by Brooke Forry

One of my 2021 goals was to read 35 books; reading brought routine, joy, and enlightenment to my days, and was a particularly integral piece of my mental health during a very stressful and uncertain time.

I exceeded my goal, and I’m thrilled to have completed 41 books before the end of the year. (This includes audiobooks — yes, they count! — as I prefer to read fiction and listen to non-fiction.)

Below are a handful of my favorites that I recommend adding to your 2022 to-read list if you haven’t already checked these out! All links take you to Bookshop.org, where purchases support independent booksellers around the country.

The book I recommend to absolutely everyone

The Guncle by Steven Rowley
If you’re looking for the perfect sweet, funny, light-but-not-frivilous, heartwarming (and sometimes heartbreaking) story with delightfully flawed characters, look no further. The Guncle was my #1 favorite fiction read of the year, with the perfect combination of warmth and humor.

other Favorite fiction reads

These are the books that really stuck with me long after I finished reading them. Each included characters that I connected to, stories that took my breath away at times, and lessons worth remembering.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

favorite celebrity memoirs

I love a celebrity memoir audiobook read by the author; these three were so enjoyable and delightful to listen to that it felt like each author was personally telling me their life story. I laughed so hard I cried more than once, but they weren’t all laughs: there were plenty of heartbreaking and heartwarming stories, as well, and I was sad to reach the end of each one.

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn

The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson

favorite Introspective Memoirs

No matter how different someone’s story is from my own, I always feel a kindred connection to those who share their most vulnerable moments and selves. Individually, these memoirs captured me for very different reasons, but each reflected a powerful, resilient woman who came out on top after facing adversity.

Unbound by Tarana Burke

Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Thanks for Waiting by Doree Shafrir

favorite anti-racism non-fiction

This year I strove to continue my anti-racism education, and these two books were standouts. The Sum of Us, in particular, should be required reading for all, exploring the deeply rooted systems of racism in America that hurt us all.

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

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What were your favorite reads of 2021? What should we add to our reading lists in 2022?