Gen’s Most Anticipated Books of 2022

It’s a new year, which means it’s time to talk about the new book releases I’m most looking forward to. I managed to read every single one that I had on my 2021 list. I don’t think I’ll manage that this year, since I’m making an effort to read through the books I already own, but they’re going on my TBR list to be read eventually. As I like to remind myself, the book will still be there in a couple years. You don’t always have to keep up with the hype.

The 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2022 to Add to Your TBR

In the name of brevity, I’ve only listed 10 of the most anticipated books of 2022, coming out in the first half of 2022. The release date appears in brackets next to the title and reflects the release date at the time this blog was published. Given supply chain issues and the strange beast that is book publishing, these dates may change.

1. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (January 18)

“From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resilience of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.”

Okay, so technically this one is already out, but only just, so I’m counting it. I think it probably deserves fair warning that the premise centers on a plague that arises from melting Arctic permafrost (too close to home, but make it double). However, it sounds like it’s going to go the way of Station Eleven, wherein it’s less about the plague itself and more about human resilience and the beauty we find in even the darkest places. What can I say, I’m a sucker for that kind of thing. And, honestly, I’d read it going off of the title alone. 

2. Base Notes by Lara Elena Donnelly (February 1)

“In New York City everybody needs a side hustle, and perfumer Vic Fowler has developed a delicate art that has proved to be very lucrative: creating bespoke scents that evoke immersive memories—memories that, for Vic’s clients, are worth killing for. But the city is expensive, and these days even artisanal murder doesn’t pay the bills. When Joseph Eisner, a former client with deep pockets, offers Vic an opportunity to expand the enterprise, the money is too good to turn down. But the job is too intricate—and too dangerous—to attempt alone.”

I don’t usually go in for mystery thrillers, I don’t know why, but my perfume obsession is powerless before this premise. They had me at ‘bespoke scents.’ Throw in some murder for hire and what sounds like a cat-and-mouse game with a private investigator? I’m sold. I might have to read this back to back with Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind and try to get to the bottom of this link between perfume and murder.

3. Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu (February 1)

“In the twelve unforgettable tales of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, the strange is made familiar and the familiar strange, such that a girl growing wings on her legs feels like an ordinary rite of passage, while a bug-infested house becomes an impossible, Kafkaesque nightmare. These visions of modern life wrestle with themes of death and technological consequence, guilt and sexuality, and unmask the contradictions that exist within all of us.”

I’m very pleased to let you know that we’ll be talking about this book in an upcoming episode thanks to the generosity of Coach House Books (Episode 88 coming on February 16). We love teaming up with Coach House. They always send us books that we love. This short story collection sounds like it will be right up our alley and weird in all the right ways.

Past Coach House Books Episodes:

74: And Mile to Go Before I Sleep by Jocelyne Saucier

62: Because the Sun by Sarah Burgoyne

51: Coach House Books 2020 Fall Releases

26: Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier

4. The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman (February 8)

“In The Nineties, Chuck Klosterman makes a home in all of it: the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan. In perhaps no other book ever written would a sentence like, “The video for ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was not more consequential than the reunification of Germany” make complete sense. Chuck Klosterman has written a multi-dimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian.”

Klosterman does the nineties. Need I say more? Okay, I will say more. One of my favourite episodes we’ve ever done was about Klosterman’s Eating the Dinosaur. He has such a unique approach to talking about pop culture and can make you care about subjects you previously had no interest in. (I devoured his essay about American football.) The nineties are in vogue again, and as a kid who grew up in that decade, I can’t wait to read his take on everything that was happening.

5. Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist (February 22)

“Tripping Arcadia is a page-turning and shocking tale with an unforgettable protagonist that explores family legacy and inheritance, the sacrifices we must make to get by in today’s world, and the intoxicating, dangerous power of wealth.”

After falling in love with the dark academia vibes of A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, I just want more and Tripping Arcadia promises to deliver. The Boston elite. Poison-driven revenge. The opulence of The Great Gatsby. What more could you ask for? It’s being recommended for fans of Mexican Gothic, and if it has even half the atmosphere of that one, I’ll be satisfied. 

6. Tell Me An Ending by Jo Harkin (March 1)

“Clever and propulsive, Tell Me an Ending is a speculative novel exploring what the world would be like if we were able to wipe away our worst moments. In this polyphonic tale, author Jo Harkin raises provocative questions about the nature of memory, through characters who confront new knowledge about themselves and a need for answers, meaning, connection, and story.”

Listen, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favourite movies, so I’m already on board with the memory-erasing aspect. Tell Me An Ending follows five different characters, each grappling with their own memories, unwanted or vanished, and a doctor who begins questioning the process. I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds.

7. Gallant by Victoria Schwab (March 1)

“Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.”

Victoria Schwab, or V.E. Schwab as she’s known when writing her adult novels, is one of my favourite authors. Every new release automatically goes on my TBR list and I’m slowly working my way through her back catalogue. I also love a good portal fantasy, where the character falls into a different world or a different version of the world. So when you put the two together I’m basically the “Shut up and take my money” gif. 

8. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (April 5)

“A virtuoso performance that is as human and tender as it is intellectually playful, Sea of Tranquility is a novel of time travel and metaphysics that precisely captures the reality of our current moment.”

Station Eleven is one of my all time favourite books and the HBO limited series adaptation has me wanting more. Once again, Emily St. John Mandel is writing about a plague, so fair warning for that, but now she’s added time travel, which I can never resist. She has a talent for weaving together storylines, so I’m eager to see how she handles this. 

9. Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (April 5)

“History is told by the conquerors. Across the Western world, museums display the spoils of war, of conquest, of colonialism: priceless pieces of art looted from other countries, kept even now. Will Chen plans to steal them back.”

I love a heist. I love an art heist even more. Sadly, heist novels are few and far between. Enter Portrait of a Thief, which revolves around a thief whose goal is stealing back plundered artifacts. Yes. Please. I can’t get my hands on this soon enough.

10. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (May 3)

“A month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes. On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her.”

Casey McQuiston has officially lured me into the romance genre and she’s become another auto-read author for me. With her latest, McQuiston ventures into contemporary YA and I can’t wait. I Kissed Shara Wheeler boasts an unlikely alliance of characters and a scavenger hunt-style mystery in search of their missing classmate. If you’re looking for something fun, you can trust McQuiston to deliver. Her novels are always a joy to read. 

Bonus Fall Releases to Add to Your TBR

Yes, I’m absolutely cheating by adding two more books, but they’re written by a couple of our favourite authors, both of whom we’ve discussed on the podcast, so I had to include them. 

11. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (September 6)

“Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials, where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas.”

If you listened to our episode on Cemetery Boys, then you know we love Aiden Thomas.

This is the first book in his new duology. It’s being billed as Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games, and if that premise doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will. Thomas has a gift for making magical worlds jump off the page and I can’t wait to see what he does with the worldbuilding in this one. 

12. Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong (September 27)

“It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue. Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.”

Yes, we finally have more information (and a cover!) about Foul Lady Fortune. Based on Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Chloe Gong’s latest duology is a spin-off of These Violent Delights (which we discussed in Episode 69, and its follow-up Our Violent Ends in Episode 86), starring Juliette’s cousin Rosalind. So we officially guessed wrong. But we’re thrilled to know more about the premise, and all I can say is: Give it to me now!

So Many Books, So Little Time

This went on longer than I meant to, but 2022 is shaping up to be a very promising year of book releases. I couldn’t help myself. And this is just a small sampling of what I’m looking forward to. If only I could dedicate all of my days solely to reading…

What are your most anticipated books of 2022? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter or Instagram!