YOUR AD HERE »

The Bookworm of Edwards announces best books of 2022

Share this story
It is no small feat to reach a consensus on the top books of the year out of the hundreds The Bookworm team reads.
Courtesy photo

The Bookworm of Edwards prepares for the holiday season in many different ways, but the most important holiday preparation begins at the start of each new year. For the full year, these Vail Valley booksellers are on the hunt for the best books the year has to offer. Spanning all genres, the resulting list is a combined effort from each Bookworm staff member that seeks to offer the perfect book for everyone on your holiday shopping list. It is no small feat to reach a consensus on the top books of the year out of the hundreds the team reads.

Which book took the crown this year? The Bookworm chose “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. Mandel as the Best Book of the Year. “This is speculative fiction at its finest and my favorite Mandel story,” bookseller Karin Barker said. “In a relatively short book that spans different eras, every character is memorable and every word relevant.”

Being a proud Colorado bookstore, The Bookworm sought to choose a book to fill the Best of Colorado category and unanimously decided on “Gilded Mountain” by Kate Manning. “Sylvie arrives in Moonstone (ie Redstone) Colorado around 1907 with her family so her father can work in the marble mine. The cruelty of the mine bosses and owners is apparent on every page,” bookseller Amy Guercio said. “Manning incorporates historical events as she describes young Sylvie navigating between the two worlds of the haves and have-nots.”



Matt Lee, owner of The Bookworm, spearheaded the search for the winner of his favorite category, Best Narrative Nonfiction and picked “River You Touch” by Chris Dombrowski. “This book is a wonderful memoir by Chris Dombrowski, a Montana-based poet, river guide, and professor,” Lee said. “Raising a family, making ends meet financially, and living a life that fulfills deeply rooted needs for community and connection with nature is fraught with uncertainty, and the author expertly guides readers through his own pathways and illuminates the works of writers who inspire him.”

Do you have a science lover on your list? Bookseller Kathleen Dawson recommends the “gorgeously photographed look into the collection of Chicago’s Field Museum” and Best Science Book winner, “Extinction” by Marc Schlossman. Dawson says this is “a great book for conservation enthusiasts, science lovers, and those who want a coffee table book that’s a bit different!”

Support Local Journalism




One of the favorites of the list is the winner of Best American Epic: “Properties of Thirst” by Marianne Wiggins. Barker calls this “a perfect book.” “This wonderful book will engage all your senses,” she said. “Wiggin’s stunning writing reminded me of Stegner and the characters are unforgettable, full and oh-so human.”

Everyone could use a little joy in their lives, which is why The Bookworm chose “Inciting Joy” by Ross Gay as the Best Inspirational Book. “With his signature eclectic and thoughtful language Gay meditates on what incites, or brings about, joy, and perhaps even more important, what joy incites, a.k.a. what impacts we have on the world around us when we are joyful,” bookseller Alie Teague said.

Looking to gift a new cookbook for someone’s collection this year? Check out the Best Cookbook, “Fantastic Fungi” by Eugenia Bone. This amazing cookbook is written by the people who know mushroom cooking best—mushroom lovers!

This year’s Best Coffee Table Book is “Chasing Mountain Light” by David Neilson. This highly regarded outdoor and landscape photographer shares his most stunning black-and-white images from around the globe, and his adventures in search of them.

Of course, there are great picks for kids on the list as well. “Rover’s Story” by Jasmine Warga was a staff-wide favorite, so it is no surprise that it took the Best Family Read Aloud award. “Every middle-grade reader, and everyone who gets read to at bedtime, should pick up this book, especially fans of ‘WALL-E’ and ‘The One and Only Ivan,’” Teague said. There is also the winner of Best Kid’s Graphic Novel, “The Extincts” by Scott Magoon. “This book has it all: exciting adventure, formerly extinct animals, found family, and an entire zoo of puns,” Dawson said.

For the young adult reader in your life, check out “Sunbearer’s Trials” by Aiden Thomas, winner of Best Young Adult Book. “If you combined ‘Percy Jackson’ with ‘The Hunger Games,’ added a hefty dose of queer representation, and made it based on Mexican mythology, you’d have the ‘Sunbearer’s Trials,'” bookseller Mack Burner said. “I love, love, loved this book and will not stop talking about it for the foreseeable future.”

To close out this year’s Best Books list, The Bookworm cannot recommend the winner of Best Picture Book enough: “Knight Owl” by Christopher Denise. “Knight Owl is perfect for every picture book age reader, especially the ones who love cute animals,” Teague said.

The daily habits that helped The Bookworm of Edwards get recertified as Actively Green amount to many small changes that add up to a big impact.
The Bookworm is open seven days a week and located in the Edwards Riverwalk area.
Courtesy photo

Books make great gifts, for both you and the people you love. No matter which one you pick, you can’t go wrong.

Share this story

Support Local Journalism