This past year was filled with so many good books for me, both new and the ones I reread every so often. It was really difficult for me to narrow it down to 10 for this post! About halfway through the year, I do a roundup of the best books I've read so far (you can read that here). All but one series from that original list made the final cut, and I debated long and hard about it's position! The Clandestine Magic trilogy is definitely one to add to your TBR if you haven't already, especially if you're a fan of The Paper Magician series. I just found a couple of new series that I love just a little bit more.

So, without further ado, here are The 10 Best Books and Series I Read in 2022.

Author: Heather Webber

This is the book I think I've recommended the most throughout this year. It's one of those books that I feel like most people need to read at least once in their life. Anna Kate returns to Wicklow, Alabama, to temporarily run her dead grandmother's restaurant to fulfill the stipulations of her will. She doesn't plan on staying past that required time frame, but while there she does want to find out what happened to cause her mother to run and never look back. During her search for answers about her origins, Anna Kate discovers her granny's magical tales about blackbird pie might be based in truth, and she might be the only person who can keep the tradition going. I was originally drawn to it because of the description of the small town in which the story is set. It was so similar to my own hometown that I couldn't resist reading it. It is, at its core, a story about family and finding your purpose in life, and it's got a tiny bit of magic in it.

Author: Lana Pecherczyk

Outside of this series, I think I've read only one true superhero book. They're just not really my thing. But this series was more than your typical superhero story. The Lazarus siblings were born in a lab, genetically modified to each sense one of the deadly sins and eradicate it from the world. Before they could fulfill their deadly purpose, they were stolen from the lab and raised to be saviors instead. There's just one problem: if the siblings don't keep their respective sins in perfect balance, they'll go insane. There's only one way to prevent that from happening - find their soulmates.

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is one of the most interesting historical fiction books I've ever read, and I've read a lot of this genre. Evelyn Hugo is a film star from the 1950s who might be better known for her seven marriages as she is for her starring roles. Now, at the end of her life, she has agreed to one final interview with a very specific journalist. Monique is a seemingly unlikely choice, but as with all of her choices in life, Evelyn has an ulterior motive for choosing this unknown, up-and-coming young journalist to tell her story, and this time, Evelyn isn't holding anything back. All her secrets will be bared.

Author: Gary D. Schmidt

This was hands down the best book I read over the summer. It was one of the books I was researching as possible reads for my seventh graders. I ultimately decided to go with something different, but I may add this in for my upper-level students next year. Holling Hoodhood thinks his teacher hates him, simply because he's the only student who doesn't leave at midday on Wednesdays, meaning his teacher has to come up with something for just one student to do on those afternoons. She eventually settles on Shakespeare, something Holling doesn't appreciate at first but comes to respect in the end. You're also seeing this seventh grade kid grow up while dealing with issues that are still relevant in today's world.

Building the Circle series & Peacekeeper's Harmony trilogy

Author: Maggie M. Lily

This is the series that edged Clandestine Magic out of the best of list. Mostly because of the family dynamic. I love the Trellis family so much. This is technically two series, but they're connected, and you have to read them in order. Each of the Trellis siblings are empowered, having special abilities ranging from love to fear, joy to rage, and even the four elements. None of them realize that they're all special, though, until they get pulled into the politics of the empowered. Along the way, they make alliances within other supernatural communities, including the beast affinities, which is what the follow-up trilogy focuses on.

Author: Alessa Thorn

This is a seven-book series that is now available in two box sets. When I read them, it was individually. What I love about this series is that it doesn't focus on the typical heroes from Greek mythology. Instead, it takes the villains and shows them in a new light. Each book focuses on a different couple, some of which exist in mythology already but most that do not, but there is an overarching story line throughout. Hades and his court rule over the city of Styx, which they rebuilt over the ruined city of Corinth after the gods of Olympus all fell. They have brought stability and success to the city, but they are not without enemies. Topping the list is the monster-hunting cult, Pithos.

Author: Greta Kelly

This was actually the first thing I read in 2022. It's got a bit of a Tolkien meets Game of Thrones feel to it, and the main character is one of the strongest female leads I've encountered. Askia is the heir to the throne of Seravesh, but she's been forced to flee due to invasion from the north. Now, she returns to the country of her birth to seek an alliance to save her people. As often happens, the best-laid plans go awry, and Askia finds herself in her enemy's clutches where she must embrace her magic if she hopes to not only survive but win.

Author: Tirzah Price

I'll be honest. This book almost didn't make my best of list in favor of Clandestine Magic, but in the end I decided that I needed a bit of variety, and this was the best mystery I read this year, so here we are. If you couldn't tell from the title, this is a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. To me, this is what would have happened if Agatha Christie had written the classic. It features all of the original characters in different roles, with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy playing the leading roles. Elizabeth wants to follow in her father's footsteps and become a barrister (lawyer), but she is a woman and it just isn't done, so when she gets wind of a murder, Lizzie sets out to solve it. There's only one problem: Mr. Darcy has already been hired by the accused, and he doesn't want Elizabeth's help.

Author: Pip Williams

This novel is one of the last things I read this year, and it's one that took me a few months to complete. Not because it was extraordinarily long, but because it was so serious, and I quite often found myself not in the mood for that vibe. But there is a reason this one has made so many book club lists. It is truly very good and thought-provoking. Esme is the daughter of one of the editors of the first English Oxford Dictionary. She grows up literally underneath the cutting table and wants nothing more than to be part of the endeavor. When she realizes that some words are not being included, she starts to collect them for herself, not knowing the impact her actions will have on the future. This book is not just about words, though. It's about Esme finding her place in the world. She struggles, as most women did in those times, but she perseveres, and she makes a difference. Truly worth the read.

Author: T.M. Cromer

This series is incomplete, but I couldn't not include it. This one swept me up from the first chapter. The O'Malley family are witches whose magic was stolen centuries before by another family seeking power, but a prophecy has been set in motion to restore their magic. All they have to do is figure out the puzzle and open their hearts. There are two more books in this series, one of which just released so I'll be reading it soon. This series also has ties to a fully complete series that I plan on reading, as well.