Guest Post - Best and Worst Audiobook Reads of 2022

BEST AND WORST AUDIOBOOK READS OF 2022

by Rachael Tamayo

This year flew by, didn’t it? It’s that time again. Time for me to pour back through my reading list from the last 12 months and decide which books I loved the most and which books I could have done without altogether. So, without further ado, here are my best and worst of 2022

THE GOOD DAUGHTER BY KARIN SLAUGHTER

This book is my number one pick from 2022. I had a love affair with this book while reading it, and now I will buy anything this woman writes without question. I cried, I gasped, and I was horrified. A wonderfully stressful read in the best sense. You won’t be able to put this down if you love thrillers.

THE STAND BY STEPHEN KING

Coming in third is another Stephen King title. Are we really surprised, though? It’s just phenomenal how the story progresses, how the characters adapt, and how horrifying this book really is after coming through a pandemic. It’s terrifying because this book was written in the seventies, takes place in the nineties, and could happen. IT COULD HAPPEN. It’s so true to life that it’s far more frightening than any ghost story.

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET BY CATRIONA WARD

FAIRY TALE BY STEPHEN KING

Coming a close second was this one. I loved it. If you want a book that will take you to another world, this one is it. It’s a book that you can’t wait to see how it comes out, and you feel devastated that you have come to the last page. One that is worth reading over and over.

Number four on my list is simply a masterpiece of psychological fiction. It’s brilliantly written and Stunning; the weirdness of it is *chef’s kiss* perfect and adds to the depth of the

madness within. The way it’s written threw me for a loop; the twist at the end and the darkness and heartbreak within make it a can’t-put-it-down top pick for the year.

SOMETIMES I LIE BY ALICE FEENEY

It was hard to pick my favorite Alice Feeney book, but this one rounds out my top five of the year. The development in this book is superb. You think you know what’s coming, but you don’t. I gasped. Audibly. When you go back and realize what the author did, you will realize how simply brilliant it is. It’s the kind of book that makes me dig deeper into my own writing and push myself outside of my comfort zone to try something new.

ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE BY ASHLEY FLOWERS

This is the first on my list of the least-liked reads of the year. This is a Law and Order ripped from the headlines style of the book, copied verbatim from the JonBenet Ramsey case with small details changed. I found the characters flat, the writing repetitive, and the end was the cherry on top of a book that left me disappointed throughout. I’m sorry to say this is one I wish I had not read.

A FLICKER IN THE DARK BY STACY WILLINGHAM

This one was a contender for number one on my leastfavorite list. Unfortunately, I found the book boring, the lack of research on the police procedural points in the book left me banging my head against the wall. The overly descriptive and inaccuracy, not to mention the fact that nothing is happening but the main character that is having a nonstop pity party.

THE THERAPIST BY BA PARIS

Next on the list is this one. I was eager to read another BA Paris book, having enjoyed some of her other work, but this one fell far short. I found it lackluster and predictable, and the main character was annoyingly dim and lacking in common sense. It was a disappointing, frustrating read.

WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS BY KATE ALICE MARSHALL

The last book I’ve chosen for this list was a disappointment. It was a story that had the potential to be five, even ten stars, but the annoying and unlikable characters throughout and the poetic writing style was a big turn-off for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and the weak attempt at PTSD was insulting, quite frankly.

About The Guest Author

Rachael Tamayo is the bestselling author of the award-winning Deadly Sins Series and award-winning thriller Crazy Love, among several other titles. Before she started her writing career, she was a highly awarded 911 emergency services dispatcher with twelve years of experience and many commendations under her belt. Upon exiting law enforcement, she focused her writing career on the dark, suspenseful, and psychological after beginning as a romance author. Now Rachael uses her dark thriller as a sort of self-therapy after all those years answering 911 calls and working all that she knows and was exposed to into the frighteningly realistic and layered characters her readers know and love her for. Rachael lives on the Texas Gulf Coast in Houston, Texas, with her husband and their two children.

You can also read Rachael’s book reviews on her website at www.RachaelTamayowrites. com, Bookbub, and Goodreads.