House of Earth and Blood was just SO good. It features a well-plotted mystery, characters to die for, heartbreaking revelations, and a fantastic ending.

A Spell of Winter is an eerie gothic novel set in the lead-up to WWI. It has a pretty good plot line but absolutely excellent prose.

Under the Rainbow is about a task force of queer people who get sent to live in Kansas, in “the most homophobic town in America.” It’s part pain, part hope, and very, very good.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance is a great sequel. I was impressed by how Tomi Adeyemi built such a tangled, complex political conflict with no clear winners or losers — hate destroys everyone.

Ordinary People is poetic yet scathing, showing us the messy sides of love, parenthood, partnership, and self.

Frankissstein — a modern-day retelling of Frankenstein mixed with some historical ficion — is absolutely fantastic. Jeanette Winterson is a literary legend for a reason.

I appreciated Milkman more than I enjoyed it (it’s dense), but its impressiveness as a work of literary fiction can’t be denied.

Abhorsen is the conclusion of the epic story started in Sabriel. It was one of the best endings I’ve read in a while, resonating with all the things people love about with classic fantasy.

Real Life is an aching, bruising story about a young Black gay man struggling to wade through his circumstances that will leave you gutted. And the way Brandon Taylor uses words is incredible.

Amnesty is an in-depth look at the world from an illegal immigrant’s perspective that leaves a ringing, lasting impression.

This is a fast-paced, easy to read, exciting YA fantasy novel. I liked it!

Girl, Woman, Other is a beautifully written, raw, and real look at women from all walks of life, today and in days past. I devoured every word.

Written on the Body is a scorching, poetic, desperate novel about desire. It’s told through the eyes of a gender-ambiguous narrator having an affair with a married woman.

The Priory of the Orange Tree is an epic standalone fantasy novel that brings together excellent world-building, diversity, action, and beautiful storytelling. Read it.

The Greatest Guy in the World is a quick-hitting novella about what it means to be good, why we are good (or not), and who our people are. If you’re looking for a quick read with an impact, look no further.

Heart of Junk is a laugh-inducing, refreshing little story that will tug at your heart strings harder than you expect. Every character is weird a lovable and well-written. I loved it.

Lirael is a great sequel to Sabriel. It had two lovable characters, an intriguing mystery, and (bonus!) another amazing pet.

This is a book about two 12-year-old girls who “fall in like” with one another, told entirely in poetry. If that’s not all you need to know to know that this book is EVERYTHING, what are you looking for?