Iboth love and hate end of the year book lists—love because they’re fun roundups full of great titles. But they also make me cringe, even silently rage, because without fail, they leave out amazing books that deserve the spotlight, arguably more than the mega bestsellers often dominating the lists. But the cold mechanics of how books are marketed and promoted shouldn’t stop us from reflecting on the incredible books we’ve spent time with this year and celebrating the ones that built lasting homes in our hearts and minds.