I forgot to post this and one more during Black History Month, but I know we all read Black authors all year long!

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This post feels a little silly because my favorites are all extremely popular and well known titles…but if you’re a fantasy reader and you haven’t read them yet, consider this your sign!! This is absolutely not an exhaustive list, but are just some of my most favorites. And of course, these are amazing books to read all year long! 

🖋 = received an arc or pub gift, review on goodreads

The Legendborn Quartet by Tracy Deon – These were two of my absolute favorite books in 2022, and I cannot wait for the next book to come out next year! (🖋 Bloodmarked) 

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin – You’re not going to know what’s going on for most of the first book, but it’s absolutely worth the ride. 

Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler – Of all the dystopians I’ve read, this one seems the most likely to come true and the most terrifying. I probably need to reread it. 

Even More Fantasy: Each of these 4 books have some stand out elements that I enjoyed.
Wildblood 🖋 – set in Jamaica, sentient forest
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin 🖋 – amazing cast of characters & romance (YA) 
Dread Nation – elite female zombie fighters
Crowned 🖋 – Folk & Fairy tales – gorgeous photography & storytelling 

My top TBR: Faebound, Skin of the Sea, & The Gilded Ones

QotD: Do you mostly read new releases or backlist books? 

I think about half of my reads are published within the past year, and half are older. Lately I’ve been wondering what I’m doing when I post a review of a book that was written in like…2002…but it’s still fun to get my thoughts down!