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David and Perry discuss their reading during 2022 and list their selections of the best books in a range of categories, and end up agreeing on the best book of the year.

• Introduction (03:03)
• General News (05:52)
  • 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (01:49)
  • 2022 Phillip K. Dick Award (01:23)
  • Susie McKee Charnas (02:32)
• Best Books of 2022 (58:36)
  • Science Fiction (06:14)
    • Perry (03:00)
    • David (03:10)
  • Fantasy (03:53)
    • Perry (00:44)
    • David (03:07)
  • Crime (08:16)
    • Perry (05:58)
    • David (02:17)
  • Spy/Thriller (04:45)
    • Perry (02:07)
    • David (02:28)
  • Literary/Non Genre (07:03)
    • Perry (04:45)
    • David (02:02)
  • Novellas (06:08)
    • Perry (06:05)
  • Children’s Literature (01:23)
    • David (01:12)
  • Collections & Anthologies (04:32)
    • Perry (04:07)
    • David (00:16)
  • Historical Fiction (00:50)
    • David (00:44)
  • Nonfiction (06:39)
    • Perry (03:16)
    • David (03:18)
  • Overall Best for 2022 (03:34)
    • Perry (01:25)
    • David (01:57)
• Windup (01:14)
• Next episode (01:39)

Illustration generated by Wombo Art.

The Lists

David’s Best Books of 2022

SF

1. The City & The City by China Mièville
2. The High House by Jessie Greengrass
3. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
4. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
5. The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

Fantasy

1. Babel, or The Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang
2. Ithaca by Claire North
3. Bliss Montage by Ling Ma
4. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
5. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

Crime

1. Wake by Shelley Burr
2. Day’s End by Garry Disher
3. Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell
4. The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis
5. The Way it is Now by Garry Disher

Spy/Thriller

1. Banjawarn by Josh Kemp
2. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
3. The Island by Adrian McKinty

Literary

1. Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
2. All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton
3. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
5. Flames by Robbie Arnott

Historical Fiction

1. Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe

Children’s Literature

1. Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore
2. The Girl Savage by Katherine Rundell
3. Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
4. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
5. The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

Non-Fiction

1. Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
2. Frostquake by Juliet Nicolson
3. Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard
4. The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner by Grace Tame
5. The Pitmen’s Requiem by Peter Crookston

Best Overall

1. Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
2. All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton
3. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
4. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
5. The City & The City by China Mièville
6. The High House by Jessie Greengrass

Perry’s Best Books of 2022

SF

1. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
2. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
3. A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
4. The Goblin Reservation by Clifford D. Simak
5. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Fantasy

1. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Crime

1. Day’s End by Gary Disher
2. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
3. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
4. The Dark Remains by William McEvaney and Ian Rankin
5. Iron Lake by William Kent Kruger

Spy/Thriller

1. Dead Lions by Mick Herron
2. Guns of Navarone by Alastair McLean

Literary

1. Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
2. The Spare Room by Helen Garner
3. Flames by Robbie Arnott
4. The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth
5. Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene

Novellas

1. The Visitor by Maeve Brennan
2. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
3. Inside Man by K. J. Parker
4. A Spindle Splintered by Alex E. Harrow
5. Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth Powell

Collections/Anthogies

1. All the Sounds of Fear by Harlan Ellison
2. The World’s Best Science Fiction Fourth Series, edited by
   Donald A. Wollheim and Terry Carr
3. The Last Defender of Camelot by Roger Zelazny
4. All the Myriad Ways by Larry Niven
5. Orbit 4, edited by Damon Knight

Nonfiction

1. Mountains of the Mind by Robert McFarlane
2. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal

Best Overall

1. Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
2. The Spare Room by Helen Garner
3. The Visitor by Maeve Brennan
4. Mountains of the Mind by Robert McFarlane
5. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr