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.
Rachel says:
I just read Rabbits by Terry Miles and loved it! Mind bending in a very good way. Plus the writing is superb. Grabbed me from the very first page.
November 11, 2024 — 3:41 PM
Justin Tryon says:
“Breakfast of Champions”, also known as “Goodbye, Blue Monday” by Kurt Vonnegut. Although it was written and published the year I was born, the theme’s around the American experience at the time still apply today, with insight and sharp-wit humor aplenty.
November 11, 2024 — 3:59 PM
Victoria Grimalkin says:
Mushroom Blues: the Hoffman Report by Adrian Gibson. This is a fantastic, self-published fusion book; noir, mystery, fantasy, horror and even a little sci-fi. I read it a few months ago, and it’s one of my favorite books from 2024.
November 11, 2024 — 4:22 PM
DONNA BULL says:
The Legend of Black Jack is a delightful fantasy adventure that will totally hit you in the feels!!!
November 11, 2024 — 7:06 PM
Tim C says:
Five Decembers by James Kestrel. A great noir mystery set around World War 2.
November 11, 2024 — 4:53 PM
Antwan Crump says:
“None But The Righteous” by Chantal James is a recent favorite–deep and lyrical Southern gothic. “Rosewater” by Tade Thompson is another great one!
November 11, 2024 — 4:54 PM
Kristi Chadwick says:
John Wiswell’s SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN is a delightful tale of a monster who falls in love!
November 11, 2024 — 4:54 PM
Tony Wedick says:
I would recommend a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, who was awesome and very much missed. His writing is filled with sly, witty characterization with a lot of philosophy slipped in. The trick is to pick which one. Currently I’m re-reading Going Postal, but the Guards series are on the top as well. So many favorites among them.
November 11, 2024 — 4:55 PM
Drew Becker says:
The Michael Saga by Diana Henderson
November 11, 2024 — 4:56 PM
Sarah Mary Nowak says:
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling. It’s about two people guiding each other, tightly connected through a dangerous situation. It was gifted to me and hasn’t left me since reading it.
November 11, 2024 — 5:00 PM
Owen Conlan says:
Mercy of Gods by James SA Corey came out this summer and it hooked me instantly. The aliens are so ALIEN. Good sci-fi mixed with grief and trauma.
November 11, 2024 — 5:00 PM
Lillian Butler says:
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots. The story is about Anna, who is hired by a supervillain as, well, a henchman. Interesting “real world” look at who works for the bad guys—and why.
November 11, 2024 — 5:02 PM
Jeremy Sykes says:
During the first Trump administration I got into apocalypse lit. Regretfully I didn’t find yours until just recently, but I found Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn. Sort of a whodunit apocalypse story. Story takes place 50 years or so after the center falls apart.
November 11, 2024 — 5:05 PM
Vulture Young says:
Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer was a wonderful read.
November 11, 2024 — 5:05 PM
Daniel Diffin says:
Just finished Come Closer by Sarah Gran. I know I’m late to the party, but I thought it was terrific.
November 11, 2024 — 5:11 PM
Sean McGurr says:
NOBODY WALKS by Mick Herron was a fantastic Slow Horses adjacent read.
November 11, 2024 — 5:13 PM
K. Eason says:
Rose/House, Arkady Martine. It’s a novella–cyber AI horror murder mystery, gothic, beautiful prose, unsettling and discomfiting. It was a little like running your hand over velvet and finding a spider–a big, fuzzy spider–and knowing if you hold really still, you can touch the spider and it, too, will be fuzzy and pleasant, as long as you don’t think too long about it.
November 11, 2024 — 5:15 PM
Jennifer S says:
So happy to have so many new recommendations. For those who need some escapism, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss are two that I enjoy reading over again.
November 11, 2024 — 5:18 PM
Chris Wolff says:
I’d recommend Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud. Ballingrud brings an alternative history to life, similar to what he did in The Strange (which is one of my favorite books), and it is just so weird and terrifying in a beautiful way. Great writing and characterization.
November 11, 2024 — 5:20 PM
Galen says:
All The Sinners Bleed by SA Cosby
A former FBI agent, now the first Black Sheriff of a small county in Virginia, tracks a serial killer while dealing with long-buried secrets and the outdated attitudes of people in his hometown.
November 11, 2024 — 5:26 PM
Jen Hill says:
I just finished reading Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne. It’s the final book in the Ink & Sigil trilogy and I highly recommend it. I love the humor as well as the use of inks in magic. It was just a lot of fun. 🙂
November 11, 2024 — 5:32 PM
Heather Salmon says:
I liked “Red Shoes” by Satyros Phil Brucato, it’s not one I see around a lot but it was a fun read, at least for me!
November 11, 2024 — 5:36 PM
Kristie deRuiter says:
Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles was a fever dream I didn’t want to end.
November 11, 2024 — 5:37 PM
Beth says:
Recently reread The Other by Thomas Tryon, still a classic.
November 11, 2024 — 5:38 PM
Cal Rickaby says:
I love recommending books, even without giveaways, but where do I start? Even narrowing down what I read in 2024, I’m torn between a couple of them. (The books didn’t necessarily come out this year though.) I really enjoyed Babel by R.F. Kuang. From the writing style to the time period to the depth of the characters… It broke me, in some ways, and I love a book that does that. I also finally got my hands on The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews, which covered so much about trauma and the desire for family. So I recommend either of those books, and I’m sorry to about 20 other authors whose books I also enjoyed just this year. :’)
November 11, 2024 — 5:42 PM
Diana says:
Hey… first time here. Enjoying immensely the recs and comments. If one can deal with a classic that is earthbound and a collection of short stories, I recommend “Me and My Baby View the Eclipse” by Lee Smith. A series of stories set in the South that reveal – often with a wink – the ordinary and the unique aspects of life there. Short stories are great for a quick fix when time doesn’t allow for much more.
November 11, 2024 — 6:11 PM
Andrea Hansberry says:
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
The premise of this book opened my mind to explore earthly humanity that gets applied to life on a newly discovered star. The characters ( both earthly and non earthly) are some of my all time favorites. Forget your preconceived idea of NASA and little greys. Delightful, fun, serious and sad. Lots of room for thought.
November 11, 2024 — 6:13 PM
Dani Landry says:
American Rapture by CJ Leede was Amazing … and well, sorta timely.
November 11, 2024 — 6:16 PM
Dwan says:
I’ve been thinking of a couple of books lately — Willnot by James Sallis (Lovely, humming prose and characters, less of a plot and more of a meditation.) and Lexicon by Max Barry (Imperfect but I think about the premise of literally weaponized language pretty frequently.) Both a bit older, but still kicking around in the back of the old brainpan, so I thought I’d mention them.
November 11, 2024 — 6:21 PM
Jeremy Vaughan says:
I heartily recommend A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne.
It is the first of a truly epic fantasy trilogy. The final book was just published this year, so you can even binge it!
November 11, 2024 — 6:22 PM
Tammy Mitchell says:
Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo and None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
November 11, 2024 — 6:23 PM
Nicole Jatho says:
First, having a new book list at my disposal is fantastic.
Second, PLEASE if you haven’t read Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, stop reading this comment and go get it! I’m on the 3rd book of the series and it is *chef’skiss*! I’d say it’s hard-ish sci-fi wrapped in everyday language. A fantastic story with some very interesting sociological implications. I can’t wait to start rereading them.
November 11, 2024 — 6:24 PM
Elle says:
Family Business by Jonathan Sims. Starts off with the slow and subtly creepy that builds and builds until it overflows – my favorite kind of unsettling story!
November 11, 2024 — 6:25 PM
Nicole Shelby says:
Celine Jeanjean’s “The Viper and The Urchin” series. #1: The Bloodless Assassin.
It’s an older series, and underappreciated. Quirky misfits in a tropical steampunk setting (sort of Victorian London smashed with Southeast Asia?). I adore the likable idiosyncratic characters. I think the world is marvelous imagined. The plots are entertaining. All around — delightful stories.
November 11, 2024 — 6:39 PM
Adam says:
Hi! I’ll recommend both of the last two books I read – one is essentially a classic now and the other by a new author. Both were five-star reads for me. The Shining by Stephen King and Cursed by Leigh Kenny. Dick Halloran in the Shining is probably one of my favorite characters in a book. Cursed is a fast read that reminded me a lot of The Grudge or the ring. Just a fun, creepy short book.
November 11, 2024 — 6:42 PM
Jeff Ringiesn says:
I just started Not A Speck Of Light by Laird Barron this week and I absolutely love it. Such a dark and haunting collection of weird fiction!
November 11, 2024 — 6:45 PM
Mike DeGeorge says:
The Sin in the Steel by Ryan Van Loan. Pirates and steampunk and adventure and backstabbing and all that fun stuff
November 11, 2024 — 6:52 PM
renée tam says:
I have two book recommendations, but I want to say I just found you on Bluesky and I followed you!!!! Yay me. Ok, books…. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons and Little Heaven by Nick Cutter. Keep writing and I’ll keep reading!!!
November 11, 2024 — 7:19 PM
David Birney says:
With things like they are now I have to go with Travis Baldree. His cozy little fantasy novels are just the break I need.
November 11, 2024 — 7:20 PM
P Armstrong says:
My recommendation is the Bone Mother by Canadian author Dave Demchuck. It’s a collection of interconnected short horror stories and a fantastic read.
November 11, 2024 — 7:23 PM
Emmy says:
I recommend The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. I have almost nothing in common with the author but something about her journey spoke to me so much I’ve read it three times.
November 11, 2024 — 7:27 PM
Debra W says:
A book I first read many, many years ago but still love – The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser
On the eve of her wedding in 1978, Shay Garrett peers into the antique mirror in her family’s longtime home and falls unconscious only to wake in the body of her own grandmother Brandy on the eve of her wedding—in 1900. The virginal Brandy, in turn, awakes in Shay’s body to discover herself pregnant. What follows is a fascinating look at how two women—and their families—cope with this strange situation.
November 11, 2024 — 7:48 PM
Rob Gavin says:
Darn autocorrect. Klune, not Kline.
November 11, 2024 — 7:54 PM
Lawrence Charters says:
I am not a fantasy fan, nor am I a romance fan, nor am I — ah, forget the disclaimer: “Fourth Wing,” by Rebecca Yarros, involves dragons, sex, secret conspiracies, ultimate evil, magic, but no mention of golf.
November 11, 2024 — 8:14 PM
Philly Iglehart says:
I can’t win (I live in the UK), but I want to play anyway! I recommend ‘Black Heat’ by Bex Hogan. Looking for an excellent revenge tale? Tick. Strong female protagonists? Tick. Politics and intrigue? Tick. A female blacksmith? Tick. Loved this book!
November 11, 2024 — 8:35 PM
Keila Faine says:
My Darling, My Hamburger by Paul Zindel
November 11, 2024 — 8:35 PM
Keith P. Chartier says:
Book recommendation: THE QUEEN by Nick Cutter. Boy oh boy, that opening sequence is nightmare inducing. Love the gore. Love the over-the-type writng style.
November 11, 2024 — 10:20 PM
Pattie O'Donnell says:
The Goblin Emperor is lovely escapist fantasy fraturing a truly likable protagonist.The North Woods is a magical realist jaunt through 300 years of history in a house in the wilds of western Massachusetts. And for horror, A Short Stay in Hell will stick with you long after you finish it.
November 11, 2024 — 10:21 PM
Sarah Thomas says:
Just one? Fine. Shade’s Children by Garth Nix Though just about anything from him is amazing. The world building and how real the characters are makes it so easy to get lost in his books for hours on end.
November 11, 2024 — 10:45 PM
Tyler says:
“House of Leaves” by Mark Danielewski. It’s a disorienting story within a story about a documentary that may not exist about a house that measures longer on the inside than it does on the outside, and what happens after the hallway appears. It’s unique and gripping psychological horror with tinges of Lovecraftian wtf-ery.
November 11, 2024 — 10:53 PM
Pat W says:
I love a book with a narrative that doesn’t just tell you about a time and place, but makes you feel it in your bones and gives you an otherworldly experience. Since I think it would be enjoyed by fellow Chuck Wendig fans, I recommend “The Reformatory” by Tananarive Due.
1950s deep-south-segregated Florida is frightening enough. But there is hope and beauty to be found in the spiritual, and Due’s expressions of the horrors in the real world make the reader feel like they are fully immersed in this borderland between both realms.
November 11, 2024 — 11:11 PM