Babel is the standalone, low fantasy, dark academia, alternative history of our dreams. R.F. Kuang has written a great story that looks unflinchingly and creatively at the devastation of colonization.

Nightcrawling is a brutal, heartbreaking, beautifully written book that just as often feels like poetry from an astounding young talent. I, like everyone else, can’t believe Leila Mottley published this at 19.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a charming, heartwarming, beautifully inclusive character-driven sci-fi that deserves every ounce of hype it’s gotten since it was published in 2016.

Good news for those who loved Psalm: this sequel does not disappoint. Sibling Dex and Mosscap are back to hug us as they puzzle through questions of purpose, belonging, and self-compassion.

The Last White Man is another stunner from Mohsin Hamid and his heartbreaking commas. It’s a quick read with lots of layers that kept me thinking long after I’d closed it.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of 2022. Alternating between heartwarming and heartbreaking, it’s a beautiful book about friendship and the messiness (and hope) of life.

The Long Answer is an emotional, sad, beautiful novel of stories within a story about pregnancy, motherhood, and grief. It begs not to be rushed but flows like water.

Trust is a creatively executed novel about perceived power and who gets to tell history. It stuck with me for days after I finished, and I was extremely impressed.

The Island of Missing Trees is a beautifully written, mournful little love story. While I don’t think it was perfect, I liked it very much and would recommend it.

Ordinary Monsters is an imaginative, exciting start to a new historical fantasy trilogy: think Miss Peregrine meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel.

Toni does it again. Paradise is an aching novel filled with so, so much: beautiful friendship and terrible violence, the power of community and danger of exclusion, tension between legacy and forging a new future.

A Master of Djinn is a whodunit magical police procedural set in a Cairo shaped by alternate history, and it’s SO fun with a ton of heart. Now I need to go back and read the prequel novellas!

End of the World House is a trippy literary page-turner with a great premise and an ending I’ll be thinking about for a long time. It manages to be very readable and also very smart.

The Intersectional Environmentalist is a short but impactful read. While I did know some of the things it teaches, I learned plenty new and felt re-called to action.

Out There is a collection of the exact kind of short stories I love: punchy, speculative, feminist, metaphorical, and weird. Kate Folk is definitely on my watchlist now!

On a Sunbeam is a beautiful graphic novel about young queer love and found family. I read it all over the course of a Sunday afternoon and loved it.

Iron Widow is a fast-paced YA fantasy rooted in Chinese culture. It stands out among the crowd, with a vengeful protagonist, polyamory rep, and unconventional boldness.

All My Rage is a deeply emotional, beautiful novel that sets a whole new bar for contemporary YA. It’s sad all the way through, but resonant and meaningful.

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head is a masterful collection of poems by a master poet on womanhood, trauma, and the refugee experience. They’re heavy, but hard-hitting and moving.

Four Hundred Souls is a triumph of community history. Its unique format and exceptional contributors make it one of the most noteworthy works of nonfiction I’ve read.