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?

Much has been written about the literary genius that is Sally Rooney. This was actually my first of her books, but it won’t be the last. Normal People was just as wonderful as everyone says it is.

This book is very good. Despite its length at over 450 pages, I read it in only a few sittings. The chapters are short and the narration moves quickly, and it pulls you all the way through to the end.

Ducks, Newburport is, without a doubt, the most creative and interesting book I have read in a very long time, perhaps ever. I’m not surprised it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I am, however, shocked that it did not win.

In the Dream House has received a lot of attention. Its own dust jacket calls it an “instant classic.” And I am here to tell you that all of this is entirely warranted.

Such a Fun Age is compulsively readable, with social issues that are very deserving of our attention and a plot that just won’t let you look away. I read it in just one evening + the following morning.

The Unwilling is not what many readers will be used to in the fantasy genre. It’s character-driven, and either there’s going to be a sequel or the ending is meant to make you think more than give you a sense of closure.

What Is Missing is a lyrical, introspective look deep into the relationships and desires of a set of deeply flawed, deeply human people. The characters drew me in, and I enjoyed it.

The Other Americans was longlisted for the National Book Award, and it’s not difficult to see why; it’s a timely, gripping novel.

I was pleasantly surprised that this book did NOT feel like so many others that had come before it. Wendy Wood is an accomplished neuroscience researcher who also has a knack for translating her results into helpful, clear prose.

The Testaments: the long-awaited, much-hyped sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. I found this book to be a very enjoyable read, with an exciting and satisfying plot, although I’m not sure I needed it.

I can’t believe I hadn’t read this book until now. But I ended up really liking it, and I liked Garth Nix’s unique narrative style!

Disappearing Earth is a stunning debut for Julia Phillips. I don’t know where she’s been or what took her so long, because she writes in a voice that you cannot look away from.

If you read literary fiction in any capacity, if you love when words sing like music, if you read to feel, then Marilou Is Everywhere is not to be missed.

The Deep is an impressive novella, with a fascinating and heartbreaking storyline and musical, emotional language. It’s a quick read that’s going to stay with me for quite a while.

I am not the first to say it, and I will not be the last: How We Fight for Our Lives is an incredible work of art. A memoir that truly stands apart — one that reaches into your heart and guts and squeezes. One that uses words more powerfully than almost any other. One that will stay with you for a long, long time.

Kingsbane was a definitive trilogy book two, with a lot meant to move the plot from the first book to the last. But it has great characters and a RIDICULOUS ending (beware cliffhanger!!).

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to see the world through a poet’s eyes? The Crying Book is part memoir, part physical exploration, part societal observation, and 100% emotion.

I recommend Rick Riordan’s books to anyone who likes to guffaw, loves witty pop-culture-meets-greek-mythology humor, and wants a good ol’ tug on the heartstrings. Because that’s what he delivers, every single time.