So, I’m not averse to a little retail therapy, as the saying goes, and given the week that just transpired, I decided to do exactly that. And it’s pretty standard that my kind of retail therapy is, well, books. Books comfort me. I like to be surrounded by them. Obviously, I also like to read them because, that’s the point. (Except when they’re just there in a tower, an obesisk of unread books, serving as a totem to whatever STORY GOD you worship.)
And I thought, hey, maybe you want some books, too. It won’t fix anything, not out there, not in the world. But maybe books fix a little something inside ourselves. One brick returned to a crumbling wall.
As such, hey, I’mma give some books away.
See, I have an ARC (advanced reader’s copy) of The Staircase in the Woods and I’d sure like to send it to one of you.
And I’ll send some other books, too. Whatever I have lying around. Might be some random stuff — I’ll definitely throw in a copy of Gentle Writing Advice and You Can Do Anything, Magic Skeleton, but also some other fictiony bits too. Not sure what I’ve got on the shelves but expect a box of books to come your way if you win.
I’ll sign ’em! Personalize ’em too if you want.
The way to enter is easy: just go into the comments below, and leave a comment with a book recommendation. You must leave the title and author name, at least. You’re free, but not required, to also leave more of a comment as to why you liked it or whatever. It’ll be nice to share the book love.
Share some book love, maybe get some books.
I pay shipping, you pay nothing.
Caveat here is, it’s open to US folks only. I know, I want to do international, but the shipping is high, and the chance to lose a package is also higher than domestic, and that would be sad for everyone. So, US only, I’m afraid.
I’ll run this till Friday, November 15th, 9AM EST. I’ll pick a winner randomly, and will send the books out in the following week.
Sound fair?
COOL.
All right. You know the drill. Get to the comments. Leave a book recommendation (title, author), you might get some cool books (including Staircase!) from yours truly.
Okay bye.
Jan says:
Anything by Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block. It’s the writers’ humor that runs through their stories that entertain me. I know they are kind of old school, but they age well. Dean Koontz has been a favorite. I seem to remember authors more than their individual stories. Their style and personalities shine, like a friend telling me a tale, and I beg tell me another one, please. Robert Crais, Christopher Moore, and Lee Goldberg are stand outs also. So, so many books I love them all.
November 9, 2024 — 2:03 PM
Jan says:
Well, one book does stand out. True Fiction, by Lee Goldberg. He writes cinematically.
An action-adventure novelist writing about an action-adventure novelist, who becomes a real action-adventure hero. Fun for any writers. And we always need heroes.
November 9, 2024 — 3:00 PM
Jen H. says:
A book I enjoyed this year is Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei. It’s weird and wonderful sci-fi with a dash of scary and the main characters have a lovely found family dynamic.
November 9, 2024 — 3:18 PM
Lee Goldberg says:
Thank you so much, Jan!
November 9, 2024 — 7:06 PM
Stacy Schwartz says:
Yesssss to all Christopher Moore!!
November 9, 2024 — 7:55 PM
Linda Kujaca says:
One of my favorite recent reads was Whalefall by Daniel Kraus. Wild ride, that one.
November 9, 2024 — 2:04 PM
Ruth Simon says:
I finished reading “American Midnight” by Eric Hochchild just before the election. It’s about Woodrow Wilson’s presidency and the nativist, anti-union actions his administration took.
It infuriated me because the bigots were so powerful. And frustrated me that we’re still doing the same things.
But, it was also heartening in a way because his Cabinet was over the top but the country didn’t topple. Eventually, the tides turned.
November 9, 2024 — 2:06 PM
Jonathan W. Rose says:
In fantasy reading, I finally finished “Little, Big” by John Crowley, a literally enchanting read.
On the subject of science fiction, you can’t go wrong with “The Kaiju Preservation Society” by John Scalzi for a fun, engrossing read.
For non-fiction, I suggest “Otherlands, A Journey Through Earth’s Extinct Worlds,” by Thomas Halliday, an imaginative journey into Deep Time that I found fascinating.
November 9, 2024 — 2:06 PM
Jim Argendeli says:
One novel not mentioned that much on genre message boards is PRINCE OMBRA by Roderick MacLeish. I would classify it as a modern day horror/fantasy/supernatural novel. No elves, barbarians, or traditional fantasy creatures. In fact not fantasy tropes at all.Try to find the early original release since (I believe) the later printings may have been edited. Well worth your reading time.
November 9, 2024 — 2:07 PM
Aileen says:
Seconded. I have this book. It is so good. I re-read it periodically and I think it’s past time to read it again.
November 9, 2024 — 6:58 PM
AlisaH says:
It’s a preorder, but I’m going to recommend it anyway. Seems fitting in these times. Dust by Alison Stine. What happens when there’s a 2nd dust bowl. From the Blurb:
After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends—all due to her parents’ fear of the outside world’s dangerous influence.
November 9, 2024 — 2:07 PM
Stephen Rodge says:
The house in the cerulean sea by tj klune. Its such a lovely, heartwarming journey of two men falling in love, as well as one of those men realizing by opening up and finding what he is missing and there is more to life than what he previously thought.
A second recommendation is Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. A super fun YA about a girl in a magic theater which has all the worlds plays trying to figure out who she is along with friends of hers who happen to be fairies from A Midsummer Nights Dream.
November 9, 2024 — 2:07 PM
Jude L Bell says:
I’m recommending Murakami’s Kafka by the Shore, because I love how in his books the spiritual world and the “real” world interpenetrate.
November 9, 2024 — 2:07 PM
Vickie L. DiSanto says:
Lately I’ve been buying and reading banned books – some older, some newer, all age groups. One of the best is “The Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley.
November 9, 2024 — 2:08 PM
Noah Scheibmeir says:
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende! One of the best books ever written, and – especially if you’ve only experienced it through the movie adaptation – so much more than you could ever expect it to be.
November 9, 2024 — 2:14 PM
Sarah says:
Hey Chuck. I just wanted to say how much your emails have meant to me the past few days. I’m having a terrible time of it. I keep trying to add to this but really there aren’t any words.
I’d like to recommend Never Whistle at Night edited by Shane Hawk. It’s a collection of indigenous dark fiction that I found to be absolutely outstanding. Not only were there some familiar voices like Rebecca Roanhorse and Morgan Talty, but mostly there were up and coming voices the book was meant to promote. The stories ranged from the literary to dark fantasy to straight up horror but I found something to appreciate in each of them.
Shane also announced that a second book is in the works and I’m excited for that one too.
November 9, 2024 — 2:14 PM
Christopher Nelson says:
I’ll recommend Fever House by Keith Rosson. Full-tilt boogie horror that twists its way right into your brain.
November 9, 2024 — 2:18 PM
Jessica Zellman says:
I just read The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning and did not want to put it down. It’s a southern gothic novel. WARNING: It’s the first in a trilogy and ends of a cliffhanger.
If you’re in the mood for dystopian, Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack is an amazing example of character voice and how it can change. I’ve read it three times, but it gives me anxiety, so not reading it again any time soon. If you want your heart broken by fiction, this is the one.
Back to fantasy, anything by Alix E. Harrow, but especially The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a great story to escape into.
November 9, 2024 — 2:18 PM
momdude says:
I suspect you’ve read it because it was a Hugo nominee a couple years back, but Light From Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki is the best thing I’ve read in a while (except for “Wanderers”)
November 9, 2024 — 2:19 PM
Cole Anderson says:
The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig. The concept meant a lot to me because I’m always wondering what would’ve been if I had made a different choice or went down a different path. I recommend this one for anyone who’s in a place of uncertainty or just looking for a short interesting read!
November 9, 2024 — 2:20 PM
Dana Norberg says:
One book I enjoyed this year was “Memories of the Lost” by Barbara O’Neal. I enjoyed the idea of a long forgotten memory being triggered by a random painting at an art show, then the journey to discover where that memory came from.
November 9, 2024 — 2:21 PM
Abigail Gossett says:
The Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman has been the perfect escapism series and I have flown through the first two books.
November 9, 2024 — 2:21 PM
Sara Myers says:
Least Likely Suspect by Jessie Rose. My favorite psychological thriller of the year and the best I have read in a very, very long time! Their book Atomic Love is also fantastic!
November 9, 2024 — 2:24 PM
Brandon Cockrell says:
I hope not everyone has read this one already. I’m going to recommend Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts. This book is ACTUALLY scary, and it’s got a wild premise. A haunted dog? Yes please…
November 9, 2024 — 2:26 PM
Veyska says:
This is by no means one of my favorite-ist books (it’s a little rough around the edges, conceptually, compared to the later books in the same Elemental Masters setting/series but over in the UK), but when I was just staring blankly at the screen on Wednesday I wanted a quick self-contained comfort read I hadn’t read recently and went and nabbed The Fire Rose, by Mercedes Lackey, and plowed through all four hundred pages in under four hours. Came out the other end still bleh, but functional and feeling like I could actually *do* something with what little was left of that day.
November 9, 2024 — 2:27 PM
Victoria Custode says:
I’m just going to recommend all the books I’ve rated 5 stars this year.
Classic Literature:
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Fantasy:
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (and all the books thus far in the series)
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (and all the books thus far in the series)
Memories of Ice by Steven Erickson (this is book 3 in the series, so you’ll have to read two others for it to make sense)
Southern with Magic:
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (and pretty much everything she’s written)
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
Mystery:
End of Story by AJ Finn
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Devil’s Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Horror:
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
November 9, 2024 — 2:28 PM
Karen Eisenbrey says:
Dawn Calamity by Amanda Cherry. Undercover princess on a doomed airship mission with her queer crush–what’s not to like?
November 9, 2024 — 2:29 PM
Adam Stafford says:
I’m in the middle of, and enjoying, the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
November 9, 2024 — 2:30 PM
M. Elizabeth Ticknor says:
Nonfiction recommendation is “Born Both: An Intersex Life,” by Hida Viloria. (I’m nonbinary/genderfluid, not intersex, but this book is part of what led me to realizing that simply because there’s a certain amount of gender fluidity in the way Hida explores things.)
November 9, 2024 — 2:31 PM
Melody Hale says:
I’m rereading one of my favorite writers, Lois McMaster Bujold. All the Vorkosigan books are great, but my personal fave is “The Vor Game.” My absolute favorite of all her books is “The Curse of Chalion.” Her characters are so vivid, so flawed, so human, yet the best of them strive for the best in themselves and their worlds. A needed concept in These Trying Times.
November 9, 2024 — 2:43 PM
Joe Houghtaling says:
If you like hard-boiled detective novels, Dashiell Hammet was the master. I like all of them, Red Harvest and Maltese Falcon are faves.
November 9, 2024 — 2:31 PM
Betsy says:
Joe, I had the amazing experience of teaching RED HARVEST many years ago…thanks for reminding me of my love for Hammett.
November 10, 2024 — 10:02 AM
Amy Gettinger says:
Jana DeLeon — Swamp Spies
November 9, 2024 — 2:32 PM
Jessica Polling says:
I have so many recommendations!
DFZ series & Nice Dragon series by Rachel Aaron. The world-building is unique and her characters are well-written, and they are books that just make you feel good.
The Bone Houses, The Wild Huntress, and The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd Jones. Great stand alone fantasy books with a quirky fairy-tale feel.
ANYTHING by Nnedi Okorafor
Skinwalker series by Faith Hunter (give it a couple books). The world-building is great. Different take on vampires. Her characters are STRONG. It is a completed series that sucks you in. (Excellent audible narrator)
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch (the audio narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-smith is fucking wonderful). Give it a couple books to get going.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang is absolute FIRE. Literally.
The results of this election are staggering. I’m still numb. Books make things better. I’ve listed books which also have good narrators in case reading is too overwhelming for neurodivergent brains like mine that can’t shut up and have trouble concentrating due to all the fascist squirrels running about.
November 9, 2024 — 2:34 PM
Xander Bennett says:
Enjoying the Tinfoil Dossier series by Caitlin Kiernan. The first one is pure Delta Green-style modern Cthulhu Mythos, the second is a bizarre, time-jumping character study, and the third is kind of a mix of the first two styles.
November 9, 2024 — 2:35 PM
Suzanne Lucero says:
As much as I know you like horror, right now I’m into comfort reading so Imma gonna recommend my current Comfort Read. It is: The Library at the Edge of the World, by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Felicity is an Irish actor and writer of novels, memoirs, plays, and tv scripts.
This novel weaves stories of the inhabitants of an imaginary penninsula on the west coast of Ireland in with the very 21st century problems of rural areas being overlooked, or simply ignored, by greedy officials wishing to modernize one or two towns and grab money from the profitable tourist industry. A group of wonderfully drawn characters, threatened with disenfranchisement and lead by the local Lissbeg librarian, Hanna Casey, band together and find a way to not only foil the nefarious plan, but bring prosperity to the whole penninsula.
Books and authors are liberally sprinkled throughout this story, so in a way, I am giving more than one recommendation with this entry. Read them all, if you haven’t already, and FIGHT FOR YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES!
November 9, 2024 — 2:35 PM
Roswita Hildebrandt says:
I highly recommend anything by Christopher Golden, as well as Ilona Andrews.
November 9, 2024 — 2:36 PM
Alexander Hansen says:
Hi Chuck! The book I recommend is one I recently read with my middle school son: “Impossible Creatures” by Katherine Rundell. A fantastical world, worthy of a read from both child or adult. Definitely a great escape right now.
November 9, 2024 — 2:36 PM
Sandra Kashmar says:
Staircase, for sure. And any others. Bday present to my 33-year-old daughter last December was the best ever, Magic Skeleton!!!Was perfect!!
November 9, 2024 — 2:38 PM
Rich Rennicks says:
Currently turning to Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes for fantastical comfort reading. But always recommending Irish author Sara Baume’s Handiwork, a sublime and hard-to-categorize meditation/memoir on art & life.
November 9, 2024 — 2:39 PM
Vanessa Cockrell says:
My book recommendation would be “Keep it in the Family” by John Marrs – very good domestic thriller by an amazing author!
November 9, 2024 — 2:39 PM
Johnathan Rummage says:
The City We Became and The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin
Fantastic love letters to NYC, absolute poetry, and a tale of strife, perseverance, and victory in impossible times.
November 9, 2024 — 2:41 PM
Brandon Cockrell says:
second attempt. Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts, it’s so SCARY, and a great read. It has a very unique premise, a haunted dog. Hope you enjoy.
November 9, 2024 — 2:42 PM
Laura Andrews says:
:Hugsyou: Thanks for the giveaway 🙂 Have you ever read Elizabeth Knox? She’s an under-rated New Zealand author. Daylight and Wake are stories about vampires that are almost entirely off the page, leaving readers uneasy and grasping for connection in a good way. Daylight has a luscious slow build with beautiful description.
November 9, 2024 — 2:42 PM
Grace Aguila says:
Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood. I love that it’s mainly conversations between the two main characters that tells the story. I’ve listened to it at least 20 times and I cry at the end each time I allow myself to listen to it. I’m not always up for it. I don’t want the conversation to end.
November 9, 2024 — 2:44 PM
Stephanie says:
The 10,000 Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow struck a chord with me. It’s beautifully written and one of my top favorites of the last five years
November 9, 2024 — 2:44 PM
Nate says:
Appreciate this giveaway, Chuck! I’m currently enjoying William Shirer’s Rise and Fall of the Third Reich… interesting reading!
November 9, 2024 — 2:44 PM
Laura says:
Oooh … I’m keeping my eye on these comments! I definitely could use more books for my wall. Here’s my latest infatuation: The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Excellent and absorbing. It’s a novel within a novel and it kept me up at night.
Thank you for your words. Please keep writing and sharing. We need you.
November 9, 2024 — 2:44 PM
Victoria says:
The Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. Love the world building and Loiosh and Rocsa
November 9, 2024 — 2:45 PM
Robyn L Russell says:
My book recommendation: “Ten Thousand Stitches” by Olivia Atwater. Thumbnail summary: Cinderella turns labor organizer in this twist on the original fairy tale. An inspiring tale for our times.
November 9, 2024 — 2:47 PM
Nathan Andrew says:
When it comes to recommendations, what first leaps to mind is always the Species Imperative trilogy (Survival, Migration, & Regeneration) by Julie Czerneda. She wrote them in the early part of this century (it’s bananas that I can describe something that way; just sayin’), but they still apparently languish in obscurity. They’re SF books, rather than horror, but they do delve into the horrific. Also, since the author is a biologist, that’s the scientific focus – rather unusual for the genre. The main characters are middle-aged women, and fully-realized ones, at that – also unusual! As far as I’m concerned, this trilogy deserves to be as celebrated as any of the great SFF classics. And I don’t say that lightly. It’s that good.
November 9, 2024 — 3:12 PM
Lee says:
I adored The Change by Kirsten Miller. Beautiful prose, riveting story, and a dose of empowerment for middle-aged women everywhere. Highly recommend.
November 9, 2024 — 2:48 PM
Gretchen says:
Well it’s not a single book, but a series of 14 novels: The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It’s an incredible fantasy journey; Jordan is a master of world-building, weaving in multiple points of view in each book. I’m re-reading the series right now. It’s one of my absolute favorites, and I hope it will be one of yours too.
November 9, 2024 — 2:50 PM
Vanessa Cockrell says:
My recommendation is “Keep It In the Family” by John Marrs – a great domestic thriller by an amazing author! It was hard to decide which of his books to recommend because they are all so great.
November 9, 2024 — 2:52 PM
Citrus says:
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is the most recent book I read. I decided to read it before watching the movie. It was really sweet and heartfelt and Roz the robot was so easy to love as the main character. I plan on reading the other two books in the series by the end of the year.
November 9, 2024 — 2:53 PM
George Woodruff says:
Without having finished it yet, my first rec would be House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias. After this past week, this was a perfect match to how I feel.
November 9, 2024 — 2:53 PM
Sheri Beyrau says:
Poster Girl by Veronic Roth
November 9, 2024 — 2:55 PM
Casbin says:
Kira Jane Buxton’s Hollow Kingdom was a fantastic twist on a zombie story.
November 9, 2024 — 2:56 PM