Note: I will provide a TW for sexual assault because that tends to stick out in my memory, but I don't remember all of the intricate details of everything recommended below.

Fantasy and Sci-fi

This is by no means an exhaustive list of my favorites, and I wouldn't even consider some of these to be my favorite books and series. Just because something isn't my favorite doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it, though! All of these are compelling reads with interesting narratives.

Series

• All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness - vampires! Witches! Romance! History! Complete trilogy, and a 4th book that's part of the series as well. Also made into a TV show!

• Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers - not strictly a series of books, but rather a bunch of books with a cast of characters in the same universe. Generally heartwarming and feel good vibes. Interesting exploration of gender with some romance with a diverse cast of (sometimes alien) characters, although it is not a plot in every book.

• Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger - complete with 5 works, this steampunk Victorian-era series features werewolves, vampires, mummies, romance, and more. Sassy and lighthearted with a diverse cast of characters.

• Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw - complete trilogy, takes place (primarily) in modern day London. A little romance with a fun twist on science and modern medicine as you follow a doctor who treats super natural patients.

• The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty - two works published with a third coming next year, follows a young woman who is part dijinn as she is thrust into a complex magical world and used as a pawn. Includes some romance, is a slightly slower paced and deep, intense read. Incredible and unique world!

• Kate Daniels series by Illona Andrews - complete series with 10 (!) primary works and several spin off series. Definitely heavy on the romance and apocalypse vibes. Interesting take on magic with a world that oscillates between magic and technology. Features shapeshifters and more, with some old-world Russian mythology vibes rolled in. One of my favorite series to date.

• Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel - apocalypse vibes in this complete trilogy where alien robots are discovered on earth. Told in an interview format (you'll love it or hate it).

• Imperial Radch trilogy by Anne Leckie - full-on space opera that is a deep, intense read where the ship (yes, a spaceship) is you sentient narrator. Lots of interesting exploration of gender, ethics, and many other topics in this series.

Standalone novels

• Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey - kind of dark and twisted, certainly not uplifting. A modern-day magical high school in Oakland has a vicious murder take place on campus and a non-magical PI is tasked with finding the culprit.

• An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard - very dark and twisted, definitely not uplifting. Takes place in modern day New York City in a magical underworld with powerful ruling families fighting to the death to be in charge.

• The Power by Naomi Alderman - you will love or hate this book. Alternate universe where women gain the ability to shoot electricity through their hands. Explores the question of what would happen if we were a matriarchy, not a patriarchy. Either the more or least feminist book you've ever read. TW: sexual assault, rape.

Thriller, suspense, mystery, and true crime

I am not providing summaries for these because they all have a pretty similar themes! These are some of my favorites, which is why the list is so short. I've read a lot more in this genre than I have listed here but I have incredibly high standards for everything that falls into these categories.

Fiction

• The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

• Into the Water by Paula Haskins

• The Girls by Emma Cline

• Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths - mystery series about an archaeologist

Non-fiction

• Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

• The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule

• Dead By Sunset: Perfect Husband, Perfect Killer by Ann Rule

• I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

• American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan

Contemporary fiction

Ahhh the catchall category for books. Basically, anything here can't be categorized as fantasy, sci-fi, or thriller, suspense or mystery.

• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - one of my absolute favorite books, beautifully written story about a man and woman from Nigeria. I don't want to say anything else and give away spoilers!

• Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - told in interview format about the rise and fall of a (fictional) band. If you can get beyond the format of the book, it's a beautiful and compelling story.

• The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - a truly beautiful story, one of my favorite reads.

• Normal People by Sally Rooney - and upper class girl and a lower class boy live interconnected lives in this tale that follows them across several years as young adults. I would not classify this as uplifting.

• Red Clocks by Zeni Lumas - stories about 5 women and their relationships with pregnancy and motherhood in a world where abortions and IVF are illegal.

• Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - a cute, quirky novel that is a joy to read.

• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - fun little romance novel with some additional works that follow. Uplifting! Cute!

• Well Met by Jen DeLuca - a sometimes cringeworthy romance novel with a classic romantic comedy plot. Simple, fun read.

• The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis - another favorite read of mine that tackles rape culture head-on. This is technically a YA book, but I recommend it for adults, too! Huge TW for rape and sexual assault.

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - also a YA book, but a cute, uplifting read about a young woman who lives her life through fanfiction. There's an accompanying series to this that includes the fanfiction the character "writes" - Carry On and Wayward Son.

• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff - one of those books that you have to suffer through a little bit to get to the good part. A novel about a heterosexual couple, the first half told from the perspective of the husband and the second from the wife. Not at all what you think it will be.

• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - a lovely book that is ultimately about a romance, with a little bit of magic. I don't classify this as fantasy so much as magical realism.

• The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart - adorable, funny, and heartwarming with a good balance of happy and sad emotions.

Non-fiction: Historical, Biographies

• The Library Book by Susan Orlean - a book for people who love books. The story of the Los Angeles library fire, and also the library system.

• The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies by Jason Fagone - biography of one of the most accomplished and founding cryptographers in American history, who happened to be a woman!

• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen - this could fall under the category of true crime, but it's just as much about the city of Chicago as it is a serial killer who was operating during the World's Fair.

• The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery by D.T. Max - trigger warning for child sexual abuse (quite frankly the book handles this a little poorly). Very interesting scientific book about prion diseases such as mad cow and fatal familial insomnia.

• Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed - need a good cry or a good laugh? These are the best advice columns from Dear Sugar. Really, truly beautiful and feels kinda like a great hug.

• Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh - a fun graphic novel that I'd recommend for anyone who has struggled with depression, anxiety or ADHD.