This week, Her Campus SPU has turned to you, readers and fellow Falcons, for article inspiration! Being not only article readers, but avid book lovers as well, we’re in need of a fresh reading list to kick off the new year—and 78% of you said that reading more was among your resolutions! 2021 was a wild ride, and we’re sure this year will bring its surprises just the same (fingers crossed for a more light-hearted set of surprises)! So, without further ado, Her Campus SPU’s 2022 Reading Recs!
HCSPU Staff Picks
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This popular contemporary fiction is definitely worth the hype! It is a captivating story about one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses’ whirlwind life. She gets married a whopping seven times, yet none of the men are her true soulmate… *fruity wink wink*
Picked by HCSPU Editor in Chief, Emma Wick
- I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
This coming of age novel follows the main character, Ben who has come out as non-binary. After being disowned by their parents, Ben moves in with their sister and begins to explore their own identity while adjusting to a major life change.
Picked by HCSPU Editor, Emma Grande
- Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Chanel Miller recounts being sexually assaulted at Stanford University in January 2015. Her abuser, Brock Turner, was sentenced to only three months in jail. Miller’s memoir fills us in on her horrific experience as well as the legal aftermath in order to speak out against sexual violence and make a name for herself.
Picked by HCSPU Events Director, Kayla Nasralla
- It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
When 15-year-old Craig decides against his own suicide, he checks himself into the emergency room and winds up in an adult-psychiatric ward. During his stay, Craig makes the most unlikely of friends while reflecting on his own mental health and needs. This novel is an easy, enjoyable, and approachable story about mental illness inspired by the author’s own experiences.
Picked by HCSPU Director of Art and Design, Taylor Schmidt
HCSPU Reader Picks
Books you all recommended via Instagram!
- Evermore by Alison Noël
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
- All About Love by bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins)
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Vibrate Higher Daily by Lalah Delia
- Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
- A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
- The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
These lists are such an insightful reflection of the HCSPU community’s interests! Among such a variety of recommendations, we’ve taken a few Instagram polls to get an even sweeter scoop on what we all love to read—76% of our followers prefer reading fiction to non-fiction. In this world we live in, who wouldn’t want to get lost in another reality?!
Surprisingly enough, however, 77% of voters are more into modern novels than the classics! I guess a relatable story is more enjoyable than a reality we cannot connect to at all.
Finally, the closest results were between the coming of age novel and the fantasy. Coming of age won by just 59%, with fantasy trailing close behind at 41%—I think this goes to show that many of the same lovable themes are threaded through a wide variety of genres.
We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what the readers of Her Campus SPU are diving into, and even more-so, we hope you’ll find your new favorite read for 2022!