Favorite Books 2022

Today my oldest daughter is sharing her favorite books of 2022.

Brianna is not your average twenty-something reader. She loves nonfiction history and military, especially modern military, books. She occasionally reads fiction, but not often.

She has guest posted here a few times when she shared her favorite reads back in 2020 and her thoughts on the book Eisenhower In War and Peace.

I always enjoy hearing about what is reading so when she offered to share her 2022 favorites I gladly said yes.

If you like nonfiction history and military books be sure to follow Brianna on Instagram.

Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos—This is the book that the movie Devotion which was released this year is based on. It shares the story of Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner during the Korean War.

Adam Makos makes readers feel like they know the men and makes seemingly insignificant details feel essential to the story. The details he included almost makes the book read like fiction. I highly recommend this book for people who struggle to read nonfiction books.

Transformed by Remi Adeleke—Remi Adeleke went through a remarkable transformation emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

He went from Nigerian royalty to a boy in the Bronx to a SEAL. He went from selling cell phones using deceased peoples’ identities to drug dealers to a man saved by God’s grace.

Remi Adeleke does a remarkable job of sharing not only his highs, but also his lows. He didn’t let failure defeat him. He used it to drive forward and mature in a way he wouldn’t have without it. However, he couldn’t have done it without people who took time to care. This is currently my favorite memoir.

A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-torn Skies of World War II by Adam Makos—German fighter pilots who fought during WWII are seen as the enemy to most Americans.

Not very many authors could make an American sympathize with a German fighter pilot. Adam Makos succeeded in doing just that.

Starting with the introduction, he chips away the walls by admitting that’s where he stood. However, interviews with 2nd Lieutenant Franz Stigler changed his view. Stigler’s compassion on an American bomber crew will show you that not all German fighter pilots are the same.

Fighting Blind: A Green Beret’s Story of Extraordinary Courage by Ivan Castro and Jim Defelice—Up to his injury, the book was fairly average as Ivan Castro discusses his Army training as both a Ranger and a Green Beret.

However, after losing his eyesight, he opens up and shares how he processed the unimaginable. Since he lost his sight, he has run marathons and skied in the South Pole.

This was my favorite quote from the book: “No matter what life throws at you, no matter what obstacles or adversity you face, make the best of it. It’s become my mantra since. I don’t ever say it’s easy, or even that you have to smile through it. A lot of times, you can’t smile. Even frowning is an effort. But you can push yourself. You can still achieve.”

Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army’s First Blind Active-Duty Officer by Captain Scotty Smiley—Scotty Smiley did a fantastic job of not only capturing his feelings and perspective on his life both before and after a suicide bomber took away his sight, but he also took the time to step back and capture what others felt and saw too.

Life doesn’t always go as planned, but God’s plans are always better than ours. This is an inspiring story that is well worth reading.

What great nonficiton books did you read in 2022?