Black Sun is the start of what promises to be an excellent high fantasy series, with expert world-building and fiercely lovable characters. I think the majority of the series’ action is yet to come.

Other Words for Home is a middle grade novel written in verse, told from the perspective of a young Syrian girl who comes to live in the US. And yes, it’s as beautiful and moving as it sounds.

Carry is one of those memoirs that just stands so far out from all the others. The writing is fierce, poetic, and self-assured. Read it.

Mediocre is an incredible work of nonfiction, a revelation on the history of white male supremacy. It’s in the top five best antiracist books I’ve read so far.

Nights When Nothing Happened is a slow burn novel pulled taught, great for fans of short stories and striking prose.

The Bone Shard Daughter is the start of what promises to be a fantastic adventure. The characters are lovable and the magic system is fascinating. I can’t wait for book 2!

Home Fire is a quick but hard-hitting read about xenophobia. It’s a raw, emotional, expertly crafted novel that asks readers to examine their own morality.

Kept Animals is an incredibly paced, gutting novel about growing up, fitting in, navigating class, and the reverberations of choices and trauma.

Is Rape a Crime? is a scorching, no-holds-barred work that’s part memoir, part investigation into a society that refuses to treat rape like the felony that it is.

Approachable but with significant depth, Transcendent Kingdom is contemporary literary fiction at its finest. I really, really enjoyed it, even though it was a tough read at times.

White Tears/Brown Scars is a thoughtfully researched, convincingly argued, incredibly important book that should be required reading for white people everywhere.

A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing is devastatingly incredible, but also technically challenging and possibly the most emotionally difficult book I’ve read. But incredible.

Hamnet — a historical imagining about the death of William Shakespeare’s son — is so incredibly good. So beautiful, so sad, so impressive.

The Tiger’s Wife is so, so beautiful and compelling. This is storytelling at its best, and I’ll be recommending it for probably the rest of my life.

I totally loved A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. It has a fantastic tangly plot, intensely lovable characters, and a top-notch ending.

The Nickel Boys is not an easy read. But it is worth all the hype, and it absolutely deserved the Pulitzer it won.

Hood Feminism is a wake-up call that should be required reading for all white and/or mainstream feminists.

Everywhere You Don’t Belong was a moving, fast-paced, poignant coming-of-age story about a young Black man from Chicago.