6 Great Books from 2022 That No One Is Talking About

I've read some excellent new books this year which haven't appeared on any prize lists or best books of the year lists that I've seen. I think they deserve a bit more attention. Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.

--------------------

Books discussed & purchase links:

Tides by Sara Freeman

The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers

The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang

50 Books to Read if You're an Armchair Detective

Terminal Zones by Gareth E Rees

The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell

Cells by Gavin McCrea

My full reviews of books discussed:

Tides by Sara Freeman

The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang

Terminal Zones by Gareth E Rees

The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell

Cells by Gavin McCrea

--------------------

Get in touch

[jacquelinemcmenamin]

I like hearing about under rated books. It cheered me up to see a video from you today as I’m feeling very unwell.

[GoreVidalComicbooks]

Good day. Your discussion about "Cells, " a book and author new to me, made me think about Roland Barthes "Mourning Diary, " a book he wrote to deal with the death of his mother, and Peter Handke's "A Sorrow Beyond Dreams, " which is how he dealt with his mother's suicide. I'm glad you brought this book to my attention. I'll be adding it to my library. Happy New Year and best to you from Texas.

[eusaypdx]

I loved the Family Chao. Glad you mentioned it here and hope it will find wider audience 😀

[omalleysmith]

You're so right - it seems all the same books get all the attention... I mean, more specifically I've noticed on YouTube. I appreciate that you find books that nobody else has talked about and feature them. That's great!. I try to seek out new authors or local authors I've never heard of whenever I go book shopping.

[ariannefowler]

I only recently discovered your channel and I am enjoying this space very much. This list, in particular, sounds very interesting. My TBR list is growing exponentially since I discovered you.

[robinwitt]

I am intrigued by the photograph in the background. Who is the artist?

[AmeliaHuckleberry]

The family Chao sounds great. I just added it to my Audible queue. I see that it is set in Wisconsin and I just moved to Wisconsin so it should be interesting. Thanks for the tip.

[JV-eemc]

Fab idea for a video!

I read an odd but compelling short story collection called A Perfect Cemetery by Federico Falco. I finished it months ago and I still think about it. And Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton is a brilliantly crafted non-fiction about language and love and living in another country. I hope more people read these gems!

[ginsoakedgirl]

I don't remember how I found your channel this year but I really appreciate it, and have added many of your recommendations to my list! I'm currently reading The Unconsoled by Ishiguro based on your recommendation. Strange that I missed this book since I've read some of his others and also went to college for classical piano performance! I guess it was published during a time when I was immersed in music rather than literature and just missed it. Thank you and Happy Holidays xoxo

[Ihearbooks]

Two "golden" books. The Golden Circles sounds very intriguing and a shorter book. Thanks for these recommendations. always good to hear about new or not widely covered books. Loved this.

[BookwormAdventureGirl]

Love this, Eric. Have added a couple to my TBR including The Family Chao. 😊💙

[maryforster]

Really great suggestions Eric! Thank you!

[readandre-read]

I'm very interested in The Family Chao; it's been on my list for awhile so it's good to hear a strong recommendation. A book I loved this year that I didn't hear others discussing is Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon. Weird and wonderful.

[cindyhaiken]

This is a great idea for a video. I am also feeling that several books I read and adored this year are not getting the recognition they deserve. I’d like to see more love for The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn.

[Elizabeth-Reads]

Thanks for this, Eric. Some interesting selections! I've read a couple, based on your reviews this year, and just added two more onto my TBR. (Had to shove them on, with my back and shoulders, since it's already so overstuffed. Hoping they don't get completely buried...)

If I was to make recs, I'd add on Our Wives Under the Sea (Julia Armfeld), which is just a beautiful story, a metaphor for the waning of a marriage, easily one of my favorites last year. I also really liked Seven Steeples, by Sara Baume, which is such a gentle but powerful book, and I'm currently knee deep into Solenoid, by Mircea Cartarescu--I don't read many surrealist novels, but this is just getting to me!

[TK-kfzc]

Never heard of them, thanks for the heads up. This is a why I love the ace booktubers like you.

[solenncful]

Thanks so much for putting this list of hidden gems together Eric - you have just given me a recommendation for a Christmas gift for my mum. I think she would love The Golden Mole 🥰

[renee_]

The Perfect Golden Circle is so underrated. I really loved the atmosphere and the reluctant friendship dynamic between these characters.

[mera]

Lovely to know about them. Your both 50 books were amazing guide during the year.

One book I loved reading this year was 'Lessons in Chemistry ' by Bonnie Garmus'

[jacquirees]

Thank you so much. Some great sounding books that I may not have found otherwise. ✨