My Favorite Books in 2022
I read a lot of young adult romance in 2022, and most of them were great. It’s always hard for me to pick a favorite since I am the queen of DNF. If I’m not grabbed right away, I just won’t read a book… so when I DO read them, I usually love them. That said, here are a few I read in 2022 that really had my attention:
Macchiatos, Faerie Princes, and Other Things That Happen at Midnight by Crystal Crawford- this clean YA fantasy has everything... lore, legend, fae and monsters... there's something for everyone. You can binge read it on Kindle Vella here. And the snazzy title doesn't hurt... I'm just saying...
What if you accidentally save a Fae prince's life?
Ayla knows nothing of LeyGuards, Fae, or the war. She's just trying to survive senior year and navigate a tentative new romance. But as school drama ramps up and Ayla's ailing grandfather worsens, strange things begin to happen. Secrets can't hide forever, especially when they involve Fae.
A clean YA fantasy full of Fae, romance, magic, & mystery!
Once Upon a Streaming Star - this clean YA romance covers a lot of emotional ground, and sometimes you'll want to jump in and shake a few characters. You can binge read it on Kindle Vella here.
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A Forest of Stolen Memories by Callie Thomas - a clean fairy tale retelling, this story flips the happily ever after on its head and keeps you scrolling. You can read it on Kindle Vella here.
A royal wedding turns to disaster when a curse goes awry. A victim of the Sorcerer's prophecy, Roselyn's memories are instantly erased, leaving her panicked at the altar. Confused, she flees to the place her prince fears most--the enchanted Mistbrooke Forest. Danger lurks closer than she can imagine, forcing her to seek help from a dark stranger who may be the key to recovering her lost memories. Can she break the curse without breaking her heart?
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The Uncertainty of Fire by Stephanie Daniels- a clean historical Christian romance centered around The Great Chicago Fire. The characters are complex and the prose is beautiful. You can read it on Kindle Vella here or in ebook and print here.
Chicago,1871. Sixteen-year-old Whimsy will agree to anything to expose Chicago's child labor practices--even her Papa's matchmaking plan. But tragedy strikes during the Great Chicago Fire, and she's forced into the system she wishes to fight against. With help from a street-wise newsboy and a shy preacher's son, Whimsy's heart is divided and she's confused about God's plan. Will she keep her impulsive promise to start a new life out West with one, or choose security with the family of the other?
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Loving Gavin by Pixie Perkins - a clean young adult romance with a ton of swoony moments, this one is sure to keep you turning the pages. You can find it here.
Mckessey Owens is in love with Gavin Miller (aka: her best friend’s older brother). Does anyone know about her feelings for him? HECK. NO. And she doesn’t want them to. So, it’s understandable that she freaks out when her partially written love letter for Gavin falls into the hands of her nemesis, Alex Miller (aka: her best friend’s evil twin).
Alex always manages to ruin EVERYTHING and Mckessey isn’t willing to let him sabotage her crush on Gavin, which is why she comes up with a crazy lie instead: she tells Alex the letter is about him.
Unfortunately, he’s not convinced and wants her to prove it.
Desperate to keep the truth hidden, Mckessey asks to be his girlfriend. And even though it’s very clear that he’s not interested in her—Alex agrees to them becoming a couple, expecting to be right about the whole thing.
But it’s only a matter of time until Mckessey finds out that pretending to be in love with one brother while secretly pining over the other brother is no easy task; especially when she has ZERO dating experience and starts realizing that Alex might not be as horrible as she thought…
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The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - while it's not considered a clean read (some cussing and sexual content) I still enjoyed this YA sci-fi, especially the voice so unique to the Kaufman and Kristoff combo. You can find the first book in the trilogy here.
The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the academy would touch . . .
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-*a** tech whiz with the galaxy's biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger-management issues
A tomboy pilot who's totally not into him, in case you were wondering
And Ty's squad isn't even his biggest problem--that'd be Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, the girl he's just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler's squad of losers, discipline cases, and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.
NOBODY PANIC.
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Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham - a memoir written by Dr. Baucham depicting his life and opinion on many topics gracing our headlines today. It was powerful and poignant. You can find it here.
The Ground Is Moving
The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in the summer of 2020 shocked the nation. As riots rocked American cities, Christians affirmed from the pulpit and in social media that “black lives matter” and that racial justice “is a gospel issue.”
But what if there is more to the social justice movement than those Christians understand? Even worse: What if they’ve been duped into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God?
In this powerful book, Voddie Baucham, a preacher, professor, and cultural apologist, explains the sinister worldview behind the social justice movement and Critical Race Theory—revealing how it already has infiltrated some seminaries, leading to internal denominational conflict, canceled careers, and lost livelihoods. Like a fault line, it threatens American culture in general—and the evangelical church in particular.
Whether you’re a layperson who has woken up in a strange new world and wonders how to engage sensitively and effectively in the conversation on race or a pastor who is grappling with a polarized congregation, this book offers the clarity and understanding to either hold your ground or reclaim it.
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