The 19 best fiction books written by women in 2022

Part sci-fi, part dream-drama, “The House Between Earth and Moon” follows the residents of Parallaxis, a luxury space station developed by tech giant Sensus, as they attempt to build a home for billionaires in order to escape the Earth’s growing inhospitability. Meanwhile, the people they leave behind, especially the family of Alex, a researcher who seeks to create carbon-guzzling algae, struggle with both their present and their future.

One of the best contemporary fictions is YA, and “All My Rage” is one of the strongest new examples. This moving – and at times devastating – book follows best friends Noor and Salahudin as Sal tries to save her family’s motel and Noor tries to fend for herself.

Described as refreshingly modern “Sex and the City,” Nikki May’s buzzy debut novel “Wahala” follows three British-Nigerian best friends in London whose dynamic is shattered by a fourth addition to the group. I read it in one sitting.

Most serial killer books focus exclusively on the killer and his actions. Not “Notes on an Execution,” which focuses on several women who are neither victims nor co-conspirators of fictional serial killer Ansel Packer. Anything but free, this beautifully written book works overtime as a suspense-driven mediation on the true crime industry.

Drawing inspiration from the Anna Delveys of the world, ‘Cover Story’ is a delightful read about a young intern who finds himself caught up in a breathtaking, albeit claustrophobic diet (or four). No spoilers here, but I’m still thinking about that ending.

This candid and moving debut by Jean Chen Ho, told in short stories from different times and perspectives, follows a pair of Taiwanese American best friends as they navigate grief, ambition and the changing realities of their friendship. .

Like “A House Between the Earth and the Moon,” this thoughtful novel asks shocking questions about our future with real emotional depth. Frida is a doting mother to her daughter Harriet, until she makes one mistake – and suddenly the government wonders if she’s a candidate for a terrifying tech-driven program that measures what makes a ‘good’ or a “bad” parent… and if Frida “deserves” to keep her child.

This layered family drama from first writer Jendella Benson follows Glory Akindele, a prodigal daughter who returns to London from Los Angeles to find her family broken. Glory’s journey to put them back together leads her to question everything she believed about them.

Yanagihara is poised to be one of the literary greats of our generation, and his third novel shows exactly why. You will lose yourself in this vast epic which is really three novels in one, which, told together, tell an unforgettable story of the American experience.

A dose of joy in book form, “When You Get the Chance” follows Millie, an adorable Broadway wannabe in search of her birth mother, using her father’s old LiveJournal. With a big heart and overflowing with emotions, you will devour this story of learning.

Jessica Goodman’s new YA thriller — whose debut, ‘They Wish They Were Us,’ is in development as an HBO Max series — is about an elite summer camp rocked by sudden death. Told with Goodman’s signature sense of place, “The Counselors” is a delightful, multi-layered thrill ride.

The best bereavement books find a way to illuminate the darkness of loss, and “Remarkably Bright Creatures” offers a masterclass. Van Pelt’s debut follows Tova, a woman broken by the death of her husband and the disappearance of her son, who forms an unlikely bond with a giant octopus at the aquarium where she works.

If you liked yellow jacketsyou will be obsessed with the old ones Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Colleen McKeegan’s Debut – a coming-of-age thriller about an old summer camp secret that threatens to destroy Amanda Brooks’ life. Read an excerpt.

In Hariri-Kia’s captivating debut novel, aspiring writer Noora believes she’s hit the jackpot when she’s hired as an assistant to Loretta James, editor-in-chief of Vinyl-the magazine that practically raised Noora. But the job that a hundred other girls would die for comes with a few…complications, like the dramatic clash between the print and digital teams, Loretta’s messy demands, and Noora’s crush on Vinyl’s hot IT guy, to name a few. You’ll love this deep and incredibly fun dive into media and brotherhood.

Perfect for book clubs, Erlick’s The measurement is both charming and stimulating. It takes on a philosophical question – what if everyone on earth knew exactly how long they had left to live? – and explores, with compassion and pragmatism, how the implications would reverberate in all areas of modern life, from politics to intimacy.

Jennifer Weiner is back with the third edition of her loosely related “Summer” books, all set on Cape Cod and all, in one word, delicious. “The Summer Place” is about a wedding in Cape Town that, as it draws closer, forces several family members to come to terms with long-buried secrets. As with everything Jennifer Weiner, the characters are sketched so vividly and with such empathy that you will miss them long after the last page.

Of all the books I’ve read in 2022, this is the one I had the hardest time finishing. Obuobi’s protagonist, Angie Appiah, jumps off the page: the third-year medical student is complex, Type-A, and very, very funny. Part romantic comedy, part coming-of-age story, Obuobi traces Angie’s journey as she navigates the changing demands of friendships, the expectations of medical school, the demands of her Ghanaian parents. , and the untimely arrival of an extremely sexy graphic designer. Did I mention that debut album has nearly five stars on Goodreads across the board?

Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s debut dives headfirst into the dark side of wellness and the promise of the quote-unquote “better self.” Anita flees New York for sun-drenched LA, where she stumbles upon an elite workout class, The Goddess Effect, led by dazzling Venus, which promises to improve everything in her life. But as Anita delves deeper into the world of the Goddess Effect, she realizes that nothing about Venus and her “class” is what it seems.

Nobody makes a romantic comedy quite like Lindsey Kelk, and “On a Night Like This” is up there with her best. It’s hard not falling in love with Fran and her Cinderella-inspired adventure: Within days, Fran is whisked away from gray London to a yacht full of celebrities in the Mediterranean, where Fran hits it off with a guest she no longer expects to see again. As with all Kelk books, you’ll feel like Fran’s friends are yours and you’ll laugh a plot.