It’s vital for you to realize that I do not recommend books unless I really like them. I also don’t blurb books unless I really like them. Folks have occasionally described a blurb-sharing universe that is at best morally corrupt, where agents and editors and authors trade blurbs in back alleys for, I dunno, exotic pets or fancy Japanese sneakers or multidimensional designer drugs. I have never received these things. I talk about books I love — and I’ll blurb ’em, too — because I need you to trust me. I can’t just go blurbing any ol’ hunk of monkeyspunk — that’s regardless of whether you’re a friend or someone I’ve never met.
So, right now I’m going to recommend a pair of books, each by a close friend, but I want you to realize that my recommendation is in no way corrupted by this fact.
I loved both of these books, and you may, too.
First up: Lila Bowen’s Wake of Vultures. It’s a wonderfully weird-ass supernatural Western. It has shapeshifters and monsters and monster-hunting. It has knives. It has harpies. It tackles issues of identity and gender and objectification. It’s violent and funny. (I might recommend it, actually, to folks who like my Miriam Black books.) Nettie Lonesome is your new jam. Thing about this book though that really struck me is the way it was written — it’s sodden with voice. Just drips with it. The prose stomps right up to the edge of almost too damn much and then stops and stays there, and it’s just fucking perfect. (Reminds me a little of Pretty Deadly, in fact.) So, hell, mount up and take the ride, will you? (Indiebound | Amazon)
Next: Adam Christopher’s Made to Kill. This is another book where the genres kind of bleed into another a little bit — it’s a Raymond Chandlerian story set in the 60s with a robot “detective” (cough cough assassin) at its heart. He loses his memory every day due to his tapes erasing. He’s got a cantankerous AI named Ada in his head. He takes on a job from a young girl who might be the damsel in distress or might be the femme fatale or who might be something else entirely — and in classic noir fashion, the story everyone thinks they’re getting is really just the tip of the sinister iceberg. It straddles the line between silly and serious, and it’s a lean book with nary an ounce of fat on it — Adam’s writing is forthright and no-nonsense and quick as the stick of a switchblade. (Indiebound | Amazon)
So, I’ve named two books I liked recently.
I’m asking you to name just one.
Go into the comments, talk about a book you read within the last few months that you really liked. Tell us why you liked it. Tell us why we should read it.
dave says:
Becky Sawyer’s The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Wonderful character-driven piece, full of interesting and diverse characters doing interesting and diverse things.
November 9, 2015 — 8:16 AM
dave says:
Ack! Becky CHAMBERS, not Becky Sawyer. oops.
November 9, 2015 — 8:31 AM
Ishta Mercurio-Wentworth says:
Erin Bow’s new YA, The Scorpion Rules!!! YOU GUYS. I really cannot recommend this book enough. It has a protagonist who finds her own way to work within a screwed up system, and an AI antagonist that is not at all wrong even as it is completely wrong. It’s an antagonist who I almost have a crush on because it is sassy and smart, but than I am also more than a little frightened by because it is just so cold. I. Love. This. Book. Excellent, on-point reading.
November 9, 2015 — 8:21 AM
mjmartell says:
Ishta – I’m so on board with you. I love this book as well. Great voice, the concept blows my mind and, yeah…
November 9, 2015 — 11:27 AM
terribleminds says:
I should also shout out Delilah’s article at the Mary Sue — EVERYTHING I LOVE IS PROBLEMATIC: http://www.themarysue.com/everything-i-love-is-problematic/
November 9, 2015 — 8:24 AM
Katharine Ashe says:
Thanks for posting this link, Chuck. A big THANK YOU to authors like Delilah who use their powers for good.
I rewatched Age of Ultron last night, and I’ve slowly come to adore Cap, but again felt crushing disappointment at the ending: everything’s changed and sparkly and hurrah there are two women and two black men on the new team. But the white man is still in charge. “Small moves, Ellie”?
November 9, 2015 — 10:04 AM
Ash Jade says:
(putting this here because unfamiliar comment spaces scare me, and I’ve never commented on the Mary Sue’s articles before) So, I’m reading through the article, all agreement and happy-like, then BAM! Genderqueer protagonist. Holy crap waffles. I don’t care if I’m poor as mud this month, the moment I can afford it while still feeding myself, I am buying that book.
As a genderqueer person trying to come to terms with how intensely erased people with non-binary identities are and that dysphoria is not normal (wait, you mean other people DON’T randomly wake up wanting different genitals?!) having representation, any representation, anywhere, from anyone is a big step forward. I honestly had no idea how much I meant until I saw it in writing. So, Delilah, before I’ve ever read the book, and am only half way through the article, thanks for reflecting me. You have no idea how validating and marvelous it is to see something like that for the first time. And thanks Chuck, for directing me to it, and really caring about this stuff despite the fact that you kinda don’t have to.
Okay, sappy time over. Go back to quirky writing advice now. *DIng*
November 9, 2015 — 11:56 PM
strugglingwriter says:
I’m enjoying Scott Westerfeld’s Zeroes (not to be confused with Chuck Wendig’s Zer0es, which I also really enjoyed).
November 9, 2015 — 8:24 AM
terribleminds says:
DO NOT MENTION THE FALSE PROPHET WESTERFELD HERE okay actually it’s cool. I’ve heard wonderful things about that book, but it’s also worth noting it’s not a Westerfeld book alone — it’s co-written by Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti.
November 9, 2015 — 9:50 AM
Silent_Dan says:
If memory serves, I think Margo Lanagan might be Australian. But I’m not sure about that.
November 10, 2015 — 6:08 AM
Aura Eadon says:
The book Ascension: A Tangled Axon Novel by Jacqueline Koyanagi. A Science Fiction book with a dash of brilliance reminiscent of the Firefly series but only in spirit. I love how diverse and inclusive in terms of marginalised minorities the book is, without becoming political in the slightest. The main character Alana Quick is probably one of the best characters I’ve ever read, she is as real and as diverse as possible, flawed and amazing at the same time. The plot is character driven and for me the book was a page turner all the way till the end. I finished it feeling content and happy I’d read it and I want to read more from this author.
November 9, 2015 — 8:25 AM
rgharry says:
I love Ascension! I wish everyone knew about it.
November 9, 2015 — 7:31 PM
AA Payson says:
Well, I read this book called “Zer0es” recently. Maybe you’ve heard of it? I forget the author’s name at the moment, but the story popped like a mouthful of Pop Rocks. What I enjoyed aside from the story rocketing forward until the last page, and the author’s almost unnatural love of cookies, was the way the narrative directly reflected the character they were talking about at that moment. It’s bold, engaging and engaged. Instead of assuming the narrator voice as one person, the narrator is several people, perhaps tying into the notion of a collective, it resists the urge to be above it all, and instead gets its hands dirty with everyone else. Thereby putting you closer to the action. Speaking of action, as an individual who hopes to complete his own novel someday, one of the roadblocks I have and will encounter is how to write action. Specifically, fighting sequences. The last half of the book is very good study in how to go about it.
Anyway, two thumbs up. If I had more, I’d give it four.
Highly recommend.
November 9, 2015 — 8:31 AM
terribleminds says:
THAT GUY SUCKS
and ahem hey thanks.
🙂
— c.
November 9, 2015 — 8:32 AM
Katharine Ashe says:
Rebecca Rogers Maher’s The Bridge. A man and a woman meet on top of the Brooklyn Bridge before dawn where’s they’ve each gone to jump and die. It’s got some of the typical genre romance trappings (he’s hot and rich; she’s quirky-hot and poor; and they have mind-blowing sex), but it’s otherwise unique: quiet and powerful and simple and swiftly paced all at once. It’s a perfect little encapsulation of two broken human hearts. (FYI, I don’t know Maher and tho I’ve been shouting this book from the rooftops for weeks I still don’t know her or her publisher, so, alas no designer sneakers for me.)
November 9, 2015 — 8:33 AM
Lari says:
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor. This story is incredibly well-written and explores current cultural norms in the Sudan, but set in a post-apocalyptic world. She treats taboo subjects with a level of sensitivity that leaves you reeling with WTFISGOINGONINTHISWORLD (you get the feeling she’s had first-hand experience of these things, or at least personally knows people who do – maybe she just has mad interviewing skillz). There is magic and monsters and caves filled with the detritus of today’s technology and a trip across the desert and friendship gone bad and heart-wrenching love and pretty much everything that you need in a fantasy come sci-fi come social commentary novel.
Also, the protagonist is a woman. And she kicks some serious ass.
It’s beautiful.
I loved it.
November 9, 2015 — 8:36 AM
SamKD says:
Ooh that’s at the top of my WishList…may have to clicky the “Buy now” button today.
November 9, 2015 — 9:37 AM
mjmartell says:
Lari – sounds fantastic! On to the wish list!
November 9, 2015 — 11:28 AM
Melissa McShane says:
Oh, yes, this was fantastic!
November 9, 2015 — 11:42 AM
21timetraveler says:
I decided to post about an oldie but a goodie. Mickey Zucker Reichert’s The Last of the Renshai is the first in a fantastic series about a nearly extinct race of warriors, fighting to bring balance back to the world. It borrows from Norse mythology and her own fantastic imagination. I don’t think this author gets the credit she deserves from the fantasy world. I hope people here who haven’t read the series will give it a try.
November 9, 2015 — 8:42 AM
David Wilson says:
The book I have really enjoyed is Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It is a series of 6 stories told russian nesting doll style. Each of the stories is really different but they all of great characters. The Audiobook version is superb with each story being read by a different person. But wait there is more! The book was also made into an awesome movie by the makers of the Matrix.
November 9, 2015 — 8:55 AM
Skyler says:
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson! Truly a phenomenal work. 100% character driven, and man oh man but the characters are fantastic. It’s got this awesome historical aspect that’s completely accurate for the times he visits, and there’s this constant air of mystery that has you wondering whether or not the book has a supernatural aspect or not. Sounds bizarre, but I found that more entertaining than anything in a long while. That guessing. It was one of the few this past year I read as long as the caffeine would sustain me!
November 9, 2015 — 8:59 AM
Diane Weaver says:
I am torn between Marcus Sakey and T.R. Regan books. Guess we go with Regan, first book is Abducted, very dark and serial killer driven. Once you read the first you will want to read them all. But read Sakeys Brillance series, they are in fact Brilliant!
November 9, 2015 — 9:08 AM
J Hoffman says:
Shadowshaper by D.J. Older. It’s a well-written YA magical realism novel that is beautiful in every way. The story follows a group of POC teens in Brooklyn fighting a mysterious force that’s draining the lives of the older generation. It’s a beautifully told, vibrant coming-of-age story that makes me desperately hope I get to read more.
November 9, 2015 — 9:10 AM
jonathan Zero says:
The Library at Mount Char
November 9, 2015 — 9:20 AM
Sarah_Madison says:
I got nuthin. But I’m bookmarking this post because the reccs here sound *awesome*.
November 9, 2015 — 9:25 AM
SamKD says:
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor. It tells a first-contact story using my favorite framework: what happens when something extraordinary happens to ordinary people? Character-driven for sure, including the aliens. Also it’s set in Lagos, Nigeria, about which I knew next to nothing so that was a bonus feature. HIgh-quality writing with a big slug of eco-frienly hope and a delighful prologue. When I finished I immediately bought another copy for one of my Reader friends – that’s how good it was.
November 9, 2015 — 9:34 AM
SamKD says:
Aack! That should be “eco-frienDly hope” of course…finding a typo after sending is the paper-cut of the electronic world.
November 9, 2015 — 9:42 AM
amariesilver says:
R-Day by PT Mayes. Over-burdened by crime and criminals, every year the U.K gives a one day license to kill out to just about anyone for any reason. The story follows a married man who is trying to get home to his wife in this day (also their anniversary) but he encounters one disaster after another along the way.
November 9, 2015 — 9:40 AM
Tim Kimber says:
Made To Kill sounds like the Samurai Jack episode “Tale of X9” – one of my favourites from probably the greatest cartoon series ever made. Awesome jazz score, slick animation, and a heart-rending tale of love and loss – “Lulu – sweet thing.”
Yeah, I’d probably read that.
November 9, 2015 — 9:45 AM
Franklin Taylor says:
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
I am only halfway through the story, but it is a great page turner. Post-apocalyptic, story about 3/4 of children dying from some mysterious disease, and the ones still alive having mutant-like abilities. Of those kids alive they get put into concentration camps in order to suppress their abilities. The pacing has been wonderful so far, and got surprisingly more dark than I experted. I started reading her novel, because I enjoyed how she wrote A New Hope: The Princess, The Scoundrel, and The Farm Boy.
November 9, 2015 — 9:57 AM
boundbeautifunk says:
I ate Wale of Vultures in less than a day and a half. The pages just flew. I *finally* finished listening to Aftermath yesterday, so I am bookless at the moment. I have it in my mind to read Melville’s The Confidence Man next. I gave it a go in my late teens and didn’t finish it. I think a decade and a half later, I might have more patience. It’s a brilliantly structured story.
November 9, 2015 — 9:58 AM
Daina says:
The Milkman: A Freeworld Novel by Michael J Marineck. I actually took my time reading The Milkman because I enjoyed each character and how he crafted the economic dystopian world.
November 9, 2015 — 10:05 AM
Jacey Bedford says:
I loved Genevieve Cogman’s THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY, steampunky adventuresome goodness with excellent lead characters and added bookage. I just ordered the next book in the series, THE MASKED CITY.
November 9, 2015 — 10:11 AM
mjmartell says:
Jacey – did you get a copy via NetGalley or something? I’m seeing that it isn’t out til early next year…
November 9, 2015 — 12:24 PM
TymberDalton says:
A non-fiction book: “Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident” by Donnie Eichar. Excellent book, no hype, no bullshit. He travelled to Russia to the site, talked to people, and presents a well-researched series of known facts about what happened without venturing into Crazy Town. And he even presents a well-reasoned, scientific possibility for the catalyst that made the students leave their tent, one that makes perfectly good sense and isn’t a conspiracy theory at all. Very well-paced and the facts alone made it sad and creepy and a very good narrative without trying to spice it up with wild speculation with no factual basis.
I say all that because I started reading another book about the Dyatlov Pass incident and it was…cray-cray. (No, won’t name the book/author.)
November 9, 2015 — 10:18 AM
Tsara Shelton says:
Wifey by Fey Ugokewe kinda blew my mind. It takes a few pages to get comfortable with (or, in my case, even understand) the authentic language–complete with accents– the author chooses to use in the dialogue. But the style and narration is so different and exciting that it was easy for me to get past that and soon hear the voices.
The prose is hypnotic; somehow innate and visual. The story draws you into the very real and quickly frightening marriage of a young couple, much like the young couple themselves are drawn in. It’s a frighteningly realistic and deeply explored tale of domestic violence. While reading the second half of the novella I was truly scared.
The book ends just when the reader is about to give up. It’s too uncomfortable and we want to leave. I was amazed at how well timed the ending was. Any longer and I wouldn’t have been able to take it another second…. domestic violence is scary and tense, man! I wanted out of there!
I recommend this book to anyone willing to step into an abusive relationship for a day or two with an open mind and a desire to understand the dynamics.
November 9, 2015 — 10:21 AM
Anne Lippin says:
Andrew Smith’s GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE. Mind-blowing YA. So good it made me want to quit writing (initially) then made want to improve my own work (ultimately).
And anything by A.S. King.
November 9, 2015 — 10:29 AM
artemisjourney1 says:
“And anything by A.S. King”
SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS!!!!! Finally, someone who knows where it’s at. Thank you, fellow human, for affirming my incurable addiction to this woman
I now affirm that you are, in fact, an extremely cool person
November 16, 2015 — 9:37 PM
dknippling says:
I recently finished Peter Straub’s A DARK MATTER and found it one of the best books that I’ve read in years. Plot’s weird – end of the plot is buried in the last third of the book, while the emotional climax comes at the last page. All kinds of structure, voice, and POV tricks.
For example, a character tells a story that he made up that was the story that another character would have told, if he could tell stories the same way the first guy tells stories, based on information that the second character never gave him. “It’s like you were there,” the second guy says.
A wonderfully naked, well-crafted book. I can’t say enough good about it. I’m studying and rereading it.
I also read PEACE by Gene Wolfe and loved that, but I have to be careful recommending Gene Wolfe to people; he is his own rabbit hole. Also I have to give myself a break (often of years) between readings. I will go into the West and remain Galadriel…
November 9, 2015 — 10:31 AM
Kristen says:
Currently madly in love with Hild by Nicola Griffith. Detailed, fact-based historical fiction. Not for dipping! This is a book for long reading sessions on rainy afternoons.
November 9, 2015 — 10:37 AM
Mikel Strom says:
Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts. Everything about the book is remarkable. The writing is flat-out gorgeous, the characters are beautifully flawed and three dimensional, and the twists are gut-wrenching in the best possible ways. The conceit of the book — having the events of a reality show recalled years later, by both a now grown figure from the show and a blogger critiquing it — revamps the unreliable narrator concept brilliantly, and the ending sticks with you long after finishing.
November 9, 2015 — 10:42 AM
Eric Honaker says:
I recently read Megan Chance’s “Inamorata.” I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was a pretty nice blend of historical fiction, gothic horror, and romance. The prose was evocative and lovely, the storyline was both tense and sexy, and the characters were all broken in interesting ways.
November 9, 2015 — 10:52 AM
cchrisman says:
Guys I just read Atlanta Burns, and if you haven’t picked it up, do! It’s super fun, and my current old self wishes my younger self had her to read when she was young. Everyone should have a friend like her….oh and it was written by this dude you might have heard of I think it’s Huck Chindig? not sure…. 🙂
November 9, 2015 — 10:54 AM
fadedglories says:
Meg Clothier: ‘The Empress’.
Set in C12 Constantinople this novel sheds light on a dim period of history.
The main characters are real, I love that in historical fiction. It gives a picture of the glitter and the nastiness of the Byzantine era. It’s romantic, it’s bloody and it’s a page turner.
What’s not to like?
November 9, 2015 — 10:55 AM
Terry says:
“The Searcher,” by Simon Toyne. This is a really gripping book. The set up is great: You’re in the head of a guy who finds himself running barefoot, in a suit, down an empty road in the middle of a desert. He doesn’t know who he is or why he is here, but he knows he’d better not look back because something horrible is behind him. You soon find out what’s behind him, but that only complicates things. What’s ahead of him is, if anything, even worse. I stayed up into the wee hours to finish this one, and was delighted to learn that it’s only the first of a series! Yay! There’s the suggestion (OK, a strong suggestion) that there is something supernatural going on, but it wasn’t enough to turn me off – instead I want to read the rest of the series to find out what it is.
November 9, 2015 — 11:18 AM
zer_netmouse says:
Nnedi Okorafor: Binti
Hard SF alien contact story with new perspective – highly recommended.
Andrea Hairston: Redwood and Wildfire
Can’t remember if I’ve recommended this here before or not. Historic Fantasy set during the time of early film and the Great Migration. The main settings are the Bayou and Chicago. Lots of transformation. Intimate magic. Ghosts. Adventure. Tragedy, Healing, Exploration, Challenge.
Amazing book. Best I’ve read this year, hands down.
November 9, 2015 — 11:26 AM
dcxli says:
My interests tend to lie in the direction of epic fantasy, and I am just finishing up Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera, a six book series that was created when someone bet him that he couldn’t write a fantasy series about Roman legions and Pokémon. The combo works.
November 9, 2015 — 11:33 AM
Elaina M. Roberts says:
I’m coming into Butcher’s work a tad late (just now on #9 of the Dresden Files) and have had my eye on Codex Alera. I’ll stick it in the TBR pile.
November 9, 2015 — 12:26 PM
artemisjourney1 says:
Blood Red Road by Moira Young. It’s gritty and dirty and bloody (umm, well, obviously?) and about adventure and family and sacrifice and features one really sarcastic narrator who is also the next best friend you never knew you needed. It’s written in the worst (read: best) dialect EVAH that will forever change the way you see this monster we call the English language. Spelling? Nope. Punctuation? Nope. Oxford comma? Are you kidding? There never has been and never will be a dystopian novel like this again so TAKE ADVANTAGE FOLKS BUY THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK SLATHER YOURSELF IN THE BLOOD OOZING FROM THIS BOOK AND THEN GO FEED THE BLOODLESS REMAINS TO YOUR FRIENDS NOM NOM NOM and then apologize and buy them Starbucks because hey, you try.
November 9, 2015 — 11:35 AM
Brad Bourbina (@bbbourb) says:
I would start with The Black Prism by Brent Weeks. It’s magic like you’ve never seen before (well, I hadn’t until I read the book) and Weeks builds an incredibly immersive fantasy world that captures your attention and does not let go. His characters are deeper than you’d think when you first meet them. But damn, this guy can write a twist into the story that you’d never see coming.
November 9, 2015 — 11:47 AM
dcxli says:
I loved The Black Prism! The sequels don’t drop the ball either; it’s a good series.
November 9, 2015 — 1:24 PM
Zig Zag Claybourne says:
I had a ball reading Kelly Robson’s novella The Waters of Versailles. Any writer that can take early French toilet systems, class disparity, old soldiers and nyads and make that sucker genuinely sing of human longing the way fantasy should deserves multiple readings.
November 9, 2015 — 11:57 AM
Deborah Gray says:
DRAGON DAY by Lisa Brackmann. I read a lot. Mostly in the thriller genre. So I feel I have a broad basis for comparison, and I don’t think there is any protagonist quite like foul-mouthed, pill-popping, Iraq war veteran Ellie McEnroe and no setting more vividly real than Brackmann’s China. Ellie may be more flawed than most – to the extent you wonder when she’s finally going to fall flat on her face and stay there – but you continue to root for her because she continues to get up and believe that things will improve.
November 9, 2015 — 12:08 PM
Laurie Radcliffe says:
Uncontrolled Spin by Jerry Summers. Frankly, I’m way more of a scifi or comedy reader, but this book started out like an episode of Moonlighting and turned into a female Dexter. The conversations and (long) lead-up developing the characters, were easy reading – followed by the death of someone I had become attached to. Yep-it made me mad, and we all know how good that is! It is a romance, murder mystery, thriller, and contemporary fiction, all rolled into one. The next book in the series isn’t out yet, but according to the “peak” it develops the serial killer more – and I have really started to like her, so I’m looking forward to it.
Well worth the quick read!
*I should warn you, there were a couple lovemaking scenes that were very graphic – so beware if that is offensive to you, and enjoy if it isn’t.
November 9, 2015 — 12:18 PM
Elaina M. Roberts says:
I inhaled Wake of Vultures in a little over a day and just loved it. Amazing book. Other than that new one, I’m catching up on older series – Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and Iron Druid by Kevin Hearne. Both are witty and fast paced with twists just when you thought you had it all figured out.
November 9, 2015 — 12:31 PM
otterpoet says:
DEADMAN’s ROAD by Joe Lansdale is a crunchy western-horror novel consisting of several interwoven stories about Reverend Jebediah Mercer – a gunslinger preacher who travels the West fighting werewolves, zombies, and Lovecraftian horrors. It’s fast and funny… not to mention terrifying. Unforgettable characters and snappy dialogue.
THE ALCHEMY OF STONE by Ekaterina Sedia is an urban fantasy about Mattie – a wind-up alchemist – who is swept up in the politics of her city, and has her loyalties tested between her creator and love. Beautiful language and brilliant world-building… plus one of the most emotional endings I’ve read in years.
November 9, 2015 — 12:43 PM
Sophie Giroir says:
Breeder by K.B. Hoyle is a post-apocalyptic dystopian that follows a young girl named Priya. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers everything she has been taught her entire life is a lie. She has to learn to depend on a man for the first time, and it is a struggle for both of them to trust each other. I just started reading it, and I’m not finished just yet because of NaNo, but so far I am not disappointed.
November 9, 2015 — 1:21 PM
Kyra Dune says:
Tears Of Heaven by R.A. McCandless is a paranormal novel about angels and demons. I loved it so much. The main character, Del, is so badass, and yet not invulnerable. She has feelings. She gets hurt (physically and emotionally). She kicks ass. She’s snarky and fierce. But then, I loved all the characters. Except for the one I hate with a fiery passion and I really hope he gets what he deserves at some part in the series. *takes a breath* Anyway, if you’re into paranormal books and kickass heroines, I can’t recommend it enough.
November 9, 2015 — 1:41 PM
Sarah Brentyn says:
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau.
I liked it because it was kind of awesome. And I love YA. And dystopian. Also, I love well-written books. The Testing is all three so…lucky me. And you. Because now you know about it if you didn’t already. I don’t think you’ll want to throw virtual rotten fruit at me if you read it. (That should be a blurb.) No, really, it’s good. Happy reading.
November 9, 2015 — 2:43 PM
adpauli says:
I loved The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. So beautiful,so heart-wrenching, such great use of 2nd person POV. It definitely wasn’t a feel-good book, but it’s one of those works that I still keep thinking about months after I read it. It’s rare for me to have a book leave such a deep, lasting mark, but this one did.
November 9, 2015 — 3:47 PM
Dae says:
I intensely enjoyed Frost Moon, by Anthony Francis (and its two sequels) – the series is an urban fantasy rollercoaster in all the best ways. The characters and how they relate to one another are nuanced and thoughtfully-rendered across the board. I’m not usually a particular fan of first-person narrative style, but the (badass-but-flawed, female, queer :D) protagonist’s narration added a lot of flavor, for me, also. And always important for urban fantasy, the magic system is *fascinating* and gradually explored in more and more depth as the series progresses.
I can also give it the enormous accolade of saying it’s the first book/series to genuinely surprise me with the plot in at least the last decade, while still having the twists and turns make sense/be appropriately foreshadowed.
November 9, 2015 — 6:50 PM
Corey J. White says:
I know I’m probably a year behind the hype, but I read Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation in a single night last week. Area X itself puts me in mind of the Zone from Roadside Picnic and/or Stalker, while the story is one of Lovecraftian terror and weirdness.
I got the hardcover trilogy, so I’ll get stuck into the next book shortly.
November 9, 2015 — 6:55 PM
bluestgirl says:
I could not put down Glen Duncan’s The Last Werewolf. One of those second hand finds that I could not believe did not already have a permanent home. MC Jake Marlowe is the last werewolf in existence, his species has been systematically hunted and killed for centuries by a secret organization and from the very beginning I found myself loving, hating and sympathetic to Marlowe and his plight even if he was not. By the last pages I was dreading the nearness of the end while reading through one squinted eye. This one will never leave my shelf because unlike so many in the genre, I will reread The Last Werewolf, for the excellent writing, the story, and the characters who really hold up the world Duncan created.
November 9, 2015 — 8:54 PM
SamKD says:
And there are two more in the series 🙂 I’ll always jump on a Glen Duncan bandwagon; he has rocked my literary world more than once.
November 10, 2015 — 9:45 AM
Scott says:
“Captain Alatriste” by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I grabbed this book at a yard sale from the bottom of the box next to, I shit you not, a pile of modern tapestries. I almost spent five dollars on the fuzzy Rush ‘Signals’ poster. I’m very pleased to have dropped a dime on this book instead. A great story about a down on his luck swordsmen in 17th century Spain, a real scoundrel with honor, think Han solo without the charm and well, a spaceship. Ten pages in, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of the author. Internet says he’s fairly famous in Europe, I understand why. Great story. Best part, its the first in a series and hopefully its availability are not relegated to Mrs. Mansel’s annual yard sale.
November 9, 2015 — 9:04 PM
Payton says:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, the Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater
November 9, 2015 — 9:42 PM