A Year in Books

I work in a library, so a lot of books cross my desk every single day. I am a self-proclaimed escapist, and I have severe reading FOMO. I can’t help but think “What if this is the one that impacts me deeply? What if this is a life changing story? What if it’s my new favorite and I just don’t know it yet?”. And that is how you end up with 108 read books in a year. My appetite is insatiable, and I do not plan on slowing down. A small caveat before we dive into the recommendations: I often judge a books star rating on memorability, originality, and how it made me feel. Not necessarily on objective quality. There are books in these lists that came into my life at the right time, and I got to experience them right when I needed them (ex. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst). These are books that make me smile when I spot them on the shelf. I happen to think they are great reads, but they do not have to change the world for me to thoroughly enjoy them.

I have bolded the books that shine brightest in my mind as defining reads of the year, my ultra-recommendations.

Five Star Reads

Orbital by Smantha Harvey- Literary science fiction, reflective, slow-paced

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst- Cozy fantasy, lighthearted, romance

Want by Gillian Anderson- Nonfiction, erotica, feminism essays

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder- Literary, magical realism, mysterious

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling- LGBTQIA+, fantasy, historical horror, cannibalism

The Wall by Marlen Haushofer- Dystopian, reflective, literary, slow-paced

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis- Nonfiction, essays, politics

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander- Nonfiction, history, politics, race

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig- Fantasy, romance, adventurous

Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson- Nonfiction, history, politics, psychology, sociology, race

Whale Day: and Other Poems by Billy Collins- Poetry, reflective

Lore Olympus (complete series) by Rachel Smythe- Fantasy, romance, graphic novel

The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman- Nonfiction, graphic novel, history, emotional

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami- Fantasy, magical realism, mysterious

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins- Dystopian fiction, young adult, dark

Chain-Gane All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah- Dystopian, literary, LGBTQIA+

The Unworthy by Augustina Bazterrica- Dystopian, horror, literary fiction

Honorable Mentions (4.5 stars+)

The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isobel Cañas- Historical horror, fiction, thriller

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas- Historical horror, romance, thriller

Bone (the complete series) by Jeff Smith- Comics, fantasy, adventurous

The Sheperd King Duology by Rachel Gillig- Fantasy, romance, dark

Tusk Love by Tea Guanzon- Fantasy, romance, lighthearted

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh- Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, fiction

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix- Historical horror, dark, emotional

About Betty’s Boob by Julie Rocheleau and Veronique Cazot- Graphic novel, fiction, reflective

Graphic Novels

Gender Queer: A memoir by Maia Kobabe- Nonfiction, gender, LGBTQIA+

Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo- Fiction, mysterious, dark

Simplicity: A Novel by Mattie Lubchansky- LGBTQIA+, mysterious, adventurous

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn Vol. 1 by Tri Vuong- Adventurous, fantasy, magical realism

The Golden Age (book 1 and 2) by Roxanne Moreil- Fantasy, historical, medium-paced

Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall- Historical fiction, magical realism, LGBTQIA+

Cheeky: A Head-to-Toe Memoir by Ariella Elovic- Nonfiction, funny, reflective

Check out your local library for any of these books, that’s where I read every single book this year. Even if they don’t have it, they can get a copy for you. If you end up reading any of these, let me know and we can gab about it! I could talk about the books I love endlessly.

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