Best of 2022
[Link to Best of 2021 List]
[Link to Best of 2020 List]
[Link to Best of 2019 List]
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. Looks like I have a new favorite author to watch out for. Holy damn this was good... I couldn't put it down! It's one of those ones where the twists make all the difference, which are books I either love or hate, and it all comes down to whether the author is skilled enough to pull it off. This author clearly is, so... I'm reluctant to say anything, lest I spoil any of these bomb-ass twists, but I really appreciate the respect and research this author put towards very stigmatized mental health conditions. I've never seen this particular disorder portrayed so sympathetically towards those who suffer it. The author herself describes this book as a tale of psychology and healing "disguised as a horror novel," and I love that. (Also, it gave me a ton of weird new recipes to try.) 
Honestly, I knew I'd put ONE of the Scholomance books on this list (I really should have put #1 on last year's list), so it was a toss-up between #2 or #3. I ended up choosing The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik.. This series is quality. These books are SO fast-paced and tightly woven. Everything unfolds in the most satisfying way. And while the characters and their various relationships here are secondary to the plot, they're great, too! They're developed and fed to the audience as the plot carries on, a little bit at a time. El is such a fun and cranky narrator. She's a good person, but damn if she's not gonna complain about it the whole time! This series has a respect for teenagers as people that I don't see in most YA works... Yes, teens are smart, competent, caring people! Watching them puzzle and problem-solve and work together was such a pleasure. Even the antagonists have clear yet complex motivations that make perfect sense. And can I just say I appreciate how racial/cultural/sexual diversity is intrinsically woven into the worldbuilding while still acknowledging privilege and bigotry? Balancing on that line is tough and Naomi nails it beautifully.
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata is an autobiographical manga, which I had to purchase in paperback form. (Since I'm something of a minimalist and don't like to keep books, I've since given it to my best friend.) I'm not a visual arts person, but I appreciated the simple, gray-and-white art highlighted with pops of pink. Despite its mature subject matter (self harm, sex work, suicidal thoughts), the cute art makes it palatable for even sensitive readers. As a lesbian myself, I rarely see anything that reflects my experiences. This comes much closer than most. A lonely, mentally ill lesbian seeks her first sexual encounter with a sex worker, then records what led up to it, and how hard it is to let go; to truly be with another person. A quick read, but worthwhile. I really like josei manga; I should read more of it. (I just hate paying for stuff, aaaa; I'm so broke...)
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. I read almost all of Hendrix's published works this year, and I have to say, this one is my favorite so far (aside from 'Final Girl Support Group,' which appeared on last year's list). But he's always a hit for me! Don't let his fun covers and glib titles fool you; his books are ooey-gooey gory horror from start to finish. He's one of the few male authors who truly shines at writing women, and I love it... Although he also writes the casual misogyny of men (Yes, All Men) so well that it makes me grind my teeth.
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a very unique take on vampires. In a world where there are no vampires in Mexico City (but they are everywhere else, and there are many kinds of them), young Aztec vampire Atl escapes the drug war that killed her family with the intent to cross the border. Unfortunately, she's a spoiled princess who doesn't know how to care for herself, and she's being pursued by a European drug lord who wishes to capture and torture her. She must band together with a homeless, teenage human if she wants to survive. As with all things 'vampire,' I highly recommend Maven of the Eventide's video on this book.
I Am the Ghost in Your House by Maria Romasco Moore. A mother and daughter, literally invisible, must exist in a world that cannot see them. This makes things such as falling in love with pretty girls a challenge, especially after the mother starts popping out of existence, as well as sight. Queer characters and punk subculture! Such a weird premise done well! Plus, the audiobook reader is Emma Galvin, who's been one of my faves for years. Whenever I hear her voice, I go "it's her!!!"
Since I read three T. Kingfisher books this year (Bryony and Roses, Nettle & Bone, and What Moves the Dead), it was difficult to decide which one to include on my Best Of list. Honestly, they all deserve to be on here... She never misses. Her usuals were present here: badass female characters (to my delight, they're usually plus-sized, sex positive characters in their 30s!), badass (and hilarious) elderly women, period-realistic feminism, queer positivity, a romance I don't hate, dry humor, women protecting women... As the youngest of three sisters myself, I enjoyed that this book was about the youngest of three sisters setting out to murder her sister's violently abusive husband. Since he happens to be a prince, it's not like anybody else will stop him... I usually prefer Kingfisher's horror to her fantasy, but this was just about perfect. 
The Depths by Nicole Lesperance was unexpectedly good! YA horror usually isn't my bag, and I wouldn't necessarily say I found it "horrifying," but I definitely found it compelling. 
Darling by K. Ancrum makes me wonder if I actually do like YA. Maybe? Sometimes? A dark/gritty/contemporary retelling of a classic story (Peter Pan) sounds like something that would make me roll my eyes, but this one actually worked. Somehow. (It helps that I've read and enjoyed this author's other works in the past.) A cast of queer teenagers of color having a Warriors-esque, cop-dodging, drag show dancing wild night in the streets of Chicago is cool enough as it is, but then that twist that actually got me pushed it over the top. Ancrum clearly loves and respects the source material, too.
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid I read the author's previous dark fairytale set in this world (The Wolf and the Woodsman), and while it was good, it didn't captivate me utterly the way J+T did.
Honorable mentions: The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni (gorgeous spooky gothic monster family history tale), Don't Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller (more gothic hauntings, cursed family history), White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson (a haunting mixed in with commentary on gentrification and antiBlack racism), The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (a fantastical retelling of the second-Sino Japanese war), Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (fairy tale retelling), Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel (culty horror), House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson (lesbian vampire Gothic horror), I'm sensing a pattern... Apparently I like spooky, gothic-flavored stories that involve girls and social commentary. Big surprise.
Authors I'll continue to keep an eye on in 2023 are: Chloe Gong, Naomi Novik, Mona Awad, Kristen Arnett, Xiran Jay Zhao, Eric LaRocca, Sayaka Murata, Katrina Leno, Stephen Graham Jones, Simone St. James, Catriona Ward, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Grady Hendrix, (of course I'm following other authors, but these seem the most likely to publish something within the year).
I'm not going to be following Patricia Briggs anymore... I've had enough of the Mercy Thompson series, and I never cared for any of her other works.
I also won't be reading any more Percy Jackson, or listening to the Newest Olympian podcast.
Books I'm looking forward to in 2023 include Heavenly Tyrant, Don't Fear the Reaper, How to Sell a Haunted House, A House With Good Bones, Sister, Maiden, Monster, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, Tell Me I’m Worthless, The Stolen Heir: A Novel of Elfhame (yes I'm giving Holly Black another chance to redeem herself from the garbage that was The Queen of Nothing),
My main library is forcing me to switch from Overdrive to Libby, sigh. I don't love change, so I'm not looking forward to that switch. (I'm sure it's fine; I'm just used to things being my way.)
You can also find me on Storygraph.
