Top 5 Books of 2022

Here they are! My top five books from 2022. Read them all! 

How the Word Is Passed, by Clint Smith  

This was the most emotional book of my top 5 from 2022. Smith visits monuments and landmarks throughout the South to explore the legacy of slavery and its effect on American history. It is historical, lyrical (Smith is also a poet) and personal.

Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harrari

This narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution gives a 30,000-foot view of how we got to be here in this present moment. It was illuminating to see this perspective and learn about humans and our world in a whole new way.

Waking Up, by Sam Harris 

Part memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality—no wonder this book is one of my faves! Sam Harris is a brilliant person and a great writer. I’ve read many of his books and this one is my favorite.

Mistakes Were Made (but not by me), by Carol Tavris and Elliott Aronson

Social psychology books are my fave, and this one is the best of the best. The authors use research and studies to explain complex and confusing human behaviors. If you ever find yourself thinking, “Why would they act like that/do that?!” the answer is probably in this book!

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

You may notice that this is the only fiction book to make it to my top 5. I don’t read much fiction, but I’ll read anything by Toni Morrison. She is a master storyteller, and I think Beloved is her best novel. The writing is gripping and the tale is heart-wrenching. She is gifted at transforming history into powerful stories. It’s a must-read.