Real-life tales of personal joy and struggle from Angela Hui and Lelia Mottley, and fantastical, thought-provoking speculative fiction from Moshin Hamid and Sophie Haydock – among many more – populate Buzz writers’ choices for the best books of 2022.

TAKEAWAY

Angela Hui (Trapeze)

The average customer probably doesn’t give a second thought to the family that owns their local Chinese takeaway. And that’s a shame, because as author Angela Hui tells in her movingly appetising memoir, there’s a wealth of history, culture, happiness and pain there as she relates a childhood spent behind the counter in rural Wales.

words RHONDA LEE REALI – review here

LIBERATION DAY

George Saunders (Bloomsbury)

The sinister plot reflects the extent to which society is tethered to its ability to oppress, whether through brute force or the facade of choice. Saunders uses Liberation Day’s nine dystopian stories to subvert the reader’s mind, in order to describe what has been in front of them all along.

words MEGAN THOMAS – full review here

THE STORY OF ART WITHOUT MEN

Katy Hessel (Hutchinson Heinemann)

A glorious and pioneering corrective into female and gender non-conformist artists often overlooked and excluded from the past 500 years. I truly admire Hessel for this profound piece of work, and for aiding in the breaking down of the white male, Western, imperial canon.

words JOHN EVANS – full review here

BRITTLE WITH RELICS

Richard King (Faber)

Subtitled A History Of Wales 1962-97, Richard King has spoken to a cast of several dozen politicians, activists and artists; many will have opinions on what was not discussed, but for a modern social history of a nation Brittle With Relics covers impressive ground.

words NOEL GARDNER – full review here

NIGHTCRAWLING

Leila Mottley (Bloomsbury)

Inspired by a scandalous truth that unfolded in author Leila Mottley’s hometown of Oakland, Nightcrawling takes you along for a gruelling ride in a city full of injustices and failures. This book erupts with powerful observations and poignant words that linger.

words KARLA BRADING – full review here

THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLES IGNATIUS SANCHO

Paterson Joseph (Dialogue)

Actor Paterson Joseph’s debut novel, a semi-fictionalised account of the first Black man ever to vote in a British election, is a delight from start to finish. Sancho – gout-ridden, self-deprecating and eloquent – guides us through 18th-century London, never forgetting that the city he loves so deeply is built on the back of slavery.

words RACHEL REES – full review here

THE FLAMES

Sophie Haydock (Transworld)

Sophie Haydock’s debut novel is an electrifying blend of fact and fiction: a well-researched look at Viennese painter Egon Schiele. It had me caught up in the time and the place – the life of Schiele and the muses that inspired his art, the tangled mess of passions, the love, loss, grief, lies, poison and betrayal.

words BILLIE INGRAM SOFOKLEOUS – full review here

SPACESHIPS OVER GLASGOW

Stuart Braithwaite (White Rabbit)

The author, guitarist with Scottish rock band Mogwai, describes his teenage years, early stabs at forming a band and Mogwai’s own lineup changes, their 10 LPs to date, and 25 years of touring. The warmth of Braithwaite’s writing and the span of his stories means there’s plenty for people unfamiliar with the band to enjoy too.

words HUGH RUSSELL – full review here

THE LAST WHITE MAN

Mohsin Hamid (Hamish Hamilton)

Protagonist Anders wakes to discover his skin has turned dark; he doesn’t recognise himself, but soon realises other people are experiencing the same transformation. A story that captures the emotive essence of humankind, and will make you challenge your perspective of the world and those around you.

words RHIANON HOLLEY – full review here

SURRENDER: 40 SONGS, ONE STORY

Bono (Hutchinson Heinemann)

With each of Surrender’s 40 chapters named after and relating to U2 songs at different stages of his life, Bono digs deep therein. There are hand-drawn illustrations and snippets of song lyrics, surrounded by prose that is reflective, revealing, heartbreaking and on some occasions hilarious.

words DAVID NOBAKHT – full review here

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

AN EXCITING AND VIVID INNER LIFE – Paul Dalla Rosa (Serpent’s Tail)

BOULDER – Eva Baltasar [trans. Julia Sanches] (And Other Stories – review here)

THE BULLET THAT MISSED – Richard Osman (Viking – review here)

CHILDREN OF PARADISE – Camilla Grudova (Atlantic – review here)

LOVE UNTOLD – Ruth Jones (Bantam – review here)