The Most Read Books of the 2022 Reading Challenge (So Far)

Posted by Cybil on June 6, 2022


Now that we’re halfway through the year, it’s time to check in on the 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge, our rigorous annual initiative for book lovers worldwide. The gist: Goodreads members set a goal for the year as to how many books they want to read, and then we help them keep track of their progress.
 
The Reading Challenge is an interesting indicator each year of which books tend to wind up on bedside tables and in e-reader queues. The titles below are sorted by genre and sequenced in order of overall popularity. As is often the case, hot authors often spark their own mini trends—Taylor Jenkins Reid has three books in the general fiction top ten, and Sally Rooney has two (with a third at #15). You’ll find similar streaks in Mystery, Romance, and YA.
 
It's interesting to track the mix in terms of chronology, too. This year’s Reading Challenge has a healthy mix of new books, relatively new books, series debuts, and stone-cold classics. The nonfiction category is a fascinating blend of psychology, sociology and philosophy—plus rock stars and other celebrity memoirs. All right, all right, all right.
 
There’s still plenty of time in the year to set a reading goal or edit your current Challenge! Scroll over the covers below for further inspiration, and add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!




 

Fiction  

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Mystery & Thriller

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Fantasy & Science Fiction 

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Romance

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Young Adult

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Nonfiction 

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What are some of your favorite reads so far this year from your 2022 Reading Challenge? Let us know in the comments!

   

Comments Showing 1-50 of 50 (50 new)

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message 1: by Rmertins (new)

Rmertins I loved The Lincoln Highway so much when I read it in January that I read it again in March. I’ve never done that before!


message 2: by Damien (new)

Damien Rmertins wrote: "I loved The Lincoln Highway so much when I read it in January that I read it again in March. I’ve never done that before!"
Lincoln Highway was a great read. Have you read A Gentleman in Moscow? That book was fantastic.


message 3: by Jo (new)

Jo Quite agree with you Damien - A Gentleman in Moscow was absolutely fantastic and stayed with me long after I finished it. I'm looking forward go reading The Lincoln Highway this year


message 4: by Amber (new)

Amber Duke The Midnight Library is my favorite so far this year! I read it in 9 days and thats a record for any book for me!


message 5: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline sharp The coffin club by Jacqueline Sutherland one of the best reads this year so far and Little sister by Gytha Lodge


message 6: by Laura (new)

Laura No horror section? :(


Donna-Marie Reads A Heart In A Body In The World, From Blood And Ash, Heartstopper, Stalking Jack The Ripper, The Love Hypothesis and Before The Coffee Gets Cold.


message 8: by Carter (new)

Carter I’m reading Throne of Glass an it is pretty good right now
🤷🏼‍♂️👍🏻


message 9: by Skye (new)

Skye Baxter currently reading the good girls guide to murder series and i love it so far!


message 10: by Nina (new)

Nina I'm always so impressed when people read new books - I'm still catching up on all the books that were published before I was born lol


message 11: by Donna (new)

Donna Bijas Read 18 of these, others on my list. A Little Life is probably my favorite of all of them, but the non-fictions were also excellent. Also really enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway.


message 12: by Anna (new)

Anna Pesce I wanna read them all ^^!


Sarah Book Dragon I've read 20 mostly in ya :D


message 14: by Joan (new)

Joan Wells I have read 50 so far ... ALL Romantic Comedy and Fiction Action Thrillers ....... hopefully I will get through to all the other genres on here that I have marked as To Read before December gets here :)


message 15: by Alison (new)

Alison Curwen Julia Philip’s Disappearing Earth


message 16: by Gareth (new)

Gareth Johnstone I read A Little Life whilst on holiday earlier this year. Couldn't stop reading it and was bereft when it ended.


message 17: by John (new)

John Rossington Why is there no list for classics?


message 18: by Suz (new)

Suz So many of these are on my TBR or I have read. I am finding the knack for me is to source on audio from all of my libraries, I am smashing through them. Loved A Little Life, such a beautiful hardcover book. Exciting to have so many more yet to read.


Christie Maliyackel Such a great list! Thanks for sharing.


message 20: by Sandy (new)

Sandy I looked online and obtained a list of the pulitzer prize winners and the runners-up. With a kindle and a library card, I am able to find most of the books on the list. Good writing never goes out of style.


message 21: by Gary (new)

Gary Delligatti What about horror?


message 22: by Susan (new)

Susan R. I'm under a lot of stress right now and passing the time by reading mindless romance novels. If I counted them in my annual read, I'd have made my quota through 2025!


message 23: by Jsiva (new)

Jsiva Reading Paper Palace and as tortured as I feel, I don't want it to end!


message 24: by Kerryn (new)

Kerryn Oliver My favorite book this year is "Salt to the Sea." I'm on track to reach my goal of 75 books, and enjoying reading a wide diversity of genres and including several classics along the way.


message 25: by C.W. (new)

C.W. Brooks Heartstopper volume 1 and 2 are great! After I've finished Harry Potter and the prisoner of azkaban, I'm going to read heartstopper volume 3 and 4.
Btw, my friends going to read the song of Achilles.


message 26: by Jas (last edited Jun 21, 2022 08:01AM) (new)

Jas I've read 51 books from this list so far, and currently reading 2 of them!


message 27: by Toni Anne (new)

Toni Anne  Agnese Best so far:
Disappearing Earth
Behold the Dreamers
The Light Between the Ocean
I’m currently reading Pachinko and I will definitely add it to the list.


message 28: by Carol (new)

Carol Read about 50% of the Fiction and Romance and Mystery listed here. Currently reading The Golden Couple and it already has me thinking it will be a 4-5 star read for me!
5 star reads this year The Lincoln Highway - Crawdads - The Paris Apartment - The Maid.


message 29: by Jan (new)

Jan I have read 20 of these books. But my favorite this year is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. 5 stars!


message 30: by Michael (new)

Michael Bell I love to see what other people are reading. It gives me ideas to broaden my horizons. Have a great summer of exploring.


Mr R. T Kenderdine If you liked ‘Where the crawdads sing’ then read ‘Oyster’ by John Biguenet.
Also just finished Sebastian Barry’s ‘A long long way’ another good read.


message 32: by Karen (new)

Karen Price I have read 22 on this list. I must be on the right track for identifying good reads (pun intended).


message 33: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Glase A Little Life - it haunts me still!


message 34: by Valerie (new)

Valerie I’ve read 38 of these books. There never seems to be enough time to read.


message 35: by Barbara (new)

Barbara Amber wrote: "The Midnight Library is my favorite so far this year! I read it in 9 days and thats a record for any book for me!"

I agree -- the Midnight Library is an excellent book that is hard to put down.


message 36: by Just Me (new)

Just Me Rmertins wrote: "I loved The Lincoln Highway so much when I read it in January that I read it again in March. I’ve never done that before!"

I loved The Lincoln Highway, too!


message 37: by Just Me (new)

Just Me Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Kaiju Preservation Society, The Violin Conspiracy, Black Cake, Augustus, A Tale for the Time Being...


message 38: by Tammy (new)

Tammy Westrick Donna wrote: "Read 18 of these, others on my list. A Little Life is probably my favorite of all of them, but the non-fictions were also excellent. Also really enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway."
I agree with your favorite, Donna. A Little Life is one of my favorites, too. It stuck with me well after I finished reading it.


message 39: by Tammy (new)

Tammy Westrick justme wrote: "Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Kaiju Preservation Society, The Violin Conspiracy, Black Cake, Augustus, A Tale for the Time Being..."

I, too, really enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. My Year of Meats by the same author was really good, as well.


message 40: by Jessie (new)

Jessie Where the Crawdad Sings, Song of Achilles and Circe have been my favourite reads so far this year. I'm a little in love with all of them.

Addie Larue and The Midnight Library were okay but predictable.

The Lost Apothecary was dreadful.

The Caraval series started well but took a swift nose dive after the first installment and despite a solid recommendation for the Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black books I cannot bring myself to like them.

Onwards and upwards!


message 41: by D.L. (new)

D.L. I've only read 2 of these books and only a few of the rest are on my TBR. I don't often read the 'popular' books. I find so many of them overrated.


message 42: by Peter (new)

Peter Waller Fifty books so far this year. Only 2 from this list but 14 I've rated 5. My favourite ?, probably "Crime" by Irvine Welsh


Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧ A really great selection :) I've read quite a few from the Young Adult category and absolutely LOVED the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, the Cruel Prince, the Wicked King, They Both Die at the End and One of Us is Lying! The rest of them are on my TBR


message 44: by i matter (new)

 i matter I have read 16 of the books so far.


message 45: by Patricia (new)

Patricia I loved Where the Crawdads Sing. I love the descriptions of Marsh life and how seemlessly the story intertwined with the murder mystery. An Environmental educator and bit of a freshwater marsh girl myself, I felt the sense of wonder Kya expressed with her natural surroundings. So far the best read of the challenge.


message 46: by Liz (new)

Liz Can you guys please add horror?! Thank you


message 47: by Mrslee (new)

Mrslee The Silent Patient was really good!


Edonnab7gmail.com I have read 23 books on the list. Evelyn Hugo and A Little Life were the best reads this year. Both of those books have similar themes: The person on the outside is not the same as the person inside. I am still recovering from A Little Life. Hail Mary is one of the best audio books ever.


message 49: by Andrea (new)

Andrea Read 21
TBR 31 (before the list came out)
TBR after the list: too many to go back and count!
Loved: Cloud Cuckoo Land, Born a Crime, Lincoln Highway, and Daisy Jones and the Six.


message 50: by Andrea (new)

Andrea Liz wrote: "Can you guys please add horror?! Thank you"

Yes!


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