5 more books to add to your 2022 TBR

If we’re anything alike, your list of books to read is a behemoth that just does not. Stop. Growing. I know you probably don’t need the help making it longer, but here are my five recommendations for books to read this year.

1. Untamed by Glennon Doyle I read this book because my favorite booktuber, Jack Edwards, raved about it — and he read it because Adele raved about it. As Jack said, “If it’s good enough for Adele, it’s good enough for me,” and I could not agree more. This book helped me heal from a difficult time in my life. There’s comfort in knowing that it’s never too late to heal, to evolve, and that’s the whole motive behind Shelf Developed.
2. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid This is a story of grappling with being a hostage of your past and your family heritage. I related to the protagonist, Nina, in many ways. I was 16 when my parents divorced. Like her, I adopted the fictional narrative that their fate would be something I would inevitably inherit. No matter what I did, I was also in extreme danger of having a failed marriage. I was certain it would fail because I did not how to emulate a successful relationship. It was only after working through these feelings in therapy did I realize that my parents’ fate is not my own. And like Nina, I learned my life is up to me.
3. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Gorgeous storytelling of a man who loses his wealth in material but gains so much in friendship, love, and experience. This story taught me that holding on to who you are is more important than what things you could lose. This novel marries all the wonderful elements of nostalgia, powerful visuals, and the whimsy of well-paced unraveling. This book really helped me enjoy just being a reader, a spectator, an audience. It felt like a growing a friendship with the protagonist. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt This book came as a strong recommendation from one of my closest friends when I raved to her about The Goldfinch. While this book remains the uncontested mascot of the Dark Academia cult, it is also a literary masterpiece by itself. Richard Papen’s unnerving paranoia and deep desire to be included in something elite kept me on edge this entire book, which is why I could not put it down. Donna Tartt also manages to illustrate the settings of the story so well; it’s so vivid I can practically smell the winter months, the candles burning in Julian’s office, and even Bunny Corcoran’s hair. I cannot wait for this to be adapted into a film.
5. Can’t Even by Ann Helen Petersen I read this book to understand why I was so unhappy at my old job — and while there were plenty of reasons, this novel helped me understand the bigger picture. There is an entire system that keeps so many of us in the undertow of employment, unrealistic expectations, and societal obligations as women.

If you need even more book recommendations, check out these 12 books I am reading for the month!