I’m a bit of a junkie. 

I love a good Real Simple article with the “must-haves for fall fashion” or any, and I do mean any, Instagram Reel with the “top places to eat at in (insert city)” because those are instant ones that I hit the save button to. 

There’s something about knowing that someone really curated the list of the best of the best. But have you ever gone to a restaurant on one of those lists and been disappointed? Like being rudely disappointed, why do we have to pay for this disappointment? Ooo, I pray you don’t catch us after one of those dinners out because we’ll talk your ear off with all the reasons why it shouldn’t have made the list.

Well, I kind of feel that way about book lists. There is the Newberry list, the Corretta King Scott list, the Oprah Book list, and Reese Witherspoon’s list that have been circulating for years. Magazines are full of book lists, my favorite are the layouts featuring new cookbooks, Pinterest will give you book lists  for eternity if you only type in “best book of summers”. 

I’m teasing, but really, once the internet knows you’re looking for a booklist, it’ll flood you with recommendations. 

I never went out in search of this list, but somehow the titles for this list just kept showing up on my to-be-read list.

I hate to confess this, but since you’re here and I’m committed to telling the truth, you ought to know. 

What I really appreciate about this mystery list is the diversity of the titles and the authors. Reading diverse books is important to me. I know, I know, it’s a shock to you. (insert: winking eye) 

I can’t vouch for the entire list past, present or future, but these stand out as real winners that I think you’d be interested in. 

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

Do you have any idea whose list this is yet?  

Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Such A Fun Age by Keily Reid 

Fair Play by Eve Rodsky

From Scratch by Tembi Locke 

And on my TBR:

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

I scrolled through her (hint) full list the other day and was super surprised at how many of her recommendations I’ve read. Not Oprah. It’s Reese Witherspoon’s list that I’ve given an A + + for diversity and quality of the selection. And now, I have another 7 books to add to my to-be-read list. 

Do you have a favorite booklist? Comment below.