I’ve been reading from outside of Phoenix, where there have been over 120 days of 100 degree temperatures as summer comes to a close. With Hurricane Helene devastating the Southeast and war spreading in the Middle East, the uncertainty about our collective futures—whether it is from climate change, the loss of loved ones, or displacement from our homes and homelands—is so present in the fifteen books on this list. Yet, there is also joy: beautiful meals, familial and romantic love, the power of finding one’s voice. Small presses expand the bounds of literature to create a diverse and more inclusive landscape that reminds us that even when it feels like things are falling apart, there is always room for hope.