some rad reads!

(These are in no particular order!)

(Side note – I decided to not add in the re-reads I did of Andrew Pyper’s works this year to not have a hugely massive list. It’s safe to say though, being a super fan, that The Homecoming, The Damned, The Guardians, Lost Girls and Oracle all deserve to be read and easily could appear on this list!)

My Fav Reads of 2022:

Merlin’s Kurse by Joe Zito – the story of a young boy watching as his brother ascends to stardom in a rock band, Zito filled with with awe, emotions and nostalgia. Phenomenal read.

The Shadow of the Gods/The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne – Books 1 and 2 of The Bloodsworn Saga, Gwynn’s fantasy tale is filled with brutality, gore, death and creatures arisen from lore. Fantastic fantasy series thus far and can’t wait for the finale to arrive!

The Book of the Baku by R.L. Boyle – a novel telling the story of a young boy and his personal difficulties, managed to scare me as well as make me cry. Dark horror with a tinge of fantasy. Such a great novel!

The Root Witch by Debra Castaneda – in this fast-paced, creature-feature novel, we get returned to the 80’s when today’s technology can’t get people out of jam’s and the forest is fighting back.

Lost Girl by Adam Nevill – a novel that makes it impossible for the reader to breathe, Nevill transports us as only he can to rip out our hearts and keep us guessing until the end. A novel that’ll never leave my head.

Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum – a doctor falling apart, a devoted wife, and a horrific body horror novella that’ll have you squirming.

The Haar by David Sodergren – perhaps Sodergren’s first romantic foray, but certainly one of his best emotive pieces he’s done. We get an old woman, a ruthless land developer and an odd ‘thing’ brought in from the sea. Powerful read.

In Search of the Nobility Tx, Wildman by Elford Alley – an interesting look at one man’s search for something he believes in and how his life was directly impacted by that.

The Last Storm by Tim Lebbon – America is scorched, while a young girl tries to create her device to bring the rain. Lebbon fires on all cylinders in this one.

Below by Laurel Hightower – a snow-ravaged road trip takes a turn when a stranger helps a woman and then an accident happens. But something lurks in the dark and snowy night. Great stuff.

Gross Out by Duncan Ralston – Indie Horror’s bad boy, Ralston returns with a tongue-in-cheek skewering of cliques, conferences and community. This one also has a nice ‘Woom’ side story that gives fans some answers.

Sunray Alice by Jeremy Hepler – Hepler can’t write a book that isn’t a page-turner. Following a young girl making a discovery during World War II, we get heartfelt moments, pulse-pounding events and ultimately a riveting novel about how things planted can continue to grow.

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus – a moving story about a young girl who’s dad believes aliens exist, only for him to disappear, this was a page-turner and one that truly will make you wonder if we’re alone.

The Year Under the Machine by Peter Danielsson – in this thought-provoking story, we see how life has continued on after things arrive and remain. Truly a book that needs to be experienced.

The Watchers/The Creeper by A.M. Shine – While unrelated, these two stories by Shine are phenomenal. In The Watchers, we see a woman try and make a routine delivery, only to be lost in the woods with darkness coming. The Creeper takes us to a remote village where local lore suggests things might be happening that simply shouldn’t be. Two phenomenal novels.

The Dunnie by Keith Thomas – It still boggles my mind that I’m not seeing this book in more places. A grandfather in the grasp of Dementia, a grandson discovering something is below the house. Chaos ensues. Fantastic stuff.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie – perhaps the first piece of Epistolary storytelling I’ve enjoyed, DiLouie takes us alongside a ghost hunting crew as they film a show and discover much, much more than they bargained for. 

A Strange Little Place: The Paranormal Secrets of Revelstoke, British Columbia by Brennan Storr – this second edition release of a prior version, Storr does a phenomenal job of educating the reader about Revelstoke’s history, while also sharing the stories that get told around the camp fires. Great stuff.

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno – I wasn’t too sure what I was getting into with this one, but we get a layered and complex story that genuinely is unnerving and claustrophobic.

Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski – all six of the Six Stories series is phenomenal and honestly MUST-READ. Following a podcaster who looks at different angles of strange stories, Wesolowski has crafted a masterpiece of storytelling and a batch of stories that’ll become all-time horror classics.

Moonfellows by Danger Slater – Slater’s most ambitious and poignant piece yet, we get alternative history told through an emotional lens by a talented writer at the top of his game.

The Grizzly King (A Romance of the Wild) by James Oliver Curwood – released in 1917, this story showcases nature like few others and is a moving and powerful look at two bears and their father/son adopted relationship. Breathtaking work.

Woodhaven by L.J. Dougherty – a father and daughter escape to the woods following government upheaval. Things aren’t always as they seem and when someone appears from the trees, all bets are off. Compulsive.

Oracle 2: The Dreamland Murders by Andrew Pyper – the sequel to his hit ‘Oracle’ audiobook, this features an ensemble cast as we meet back up with Nate Russo and his talent at speaking to the dead. Pyper fires on all cylinders and creates complex characters like only he can.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Oracle-The-Dreamland-Murders-Podcast/B09CLMJPJ4

Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare by Patrick Barb – a future world where screens have taken over and a father loses touch with the son he thought he knew. Very powerful, if ultimately gut-wrenching.

Seven Days by Patrick Senecal – a daughter goes missing, a suspect is identified and a father pounces. In this gripping thriller, ethical boundaries are pushed and ultimately revenge is sought. Outstanding.

A Time For Monsters by Mason McDonald – in his debut collection, Mason covers a lot of ground and showcases just how fantastic of a writer he is. 

The Talosite by Rebecca Campbell – in this alternative history novella, we see a daughter of a famous doctor try to further her father’s research, all while battling internal demons and external temptations. Body horror done perfectly.

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell – in a world filled with zombies, we follow a teen girl as she tries to survive and makes an unlikely connection. A different take on the zombie trope and one that worked very, very well.

The Outsider by Stephen King – an impossible murder, a suspect that can’t physically be the suspect and total chaos when a discovery is made and a chase begins. I really loved this one, but I’m also a fan of Holly Gibney, which can be a make or break character in the King world.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy – my re-read of this was as brutal, bleak and depressing as the first time, just now elevated to a different level being the father of a young boy. The story follows dad and boy as they try and find the coast where they hope to discover a place to call home.

There we go, that’s what I’m going with. At the moment, we are into the third week of December, so anything I read and love right now, will slot into the 2023 best reads list for next year!

I hope you all had a great reading year!