I am unsurprised to be blown away, but I’m extra floored that this was her first novel. The maturity in her prose is unparalleled.

The Light Brigade is an exciting, well-written smart puzzle of a sci-fi military thriller. That’s not my usual genre, but I really liked it!

A portrait of grief and examination of resilience, Sanctuary is a gorgeously written, vulnerable, insightful memoir of Rapp Black’s experience losing her son and having her second child.

The Office of Historical Corrections is a collection of absolutely masterful stories that buzz with life and echo with resonance.

This Mournable Body is a poignant finish to Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions books. It’s a searing look at colonialism with a narrator I feel I could reach out and touch.

A Sky Beyond the Storm is absolutely everything I hoped it would be and more. An incredible conclusion to what’s now solidified as an all-time favorite series.

Interior Chinatown is a creative, funny, moving, uniquely told story about race, immigration, and the roles that are cast for us — by others and ourselves.

The Listening Path is a six-week approach to getting in touch with the world, yourself, and the beyond. It wasn’t for me — it was too “woo-woo” as she herself puts it — but it might be for you.

How to Read Poetry Like a Professor is fun, helpful, and the perfect book to help you start to read poetry more deeply.

The Center of Everything is a beautiful family saga with an intriguing mystery (or two) thrown in. I enjoyed it and I’m glad I read it.

Nervous Conditions is a feminist postcolonial novel set in what’s now Zimbabwe. It reads like the classic it is, but with a sharp voice and unforgettable main character.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a moving story about tragedy and class in India. The plot moves slowly, but it sparkles with character and voice.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is like a Pixar movie: a story that will squeeze your heart with great characters and a warm and fuzzy ending.

It’s a celebration, an amplification, a deep-dive, a time capsule of a culture. A gift to everyone who reads it, but especially to the Black community. This book is a triumph.

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.

Leave the World Behind is a masterfully paced, unsettling novel about how everyday people might react when the world starts to end.

Gideon the Ninth is as fun as “Lesbian necromancers in space” makes it sound! It’s definitely not perfect but I think it’s worth reading, and I’ll be reading book two for sure.

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.