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All in Fiction
The Empyrean (this series) is officially the Where the Crawdads Sing of fantasy: certainly fun, but also ultimately just fine.
Night Watch is written with lovely prose, but unfortunately, it was just not my cup of tea. Stomach-turning scenes and an unsatisfying ending left me unhappy with it.
Sensory and immersive, brutal and beautiful, Let Us Descend is another masterpiece from our queen Jesmyn Ward.
Blackouts is a genre-defying work of art, cerebral and emotional both. It’s impossible to not appreciate what a truly impressive work it is.
Quiet, immersive, and culturally rich, Drum-Time gives us a heartbreaking look at the intersections of both modernity and tradition and faith and identity.
It baffles me that SJM can write so many series with terrible first books that turn into my favorite series of all time. Believe the hype (and stick with it until it gets good, because it gets SO GOOD).
This Other Eden isn’t perfect, but it is gorgeously written and undeniably moving. I’m not surprised it’s a finalist for both the Booker Prize and the National Book Award.
Temple Folk is a strong work of fiction that does what it sets out to do very effectively. I recommend reading up on the Nation of Islam before diving in, if you are unfamiliar.
The Lone Man is a sci-fi beach read of a novel, featuring a murder mystery on an outer space cruise ship. It involved a lot of privilege (and alcohol), but I was hooked and had a fun time reading it.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a smart, atmospheric, anticolonial / feminist reimagining of an HG Wells classic. It’s not the fastest paced, but it is very good.
Unfortunately, Fall of Ruin and Wrath was a bit of a miss for me. I didn’t dislike it enough to DNF, but I probably will not be continuing with the series.
Nettle & Bone is a solid, fast, fun read — an utterly delightful snack of a fantasy novel. I highly recommend if you’re looking for something quick and entertaining!
The Kaiju Preservation Society was a complete and utter delight. The perfect snack of a sci-fi novel, fun and funny and engaging.
Starling House is another top-notch novel from Alix E. Harrow. It was perfect for fall, exactly the plunge into plot that I needed, with lovable characters to boot.
Layered, ambitious, and gripping, The Bee Sting is 500 pages of family saga followed by 150 pages of literary thriller that we absolutely need. I hope it wins the Booker!
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is absolutely going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. Somehow, It’s both heavy and feels like a big literary hug at the same time. McBride, I’m coming for your backlist!
Godkiller is a well-written, well-built start of a new fantasy series with characters you’ll love and worldbuilding you’ll swoon over. I definitely recommend it!
Beach Read was exactly what I wanted: fun, fast, steamy, heart-wrenching, with true-to-life characters and conflicts. (Basically everything we’ve come to expect from Emily Henry!)
Shy is a tiny book that packs a gigantic punch like only Max Porter can. Dark but emotionally poignant, this book will break your heart in the best way. I loved it.
Family Lore was right up my alley: beautiful, heartbreaking, and crackling with life. These characters are so well written, and Acevedo’s talent as a poet shines.
