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I’ve spent much of my adult life searching for a Native voice that echoes my own experience as an urban Indian. It was not until I read There There that I finally found a captivating voice who writes about Native life with both precision and power. The novel’s characters capture beautifully the history and truth of being Native in all its nuances, from Dene Oxendene, a documentary filmmaker who honors his uncle’s life by capturing the stories of Oakland Natives, to Jacquie Red Feather, a recently sober substance abuse counselor reckoning with her past and returning to her family. Tommy Orange’s stunning debut weaves a polyphonic narrative of Native experience, with each character grappling with the hope and heartbreak that comes from hundreds of years of trauma. These voices reach a crescendo at the Big Oakland Powwow in a finale that is both apt and horrifying — much like the untold history of Native Americans. Orange writes surely and resolutely of the Native experience, and he commands the reader’s acknowledgment of our history.
– Kate L.

Prepare to be ensorcelled. Miller’s first novel, The Song of Achilles, is one of my favorite books of all time, so it was with a mix of excitement and dread that I picked up her long-anticipated follow-up, Circe. I’m thrilled to say she’s not a one-hit wonder: Circe is a masterpiece. Miller’s voice is clear, strong, and beautiful. The simple but poetic prose that made The Song of Achilles so magical is again at the forefront, and Circe herself comes to (flawed and perfect) life on the page.
– Madeline S.

Circe is wondrously lush and lyrical, and the depth and carefulness with which her story is drawn is breathtaking. It comes so freshly alive that I found myself completely caught up in what would happen next, even already knowing the Greek myths. After finishing, I immediately went out and bought a copy of Madeline Miller's first book, Song of Achilles, in order to be able to reenter the tapestry of world that she so elegantly weaves.
– Aubrey W.

A singular blend of tenacity, resourcefulness, and compassion distinguished Michelle McNamara as a journalist and made her uniquely equipped to put the decades-long hunt for the elusive Golden State Killer to rest — a goal she pursued tirelessly until her untimely death. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which chronicles that pursuit, is at once a gripping, keep-you-up-all-night, real-life whodunit; a testament to McNamara’s inimitable resolve; and an extraordinary parting gift from a talented writer.
– Tove H.

I can't stop thinking about this book. I can't stop talking about this book. It's really just that good. The Map of Salt and Stars is the story of a Syrian refugee family, told in the most beautiful and moving way. It's such an important topic to be cognizant of, and Joukhadar is the best storyteller you'll ever read. It's a story about stories. A story about loss, displacement, tragedy — but ultimately hope. Please read this book.
– Carrie K.

Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar's debut novel weaves together the story of Nour, a 12-year-old girl swept up in the exodus of refugees from the Syrian Civil War with her family, and Rawiya, a 16-year-old girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to join Muhammad al-Idrisi's famous expedition across the Mediterranean to map the known world in the 12th century. The parallels between the inner strength Nour finds in her heart and the strength and determination that define Rawiya's journey are many. A gorgeous, lyrical, must-read book that explores adventure, migration, grief, and, most importantly of all, hope.
– Mary S.

Hellboy is always fun and entertaining, and just enough off from the usual superhero comic. This first omnibus edition takes us back to the beginning. Fantastic read!
– Doug C.

Everything about The Mars Room is hauntingly beautiful: the complex female characters, the gritty prose, the impossible hopelessness it inflicts upon the reader. The Mars Room succeeds as a devastatingly gripping work of fiction as well as a very real reflection of the American justice system. This was my first experience with Kushner's work, and I am left reaching hungrily for more.
– Ann P.

Set in a near future where abortion is illegal in the Unites States and adoption is only available to married, straight couples, Red Clocks follows four women as they navigate the complications of these new standards of living. I have been recommending this book to everyone since it was published earlier this year. Zumas uses chapter breaks to tell the stories of all four women. Her writing is poetic and descriptive while remaining stunningly sparse at times. Some of her sentences actually made my jaw drop while reading. I think what is important about this book is that Zumas explores the vulnerabilities and fears associated with being a woman in a world that refuses to enter the intimate space those fears inhabit. But don't just take my word for it, pick up a copy. It will be worth it.
– Kathleen B.

This beautiful book is so much more than a simple reimagining of a well-known fairy tale. The plot is driven forward by a cast of strong, intelligent women who, while trying to simply survive themselves, also end up saving their loved ones and at least two nations. As with any good fairy tale, the treacherous and beautiful faerie elements live just at the periphery of the mundane, and slip into the lives of the characters in frightening and enticing ways, just like this book will slip into yours.
– Janelle M.

It's a brave thing to tell the story of an abusive marriage. It's an even braver thing to tell the story of loving the man who harms you, of protecting the man who beats you, of the moments of a marriage that were loving and sweet along with the times anger and rage crossed the line into violence. Kelly Sundberg's memoir is an essential read, not only for survivors of abuse seeking a book to help them heal, but also for those who try to understand why people stay with abusive partners.
– Mo D.

I've had the biggest Internet crush on Chelsea for so long, and wholeheartedly believe this debut essay collection will help her take over both the literary and nonliterary worlds. On intimacy, her writing lovingly slapped me in the face with the intersections of tenderness and submission, related in ways I'd never read or experienced before. Subjects range from relationships, Arizona, space exploration, the body, the digital age, and modeling, among others. Wholly consuming and magnetic, Tonight I'm Someone Else is a perfect summer, vacation, whenever and however read.
– Emily L.

The Bottom of the Sky is the third of Rodrigo Fresán's novels to appear in English (and the first since his Best Translated Book Award-winning The Invented Part). Not a novel of science fiction, but instead a novel with science fiction, The Bottom of the Sky is an exuberant story transcending both space and time. Paying homage to the sci-fi greats, Fresán's ambitious tale is, at once, a love story, an enigmatic eschatological puzzle, a work rooted firmly in the present while simultaneously orbiting in a far-off realm, and a genre-transcending book unbound by formulaic construct or conceit. In other words, it’s amazing — and Fresán is simply so much fun to read: entertaining and edifying in equal measure.
– Jeremy G.

Sometimes I read a book that wrings me out so thoroughly I barely know who I am anymore. It's disturbing and disorienting, and although I'm glad it doesn't happen often, it is one of my very favorite things about reading. I had no idea that The Pisces was going to be one of those books. I was expecting a fluffy summer beach read about a hot merdude, and instead I got this book which absolutely destroyed me. I can't stop thinking about The Pisces; I already want to read it again.
– Ashleigh B.

At only four stories, this slim chapbook is easy to overlook. However, Dennis Norris II is not an author who is easy to ignore or forget. The writing in this collection is beautiful and confident in a way few authors can accomplish, much less debut authors. The stories are simple yet haunting, grounded in a reality that too few people know of, but that too many people experience. Dennis Norris II is someone whose work I'll be paying attention to for years to come.
– Gary L.

Diane Seuss’s fourth collection could easily find a place on an exhibit wall right alongside the paintings that inspired many of her poems, as it deserves just as much time for contemplation and appreciation. As in her previous collection, Seuss brings to bear her whole wealth of experience, from childhood to the present, as well as a mind eminently suited to finding the weird and the wonderful in art and art history. Her influences are here, too: Dickinson’s truth told slant; Ginsberg’s howling, at once communal and lonely; Whitman’s joyous invitation; and Williams’s reality completed, not hidden, by imagination. I’d say she deserves to sit at the table with this pantheon of American poets, but I get the sense that she’s already claimed her seat, and says hi for them. These poems are dense the way a child's summer day is dense, bittersweet and infinite, full of loss and discovery — truly an amazing collection.
– Jordan M.

Very rarely do we get a YA fantasy with just the right amount of drama, action, surprises, nastiness, and the tiniest possibility of romance. The characters' treachery and betrayal felt personal, the politics left me spinning, and the tension between Jude and Cardan kept me up at night. Black has created a beautiful and dangerous world where nothing is quite as it seems — are you along for the ride?
– Tiffany R.

I knew I loved this book by the end of the first chapter. Dark magical realism, narrated from the otherworldly perspective of a chorus of minor gods trapped in the mind of a young woman. It's not going to be for everyone, but I thought it was phenomenal.
– Haley H.

Ghost Boys is an amazing book! For a story based on a violent act, the author’s message of peace and understanding for others is very powerful. It is beautifully written and very much needed in our world today. Rhodes delivers an emotionally moving book that everyone should read.
– Jennifer H.

If someone told you to braid together three disparate story lines (let's say, the reincarnated soul of Joan of Arc's executioner, a washed-up alcoholic artist, and a sudden rash of ghostly appearances), could you do it? Could you do it without sounding like an idiot? Keith Rosson can — magnificently. His talent is staggering, his craft is meticulous, and his story is one of the quirkiest but most heartfelt I have ever read. He will clench your heart and drag you through his landscape of horror and bliss. You'll be so utterly grateful for it.
– Dianah H.

I absolutely LOVED The Cabin at the End of the World! I was holding my breath, as this fast-moving horror novel was very graphic and scary. But wait! Bad things happen!! Maybe you should NOT read this!!! Enter at your own risk &mdash: I cannot be held responsible... 
– Adrienne C.

Little Fish is a story centered around Wendy — a trans woman who, after a family death, begins to suspect her late Mennonite grandparent may have been trans too. While tackling the complexities of sex work, suicide, relationships, and harassment, author Casey Plett doesn't shy away from the fact that people and identity are messy, or that to be trans is to exist in conflicting modalities with the worlds we inhabit and the time that builds up to a life. Her writing is devastatingly good — the kind that can make a girl feel seen instead of distorted through a fun-house mirror. With more books like this one, we can start to believe that, despite any evidence to the contrary, we might be okay.
– Cosima C.

Tom Rachman's bestselling author status will continue with The Italian Teacher. I was completely immersed in this family drama, and admired Pinch's determination to maintain a relationship with his distant father, a famous artist. One of my 2018 favorites, so far!
– Kim S.

I don't think I have ever laughed so hard while reading a book, EVER! I was expecting your typical shifter romance and was wonderfully surprised by the craziness that is the MacKilligan honey badger sisters. Their deadbeat conniving father gets them into such insane situations, and then the lengths they have to go to get out of them is pure chaos. This book has a higher body count than sex scenes. The heart of the story does come down to family, though — how much you love them even when you want to strangle them. The love these sisters share for each other really shines, as well as the much calmer love and affection the Dunn bear triplets bring to the story. I cannot wait to see what the MacKilligan sisters get up to next.
– Mecca A.

I am in love with Tim Kreider. Which — given the romantic anecdotes scattered abundantly throughout these beautifully composed and hilarious essays — suggests I have questionable taste in men... but excellent taste in literature.
– Rhianna W.

Every part of this book, from the writing down to the end papers, is so detailed and imaginative that I know I'll have to read it a couple more times to fully appreciate its beauty. Fast-paced scenes, a unique magic system, and the complicated family dynamics that spur a lot of emotion kept me turning page after page. This is such a well-rounded debut, anything that comes after is sure to stun.
– Brianna B.

Laura van den Berg's new novel, The Third Hotel, is an exquisite exploration of grief, travel, and intimacy. It's also got an extremely compelling story: Clare, an elevator sales rep, goes alone to a horror movie festival in Havana after her husband, a film scholar, dies in a car accident. A few days later, to her shock, she sees him standing in front of a museum. Thus begins a surreal, intuitive, unsettling journey through Clare's past and psyche that is my favorite book of 2018 so far. 
– Jill O.

Jesse Ball's latest book is like nothing you’ve ever read before. Set in an unnamed country composed of towns arranged from A to Z, the novel traces the path of its terminally ill narrator who, for his final act, is traveling as a census taker with his mentally disabled son. As he visits home after home, measuring lives while reexamining his own, it becomes impossible to ignore where this fateful journey is taking him. Both immersive and wondrous, Census is a meditative book about the modest roles we play in a sprawling world and the strength of human connections in the face of such enormity.
– Renee P.

Touching and darkly hilarious, this story follows Eleanor, an offbeat office worker seemingly content with her life but whose eccentricities and complete lack of social skills have kept her from the friendships and relationships every person needs. After a string of unexpected encounters, she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery in which she finally comes to terms with herself and her past. I laughed, cried, and felt everything in between. A 2018 fave!
– Michelle L.

The art and the colors will dazzle your eyes, and the story of discovery and unconditional love will warm your soul. Gorgeous and awe-inspiring, this book is an absolute stunner. 
– Jordan S.

I really loved Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett — it's one I wish was around when I was a teenager. It features a strong female protagonist, Kate, who's highly competent and smart, but also caring and sensitive, and angry and sad — basically, an actual person — but without any of those characteristics becoming her entire personality. There's action, politics, social commentary, and a surprisingly scorching romance that's on Kate's terms. The writing is also very good, descriptive and insightful. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes fantasy. 
– Maya M.

Toward the end of Fusselman's luminous new lyric essay creation, Idiophone, she writes, "To see it all at once like in a mirror, to be in one world and to multiply..." — and that comes pretty close to the overall mood of this weird, playful, and sometimes gloomy book. It feels sharply focused and almost suffocating at times, while there are other moments that feel scattershot and a little off the rails — like the narrator is trying to show you the whole world. Going from the interior worlds of The Nutcracker to her relationship with her mom, Fusselman investigates the various stagings and preconceptions of art (including quilting!) and being human. A refreshingly wild and ambitious essay that looks like an epic poem but reads like a speeding train set driven by mice, Idiophone is some strange magic.
– Kevin S.

The story of the Donner Party is one we all think we know. This book twists and tilts the story away from the strictly real, but the characters and setting feel authentic. The thrills are not cheap, the characters are multidimensional, and all in all, the scariest parts of The Hunger are the parts that are true.
– Emily F.

A young man looks back at a mysterious period, shortly after the end of the Second World War, when he and his sister were left in London in the care of some questionable characters, while their parents traveled abroad for “work." What he can discern, years later, is still veiled in “warlight” — for records of post-war diplomacy and espionage do not invite sunlight and scrutiny, but remain curtained in wartime shadow. Exquisite writing, fascinating characters, and morally ambiguous historical intrigue make this a wholly engrossing read.   
– Lori M.

This is a fantastic resource, with as much to offer those just starting to interrogate race as those who are further along in their journey. Each chapter poses a question — "What if I talk about race wrong?" "What is the model minority myth?" — which Oluo deftly addresses. She explains for those who don't know, succinctly elucidates for those who want to clarify their understanding, and challenges those who are doing the work to find meaningful ways of engaging and making change. 
– Britney T.

A shadow text for the hypermasculine exploration epic, Brother in Ice constructs a narrative from collected data and journal entries, traipsing across the elasticity of metaphor and the deadening implications of negative space in the process. Kopf shifts the paradigms around reputed men of noble ambitions and refocuses on undertakings of a different sort — digging inward, staying put, and creating in isolation. Both an antidote and a quiet rebellion, this is a novel that challenges our notions of heroic conquest and what it means to achieve the impossible.
– Justin W.

Educated tells both the story of how Tara Westover grew up, with no birth certificate, no formal schooling, living in rural Idaho, and how she left, not just physically, but how she reclaimed her mind, her view of the world, and her sense of self. It is unbelievable to me that someone could raise their children this way, and even more miraculous that several of them broke free. It is one thing to leave home, but entirely another to leave your family.
– Mary Jo S.

Annie Lowrey’s Give People Money is a perfect general interest policy book. It grapples with a big, important idea from a variety of angles with a charming and accessible style. Lowrey makes a compelling case for a major policy imitative, but doesn’t shy away from asking the big (or small) questions that bedevil all progressive moonshots.
– Keith M.

DeForge has done it again. The trippy landscapes and oddball characters in this wild collection glow with charm and radiate a sense of urgency for us to examine our own reality from a new perspective.
– Haley B.

Beautiful magical realism. Accept the society-changing story premise of a forgetting sickness and then let all the emotions flow. This dystopian story starts out quiet and small, then snowballs to a Big Bang ending with a heartbreaker denouement. I’ll think about The Book of M and its people for a long time.
– Tracey T.

A town built on mud and garbage; a nefarious partnership between corrupt politicians, thugs, and business men; and a reporter investigating the disappearance of hundreds of women. Poso Wells is part satire and part detective story. It's unlike any book I've read in a long time, and I'll be recommending it to everyone I know.
– Amy W.