TIS THE SEASON something something reindeer.
So, Mister Scalzi does this very nice thing at his blog where he says hey come by and tell us about your book, and then you do, and good times. I am not quite as nice.
Hence, here’s how this works:
You can recommend one book.
This book can be a novel or a comic or a short story or whatever.
Traditional, self-published, whatever.
The rub is:
You cannot recommend your own book.
Nope. Can’t do it. Don’t do it.
*smacks your hand*
You will recommend someone else’s book that you loved.
Not your own. Someone else’s. Get it? Got it? Good.
One recommendation, please. One book only. Now let’s hear ’em.
J. M. Butler says:
What a fun idea! I would recommend Carole McDonnell’s Constant Tower. It’s a wonderful multicultural fantasy epic with shifting lands, political intrigue, and lots of memorable characters.
December 7, 2015 — 8:48 AM
Charley Reid (@TheIndieWriter) says:
“Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn. Quite captivating.
December 7, 2015 — 8:49 AM
21timetraveler says:
I just read The Fire Sermon and thought it was worth a read. The author is Francesca Haig. Dystopian novel that people will undoubtedly compare to the Hunger Games. It’s not. Still enjoyable with an interesting concept.
December 7, 2015 — 8:50 AM
crrichards says:
For those folk who enjoy ghost stories, I’m recommending Duncan Ralston’s Salvage: A Ghost Story.
December 7, 2015 — 8:50 AM
paigevest says:
Last night I finished The Fifth Season, the first installment of N.K. Jemesin’s The Broken Earth trilogy.
It was amazing. And it was written in such a way that I feel compelled to go back and read it again, just to pick up on all of the little tidbits that I missed the first time through.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season
December 7, 2015 — 8:51 AM
Mikey Campling says:
The Time Travel Chronicles – an anthology of time travel books collected by Samuel Peralta. Great value and you’ll find something you enjoy. And no I’m not in it, nor am I affiliated with any of them in any way. Here’s a link: http://amzn.to/1NdAQ76 I hope you enjoy it.
December 7, 2015 — 8:51 AM
Charlotte Copper says:
I just finished MENAGERIE by Rachel Vincent. Think X-men at the circus, but without the clowns and laughter.
December 7, 2015 — 8:52 AM
Barton Carter says:
Seriously, everyone needs to read City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett before the 2nd book in the series comes out! It’s a epic fantasy set in a political thriller, similar to a John LeCarre book. That doesn’t sound exciting, but I promise it delivers. There are lost gods, intrigue, action. It is completely gripping, and nearly impossible to put down. It is seriously one of my favorite books. Like. Ever.
December 7, 2015 — 8:54 AM
Aura Eadon says:
A Slice of Quietude (Woven Myths Book 1) by Sharon Cho
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slice-Quietude-Woven-Myths-Book-ebook/dp/B00WJGSON8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449496519&sr=8-1&keywords=woven+myths
December 7, 2015 — 8:56 AM
Selfmanic says:
http://www.amazon.com/Mages-Daughter-Stone-Series-Volume/dp/1508893020
December 7, 2015 — 8:56 AM
C. M. Chang says:
Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart. I discovered it earlier this year and I’m hooked, plowing through all of the books in this world. Think Shades of Grey with heavy dose of Game of Thrones. Courtesans, spies, an off-kilter Rennaissance world. Read it to understand what the scarlet mote in her eye means and how it marks her for an amazing destiny.
December 7, 2015 — 8:57 AM
drkatharinepope says:
One of my favorites! I’ve read all six. Couldn’t get into the Naamah’s Blessing trilogy, though.
December 7, 2015 — 9:09 AM
shoesalaart says:
A most excellent read the whole way through!
December 7, 2015 — 9:55 PM
tuppybee says:
Can I suggest Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman? Contains nuggets of gold for those in love with the craft of writing.
December 7, 2015 — 8:59 AM
Tammy says:
One of my favorite books of the year is The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson. (Talos) I’m afraid it won’t get enough attention because it’s from a small press, but I can see it being nominated for awards next year. Inventive, magical and surprising.
December 7, 2015 — 9:02 AM
drkatharinepope says:
I really loved “The Secret Life of Violet Grant” by Beatriz Williams. I read the whole thing in about four hours. Delicious.
December 7, 2015 — 9:08 AM
Janet O'Kane says:
My favourite book of the year is In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward. It’s a British crime novel with a Scandinavian feel, and I loved it.
December 7, 2015 — 9:11 AM
Gareth Skarka says:
Large-format hardcover collection of “Bravo For Adventure”, the 1930s pulp-inspired late-period (80s) graphic novel from Alex Toth (the artist behind Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Jonny Quest and other Hanna-Barbera works from the 60s), released by IDW. Absolutely gorgeous work.
December 7, 2015 — 9:15 AM
Glen says:
Space ghooooooooooost! The golden years of Saturday morning cartoons!
December 7, 2015 — 1:31 PM
Regenherz, Philip (@Regen_herz) says:
Maybe not such a secret tip in these circles, but I would recommend the relentlessly lush prose of A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar; read if you are up for a contemplative pace and mood rather than the more conventional, fast-paced plotting of many works of speculative ficiton. This one is special and very dear to my heart. There’s an excerpt available: http://www.tor.com/2013/03/14/a-stranger-in-olondria-excerpt/
December 7, 2015 — 9:16 AM
Lisa says:
I just read the excerpt and it was WOW. Great writing. It’s on my ‘to read’ list. Thanks!!!
December 7, 2015 — 1:05 PM
Jonathan L. Howard (@JonathanLHoward) says:
Back in the ’70s, I read Christopher Lee’s autobiography TALL, DARK, & GRUESOME. This year I read the updated version (covering up to 2003), now retitled LORD OF MISRULE, and it’s probably my favourite read of the year. The sheer span of his experiences, his intelligence, and his self-deprecating humour (including rueful confessions of times when his infamous temper caused him grief) make for compulsive reading.
December 7, 2015 — 9:16 AM
glenavailable says:
The actor served in the British airforce during WW2. The original and still by far the best Dracula there’s ever been!
December 7, 2015 — 1:37 PM
K.M.Lockwood says:
‘Uprooted’ by Naomi Novik. Strongly grounded in Polish folklore, grows from a strange fairytale and blooms into a national myth. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25068467-uprooted
December 7, 2015 — 9:16 AM
Barton Carter says:
Loved this book. Had to put some more Novik in my queue after this one.
December 7, 2015 — 10:23 AM
boundbeautifunk says:
I’m not going to recommend a book, but a style of giving.
You know all those friends you have? The ones who you miss, but adulthood happened and suddenly everyone is too busy to get together?
Get them a book.
The same book.
Then, talk about it. Via email. In person. On Hangouts.
It’s a really nice way of connecting with people you miss, while giving everyone something to talk about beyond, “so… how’s work going?”
Connect with people you love. Connect with people you miss. Give an item, but an opportunity for connection as well.
December 7, 2015 — 9:18 AM
Deborah Leigh says:
I loves me some this idea.
December 7, 2015 — 10:12 AM
glenavailable says:
Reading and connecting via reading is, as they say, an act of humanity.
December 7, 2015 — 1:40 PM
Kylie says:
Loving this idea! I might have to take a sneaky trip to the bookstore again.
December 7, 2015 — 5:27 PM
conniecockrell says:
J.A. Marlow (jamarlow.com) The Stream Weavers. A science fiction, YA book. Good science, aliens, teen girl as the main character. The first book in the series. I recommend it highly and great as a Christmas present.
December 7, 2015 — 9:24 AM
lib404 says:
Anyone who hasn’t yet read Laline Paull’s The Bees should probably correct that mistake. An absolutely superb dystopian tale. Plus, bees!
December 7, 2015 — 9:27 AM
roblaman says:
Great book. I agree.
December 7, 2015 — 9:38 AM
Andrew says:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Olanet by Becky Chambers.
I’m in love with this book. So very in love.
December 7, 2015 — 9:28 AM
waclements says:
I really liked A.M. Dellamonica’s Child of a Hidden Sea. It was an interesting world to get lost in for a while, and the second book is also out (haven’t read it yet). I also like boundbeautifulfunk’s idea–I think that’s pretty cool. 🙂
December 7, 2015 — 9:30 AM
Andreah says:
I just finished and loved The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I highly recommend the audiobook. It’s about a girl (Puck) and a boy (Sean) who enter an annual water horse race for entirely different reasons. They enter despite people dying in the races every year. Sean is the returning champion of the race, and Puck is the first girl to enter the races.
December 7, 2015 — 9:33 AM
Jen says:
I loved this book! I read all of Maggie Stiefvater’s other books because of Scorpio Races (and loved them all just as much!)
December 7, 2015 — 12:00 PM
roblaman says:
I agreed to a recommendation above; hope that doesn’t have to count as my one title. If it does, well, so be it. It’s a good book. But if the forum gods will allow, I’d like to recommend Eleanor by Jason Gurley. It’s beautifully told and is currently transitioning from self-published to being re-issued and distributed by Crown Publishing.
December 7, 2015 — 9:45 AM
Jonathan Danz says:
Experimental Film by Gemma Files. I’m a little over halfway through and the way she creates a sense of unease and foreboding is fantastic.
http://chizinepub.com/books/experimental-film
December 7, 2015 — 9:45 AM
moteridgerider says:
Recently finished Jason Werbeloff’s ‘Obsidian Worlds.’ It’s a speculative sci-fi horror straddling collection of shorts. He’s a relatively new author and sucks you in with his originality, delicious prose and genuinely satisfying endings. Available as e-book from Amazon, B&N etc.
December 7, 2015 — 9:51 AM
SPendleyPaul says:
Adam Corbin Fusco. N0072-JK1 STUDY OF SYNAPTIC RESPONSE OF THE ORGANISM TO SPONTANEOUS STIMULATION OF VULNERABILITY ZONES. PHOTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS.
Short Story in Borderlands 5. (Spoiler Alert – It’s about TICKLING)
It’s the perfect gift because the story itself is unforgettable. This creates the potential scenario where the gift giver is unforgettable, albeit for such a disturbing recommendation.
The rest of the anthology is really cool as well.
December 7, 2015 — 10:01 AM
LindaGHill says:
Catskinner’s Book by Misha Burnett. A science fiction/urban fantasy. Fantastic read – couldn’t put it down.
http://www.amazon.com/Catskinners-Book-Lost-Doors-ebook/dp/B008MPNBNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449500478&sr=8-1&keywords=catskinner%27s+book
December 7, 2015 — 10:04 AM
Deborah Leigh says:
I won a book on Goodreads that was really a delight. Stems from a small press in Canada. Want to send some recommendation love their way. The book is titled EXPULSION & OTHER STORIES by Marina Sonkina. One really good novella and several nice super-short stories. Enjoy. Happy Holidays.
December 7, 2015 — 10:10 AM
Jen says:
The Humans by Matt Haig. An alien imposter is sent to earth to pose as a professor, and as he learns what it means to be human – with all of its oddities and joys – he begins to fall in love with it. This book made me laugh and cry and laugh so hard I cried. Highly recommend.
December 7, 2015 — 10:11 AM
Deborah Leigh says:
Just added this to my Goodreads shelf based on your description, and they’re loving it there too. Sounds fantastic. And…I think I know someone who would like this as a gift.
December 7, 2015 — 10:15 AM
C. B. Matson says:
A Christmas read? Seriously, a Christmas read? Okay, ya gotta go jump into the wayback machine and pick up “A Time of Gifts” by Patrick Leigh Fermor (1977). I think it’s still in print.. nothing to do with gifts, but everything to do with wanderlust, purpose of life, and a vanished era of openness and hospitality.
December 7, 2015 — 10:12 AM
Joe Turner says:
Okay, so it’s not new, it’s not niche, and a lot of people are going to have read it, or seen the film (spoiler: the film was good but the book seriously overshadows it.) But may I recommend V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. I’ve just finished reading it and if it were not for nineteen eighty-four I would consider this the ultimate work on totalitarianism, in fact it’s scary how much of it feels true in today’s society in the UK. Plus they do a gift set on Amazon where you get a Guy Fawkes mask; worth the price alone.
December 7, 2015 — 10:14 AM
Tom Erdman says:
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin was fantastic. If you like fantasy at all, you owe it to yourself to pick it up.
December 7, 2015 — 10:15 AM
Alice E Keyes says:
http://www.amazon.com/Moscow-Affair-Files-Lady-Drummond-ebook/dp/B00PEVYH3Q/ref=la_B00PGAIQ2S_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449499324&sr=1-10
I recommend Moscow Affair by CW Hawes which is a dieselpunk story with a female journalist in communist Russia. It has a Ian fleming flare with spies, lovers, and car chases.
December 7, 2015 — 10:17 AM
Don't Want To Write says:
Crashing Heaven by Al Robertson. It’s main antagonist is a puppet. https://dontwanttowrite.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/crashing-heaven-fistfuls-of-fun/
December 7, 2015 — 10:18 AM
Fred G. Yost says:
Archangel by Marguerite Reed.
There’s great world building, wonderful characters, intergalactic politics, and just a dash of the wild west in space.
If that sounds up your alley you can check out the goodreads / amazon reviews.
My own one line TLDR:
“Entertaining sci-fi with a real female protagonist that builds an amazing setting that excites, delights, and leaves you wanting more.”
December 7, 2015 — 10:26 AM
Jay Arias says:
Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Amazing. This book is the definition of tragedy, loss, and getting up over and over again, even when you’ve been beaten bloody. Sassy protag, incredible world. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
December 7, 2015 — 10:27 AM
Beth C. says:
YES!!
December 7, 2015 — 2:16 PM
Jinxie G says:
Witch Doctor, Vol. 1: Under the Knife. Amazing graphic novel a friend tossed at me a few years ago. Loved it so much I bought the next volume. Here’s the link for this one: http://smile.amazon.com/Witch-Doctor-Vol-Under-Knife/dp/1607064413
December 7, 2015 — 10:30 AM
M.D. Linn says:
Foreign Devils by John Hornor Jacobs (that is, assuming you’d read the first in the series–The Incorruptibles). Loved them both. For: those who would delight in the resultant LOTR-adjacence from a collision of ancient Rome and the Dark Tower (which, itself, was LOTR-inspired).
December 7, 2015 — 10:32 AM
M.A. Kropp says:
Grave Beginnings by R.R. Virdi. Fun urban fantasy with an interesting premise, plus engaging characters. If you like Dresden Files, you will probably like this.
http://www.amazon.com/Grave-Beginnings-Report-Book-ebook/dp/B00HIN97WO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449503288&sr=1-1&keywords=grave+beginnings
December 7, 2015 — 10:48 AM
Bronwen Fleetwood says:
The Merger: A Romantic Comedy of Intergalactic Business Negotiations, Indecipherable Emotions, and Pizza by Sunil Patel is a fabulous little short story. And I do not, as a rule, like short stories. This one is absolutely delightful if you have a wonked out sense of humor. It was free to read online for a while and it’s also available for purchase. I want this one to be expanded to a full novel.
December 7, 2015 — 10:52 AM
Michele Leavitt says:
The River’s Memory, a novel, by Sandra Gail Lambert. Part natural history, part supernatural history, set on the Silver River in North Florida over a period of thousands of years. Predators, prey, animals, humans,and plenty in between. The only thing I can compare it to is Toni Morrison’s Beloved. http://www.amazon.com/Rivers-Memory-Sandra-Gail-Lambert/dp/1940189004
December 7, 2015 — 10:58 AM
Jeff Rutherford says:
Non-fiction book that I just checked out of the library yesterday.
Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future
by Martin Ford
http://www.powells.com/book/rise-of-the-robots-9780465097531/61-0#sthash.VIT3vGVd.dpuf
December 7, 2015 — 10:59 AM
The Daily Assassin (@TDA_Rook) says:
I recommend a good anthology, so that you expose them to a lot of different writers and let them decide which one tickles their fancy.
Something like the Nebula Awards Showcase series
December 7, 2015 — 10:59 AM
theycallmetater says:
Pretty Ugly by Kirker Butler. Funny book about small town beauty pageants.
December 7, 2015 — 11:16 AM
thomaspierson says:
Transmetropolitan vol. 1-5 by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson. Why it’s awesome: Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism delivered by Hunter S. Thompson analogue, Spider Jerusalem. You could make it even better, but ice cream would ruin the pages.
December 7, 2015 — 11:27 AM
Ryan Viergutz says:
Transmet’s gloriously bonkers.
December 7, 2015 — 6:05 PM
A. A. Woods says:
The Scorpion Games, by Erin Bow! I just finished reading it and my head is STILL spinning. It’s a mind-bender of a story in a quick, exciting YA skin. Fun, thoughtful, and will leave you questioning everything.
I did a review of it here (http://blogspot.aawoodswrites.com/2015/12/bonus-monday-book-review-scorpion-rules.html) if you want hear me say more good things about it, but really you should just go and read it, like, RIGHT NOW!
Also, top books I’ve read recently are: The Martian (amazing real-world science fiction that won’t be fiction for much longer), The Lunar Chronicles (last book – Winter – came out in November and it’s AWESOME), and Code Name Verity (a wickedly intelligent war novel that you’ll never see coming).
Can you tell how excited I get about books? 😀
December 7, 2015 — 11:31 AM
Jordan says:
Beware the Wild by Natalie Parker. A lovely YA with magical realism and quandaries about reality and memory. Enjoyed it so much I’m pretty much recommending it to everyone.
December 7, 2015 — 11:31 AM