9 Best Portable Power Stations (2026), Tested for Capacity and Size

It’s time to declare The Best Books of 2026 So Far! We looked back at books published between January 1 and June 30 to choose our absolute favorites from the first half of the year, narrowing them down after much consideration, and whispered apologies to the reads that didn’t make the cut.

It’s been a great year for books and comics, with releases from some of our greatest living writers and exciting new voices for adult, YA, and younger audiences alike. Our favorite literary fiction asks big questions about colonization, resistance, survival, and mortality, as well as about faith, community, and what it means to truly be seen. Our top nonfiction includes a memoir on mental health and homeschooling, an investigation into a mysterious death, and an exploration of the health costs of the digital age. Our genre picks are precisely what you’d expect from a Book Riot “best of” list, featuring swoony romances, epic and cozy fantasy, thrilling whodunits, romps in space, and everything in between.

We’re pleased to present you with our picks for the best books of 2026 so far. Add them to your TBR, share them with your book club, and settle in for some seriously satisfying reading.

A Good Person

by Kirsten King

FictionMystery/Thriller

If delulu were a book, it would be A Good Person. Lilian has convinced herself that her sometimes guy Henry is the real deal. Except Henry dumps Lilian, so she does a little DIY hex on him and he’s found dead the next day. When Lilian is named a suspect in the murder case, her perfect image as the grieving girlfriend is shattered. Henry’s real long-term girlfriend and family keep getting in Lilian’s way!  Lilian is a terrible person and that’s why this book works so well. She believes herself to be rational and admirable while thinking all these awful things and it’s wildly entertaining to read.

- Courtney Rodgers

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Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

by Heather Fawcett

FantasyRomance

For those who loved Emily Wilde’s escapades in the series of the same name, this new book by Heather Fawcett makes for a charming standalone well worth the read. Plus, it’s catnip for Howl’s Moving Castle fans as it incorporates elements from the Ghibli classic like the early 1900s city setting, the eccentric wizard ensconced in his magically moving shop, and the no-nonsense woman bringing order to the chaos. Reading this is as sweet as the pastries mentioned in it. In 1920’s Montreal, Agnes runs a cat shelter and navigates grief over the loss of her husband. Things take a turn when she moves the shelter, and her new landlord happens to be the infamous, failed Dark Lord.

- Megan Mabee

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Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives

by Daisy Fancourt

Nonfiction

I love when a good nonfiction book inspires me to read even more about a particular topic and wow, did this one send me down the rabbit hole! I believe that consuming and making art is good for me but I never knew much about the science behind it, this book fills those gaps. The author of this book had the same impression as an artist herself. She wanted to know much more about the science, so she earned a PhD and is Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at University College London. Out of all the books about making art I’ve read, this is the first book in a while that has inspired me to make more art, no matter the type.

- Patricia Elzie-Tuttle

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As I Dream of You

by Jennifer Lee and LeUyen Pham

Comics and Graphic NovelsFantasyYoung Adult

I’m a big fan of illustrator LeUyen Pham, so when I heard that she was teaming up with Frozen director Jennifer Lee for a YA graphic novel, I was intrigued. What I didn’t expect was a heart-wrenchingly beautiful love story that would leave me sobbing. Drawing on the mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice as well as Lee’s own teenage experiences with love and grief, As I Dream of You is a stunningly illustrated story with real emotional depth. Lee brings a cinematic approach to her storytelling that Pham brings to life with gorgeous art, brilliantly balancing light and dark elements. It’s a tale that will linger in your heart far beyond the last page.

- Susie Dumond

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Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being

by Manoush Zomorodi

Nonfiction

My day job, side-gigs, and hobbies require me to put in about 10 hours a day at what I call The Email Factory. The constant combination of screens and sitting can’t be doing me any favors and journalist Manoush Zomorodi agrees. What are we supposed to do when so much of our lives requires looking at a screen while not leaving much space for non-sedentary activities? Zomorodi digs into this question as she explores how technology affects our brains and bodies while also dispelling some of the myths. She also offers some evidence-based advice on what we can do to mitigate the harm. This book left me inspired, hopeful, and with much to ponder.

- Patricia Elzie-Tuttle

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Brawler

by Lauren Groff

Fiction

Groff is one of the most exciting writers today, crafting stories of complicated, flawed women with big desires. Her short stories here are small gems full of complex feeling, and she manages to make the reader feel torn between empathy and judgment. A group of friends share the worst things they've ever done. A mother tries to escape the home of an abuser with her kids in tow. A teenager finds solace in swimming, cutting through her races. The characters struggle to find their own place in an unfair world. I had high expectations going into Groff's newest after the releases of Florida and The Vaster Wilds, and I was not disappointed.

- Leah Rachel von Essen

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Burn Down Master’s House

by Clay Cane

Fiction

Burn Down Master's House is a standout work of historical fiction that stares unflinchingly back at the horrors of slavery in the United States. Its focus on acts of rebellion and revolution, based on real historical events, is more important than ever in a time when our government is actively trying to whitewash over the real history of this country. This book should be required reading.

- Rachel Brittain

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Charity and Sylvia

by Tillie Walden

Comics and Graphic NovelsNonfiction

The life of Charity and Sylvia, a lesbian couple who lived openly in 19th century Vermont, is fascinating in itself, and acclaimed cartoonist Tillie Walden tells this story with such deftness: slice-of-life vignettes are interspersed with letters, dreams, lists, and mentions of Black and Indigenous history unfolding at the same time. My heart ached for these two deeply religious women, who even after decades together, fear their love will be their damnation. This is the first book I've ever read that moved to me to sobs within a single page. (They were good tears!) Don't miss the website for extensive annotations and background information.

- Danika Ellis

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Cleopatra

by Saara El-Arifi

Fiction

I cannot resist a novel that fleshes out the story of a maligned woman: think Madeleine Miller's Circe, or Malinalli by Veronica Chapa. I have long wanted someone to give Queen Cleo this treatment, and Saara El-Arifi delivered. This version of Cleopatra speaks directly to the reader, challenging us to look beyond popular narratives that reduce her to the sum of her feminine wiles. She breaks the fourth wall to tell a captivating story, in her words, not of how she died, but how she lived. This one's for all my folks who went through an Egyptology stage, and maybe, like me, are still in it.

- Vanessa Diaz

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Enemies to Lovers

by Alisha Rai

Romance

Alisha Rai is working to bring back the adventure rom-com, and she brings her trademark character-building depth to this delightfully bonkers love story. Krish is pretending to be his missing federal agent brother in order to find his missing federal agent brother. He essentially kidnaps Sejal, a low-level con artist, because he’s convinced her family of criminals has the info he needs, and the two battle each other and help each other on a cross country rescue mission. The great thing about Rai is that even when her stories are a little bananas, they never feel silly, the emotional stakes are well established, and the chaos is well earned.

- Trisha Brown

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Famesick

by Lena Dunham

Nonfiction

As one of the most publicized figures of the 2010s, Lena Dunham acquired something of a controversial public image in her futile attempt to be everything to everyone. Her latest memoir Famesick is an honest and compelling portrait of being thrust into the spotlight as a generation’s spokesperson, an endearing look at life with chronic illness, and the messiness that comes with trying to find your place in the world while everyone is watching. A true literary accomplishment, Dunham’s vulnerable prose will delight those who made a mistake or two in their twenties and are ready to take accountability.

- Jeffrey Davies

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Go Gentle

by Maria Semple

Fiction

Rare is the novel that is both very smart and very funny. Rarer still is the author who can write a coming-of-middle-age novel that includes a mystery, a hilarious misunderstanding, a globetrotting caper, a sweet romance, and jokes about moral philosophy. Maria Semple can do it all with equal skill. There’s not a single wrong note in this widely recommendable novel that is guaranteed to delight literary types and casual readers alike. Go Gentle is a party in book form, stealthily packed with wisdom, wit, and women who are a lot to handle in the very best way.

- Rebecca Joines Schinsky

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Goldfinches

by Mary Oliver, Melissa Sweet

Children'sPoetry

The long-awaited March release of the breathtaking children’s book debut of Mary Oliver, renowned poet, essayist, and instructor, brought me endless joy. Sweet’s lively, detailed mixed-media art captures the essence of Oliver’s poem, beckoning readers to the present, to notice things: a desk overlooking a copse attracting birds, a pencil hidden in a tree hollow, goldfinches brightening skies like stars. I plan on rereading this title, which contains opening and closing quotes as well as a list of 40 birds penned in 1991 by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, until I memorize every sentence. A favorite of mine: “Is it necessary to say any more?”

- Connie Pan

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Good People

by Patmeena Sabit

Mystery/Thriller

This quiet stunner deserves to be read by everyone. It's a powerful debut about a refugee family in The United States. The affluent Sharaf family seems to have achieved the American Dream. Starting with nothing in the U.S., they have become a success story, with bright children, a large home, and lots of wealth. But when one of the family members dies, it draws a lot of questions and speculation. Narrated by interviews with coworkers, neighbors, classmates, police detectives, and more, it's a sharp tale of the country's prejudices and assumptions about immigrants, as well as an examination of the destructive side of rumors and the internet.

- Liberty Hardy

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Heiress of Nowhere

by Stacey Lee

FictionYoung Adult

Lee takes on the Gothic in this absorbing historical mystery set in 1918 on Orcas Island, Washington. When Lucy, who washed ashore the island as a baby and was taken in by a shipbuilder, discovers the severed head of her employer on the beach, she's not convinced by rumors that the mythical sea wolves are to blame. What unravels is both a story about who is behind the killing, which Lucy must figure out in order to make the island safe, and a story of what Lucy will do when told she's named heiress of the estate. Find here plenty of romance, intrigue, shady characters, and a love letter to orcas.

- Kelly Jensen

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Homeschooled

by Stefan Merrill Block

Nonfiction

In no way an anti-homeschool screed, this moving memoir is about the realities of an unregulated industry on young, impressionable children. Stefan's mother pulled him from school at the age of nine, believing his creativity was being stifled (and wanting to spend more time with him). What transpired were years of his mother leaving him alone, not fulfilling her duty to educate him. This is a book about mental illness, we never know what his mother is going through but we know it's something, and about how despite all of the barriers before him, Stefan built a life and education for himself.

- Kelly Jensen

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Is This a Cry for Help?

by Emily Austin

Fiction

Darcy's just returned to her library job. She took leave following a mental breakdown. She's immediately faced with a local right-wing journalist’s ire over the library’s materials and a storytime believed to be a drag event (it wasn’t). Darcy's also emailing with a patron named Sammy, whose questions begin benign but become increasingly personal. Austin's book is a story about grief, relationships, and mental health, and it's also a love letter to libraries and inclusivity. The book both resonates deeply in our era of censorship and library attacks and provides a real burst of hope, too.

- Kelly Jensen

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It Came from Neverland

by Cynthia Pelayo

Horror

I've known Cynthia Pelayo's horror game was strong since Loteria left me staring at a wall, wondering if I'd ever look at the card game I grew up playing the same way again. She's the first Latina and first Puerto Rican to win the Bram Stoker Award and has a deep backlist of banger after chilling banger, but her name doesn't come up in horror lists nearly as often as it should. If you've yet to venture into the Pelayoland, consider this twisted Peter Pan retelling set during WWI your official invitation. Pelayo's prose is as gorgeous as the world she creates is lush and terrifying. If you've ever thought the idea of Neverland sounded kinda creepy, this might be your perfect read.

- Vanessa Diaz

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John of John

by Douglas Stuart

Fiction

They say there are only two real stories: a stranger comes to town; a man goes on a journey. Douglas Stuart delivers variations on both in this gorgeously rendered novel about a young man returning to the small island in the Outer Hebrides where he was raised. He is gay, and his father doesn’t know. His father is gay, and he doesn’t know. Are these men on a collision course to revelation and connection, or will fear, shame, and the perceived judgment of their community keep them in separate closets? Stuart hits every note in this story about all the things that matter: family, identity, faith, and what it really means to be seen.

- Rebecca Joines Schinsky

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Kin

by Tayari Jones

Fiction

Tayari Jones is back to remind us that she is one exceptional storyteller and she has a lot to say about the Black American experience. Kin is the It Book of the year so far because, even as it dives into familiar territory and history, it supplies a fresh and unique perspective that begs to be shared and discussed. Protagonists Annie and Vernice start from the same place but take us on very different paths in the American South. They show us a region pushing toward and tensing against civil rights through the eyes of Black women coming of age, walking a tightrope of authenticity and survival, and doing what they can at great cost to pursue their dreams.

- S. Zainab Williams

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Land

by Maggie O'Farrell

Fiction

When I really need to feel something, I pick up Maggie O'Farrell, knowing I'm not just gonna feel something, but all the things, and likely end up sitting in a pool of my own tears. Set before and after The Great Hunger, this gorgeous historical novel follows a mapmaker and his son as they set out to map the whole of Ireland. It is a story about separation, colonization, resistance, folklore, survival, and the intimacy of our connection to place. The feelings were felt and my heart wrenched open, lushly and beautifully so.

- Vanessa Diaz

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London Falling

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Nonfiction

The story at the heart of London Falling is a hook on its own, the mysterious death of a family's 19-year-old son reveals a double life with ties to London's criminal underground, and in Radden Keefe's hands, you'll forget you're reading nonfiction. His painstaking research, from extensive conversations with the boy's family to chats with gangsters and oligarchs, is matched by the care he takes in piecing together a narrative that is deeply compelling without leaning into the salacious. That's the PRK way (see Say Nothing, Empire of Pain, etc) and why this book will surely be a best of 2026 for many a reader at year's end.

- Vanessa Diaz

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Molka

by Monika Kim

Horror

Monika Kim explored the dark depths of feminine rage in her debut novel The Eyes Are The Best Part. But in Molka, she dives even deeper. Molka is the South Korean term for hidden spy cameras often used to secretly film women against their will, stripping them of their agency. The book places us inside the mind of a man who hides molkas in women's bathrooms. We also follow Dahye, a woman who becomes a victim of molkas and exacts her revenge with help from an unexpected source. Kim blends uncanny, dreamlike horror imagery with the very real atrocities modern women face to tell a deeply unsettling story you still somehow won't want to put down.

- Emily Martin

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Moss’d in Space

by Rebecca Thorne

RomanceScience Fiction

Cozy sci-fi + spaceship adventures + a sentient moss life support system with serious abandonment issues? Yes please! That would already be more than enough to win me over; but add in an overly optimistic heroine determined to save her sister's life, compelling sci-fi worldbuilding, and interesting alien species, plus a not-quite-unrequited romance, and you can see why I absolutely devoured this book. I guarantee you will too.

- Rachel Brittain

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Night Owl

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Poetry

The arrival of a new poetry collection from Nezhukumatathil, author of the bestselling World of Wonders and Bite by Bite, calls for confetti. Featuring four sections from “Crepuscule” to “The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn,” it showcases heaps of poetic forms: abecedarian, epistle, haibun, ode, and zuihitsu, among others. Delving into joy, love, motherhood, nature, and time, this transportive work takes readers to Arches National Park, the Jardin du Palais-Royal, an airport gate, and the ocean floor. How I hope you travel through these stirring poems. A few I keep journeying back to include “Big Night,” “Firefly Nocturne,” and “Scorpion.”

- Connie Pan

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On Morrison

by Namwali Serpell

Nonfiction

What a gift this book is! Namwali Serpell has crafted the rare work of literary criticism that simultaneously elevates the texts of her famously difficult subject and makes them more accessible to civilian readers. Toni Morrison’s work is challenging, yes, but it is also funny, affirming, exciting, and crackling with creativity. Serpell’s blend of scholarly analysis and deep affection for Morrison’s work offers a welcoming guide for newcomers and an enriching resource for longtime Morrison fans alike. Every serious reader should have this book on their shelves.

- Rebecca Joines Schinsky

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One Leg on Earth

by ’Pemi Aguda

Fiction

Aguda's latest novel comes right after a National Book Award nomination for Ghostroots. It, like the story collection, takes place in modern Nigeria, where reality teeters on the otherworldly. Yosoye is a young woman with a promising future ahead of her, she's starting an internship at an architectural firm in Lagos. But soon after she arrives in the big city, she becomes pregnant, and, lonely as she is, she wants the baby. Then the deaths begin: as new land is developed, pregnant women start having watery deaths. And Yosoye, newly pregnant herself, can't help but become fixated on the dying women and what they mean for her.

- Erica Ezeifedi

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Opting Out

by Maia Kobabe & Swati "Lucky" Srikumar

Children'sComics and Graphic Novels

Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer) makes eir’s middle grade debut with this wonderful graphic novel cowritten/illustrated with Lucky Srikumar. It grapples with gender identity, first periods, crushes, and that in-between feeling so common for middle graders. Indian American tween Saachi’s fellow seventh-graders are obsessed with dating, but the changes that come with puberty and middle school make Saachi anxious. She’d like to opt out of the mess, please! Few middle grade novels address puberty through a nonbinary lens. In a time when LGBTQ+ books are disappearing from kidlit, it’s a much-needed perspective into a difficult time for many kids.

- Margaret Kingsbury

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Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8)

by Martha Wells

Science Fiction

Eight books in and still Martha Wells continues to surprise and delight me with every new Murderbot book she puts out. Murderbot's emotional growth and its interpersonal relationships are what really make this book, and series, stand out. Not to mention the humor! I hope Wells continues writing books in this delightful universe forever.

- Rachel Brittain

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Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories

by Amal El-Mohtar

Fiction

After getting swept up in the sapphic sci-fi This Is How You Lose the Time War, I will follow Amal El-Mohtar anywhere. Luckily, with this collection, I was led into more than a decade's worth of her award-winning, lush writing. The mythologies and fairy tales referenced in these stories will be familiar to many, but the grit El-Mohtar gives them makes them wholly new. Here, nature sings and women transform, all through immersive worlds and dancing lyricism.

- Erica Ezeifedi

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Star Shipped

by Cat Sebastian

Romance

Sebastian boldly goes where no man has gone before, with her heartwarming Star Trek-inspired contemporary debut following quarreling actors on a long-running sci-fi show falling in love. After Simon’s contract ends, he wants to leave and continue his career in New York City. Just one problem: after his frequent petty fights with Charlie, he doesn’t want the industry to think he’s difficult. Embarking on a PR friendship to change the narrative ignites a careful romance. Now, Charlie and Simon must chart a relationship amid fandom chatter, industry expectations, and their unruly inner thoughts. If difficult people creating queer community is also your catnip, you’ve struck gold.

- R. Nassor

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The Keeper (Cal Hooper #3)

by Tana French

Mystery/Thriller

Tana French wrote an excellent procedural series, an excellent suspense novel, and has now stuck the landing of her latest crime trilogy. She’s one of our greatest crime writers at the moment, hence why she was one of my picks for Book Riot’s Best Mystery/Thriller Books of the Century So Far, and lands on the Best of the Year lists whenever she has a new release. With The Keeper, French ends the Cal Hooper trilogy in an immensely satisfying way after deeply sinking readers into a remote Irish village where a retired American detective settles for a quiet life but instead is forced to do what he is trying to avoid: make hard decisions and avoid crime.

- Jamie Canaves

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The Midnight Taxi

by Yosha Gunasekera

Mystery/Thriller

I love an author who knows a genre’s tropes while adding something new. Yes, Siriwathi Perera is a true crime podcast listener and a NY taxi cab driver, clearly primed to turn amateur sleuth. But she’s also a snarky Sri Lankan American, which is not a voice I encounter often in literature, let alone in the mystery genre. With her great sense of humor, knowledge of New York, and a lawyer passenger to assist, it is a joy to follow Siriwathi as she tries to prove she did not kill the passenger murdered in her cab… May this be the start of a series.

- Jamie Canaves

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The Missed Connection

by Tia Williams

Romance

My best advice for reading a Tia Williams romance is to dive in without reading reviews or even the description on the back of the book, because in a genre where you always have an idea about how it will end (happily!), she has a fantastic way of keeping readers guessing. Williams’ latest book is further proof that she’s the queen of romantic twists and big surprises. Without giving too much away, here’s the hook: when Sasha connects with a handsome Italian man on a transatlantic flight, she fails to get his name or number and tipsily emails her work friend to ask for help finding him. But she accidentally CCs the entire company, setting off a global search for her potential soulmate. This is the PERFECT vacation book. Even better, read it on your next flight.

- Susie Dumond

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The Moon Without Stars

by Chanel Miller

Children'sFiction

One of my goals for the year has been to read more middle grade, and Miller's latest was not only a delight, it really set a high bar for what great middle grade literature is. Luna loves being quiet, and book lovers will absolutely relate to her desire to recommend books whenever she can!, but when one of the zines she makes with her best friend takes off and she's suddenly surrounded by popular kids, she finds herself torn between engaging with a new crowd or sticking with her tried-and-true bestie. It's a story about self-confidence and friendship that will resonate across generations.

- Kelly Jensen

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The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene

by Corey Ann Haydu

Children's

Denny and Runa have been imagining a fantasy world called Sorrowfield for years. Now, Runa wants to be a popular girl instead of writing about it. But Denny doesn't want things to change, especially not during her mom’s alcoholism relapse. On her 12th birthday, Denny switches places with Princess Auden of Sorrowfield. Denny has to figure out how to banish the dragons from her new land. And Princess Auden must adjust to the modern world and uncover some big truths Denny has been hiding. This book uses metaphor to weave big real world problems with a riveting fantasy story. Middle grade at its best!

- Alison Doherty

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The Red Winter

by Cameron Sullivan

FantasyHorror

This is the demented buddy comedy you didn't know you needed! It's an action-packed adventure, full of blood, gore, and lots of laughs, and so, so queer. As soon as I heard Alix E. Harrow pitch this as "Venom in 18th-century France," I knew I had to have it. And it did not disappoint. Sebastian Grave must return to a small town in France to kill the dreaded Beast of Gévaudan, who was not vanquished 20 years earlier as originally thought. Coming along (because he has no choice) is the demon Sarmodel, who lives inside Sebastian and feeds off the living essence of others. Trust me, historical fiction will never taste the same again.

- Liberty Hardy

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The Seven Daughters of Dupree

by Nikesha Elise Williams

Fiction

Spending time with the Dupree women was one of the best decisions I made all year. Nikesha Elise Williams' debut novel is a powerful and deeply satisfying read for any fan of generational sagas and Williams is especially adept at meditating on generational trauma. Through subtle magic and the engrossing stories of the Dupree women dating back to their enslavement, the chapters trace the path of an at-once protective and destructive curse that begat generations of daughters and pivotally touched their lives whether or not it was understood.

- S. Zainab Williams

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The Unicorn Hunters

by Katherine Arden

Fantasy

In medieval legend, a virgin could lure a unicorn. Unicorns were considered pure and could symbolize Christ. This adult historical fantasy draws on this lore. Breton folklore is another huge influence, including the sunken city of Ys, and the korriganed (Breton fae). In 1490 Brittany, a duchess named Anne arranges a unicorn hunt as a ploy to delay her marriage. She'll use any possible advantage, including her virginity, to save her home. In the afterword, the author explains that Anne was inspired by Anne of Brittany, a real historical figure. Arden imagined Anne if she'd lived in a magical world and had more agency over her own life.

- Grace Lapointe

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There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood

by Rasheed Newson

Fiction

Screenwriter and producer Rasheed Newson is known for his work on shows like Bel-Air and The Chi. He brings his industry insider knowledge to this dazzling historical novel about queer life in Golden Age Hollywood. It tells the story of Xavier, an up-and-coming Black actor, and Aaron, the studio “fixer” tasked with keeping Xavier in the closet. That becomes much more complicated when Xavier is cast in a biopic as the Navy hero Aaron fell in love with while fighting alongside him in WWII. Newson beautifully blends real historical figures with richly layered fictional characters to create an unforgettable story that I’m already dying to see adapted for the screen.

- Susie Dumond

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Transcription

by Ben Lerner

Fiction

A journalist drops his phone in the hotel sink minutes before he’s supposed to meet with his aging mentor to conduct what will be the last interview of his life. He forges on with the conversation despite having no way to record it, and what he produces raises the kinds of questions and controversies that are Ben Lerner’s calling cards. Not much happens, but the book is kind of about everything: art, memory, family, anxiety, parenting, and the mysterious space between events and the meaning we make of them. Lerner is one of our most interesting living American writers, and this slim, compelling novel is no exception.

- Rebecca Joines Schinsky

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Upward Bound

by Woody Brown

Fiction

This novel in multiple POVs is about the clients, staff, and parents at a day care center for disabled adults. It’s brilliantly structured. Seemingly insignificant details become crucial later in the story, and characters form deep bonds with one another. The author is non-speaking and autistic, like several of the characters, who explain how they communicate. It’s important for disabled people to have communities, online or in person. When the staff has power over the disabled clients, and tries to control them, this is very dangerous. I’m disabled and think this novel is particularly important now, when our rights and autonomy are threatened.

- Grace Lapointe

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Wake Now in the Fire

by Jarrett Dapier & AJ Dungo

Comics and Graphic NovelsYoung Adult

Attacks on books have accelerated in the last five years, but they didn’t originate with the Trump administration and the rise of the MAGA movement’s censorship in the name of faux morality. This YA graphic novel centers the 2013 banning of Persepolis in Chicago public schools and student outrage and protests in the weeks that followed. Dapier deftly moves between teen perspectives, showing these super smart and complex kids dealing with personal anxieties while contending with censorship, and finding ways to protest that speak to them as individuals, from writing essays to leading sit-ins. It’s such an empowering, compassionate read.

- Margaret Kingsbury

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We Are Gathered Here Today

by Bobby Finger

Fiction

While a destination wedding at a Wild West-themed venue may sound like a version of hell, Fin is determined to make the best of it and write a perfect officiant speech. Along with his friend Jacque, he quickly allies with the other queer people at the wedding. The group identifies wedding enemies, assesses each other’s relationships, and discusses the value of marriage in general. The elongated weekend of celebration makes space for everything a wedding has to offer: awkward mic moments, passive aggressive comments, and true transcendent joy. This book unravels the differences between love, weddings, and marriage with tenderness and wit.

- Julia Rittenberg

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Whidbey

by T Kira Madden

Fiction

T Kira Madden applied the thoughtfully provocative storytelling that made her 2019 debut, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, a standout memoir to her debut novel. Pulling from personal experience and insight about the systems that purport to protect victims and process predators, Madden exposes the rippling and lifelong impacts of child sex abuse. Every character in this story is rendered in full color to illustrate stories far bigger than words like survivor, ally, predator, enabler. This emotionally tense literary thriller isn't about vengeance or reclamation but about the hard and fraught consequences of unthinkable violation and how our systems fail us.

- S. Zainab Williams

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