The Best Books of 2022 So Far….

Halfway through 2022, here are the bestselling books of the year so far across a variety of genres from Literary Fiction, True Crime, Business Books to Memoir and Romance. We will be adding to this list for the final 40 books we loved this year so watch this space.

Any others that should be here? Feel free to comment below.

Best Literature and Fiction Books of 2022 so far…

The Candy House (Literary Fiction) by Jennifer Egan

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan manages to dazzle us again with this deeply thoughtful novel about the meaning of memory and the search for privacy and authenticity in a world where technology is re-shaping everything we know and have known. Plus she brings back the very memorable characters from her previous book, A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Jennifer Egan takes us back to 2010, where 40-year-old ambitious tech entrepreneur Bix Bouton and dad of four stumbles upon an exciting idea where we can share memories with each other by ‘owning your own consciousness’. Whilst it’s been a hit with many people, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

And what Egan does in mesmerising detail — she takes us deep into the lives of these characters over decades using epistolary techniques, tweets and voices. There are what she calls “counters” who are tracking and taking advantage of desires and also “eluders” who intuitively appreciate what it means to take a bite of the Candy House.

A wake-up call reminding us that we may not be so far off from this type of world that is rapidly embracing virtual worlds through social media and gaming — and showcasing how the very human themes of connection, love, family, desire, and need for privacy remain important needs that take on new meaning in a world that is shape-shifting rapidly as a result of technology.

A fascinatingly inventive read.

My favourite quotes: “Friendship risks the end of friendship.”

“One horror of motherhood lies in the moments when she can see both the exquisiteness of her child and his utter inconsequence to others.”