I was once dubbed Warrior Librarian, and I glommed onto that title like sourdough bread slathered with real butter gloms onto my thighs. I love the idea of being a story keeper—a fierce protector of reading—and of sharing the brilliant books I’ve read with others.

In that vein, here are my top-rated fiction & memoir books by year. Some years, like in 2022, if a non-fiction title as blown my ever-lovin’ mind, I’ll include that, too.

I intend for this to be a juicy place for sharing not just my favorites, but yours, as well. Please do share your “best of” via the comments section at the very bottom of the page.

A few things to note:

• I’ve only included books I’ve given 5 stars to. But stars are subjective, aren’t they? I would rather say I LOVED these books with every fiber of my being, but this list doesn’t include books I really, really liked or books that I just really liked.
• Whether or not I like a book is totally personal. As it is for all readers. I can pick up the most well-written, amazing story, and because it has one errant zombie, I won’t like it. I don’t like mushrooms either, but that doesn’t make ’em “bad.”