Looking for your next Book Club pick? Out of the 30 I read in 2022, here are the 12 best books for Book Club.

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My Reading Challenge in 2022

Every year I set a yearly reading challenge on Goodreads and in 2022 I reached my goal of 30 books! My reading topics varied from wellness, creativity, goal setting, memoir, self-help, mystery, and Christian living.

Here are the 12 best books from 2022 that I recommend for your Book Club this year, so go ahead and check them out!

12 Best Book Club Books I Read in 2022

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read for setting and achieving goals! It is a quick, easy read with practical applications even my counselor refers to! If you need some easy and practical guidance for creating better habits in your life, grab this New York Times Bestseller. Perfect for kicking off the New Year!

This book also goes well with A Simplified Life and The Intentional Year.

2. Quiet by Susan Cain

This book deeply resonated with me. It discussed how our world caters more toward extroverted people and how it even affects the workplace and churches. This is something that’s always bothered me but I couldn’t identify what it was.

For example, many offices are going to open space concepts and personal offices are starting to become a thing of the past. I am the type of person who feels drained after being around others and is energized by solitude.

This book affirms that most people perform better at work when they’re given space. In addition, it helped me realize this need I have for quiet and solitude is normal. Feeling overwhelmed with the pressure to perform? Check this one out.

This book also goes well with The Road Back to You and The Little Book of Hygge.

3. Creativity Takes Courage by Irene Smit

This adorable book is like a motivational speaker for creativity. I love everything these two create because of their unique style. I especially love their positive attitude toward self-care and exploring different mediums of being creative. Plus this book comes with special paper goodies that you can remove and start on right away!

This book also goes well with The Artisan Soul and 365 Days of Art.

4. Healthy in the Hustle by Candace Cameron Bure

This guided journal addresses 10 areas for spiritual growth. They are based on Biblical principles of how we can best take care of our body, mind, and spirit. It was so refreshing to find a Christian self-care and wellness journal that was applicable! 

Each week, Candace introduces 1 habit for you to implement for 7 days based on several Bible verses. Because you reflect on your progress when you wake up and before you sleep, it creates a form of accountability that is sustainable.

This book also goes well with The 40-Day Sugar Fast and Breathe.

5. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

This was a Christian Living book that challenged me personally and resonated with my readers. Scazzero outlines 10 areas where we as Christians can be lacking in emotional maturity which in turn affects our spiritual maturity.

I found myself relating to more than I was comfortable with. In turn, it challenged me to set some spiritual goals for myself. This book was also my motivation to get counseling to allow for accountability in my spiritual growth.

This book also goes well with Get Out of Your Head and Breath as Prayer.

6. Forgotten God by Francis Chan

This book addresses the importance of acknowledging the Holy Spirit, something many churches aren’t sure how to talk about. It was a powerful reminder that Jesus told us it was better for him to leave us so that he could give us the Holy Spirit. I have tried to implement Chan’s practices in my daily life and challenge you to read his book as well!

This book also goes well with Grace and The Good and Beautiful Community.

7. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

This memoir is written by Michelle, a Korean American woman who grew up trying to blend in with the rest of the kids in her school. Years later, her mother is diagnosed with cancer. Michelle desperately realizes she wants to know everything about her culture and embrace it.

She works her way through different Korean meals, buying ingredients in the local H Mart (a Korean grocery store) and taking care of her dying mother. A sweet book of finding confidence in who you are.

This book also goes well with Need You Now and Twelve Clean Pages.

8. The Boys by Ron and Clint Howard

As a fan of the Andy Griffith Show, I was excited to see that Ron Howard had written a memoir! It covers growing up with his brother in Old Hollywood.

It was refreshing to see the intro written by his actress daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard (whom I also love!,) shocking readers that there were no terrible events or trauma in their childhoods.

Imagine that–they actually survived Hollywood and kept their family intact. Interesting read about the inner workings of being a child actor and director.

This book also goes well with Upstairs at the White House and Jackie’s Girl.

9. Make it Happen by Lara Casey

From the creator of my favorite Write the Word Journals and the author of Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life, Lara challenges the reader to “live on purpose”.

A lot of what her books have to say echoes what I write about here at Intentional Living, so it was good to be encouraged in what I am creating on my site. Must read if you have something on your heart, but you’re hesitant to start!

This book also goes well with Cultivate and Dream Big.

10. The Mom Group by Jennifer Jones

My friend Jennifer released her first book last year and it was such a surprisingly fun debut novel! This book is about a lonely mother who isn’t sure what to do now that her children (and husband) don’t seem to need her anymore.

She decides to join an online group to meet other women and what she finds is a lot of judgment and gossip. So instead of leaving, she finds a way to get a little revenge…

I love that Jennifer draws you in with multiple problems without any of the disturbing details most mystery books use these days. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, kept me guessing until the end!

This book also goes well with Navigating Motherhood and The Life Council.

11. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

I don’t usually read mysteries, but after enjoying Jennifer’s book, I dove into a few and enjoyed this one the most. I think I finished this one in 24 hours on a cozy Saturday.

The premise is that when Hannah’s husband goes missing, he leaves a note behind that simply reads, “Protect her” talking about her stepdaughter who has not been the easiest to live with.

Hannah spends the rest of the book tracking down her husband, trying to figure out why he’s running from the FBI.

This book also goes well with A Year Without Autumn and The Store.

12. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

I chose this book because it was number 1 on Goodreads for a while. It is a historical fiction read (a genre I love!) about a secret apothecary shop in 18th-century London. It’s told through two viewpoints, a woman in the past running the shop, and a woman in the present uncovering the shop.

The apothecary is secret because it only caters to women in precarious situations where they want to poison dangerous men in their lives. It’s interesting to hear about medicinal practices from centuries ago and very different from anything I’ve ever read.

This book also goes well with The Apothecary and The Lost Bookshop.

SHOP MY 2022 BOOKLIST

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Happy Reading!

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