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Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year 2022

Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year 2022 names 60 books across 6 categories. 15 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Children's

  1. Bedtime for Bo by Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvoldsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Berry Song by Michaela Goadesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Farmhouse by Sophie Blackallsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. How Was That Built? by Roma Agrawalsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Luminous by Julia Kuosource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Nellie vs. Elizabeth by Kate Hannigansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Octopuses Have Zero Bones by Anne Richardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnettsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Uncle John's City Garden by Bernette Fordsource (opens in a new tab)

Food

  1. A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholmsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. BUDMO! by Anna Voloshynasource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Diasporican by Illyanna Maisonetsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Eating to Extinction by Dan Saladinosource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Koshersoul by Michael Twittysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Our Fermented Lives by Julia Skinnersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sweet Land of Liberty by Rossi Anastopoulosource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Woks of Life by Bill Leung, Kaitlin Leung, Judy Leung and Sarah Leungsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. To Boldly Grow by Tamar Haspelsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Watermelon and Red Birds by Nicole A. Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. Bad Mexicans: Race, Empire, and Revolution in the Borderlands by Kelly Lytle Hernándezsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Blood, Fire & Gold by Estelle Paranquesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Civil Rights Queen by Tomiko Brown-Naginsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. G-Man by Beverly Gagesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Half American by Matthew F. Delmontsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. River of the Gods by Candice Millardsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Saving Yellowstone by Megan Kate Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Divorce Colony by April Whitesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedlandsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Grimkes by Kerri K. Greenidgesource (opens in a new tab)

Photography

  1. As It Was Give(n) to Me by Stacy Kranitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bird Planet by Tim Lamansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Flint Is Family in Three Acts by LaToya Ruby Fraziersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Floridas by Anastasia Samoylova and Walker Evanssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. I Just Wanna Surf by Gabriella Angotti-Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Ice by Meghann Riepenhoffsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Like a River by Daniel Jack Lyonssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Rooted Heart Began to Change by Allan Salassource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Theatrum Equorum by Andrea Modicasource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Tierra del Sol by Carlos Jaramillosource (opens in a new tab)

Science

  1. An Immense World by Ed Yongsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Breathless by David Quammensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Fresh Banana Leaves by Jessica Hernandezsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Origin by Jennifer Raffsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Starry Messenger by Neil deGrasse Tysonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Blacksource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Monster's Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World by David K. Randallsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Uncommon Measure by Natalie Hodgessource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage by Rachel E. Grosssource (opens in a new tab)

Travel

  1. Antarctica by Jean de Pomereu and Daniella McCaheysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Black Lion by Sicelo Mbathasource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bridges of the World by Giancarlo Ascari and Pia Valentinissource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Crossed Off the Map by Shafik Meghjisource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Soundings by Doreen Cunninghamsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. South to America by Imani Perrysource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Catch Me If You Can by Jessica Nabongosource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Slow Road to Tehran by Rebecca Lowesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Writer's Journey by Travis Elboroughsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. This Contested Land by McKenzie Longsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year

Smithsonian magazine's year-end "Ten Best" subject lists, one category per list: History, Science, Travel, Food and Children's for 2017-2025, and Photography for 2017 and 2020-2025. Each list has ten books; none is ranked. The 2018 and 2019 best-books hubs link no photography list, so those years have none. robots.txt allows all agents, but Cloudflare blocks scripted fetches of smithsonianmag.com, so pages were read from copies. 2017-2019 lists and all Photography lists come from Wayback Machine copies of the Smithsonian articles. 2020-2025 History, Science, Travel, Food and Children's lists come from booklisti.com, which copies each article's full list and links back to it. 2024 History was checked against the Smithsonian article itself: booklisti adds an 11th book, Jon Grinspan's Wide Awake, which the article only mentions in its intro, so it is left out. 2017-2019 articles name books only through Amazon widgets. Their titles drop Amazon's subtitles and series tags, and their authors are Open Library's first-listed author for the linked ISBN (co-authors and illustrators dropped). Exceptions: two 2019 Science authors come from the article text (both linked to Kindle editions), and three Photography books whose heading names no author use a retailer listing (Sneaker Freaker: Simon Wood) or Open Library (I'm So Happy You Are Here: Pauline Vermare; Life Dances On: Robert Frank). booklisti titles and authors are kept, with corporate credits (Atlas Obscura, Britannica) and degree suffixes dropped and three all-caps entries fixed against Open Library. Not included: 2014-2016, where the Wayback Machine has only scattered lists; the Smithsonian scholars' favorite-books roundups, which are staff picks; and one-off gift guides.

Organization: Smithsonian magazine. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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