This was the year of magical detectives and innovative feminist fantasy (sometimes both at the same time, when I was lucky). I spent a lot of the year finishing a master’s degree in library and information science, and then on a bike tour for four months. I read many of these books late at night in my tent in Scotland after long days cycling, hauling 100 pounds of gear. So, I was physically exhausted and craved really fun, quick reads. Everything on this list, I liked enough to read the whole thing. The many books that I started and put down stay between me and my library history.
What did you like reading this year?
Stand Outs
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke – A complete delight, with enough darkness to keep it interesting. Don’t let the high page count scare you – you’ll sprint right through it!
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins – This book is lush, gorgeous, and heady. Spoiler alert! None of the characters are trans, but much of the book reads like a trans experience.
The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk – Polk’s rich world and vivid use of color really drew me in. The emotional depth of their characters had me deeply invested. I can’t wait to see what they’ll write next!
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch – The first in the Rivers of London series. It’s a supernatural detective story with a lot of heart and a long through-line. I couldn’t tell you which book in the series I liked best. I just really loved the style of narration – conversational, with a strong eye for architecture. I ended up reading twelve books in this series this year (the novellas as well as the primary series).
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman – Fun, irreverent, post-apocalyptic epic fantasy. The world is so well fleshed out, and the narrative voice is strong and enjoyable. This is a patriarchal world on the brink of becoming matriarchal.
Sabriel by Garth Nix – Unique take on necromancy – I love this world and how rooted in the body the writing is. Thanks to my buddy, poet and performance artist, Wryly McCutchen for the recommendation (go buy their stuff)!
A Country of Ghosts by Margaret Killjoy – For those interested in dreams of how an anarchist society might look, this is a nice book to have in your back pocket, in addition to The Dispossessed.
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu – I love the elegant world building and the fresh narrative voice. A fun, unique take on s supernatural detective story that is thrilling and sometimes terrifying.
Westside by W.M. Akers – A delightful puzzle mystery. I love the narrative/antiheroine’s voice. Amazing worldbuilding.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – A whimsical and dark story, incorporating Russian folklore.
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher – Fun from beginning to end, a fresh take on wandering fellowship of heroes and fairytale archetypes.
The Night Eaters Book 1: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda – Heartfelt, clever, and truly terrifying comic. A really fun and original twist on a story of grown children of immigrants relating to their parents. The gore levels were a little high for me, but the story made the nightmares worth it.
Everything Else
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer – This deepened my understanding and appreciation for moss. I listened to the author-read audiobook, and her voice is so warm and kind. If you’re interested in beautifully written work, I think her book Braiding Sweetgrass is also great.
The Radiant Lives of Animals by Linda Hogan
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
A Man of Shadows by Jeff Noon
Stone and Steel by Eboni Dunbar
Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning – Really fun and silly. There is an irritating transmisogynistic scene where drag is played for laughs and one slur.
Reverie by Ryan La Sala
Storm Front by Jim Butcher – Fun supernatural noir detective story!
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers – She dedicated this book to anyone who could use a break, and it is indeed a break – an imagined kind, caring world. The plot relies on exploration, not conflict, to move it forward. A lot of the philosophical questions are ones that have been tickling my head and heart over the last couple years. Restful and lovely.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich – Full of Erdrich’s usual fully fleshed out, funny, heartbreaking world! Her characters have the full weirdness, awkwardness, and nuance we expect from her writing.
The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Lirael by Garth Nix – At least as much fun as the first book, Sabriel
Cycling the Hebrides: Island Touring and Day Rides by Richard Barrett – I carried this book with me on the first couple months of my cycle tour of Scotland. I cut out the pages as I traveled the referenced sections, and the book grew lighter over my journey.
Noir by Christopher Moore
Moon over SoHo by Ben Aaronovitch – really delightful sequel to Midnight Riot
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik – I read the Scholomance books while recovering from COVID, in a tent on a bike tour in Scotland. I was on the other side of the world, with no energy, sleeping and readin my tent all day
The Searcher by Tana French
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
Clariel by Garth Nix
Westside Saints by W.M. Akers
Our Lady of the Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu – I love the further development of the Ropa character and her casual crassness, mixed with her buoyant optimism. Huchu never lets us forget the real material needs of this character, and I find it deeply grounded in the body.
Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea – This was the Seattle Reads book this year. Oddly enough, I read it in North Wales. I love a good multi-generational novel. This goes deep emotionally with a dense cast of characters with such economy. I laughed at times. And there were parts of the book that made me feel sick and upset me for days. I know that’s what you get sometimes with art, sometimes it’s upsetting. Sometimes that’s the point. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for me personally, I need a break from deeply sadistic scenes.
Goldenhand by Garth Nix
The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
Westside Lights by W.M. Akers
Either/Or by Elif Batuman
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
Gentleman Wolf by Joanna Chambers
The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch
Hokuloa Road by Elizabeth Hand
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch
White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton
The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
Chapter Six by Stephen Graham Jones
Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker
Snotgirl Volume I: Green Hair Don’t Care by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung
Snotgirl Volume II: California Screaming by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung
Snotgirl Volume III: Is This Real Life? by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung
Hellblazer Issue 1-3: Rise and Fall by Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson – Looks like this is another reboot of Hellblazer! I really love that in this story, John Constantine only has gay relationships. The extreme nerd in me has a hard time with the conflation of the First of the Fallen and Lucifer characters, but it works fine. I love the class warfare angle, and the final couple pages are priceless.
Monstress Volume Six: The Vow by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Monstress Volume Seven: Devourer by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran – I listened to this audiobook specifically because it’s read by Carol Monda. She has the perfect voice and great delivery for reading gritty mysteries!
The Dance Boots by Linda LeGarde Grover
What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
Invisible Things by Mat Johnson
The Bone Ships by RJ Barker
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix – Really fun, especially for anyone who remembers satanic panic! Again, I found this book because I searched for audiobooks read by Carol Monda, who I first heard reading Elizabeth Hand’s Cass Neary series.
The Strange Wor(l)ds of Oscar McNary 