Innkeeper Chronicles

Available on tapas!!

They made it into a comic!!!

It's my favorite authors!!!!

In comic form!!!!!

Check it out!!!!!!

🌈 Queer Books Out December 2023 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose 🧡 Heartstopper #5 by Alice Oseman 💛 This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede 💚 All The Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows 💙 Vampires of Eden: Book One by Karla Nikole 💜 Not My Type by Joe Satoria ❤️ Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck 🧡 Eternal Embrace by Luna Lawson 💛 A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford 💙 Tomb of Heart and Shadow by Cara N. Delaney 💜 Through the Embers Volume 2 by Adriana Sargent 🌈 Lucero by Maya Motayne

❤️ The Poison Paradox by Hadley Field & Felix Green 🧡 Second Chances in New Port Stephen: A Novel by TJ Alexander 💛 Matrimonial Merriment by Nicky James 💚 Under the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Ramsden 💙 Every Beat of Her Heart by KC Richardson 💜 The Memories of Marlie Rose by Morgan Lee Miller ❤️ Playing with Matches by Georgia Beers 🧡 Always Only You by Chloe Liese 💛 Fire in the Sky by Radclyffe and Julie Cannon 💙 Nuclear Sunrise by Jo Carthage 💜 The Naked Dancer by Emme C. Taylor 🌈 Resurrections by Ada Hoffmann

❤️ Destiny’s Women by Morgan Elliott 🧡 Framed by Kate Merrill 💛 The Spoil of Beasts by Gregory Ashe 💚 Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert 💙 A Cynic’s Christmas Conundrum by L.M. Bennett 💜 Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn ❤️ One Swipe Away by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue 🧡 The Gentlemen’s Club by A.V. Shener 💛 A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold 💙 Secrets of the Soul by Holly Oliver 💜 Like They Do in the Movies by Nan Campbell 🌈 Limelight by Gun Brooke

❤️ Heart First by S.B. Barnes 🧡 Grave Consequences by Sandra Barret 💛 Haunted by Myth by Barbara Ann Wright 💚 Invisible by Anna Larner 💙 The Murders at Sugar Mill Farm by Ronica Black 💜 Coasting and Crashing by Ana Hartnett ❤️ Fairest by K.S. Trenten 🧡 A City of Abundant Opportunity by Howard Leonard 💛 The Dark Side of MIdnight by Erin Wade 💙 Mending Bones by Merlina Garance 💜 Transform by Connal Braginsky & Sean Ian O’Meidhir 🌈 The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill

❤️ TruLove by Nicole Pyland 🧡 Structural Support by Sloan Spencer 💛 Whiskey War by Stacy Lynn Miller 💚 Overkill by Lou Wilham 💙 Heart of Outcasts by Nicole Silver 💜 In the Shadow of Victory by J. E. Leak ❤️ Just Like Her by Fiona Zedde 🧡 Gingerbread: Claus For Christmas by Miski Harris 💛 Lies are Forever by C. Jean Downer 💙 The Boys in the Club by M.T. Pope 💜 Lasting Light (Metal & Magic) by Michelle Frost 🌈 Tell No Tales by Edie Montreux

❤️ Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 🧡 Even Though We're Adults Vol. 7 by Takako Shimura 💛 The Accidental Bite by Michelle St. Wolf 💚 Mated to the Demons by Taylor Schafer 💙 Someday Away by Sara Elisabeth 💜 Gatherdawn Luminia Duet Volume 1 by Lee Colgin ❤️ Curse of Dawn by Richard Amos 🧡 Healing the Twin by Nora Phoenix 💛 Ride Me by KD Ellis 💙 How to Bang a Vampire by Joe Satoria 💜 Cthulhu for Christmas by Meghan Maslow 🌈 Prestige by Toni Reeb

❤️ Don't Look Down by Jessica Ann 🧡 Winter and the Wolves by Chris Storm and Kinkaid Knight 💛 Hat Trick by Ajay Daniel 💚 Starborn Husbands: Return to the Pleiades by S. Legend 💙 Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume by Vawn Cassidy 💜 Practice for Toby by Amy Bellows ❤️ The Siren's Song by Crista Crown 🧡 Hers to Hunt K.J. Devoir

September 2022 Reads

Swordheart - T. Kingfisher

Ten Thousand Stitches - Olivia Atwater

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance - For Meadows

Kismet - Lauren Blakely

The Sweetest Connection - Denise Williams

Do You Take This Man - Denise Williams

How to Love Your Neighbor - Sophie Sullivan

Lucy on the Wild Side - Kerry Rea

The Holiday Trap - Roan Parrish

The Most Likely Club - Elyssa Friesland

Nothing More to Tell - Karen M. McManus

How to Survive Your Murder - Danielle Valentine

Vengeful - V.E. Schwab

All of Us Villains - Amanda Foody

Babel - R.F. Kuang

Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Just by Looking at Him - Ryan O’Connell

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Joan Aiken

Striking Distance - Sarah Rees Brennan

Fence Vol 1 - C.S. Pacat

Fence Vol 2 - C.S. Pacat

Fence Vol 3 - C.S. Pacat

Hark! A Vagrant - Kate Beaton

Step Aside, Pops - Kate Beaton

Sweaterweather - Sara Varon

Spinning - Tillie Walden

Lore Olympus - Rachel Smythe

If You Find a Unicorn, It is Not Yours to Keep - DJ Corchin

Coven - Jennifer Dugan

Unretouchable - Sofia Szamosi

American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang

Fun Home - Alison Bechdel

And Now I Spill the Family Secrets - Margaret Kimball

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You - Matthew Inman

When Life Gives You Pears - Jeannie Gaffigan

Nine Nasty Words - John McWhorter

Resilient - Rick Hanson

Ask Me About My Uterus - Abby Norman

That Sounds So Good - Carla Lalli Music

Unbelievably Vegan - Charity Morgan

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

Lots of really decent reads this month, but the standout is once again Olivia Atwater. I think I enjoyed Ten Thousand Stitches even more than Half a Soul. Just delightful. 

I also read a bunch of graphic novels while I was recovering from surgery and finally got around to reading some that have been on my TBR forever. 

Goodreads Goal: 311/350

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads |

2022 Reads

can you recommend for me your favorite contemporary romance tropes?

something other than enemies and friends to lovers

An immediate (and aggressive) proposition: This one overlaps with my favorite HR tropes and probably has something to do with the first romances I read being Harlequins, which have pretty regimented structures. A part of it is the hero and heroine having to meet fairly early on (they quantified it in some way but I don't remember), and a lot of times it means someone's hitting on someone fairly early on as well.

Books with this trope: Minx by Sophie Lark, Priest by Sierra Simone, as questionable as it might be, I do think American Queen by Sierra Simone counts twice over, The Affair by Giana Darling, Dirty Devil by Jackie Ashenden, Just One More Night by Caitlin Crews, Black Tie Billionaire by Naima Simone

Age-gaps: Either way goes, I'm a fan.

Books with this trope: The Don by Katrina Jackson, Grading Curves by Naima Simone, Desperate Measures by Katee Robert, Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield, Mercy by Sara Cate

A subtrope I like within this is Ex's dad. Books with this trope include Praise by Sara Cate, Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli, and Your Dad Will Do by Katee Robert, Tempt by Melanie Harlow

Marriage on the rocks: Or even when they're married but are redefining their marriage in some way, but I'm a sucker for marriage couple angst.

Books with this trope: Hard Way by Katie Porter, Give Me More by Sara Cate, The Professional by Kresley Cole, Enslaved Duet by Giana Darling

Workplace relationships: One of those tropes I like in theory but very few romance novels with workplace relationships hit where I want them to (ex: I like corporate settings but I'm not interested in whatever The Hating Game has going on). Also at this stage of my life, I cannot read boss/intern romances specifically 😂

Books with this trope: Bad Boss by Jackie Ashenden, Reel by Kennedy Ryan, Rock Hard by Nalini Singh, Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Stern Brunch Daddies: Not necessarily indicative of age; more of a vibe.

Books with this trope: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (Zafir), The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert (Rahul), Father of the Bride by Chloe Maine (Daniel)

Marriage of (In?)Convenience: Again, it's the Harlequin lover in me that really enjoyed reading uber convoluted ways for people to marry asap in the modern era, and not necessarily be happy about it at first.

Books with this trope: Lush Money by Angelina M Lopez, Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey, The Wedding Night They Never Had by Jackie Ashenden, Claimed in the Italian’s Castle by Caitlin Crews, Vows in Name Only by Naima Simone, What Was Meant To Be by Heather Guerre

Second chance romance: Especially when they show back up again super butthurt for whatever reason and are vehemently like "I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN ANYONE", possibly with an example as to what gets them off specifically

Books with this trope: All The King's Men duet by Kennedy Ryan, Ruthless trilogy by Roxy Sloane, a host of Harlequins I can't quite remember atm

about the writer meme. 1, 8 and 13 :)

(also i love your writing i hope you have a great evening)

1. of the fic you’ve written, which are you most proud of?

Okay so. Tbh, really, all the latest fics I've written!! I hold my Vargas stuff dear to my heart 💓💓 I do have some favourites though - that would probably be Nucléaire, Don't tell me, Engagement des combats and A gap between the coffee table and the couch (honourable mention: Show and tell wink wonk). And OUT of Vargas, I think that'd be The sea goes to sleep and Jonah Junior And The Process Of Gradually Scaring Peter Lukas. ALSO a continuation of one of Flurby's fics (which I will not name here for I have it posted in. Anonymous.). Dear god while looking through my ao3 to reply I stumbled upon fics which I had completely forgotten about. I don't even remember what they're about and I DON'T plan on finding out!!

8. is there a character you love writing for the most? the least? why?

Okay lately it has been. Lucien. But I think that shows. Marc as well. My deranged blorbos. There's also Kate who is blorbo from my other obscure novel. Oh also I love writing the characters from tap. And a character I love writing the least... Well that'll be Mathias (I'm mainly talking about Vargas but thats because it's what I've been writing. For months on end. Send help) and well, I don't really DISLIKE writing him it's just. Sighs. It's hard. That man is a mystery.

13. who are your favorite writers?

Ohhh my god. WELL NOW first that depends on if we're talking about published writers or fanfic authors. I'll do both bc why not (this ask is starting to get very long huh)

Published writers:

Fred Vargas (NO SHIT SHERLOCK), I've been reading Camus nonstop for like three weeks so count him in, I've been really into Daniel Pennac, Maïakovski, Terry Pratchett, Ray Bradbury, many others I'm probably forgetting.

Fic writers:

The Vargas server (wink wonk) which is full of amazingly talented people, Magicalghost96 my good friend Flurby who writes insanely good and long fics, god I'm too tired for this. My braincells are shutting down, SO I'LL JUST SAY: every member of the Library server, anyone who has ever written tap content cause I owe you my life. This reply is already way too long I shall not add on.

Writer ask game!!

hi imane! hope you are doing okay! i sent this ask cause i was wondering what books you've read recently and also because i'm in a bit of a slump myself and need some ideas haha ^^ so if you don't mind i'd love to know what you've been reading these days! thank you!

hi babe <3 i sound like a broken record but the foolproof books i found to get people (including myself) out of slump is reading kate daniels by ilona andrews ajrgssofij that's not what u asked tho so let me rank my current reads from most to least effective as inspiration:

nettle and bone by t. kingfisher: standalone fantasy novel about a sister going on a quest to save her sister from her evil husband it sounds very formulaic but it has a lot of things going on for it that sets it apart from most books i've read :) if there's such a thing as grim dark fantasy i'd call this a grim light fantasy! perfect book for fall imo

acceptance by jeff vandermeer: well it's the 3rd book in the trilogy but i cannot recommend annihilation (1st book in the southern reach trilogy) enough if you love a good weird disorienting sci-fi book with strong creepy undercurrents. annihilation is short and impactful!

shadows of self by brandon sanderson: another book in a series lmao but since it's part of the wider mistborn series let me suggest the final empire, she's a bit thick but she's really exciting and accessible as far as high fantasy is concerned

if u want a list of books that i think are good to get u out of a slump let me know <3 have a great day :)

For the writing asks:

💞 💫 🎀 (if you wanna!)

I always wanna! Even though I might pretend I theatrically perish at having to compliment myself gfhdjs it's mostly just for the bit! (The rest is bad awareness of myself so I gotta think hard lmao)

🎀 give yourself a compliment about your own writing

Okay compliment number 2, let's go fghdsj

I really really like my dialogue! It's often the first thing that I have for a scene, because I think in words more than visuals, and then I craft a scene around it to make it all as emotionally devastating as possible! Seems to work well enough, with an eye towards the comments I get hehe <3

💫 what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

Answered here, but I can also say that I really just reread comments an insane amount. It's a bit of a shame they're all very scattered - some in tumblr tags, some in asks, some on ao3, some on discord - but that just makes it rewarding no matter where I look! Especially recently with that creative slump I've been rereading my own stuff and the reactions it got to remind myself why it's fun and a good thing, so I'm really really glad the dca fandom is just so generous with feedback! <3

💞 what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

Also mentioned a bit already in that other ask, but there's more! These also translate to what turns me away from a story if I don't feel like they were considered to a satisfying degree, because yeah that's. That's what's important to me!

So another point is not exactly worldbuilding, because I do admittedly not worldbuild a lot. But it's about how what is there is treated, and integrated, and if it feels like there's info missing! My willingness to suspend my disbelief is unparalleled, as long as what is given within the fic makes sense. I don't need excessive detail as long as things are consistent, and make sense for the world the characters live in. That's of course a tad subjective, but it really depends on the vibe! In fact, sometimes worldbuilding can be excessive - my favorite urban fantasy series unfortunately has that habit of just. Reiterating the worldbuilding in every new novel, and often in a big chunk to get it back out of the way like a refresher, even if not all of it is currently relevant! (me, every Kate Daniels novel: yes, I know how the were-society works, I know I know I know I have binge read this many times thank you can we please go back to your currently happening conversation with your best friend -) So I tend to not overdo it on the worldbuilding myself - there's the asks I reply to here on tumblr, to give the people curious some idea of what I'm imagining, but within the fic I keep that stuff to a minimum and expect the reader to read things at face value. There's hints there, but they're treated as normal and natural within the fic, because I want the audience to think of it as such within the universe! The elaboration has no room within the writing itself, that's for lore asks!

Her Last request by Mari Hannah

Her Last request by Mari Hannah

As there was no sequel available to the book I read recently on holiday (which was the first Mari Hannah I have read but a different series) I picked up the only one I could find.by her. Genre is crime and the previous one was the first in the Oliver & Stone series, whereas this novel is around no 6 in the Kate Daniels series.  I had to set aside a couple of hours to get into this novel, a lot of names and characters but once I was in it I liked it.  Still prefer Stone & Oliver (and Stone makes an appearance in this novel).

Set in present day Northumberland Senior Investigating Officer Kate Daniels is called to the scene of the brutal murder of a young woman in a caravan.  A crime scene investigator finds a letter, which had been well hidden, and they assume was written by the deceased.  The letter was a very cryptic clue to try to guide investigators to her known killer.  Most importantly it implored them to find Aaron who they assumed was her son.  But who was the victim?  She had gone to great lengths to cover her tracks, who was she running and hiding from and where was Aaron.

As Kate & her team begin their investigations a couple more deaths crop up, deaths they believe are linked.  They are facing a very clever adversary and his attention is now on getting rid of Kate.

It is a good police procedural drama.  You feel you are there watching and are part of their team.  However, the letter is far fetched and gives nothing away, no names.  The ending is very woolly and the killer unknown to the reader unless I missed something in the story somewhere…?  So unsatisfactory ending to a good novel.

Review by Lindy

Odds & Ends: November 10, 2023

And There Was Light by Jacques Lusseyran. Kate recently tried watching the new Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See. Unfortunately, it was not good. Is the book it’s based on by Anthony Doerr better? Neither of us have read it. However, the show did remind Kate of another book that’s definitely worth reading: And There Was Light by Jacques Lusseyran. It’s the real-life memoir that inspired Doerr’s novel. Lusseyran went blind as a young boy, but despite this disability went on to lead a French resistance movement during WWII when he was only sixteen. The story of how he did that and survived a concentration camp once he was caught is inspiring enough, but the real treasure in the book is the way he recounts what happened to his other senses once he lost his sight and how he discovered deeper layers of reality and light that most of us are unaware of. The book is quite affecting and transformative. For a taste of Jacque’s story, I highly recommend checking out one of our best and most favorite articles: “Turn Your Excuses Into Action: The ‘Do What You Can’ Guide from the Blind, Teenage Leader of the French Resistance.” Cowboy Belt by Zilker. I’ve been on the hunt for a Western-style belt that reminds me of my Southwestern roots. When I saw the Cowboy Belt on Huckberry, I knew I found the belt I was looking for. Handmade in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Cowboy Belt has given me a reason to tuck in my shirt more so I can showcase it.  The Death of the Slow Dance. This article digs deep into a cultural phenomenon I’ve been noticing in recent years: young people don’t slow dance anymore. Awkwardly shuffling your feet from side to side while some romantic R&B song played in the background used to be a right of passage for teenagers. But DJs have been reporting that Gen Z doesn’t want to do that anymore. Instead, they’re opting for more individual, high-energy type dancing. My son’s middle school dances have skipped slow songs altogether in favor of that nonstop high-energy stuff. What’s led to the death of the slow dance? The author speculates it’s changes in tastes in music (slow, romantic music is out — there’s no Savage Gardens these days), the rise of performative social media (slow dancing doesn’t make for a good TikTok vid), and changes in how Gen Zers socialize; used to the distance and control of digital communication, the vulnerability and intimacy of the slow dance makes them uncomfortable.  The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack. Recently, I’ve been revisiting the epic soundtrack from The Last of the Mohicans while working out. When I’m doing my HIIT on the assault bike, I like to crank up “Promentory” and imagine I’m Daniel Day-Lewis running as fast as I can up a mountain. “I will find you!” Quote of the Week I believe the recipe for happiness to be just enough money to pay the monthly bills you acquire, a little surplus to give you confidence, a little too much work each day, enthusiasm for your work, a substantial share of good health, a couple of real friends, and a wife and children to share life’s beauty with you. ― J. Kenfield Morley The post Odds & Ends: November 10, 2023 appeared first on The Art of Manliness. http://dlvr.it/SygbxN

URBAN FANTASY

I quite like Urban Fantasy, it’s not my favourite genre, but it is one I sometimes get a hankering for and nothing else will do.

Nowadays Urban Fantasy tends to be very private detective focused, which I don’t mind, but I have read some of the older stuff which could be a lot of different things, but in a city. The writer I have read the most by here is Charles de Lint, I’ve read a handful of books and a couple of short story collections by him. The first thing I read by him was The Blue Girl, which I loved. I want to read more early Urban Fantasy, let me know if you have any recommendations.

When it comes to the more detective style Urban Fantasy, I’ll have to start with the Dresden Files, it’s the most famous. I really like it. I know it’s popular to dump on it for being sexist, and if it bothers you, then you shouldn’t read it. Personally, I’ve never felt that a character or series has to be perfectly in line with my opinions and morals - I have a brain, and I don’t mind using it tackling these kinds of stories. I actually love Harry quite a lot, in fiction I tend to be drawn to broken and traumatised men.

I’ll do one more male main character and then get to my favourite women. Alex Verus (first book: Fated, author: Benedict Jacka) is a mage, who lives and runs a magic shop in London. The series is finished, and there are twelve books. All the books have a one word title, somthing like: Taken, Cursed or Hidden, which makes it impossible for me to remember the order of the books :) There are some similarities to Harry Dresden, Alex is also a broken, traumatised man, but his magic is very different to Harry’s, and he needs to be sneakier and use his brain more to survive, because his power is seeing a little bit into the future - and while it is useful in combat it’s not a violent power. I really like these books, I’ve read them all, and I love Alex and his friends.

On to the female main characters. I’ll start with October Daye by Seanan McGuire. There are sixteen books out and two more coming in the autumn of 2023, according to goodreads. I’ve read six of them, all of them by audiobook so I’m not sure how anything is spelled. The first book is Rosemary and Rue. October is half Fae, half human and she has a troubled past, and works for a local Fae Lord, Sylvester Torquil. October, or Toby, is a great character, her friends and enemies are quite interesting and her adventures, as far as I’ve read at least, are a great mix of exciting, creepy, scary and fun to read about. It’s probably about time that I read more, actually. Also, the narrator for the audio books is Mary Robinette Kowal, who is not only a fantastic narrator, but also one of my favourite authors.

Next is Mercy Thompson, written by Patricia Briggs. The first book is Moon Called, there are 13 books out. I’ve read five, and the sixth is my current audiobook. The thing I like best about this series is Mercy herself. She’s a college graduate, majored in history, works as a mechanic and she’s a shape shifter - she can turn into a coyote. Her father, who died in a car accident before she was born, was Native American. Mercy’s really cool, and she’s also a good character. She’s strong, and I don’t primarily mean physically, and she’s affected by the things that happen to her. Early in the series there is a bit of a love triangle with two guys being interested in her, which isn’t my favourite, but it doesn’t go on forever.

The last series I’m going to talk about may be my favourite: Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews. There are ten novels, the first one is called Magic Bites. I have read six of them and currently have number seven out from the library. They all have titles like: Magic Burns, Magic Slays etc, so it’s impossible for me to remember the order of the books. I love Kate, she’s strong (not only physically), she’s tough, determined and really, really cool. I have seen some people call her a Mary Sue, because she’s too good a fighter, but she’s been trained her whole life to fight, because a dangerous and powerful man wants to kill her. And I love a sword fighter. I do not agree that she’s a Mary Sue. There are also some fantastic side characters. And some annoying ones.

I’m not a person who worries much about trigger warnings, I don’t have many triggers, and I don’t mind “dealing with them” through reading, so if this is important for you - find out about them before reading. I also don’t always remember books that well, especially when I only read them for entertainment, which is really how I think about Urban Fantasy. I can tell you that there is sexual assault in Mercy Thompson, though I don’t remember which book. And a giant spider side character in Alex Verus.

What are your favourite Urban fantasy series?

We're ringing out National Translation Month at Molasses Books, September 3oth at 8PM, with an incredible trio of translators-writers. Plugging Asymptote hard here to direct you to both S.J. Pearce's new translation(s) of Psalm 9 that reveals the psalm's many-voiced awe and resentment, and a selection of Suzana Vuljevic's translation of "Airplane Without an Engine" by Ljubomir Micić with a white sharp "Hellooooooooooooooooooo / I leap headlong into my ideoplan". If you had the good fortune to attend Us&Them's November 2021 reading, you'll remember Jennifer Shyue, whose translations of Julia Wong Kcomt's poetry has been published by Ugly Duckling Presse's Señal series as Vice-Royal-ties.

*** S.J. Pearce is a writer and translator who lives in New York City. Her poetry has appeared in The Laurel Review, The Reform Jewish Quarterly, Orotone, and Second Chance Lit, as well as in the anthology Strange Fire (Teaneck, 2021); she has also work forthcoming in Asymptote and The Plenitudes. Her first chapbook manuscript was a finalist for the Laurel Review's 2021 Midwest Chapbook Competition and she was long-listed for the 2021 River Heron Review Poetry Prize. She is a member of the 2022 cohort of the Brooklyn Poets Mentorship Program. In the scholarly realm, she publishes on the history of translation in the medieval Mediterranean world. Her first academic monograph was the recipient of the 2019 La Corónica International Book Award. Suzana Vuljevic is a historian, writer and translator who works from Albanian and Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian. Suzana holds a Ph.D. in History and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Her writing and translations have appeared in Zenithism (1921–1927): A Yugoslav Avant-Garde Anthology (Academic Studies Press, 2022), AGNI, Asymptote, Eurozine, Exchanges, and elsewhere. She is a 2022 ALTA Travel Fellow and an editor at EuropeNow. & Jennifer Shyue is a translator from Spanish and an assistant editor at New Vessel Press. Her work has appeared most recently in AGNI, Astra Magazine, and Poetry Daily. Her translations include Julia Wong Kcomt’s chapbook Vice-royal-ties (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2021) and Augusto Higa Oshiro’s novel The Enlightenment of Katzuo Nakamatsu (Archipelago Books, 2023). She can be found at shyue.co. *** THROUGHOUT THE REST OF SEPTEMBER Trafika Europe Radio's programming will feature international authors and works in translation from the likes of Thora Hjörleifsdóttir with translator Meg Matich, Victor Jestin with translator Sam Taylor, Italian poet and novelist Daniele Mencarelli, and more!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19 at Greenlight Bookstore's Fort Greene location, Emma Ramadan presents her translation of Barbara Molinard's Panics in conversation with Kate Zambreno SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25th at the Parkside Lounge, the Spoken Word Sunday Series presents a special event for National Translation Month featuring Soodabeh Saeidnia and Adriana Scopino.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27th in the virtual realm, Words Without Borders presents World in Verse: a Reading and Celebration of International Poetry with Najwan Darwish, Kareem James Abu-Zeid, Samira Negrouche, Marilyn Hacker, Jeannette Clariond, Samantha Schnee 

*** Eager to see you in your sweaters and cords! xoxo, Janet

Kate In Waiting Review

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

CW: Swearing, Cyber-bullying, Bullying, Underage Drinking, References to Sex, Homophobic Parent, Mentions of Divorce, Mentions of Transphobia

4/5

Delightfully Jewish and wonderfully queer - that’s exactly what you can expect from most of Becky Albertalli's books! It did get off to a rough start, though. Albertalli is one of my go-to authors, so it was no surprise that I was at least going to give Kate In Waiting a chance. I stuck with it because I felt like I wasn't getting enough Jewish content lately. However, it's possible I'm starting to get to the age where contemporary realistic-fiction teen novels are too young for me. That sounds like hearsay, but the two main characters got on my nerves until I gave them a second chance and I am glad that I did.

Kate in Waiting is centered around Kate, Anderson, their crush, and the school play. Kate and Anderson have an odd habit of sharing crushes. They don't like a boy unless they are both into him. It's normally more about having something to gush about together than actually being into someone. When their mutual camp crush moves to their school and joins their musical, real feelings start to arise. Kate and Anderson's friendship may be in jeopardy. As they work on the musical, both characters will gain revelations regarding themselves and others.

It was the dynamic of shared crushes and Kate's hyperactive personality that turned me off. I ended up taking a break, listening to some music, and then turning it back on about an hour later. Immediately I heard references to Judaism in a hilarious bathroom banter scene, so I knew I was going to stick with it. Despite Kate and Anderson's mutual crush on the character Matt, I started shipping Kate with Noah from the moment he appeared. They aren't exactly enemies (as my favorite trope would ask for), but they do banter a lot. Having this potential other crush allows the audience some hope for Kate AND Anderson. We can just be along for the ride.

Albertalli tends to write a non-practicing, but culturally Jewish character. I also tend to be drawn to non-practicing, but culturally Jewish characters. I understand that doesn't provide my readers with a lot of temple-going books, but I gravitate towards the books that I can relate to. I did grow up going to temple, religious school, and being very involved in the youth group, but in my adulthood, I'm more just proud of and interested in my Judaism than practicing. Kate in Waiting is no exception to these things. There are several Jewish characters in the book (both confirmed and suspected), Shabbat is observed once, Kate and her family use Yiddish, and Kate and Noah used to play with their Challah and sing in the temple choir. These and other culturally-Jewish things made me happy with the overall Jewishness of the book.

As far as books of this genre and books by Albertalli go, it's average. It isn't bad, it isn't great. It was sweet, funny, and played with a dynamic I've never seen before. Judaism is very saturated within the book, something I'm always looking for more of. The side characters are enjoyable, but I didn't feel like I knew them very well. I both liked and disliked that I related to Kate. Some things hit too close to home, but others I relished reading. I also enjoyed references such as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Tangled, and more.

Kate in Waiting is a mixed bag, but overall a worthwhile read. If you choose to pass, you won't miss anything. If you opt to pick it up, you won't be disappointed. Make the choice that feels right to you!

Happy Book Lovers Day!

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4 MONTHS | READS✔

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╰┈➤ ❝ Danielle Steel ❞

Now & Forever | The Ranch

Steel captures her reader by the end of page one. Last month alone I downed these 2 novels! I really liked the diversity she has published. These book is so detailed and as always she keeps you glued to it. Although I'm not really a fan of the genre and these one's predictable...I like the story line and setting. I guess I'll check out her other books then.

╰┈➤ ❝ Robinson Crusoe ❞

by Daniel Defoe

this is a story that builds up slowly and becomes more & more readable as the time progress. the plot line was just ypur average shipwrecked adventure-style book. you do have to contend with racism and immensely inhumane attitude to both people & animals since this book was written in 1719... it belongs there so when you read it surrender yourself to that time.

╰┈➤ ❝ The Awakening ❞

by Kate Chopin

this novel resonates long after you put down the book. there are still plenty of edgy topics that remain controversial today. you'll definitely reread it again!

╰┈➤ ❝ [John Grisham] ❞

these novels presented a different look at the field of law. i was held spell bound by a beautifully written story by now my fav author! definitely recommended especially the second one.

*The Brethren

a little slow getting started but very deep & thought provoking.

*The Testament

this is my favorite Grisham book so far. well worth the reading time. well worth the reading time.

Wuthering Heights

Title: Wuthering Heights Author: Emily Bronte Pages: 372 pages Genre: Classic Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, situated on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before; of the intense relationship between the gypsy foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw; and how Catherine, forced to choose between passionate, tortured Heathcliff and gentle, well-bred Edgar Linton, surrendered to the expectations of her class. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance at his betrayal is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.

"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

My Thoughts:

This book. THIS BOOK. Okay, I have loved this book since I was little. I read it just after I read Jane Eyre for the first time and have not been able to go a couple of months without reading it since.

I love this book because it does not fit the blueprint of the traditional romances written in that era. I'm using Pride and Prejudice as an example of an opposite romance. So, Pride and Prejudice, the romance is very sweet and frilly and seems perfect, but in Wuthering Heights, it's dark, agitating, imperfect and sometimes terrifying. And for me, I prefer things that aren't portrayed as perfect, because let's face it, nothing in this world is perfect.

I loved how the setting in this book mirrored the inhabitants of the houses at times. The Yorkshire moors can be very pretty but also can be quite desolate and remote, especially during the winter, which reflected the characteristics of Catherine and Heathcliff quite well in my opinion. Both had true beauty but both seemed quite ugly inside. The setting combined with the dark souls of the characters pushed me into a bleak world that was filled with hatred and resentment. The perfect scene-setting.

The actual romance in this book is between Hareton and Cathy, not Heathcliff and Catherine. Heathcliff and Catherine have such an unhealthy relationship with each other, which eventually leads to their death and ruin because they are both absolutely miserable (if that wasn't clear when Catherine basically starved herself and Heathcliff was abusive to everyone) and were never actually got over their own high opinions of themselves. Hareton and Cathy, on the other hand, while both start with prejudice towards each other, they manage to overcome them and learn from one another.

I also loved how Emily showed a criticism of alcohol throughout the whole novel and how Catherine's illness was a metaphor for depression. There are so many themes in this novel I can't even decipher one from the other.

THE ENDING. IT was gothic, and just fit the novel and was the perfect ended by hinting that Heathcliff and Catherine were haunting the moors together and so became local legends. I loved the supernatural element that was sprinkled throughout this book.

The one thing I do not like though, and this is only minor, is Joseph's speech and how it is written. I cannot for the life of me understand or decipher what he is saying so I do tend to skip through the parts of his speeches that I cannot decipher what is being said.

Playlist:

Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush I'll Stand By You by Pretenders Don't Get Me Wrong by Pretenders Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush Without You by The Cure Need You Tonight by INXS Superstar by Carpenters Everlasting Love by Sandra 1999 by Prince Purple Rain by Prince When Doves Cry by Prince Here Comes The Rain Again by Eurythmics Daniel by Bat for Lashes VCR by The xx Not In Love by Crystal Castles Criminal by Fiona Apple Polyester Bride by Liz Phair Nan You're a Window Shopper by Lily Allen Bubble Pop Electric by Gwen Stefani Boys Wanna Fight by Garbage Games Without Frontiers by Peter Gabriel Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran The Way She Feels by Between The Trees We Are One by Dream Girl Princess of Chine by Coldplay Here Without You by Three Days Grace Why Can't We Be Friends? by War One Last Breath by Creed Coffin by Black Veil Brides Rebel Love Song by Black Veil Brides

Album Reviews: John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies / Florence + The Machine / The Rolling Stones

There are not one, not two, but three albums I get to review that are being released this week. Been a while since this happened!

John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies Firestarter soundtrack

One of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do with this blog is that I’ve gotten to cover John Carpenter’s revitalized music career. In 2017, Carpenter along with his band including son Cody Carpenter and his godson Daniel Davies went on tour and I was lucky enough to see their Boston show performing film scores along with movie clips. For the 2018 Halloween sequel, Carpenter came back and not only executive produced it, but he liked it so much he composed the score (read my review here). Last year, Carpenter released the album Lost Themes III: Alive After Death (read my review here) as well as the soundtrack to Halloween Kills. At the time I reviewed that soundtrack I hadn’t seen Halloween Kills yet, now I can honestly say the music was the best thing about it. For the new adaptation to Stephen King’s Firestarter, John, Cody and Daniel have composed the original soundtrack. It marks the first time the three have composed a soundtrack outside of the Halloween franchise. John famously composed the music for many of his own films. Earlier this year, he contributed the theme song to the Foo Fighters’ horror comedy Studio 666 (he also had a small cameo appearance as the engineer). But this Firestarter soundtrack is unique in that John, Cody, and Daniel are composing the score for a film John is not a director, writer or producer of.

album cover

Stephen King’s 1981 novel about a little girl with pyrokinesis was adapted into a 1984 movie with Drew Barrymore as the little girl. The soundtrack to that film was scored by Tangerine Dream, who scored countless awesome movie soundtracks. There was also a 2002 sci-fi channel mini-series Firestarter: Rekindled. The new Firestarter adaptation is from Blumhouse Productions, who did the recent Halloween sequels. John Carpenter adapted King’s Christine and it is one of the better King movie adaptations. John was said to be interested in adapting Firestarter, but never did. This is interesting in that John has adapted King previously and never adapted this particular King story, but now with his collaborators Cody and Daniel, he is putting his musical stamp on the new adaptation. I have not seen the new Firestarter, so I was listening to this album solely as an album. It is very moody and atmospheric. The sense of terror and suspense is coming through as you listen. The trio is a tight unit. They have done enough albums and film scores that they play off each other really well. I can only hope the movie lives up to this score!

Firestarter soundtrack will be released digitally today from Back Lot Music with physical release coming October 14, 2022 from Sacred Bones: https://johncarpentermusic.bandcamp.com/album/firestarter-original-motion-picture-soundtrack

3.5 out of 5 stars

Florence + The Machine Dance Fever

For the last decade+ I have been a fan of Florence + The Machine, the U.K. indie-rockers lead by singer/force-of-nature Florence Welch. She is so powerful its sometimes easy to forget about her backing band, who are also incredible. Welch is like this generation’s Kate Bush, but with a little Fiona Apple influence in there for good measure. Like a lot of people I discovered her with her 2009 single “Dog Days are Over”. She’s released some great albums including Ceremonials (which I included in my Best Albums of the 2010s list) and How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (which I named my #4 Album of 2015). Now F+TM are back with their first album in four years, Dance Fever which drops today.

album cover

They brought in such producers and co-writers as Dave Bayley of Glass Animals and superstar producer / Bleacher Jack Antonoff. It feels very much like a timeless indie pop album, but with Welch’s trademark introspection. Much like Fiona Apple, you feel like she is working through some issues through her music. Case in point: In the recent music video for their single “Free”, Bill Nighy plays Welch’s anxiety. The band’s 2018 album High as Hope wasn’t bad, but it didn’t blow me away the way the first three albums did. This album is one of their best in a long time! It was an album that was initially supposed to be recorded in March 2020 and then got postponed due to the pandemic and now much of the album is Welch working through her anxieties and also singing about the things she missed the most about touring and communal gatherings. This is an album that gets better with each listen and some real rockers here too!

For info on Dance Fever: https://store.florenceandthemachine.net/

4 out of 5 stars

The Rolling Stones Live at the El Mocambo

This year marks the 60th anniversary of The Rolling Stones. There is a reason they are one of the greatest live bands of all time. I was lucky enough to see them on the Voodoo Lounge Tour in 1994 at Foxborough Stadium and even though I was way in the nosebleed section super far from the stage, I could tell what a great live band this was. Since I began this blog, I’ve gotten to cover a great deal of Stones’ live and reissue albums, including the 2017 early BBC compilation On Air, the 2019 vinyl reissue of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, 2020′s album and DVD release of Steel Wheels Live. and last year’s album and DVD release A Bigger Bang: Live on Copacabana Beach. Today UMe is releasing Live at the El Mocambo.

On March 4 and 5, 1977, the Stones performed two secret shows at the 300-capacity El Mocambo Tavern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Contest winners were excited to see local band April Wine and some unknown band The Cockroaches, who turned out to be the Stones. How lucky would you be to win tickets to a show at a small intimate club and the Stones took the stage for almost two hours? Four of the songs from those shows were featured on the 1977 live album Love You Live. But this marks the first official release. I got to review the Double CD edition. The Stones’ are always a great live band, so even when they are bad, they’re still good. Having had the chance to listen to several of their live releases, I have begun to conclude that how good their live albums are is contingent on that time period for the Stones. Within that context, the Stones in the mid 70s were on fire! By 1977, they had been a band for fifteen years and they played a ton of their 60s and 70s hits, but there were a ton of cool blues covers they did I really enjoyed like Bo Diddley’s “Crackin’ Up” and Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster”. In the last few years they’ve been releasing a lot of the Stones’ stadium shows on CD and DVD, but that’s what makes this album exciting because they were one of the biggest rock bands of the 70s and here they were playing a small club for almost two hours and not just relying on big arena theatrics.

For info on Live at the El Mocambo: https://rollingstones.com/el-mocambo/

4 out of 5 stars

Adult SFF edition

High/Epic Fantasy

The Lies of Locke Lamora: heist fantasy following a band of misfits! It has morally gray characters, fun banter but heartwrenching moments and a pretty complex plot. It’s a classic to say “if you liked Six of Crows and want to try adult SFF try this” and it’s probably true. 

Kushiel’s Dart: a political fantasy tome loosely inspired by Europe in the Renaissance. Pretty heavy on romance and erotica (with BDSM elements) as it follows a courtesan navigating the political scene. It has an amazing female villain.

A Darker Shade of Magic: probably the easiest way to approach adult fantasy. It has multiple Londons and a pretty unique magic system and concept, plus a crossdressing thief, knives and great banter. 

The Poppy War: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome.

The Sword of Kaigen: if you liked The Poppy War you could like this one. The Sword of Kaigen is an Asian-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

The Priory of the Orange Tree: high fantasy, featuring dragons, a F/F romance and pretty complex world building. The author reuses typical fantasy tropes and roles in a fresh way. Very readable in spite of its length.

Empire of Sand: inspired by Mughal India, this one focuses on culture and religion and has great slow burn romance (TW: abuse, slavery). It’s pretty slow paced, but the payoff is great. Also a good "YA crossover”.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: first book in a companion novel trilogy, following a young woman who finds herself at the center of a vicious political struggle, as she’s suddenly become the heir to the throne. 

Black Sun: first book in a new series by Rebecca Roanhorse, inspired by pre-Columbian societies and cultures. It mainly focuses on religious and political conflicts. TW for abuse, mild body horror and suicide (not very graphic). Nice inclusion of lgbt rep across the whole cast + one of the main characters is blind. Great world building!

Historical Fantasy

The Night Circus: perfect transition from YA to Adult for a reader, The Night Circus is a gorgeous historical fantasy romance. The author’s writing is amazing, the descriptions and the subtlety of the main characters’ relationship are to die for.

The City of Brass: political/historical fantasy tome featuring Middle Eastern mythology. It follows younger MCs (honestly another series that could be a good way to approach adult SFF) and has great character growth throughout the series. The first book has some more trope-y elements, but the payoff is worth it. 

The Golem and The Djinni: historical fantasy (if you loved The Night Circus you could like this one), following two mythical creatures as they navigate New York in 1899. Slow burn romance, rich descriptions, fascinating combination of Jewish and Syrian folklore.

Gods of Jade and Shadow: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. Another great way to approach adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human.

The Ghost Bride: set in Malaya in 1893, it follows the daughter of a ruined man as she receives the proposal to become a ghost bride. Lovely setting, rich in culture and extremely atmospheric.

The Bear and The Nightingale: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. Another great way to start reading adult SFF: it’s very atmospheric and fairy tale-like. Also frost demons are better than men.

Queen of the Conquered: first book in a fantasy duology(?) set in an alternate version of the Caribbean at the time of Scandinavian colonisation. It follows Sigourney, a biracial woman (her mother was a slave, freed by her father) and the only islander who is allowed to own and use kraft and therefore has a position of privilege, which she constantly abuses, while telling herself she’s doing it for the islanders’ benefit. The book is hard to read, because the MC is no hero and her POV can be quite challenging to get through, but if you’re up for it I’d totally recommend this. (TW: slavery, abuse, death).

The Lions of Al-Rassan: this one has minimal fantasy elements, much like other Kay books, as it reads more like an alternate history. Using Moorish Spain as a template, it deals with the conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians. Much like Under Heaven and most of his historical fantasy it shows common people being swept up in dramatic events. 

Urban Fantasy

The Divine Cities trilogy: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Also, slow burn F/F romance.

Jade City:  a wuxia inspired, gangster urban fantasy. Great family dynamics, very interesting political and economical subplots. 

One for My Enemy: sort of a modern Romeo and Juliet, but set in New York, starring two magical gangster families. The female characters are to die for.  

Trail of Lightning: inspired by Native mythology and the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. You could like this if you liked the Kate Daniels series.

American Gods: a classic of the genre, pretty much brilliant in how it reuses old mythology in a modern setting.

Retellings

Spinning Silver: a very loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, with a gorgeous atmosphere. It mainly follows female characters from different social and economical backgrounds and reuses the original tale to challenge the antisemitic ideas around the role of the moneylander.

The Queens of Innis Lear: fantasy retelling of King Lear, very atmospheric and gorgeously written. Slow paced, but very satisfying build up, lots of backstabbing and miscommunication. (heads up though, one of the MCs is coded as aroace and I found the rep pretty bad on that. The book does feature casual bisexual rep though, which was great)

Lady Hotspur: genderbent retelling of Henry IV, set in the same world as The Queens of Innis Lear. Lesbian and bisexual rep. Heavy on political subplots, features ambitious women growing into their roles.

Deathless: sort of a retelling of Koschei the Deathless set in the first half of the 20th century. Brilliant reuse of Russian folklore to weave together politics and history. It does have pretty brutal descriptions of war, morally gray characters, unhealthy relationships and overall a lot of mindfuckery.

Space Opera

A Memory Called Empire: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn F/F romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks).

Ninefox Gambit: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault).

The Light Brigade: militaristic space opera set in a not-so-defined future in which corporations rule Earth and space in general. The book follows a newly enlisted soldier as they go through gruelling training and experience the side effects of being broken down into atoms to travel at the speed of light. It’s a heavy book, featuring raw descriptions of war, and quite difficult to follow (non-linear timelines...) but it’s also an amazing critique of capitalism and political propaganda (TW: death, mass shooting).

Gideon the Ninth: pretty much lesbian necromancers in space. Very loose world building, but a fun mystery full of banter. Can be quite confusing in the beginning, but a relatively easy and fun way to approach science fiction.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. Also features a F/F romance. 

Science Fiction-Fantasy that I can’t fit anywhere else

Vicious: college roommates put themselves through near-death experiences to obtain super powers, only everything goes wrong. Follows a great band of misfits (and pretty much everyone is morally gray).

Middlegame: a brilliant and complex tapestry of alternate timelines, following telepathically connected twins trying to escape the alchemist that wants to use them to obtain godhood (TW: attempted suicide).

Piranesi: the long awaited return of Susanna Clarke, Piranesi is an odd, mysterious book set in a house with infinite rooms and endless corridors, apparently inhabited by only two people. 

Bonus Novella recs: novellas are amazing and don’t sleep on them!

The Empress of Salt and Fortune: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella, it gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed.  

The Black God’s Drums: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. 

The Haunting of Tram Car 015: alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It has a compelling mystery, starring a great lead.

This Is How You Lose the Time War: epistolary set during a time-travel war, F/F romance and gorgeous prose. 

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate: an incredibly heartwarming and yet meaningful novella about research and the meaning of it. It’s the tale of 4 astronauts on a crowdfunded mission to explore space, to observe and report without conquering. It’s written in lovely prose and is very casual in its lgbt rep.

The Deep: very good novella set in an underwater society built by the descendants of African slave women that were tossed overboard. It’s not an easy read at all, as it deals with trauma, both personal and generational ones. 

Bonus short story collections recs

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: 16 short stories featuring myth, legend and faith, that mainly focus on women reclaiming their agency. 

The Paper Menageries and Other Stories: features plenty of different fantasy and science fiction subgenres. The Paper Menagerie in particular is an extremely moving tale.

Conservation of Shadows: science fiction-fantasy short stories that focus on topics like colonisation and the role of art and language. 

Graphic Novel

Monstress: series set in an alt 1900s matriarchal Asia, following a teenage girl who survived a war and shares a connection with a monster that’s slowly transforming her. (TW: slavery, death).