I always look forward to sharing my end-of-the-year recap of all the books I’ve read this year. And I’m happy to say that I had a great year of reading, with lots of books ranking 4 or 5 stars, and plenty I’d recommend you add to your own lists. Let me know which ones you’ve read or plan to read!
The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin
4 stars. The Stone Sky is the last installment of N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. It gets 4 stars because I do feel it really stuck the landing, which seems to be a rare occurrence in fantasy series these days. I liked the structure of the book, utilizing three narrators across different locations and times. This setup allowed the information to be properly paced, explaining both the world’s past and present so that the characters’ actions make sense, are emotionally resonant, and organically lead to the ending. The book loses a star though because I did feel that the author spends far too much time describing and explaining the magic system and landscape. To give an example, at one point in the book one of the characters is in mortal peril—but rather than focus on what is happening to this character, the author takes several pages to describe the setting in which the awful thing is happening. I think Jemisin does a fantastic job of world building, but at times I think she is just too focused on conveying her vision of the world. I could have done with tighter descriptions that left more to my own imagination—at the end of the day, I just don’t care that much about the shape of rock formations!
Sorcery & Cecelia Series: Books 1 & 2 by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
3.5 stars. I have been a reader of Patricia C. Wrede since childhood; her Enchanted Forest Chronicles were formatives books in my love of fantasy. So when I saw this previously unknown-to-me series on a reading list, I decided to pick it up. The first book in the series, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, was a lovely cozy fantasy. The epistolary novel follows the correspondence of cousins Cecelia and Kate as Kate has her first season in London while Cecelia languishes at the family estate in the country. But the two find quite enough adventure to keep them busy as they become embroiled in the plot of a sorcerer to steal magic. There’s a dash of romance mixed with the elegance and opulence of Regency-era high society. I decided to dive straight into the second book in the series, The Grand Tour, and found it to be less successful. The book follows Kate and Cecelia as they travel throughout Europe and are once again caught up in a magical plot, but the book felt like too much of the same and lacked the charm of the first.
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
5 stars. Kaikeyi is a retelling of a portion of the Ramayana, the epic poem which tells the story of Rama, prince of Kosala and an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu. Patel’s story is something of a prequel, focusing on the life of one of the pivotal minor figures of the epic, and notably a woman usually portrayed as a villian: Kaikeyi, Rama’s stepmother who forces him into exile. In her author’s note, Patel points out that the Ramayana is a story that has grown through oral and written tradition over time and throughout many different cultures and traditions. Because of this, she says there is no “one true” Ramayana, which allows her to reimagine Kaikeyi as righteous, a loving mother whose decisions are meant to protect Rama and her country. I came to the book without the context of the source material, so I can say that on face value, this is a good story. The characterization is vivid and the story clips along, keeping you engrossed. I highly recommend.
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings
4 stars. It all starts when Doctor Professor materializes on Perry’s street, pounding out jazz on his floating piano. The whole neighborhood starts dancing—they can’t help it, after all. But it’s odd for Fess to appear this time of year. Something’s amiss in Nola. There are more graffiti tags floating in the air than usual. And there seems to be a powerfully dark spirit stalking the graveyard. Perry, his sister Brendy, and his best friend Peaches will soon find themselves on a Quest, capital Q, to save their beloved city from the Storm. Steeped in magical realism, this book will transport you to the city of New Orleans—as you know it and as you may have only imagined it.
Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li
3 stars. The story of the Han family is the story of their restaurant, the Duck House. A Maryland institution that made their family’s fortune, the Duck House has seen better days. And youngest son Jimmy grows tired of the same old routine—the Americanized food, the aging waiters, the cheap decor. Jimmy wants to open a new restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront, an upscale concept with a chic fusion menu—and finally rise out of his late father’s shadow. So he conspires with Uncle Pang to burn down the Duck House, collect the insurance money, and pursue his dream. Things do not go as planned. Number One Chinese Restaurant is a family drama that has its moments, but I gave it 3 stars as it just didn’t hold my attention.
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
2.5 stars. Meet Caledonia Styx, the teenage captain of an all-female crew, bent on revenge against the pirate lord who killed her family. OK, yeah, that makes this book sound kind of cheesy, but it does have its moments. Parker’s world-building is beautiful and unusual, mixing tech with pirate tropes for a swashbuckling steampunk vibe. The book really shines in the different settings, like the misty moody marshlands or the semi-independent cloud city. But this book gets dinged a lot for me for the “romance.” Specifically, how unnecessary it was. There’s one lead male character in this story. He’s on a ship full of women, including one whose life he saves and who saves his life in return. But is that the girl he ends up with? No, of course not. He’s interested in our main character, Caledonia, of course. And she love-hates him? It just felt like checking off “love interest” instead of developing realistic characters, and it brought me out of the story. #justiceforpisces
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
5 stars. This is the kind of book that immediately made me want to read everything else this author has written, that made me feel I had discovered something new. 18-year-old Zoey moves into a condo she has inherited from her late mother on Mallow Island, a preserved-in-time Southern town outside Charleston made famous as the site of a beloved book about the island’s confectionery history, Sweet Mallow. Zoey finds herself amongst a cast of other lost souls at the Dellawisp condos, from reclusive Lucy Lime to free-spirit henna artist Charlotte. The residents of the Dellawisp don’t just include the living though—there are ghosts here, bound to the stories of those they loved. It’s hard to describe why this book was so compulsively readable, other than to say that Allen is an extremely talented storyteller, a master of characterization, pacing, and mood. I highly recommend.
The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell
2.5 stars. Reader, this is not a good book. The Madwoman Upstairs is part of a prolific and very specific genre of books that are written by lovers of the classics and try to cleverly continue or expound upon them. In this case, the classics in question are the books of the Brontes, and the conceit is the standard “descendent of the great writer tries to uncover the mysteries of their famous ancestors.” My trouble with the book is that it is just so full of the tropes of this genre that nothing surprises or ever delights. American inexplicably attends famous British university? Check! Coincidentally assigned youngest and hottest professor at the school? Yep. Student is profoundly uneducated and disinterested in the thing. they have come here to study? You better believe it. The trouble with these books is that the ingredients often sound quite appealing, especially to those who loved Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. But I can promise you this novel will add nothing to your understanding or appreciation of those classics.
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
4 stars. In Olga Dies Dreaming, we meet two siblings born in Sunset Park, New York, to Puerto Rican freedom fighters. Now Olga and Prieto are grown and their parents are gone—their father succumbed to AIDS contacted through drug use, their mother having abandoned them as teenagers, choosing the cause of Puerto Rican independence over her children. Olga and Prieto have both dealt with the loss of their parents and their complicated heritage in their own way. Olga has tried to leave it all behind, becoming a successful high-end wedding planner catering to New York City’s elite. Prieto has tried to pick up his parents’ cause, but from the inside, becoming a well-loved Congressman for his home district. The shadow of their mother in particular looms large, especially since she seems to have a secret network that allows her to monitor her children and occasionally send letters expressing her approval or (strong) disapproval of their choices. The communication is completely one-sided though, and Olga and Prieto have no way to reply to their mother’s missives. Set as Hurricane Maria barrels down on Puerto Rico, Olga Dies Dreaming tackles both the complex history and current events of the Puerto Rican people, but also is at heart a family story, filled with love, revelations, and self-discovery.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
5 stars. I devoured this book. I read all 401 pages in two days. I highly recommend you do the same, as books that engross you, that compel you to keep going, are hard to find. Sam and Sadie become friends in the game room of a children’s hospital—Sam recovering from a car accident and Sadie visiting her sick sister. The two bond over their love of video games like Super Mario and Oregon Trail. Years later, they reconnect as college students and decide to begin making their own video game, a decision that will shape the rest of their lives. The story is as deeply moving and immersive as the best virtual world, plotting the course of their friendships and loves, their successes and failures. You do not have to have any interest in video games to enjoy this book. Games are a stand-in for any type of art, and Sadie and Sam are at heart creators and imaginers of worlds.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
3 stars. Hamnet is a speculative historical fiction on the family of William Shakespeare, titled after his son Hamnet, who died as a child. Very little is known of the wife and children Shakespeare left behind in Stratford. His wife Anne, in this novel called Agnes, is known to have been older than him and we know that they had 3 children together. O’Farrell uses these sparse bits of information to spin out a portrait of Shakespeare’s family, focusing on the incidence of Hamnet’s passing. The story is deeply rooted in loss and grief. While poignant and beautifully written, the pacing is intentionally laboriously slow, which is why this was 3 stars for me. It was all atmosphere and emotion, and too little substance to keep me engaged.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
4 stars. A genre-bending, centuries-spanning tale in the vein of Cloud Atlas, Cloud Cuckoo Land delivers an engrossing and thoughtful story about stories—their power, their fragility, and their persistence through time. The key settings include 15th-century Constantinople from the point of view of orphan Anna and conscripted oxen driver Omeir; Lakeport, Idaho, pretty-much present day, from the point of view of Zeno, veteran and amateur Greek translator, and Seymour, a disaffected would-be warrior for the planet; and the generation ship Argos, on its way to a new world from the point of view of young Konstance, who has never known any home but within these titanium walls.
The Maid by Nita Prose
4 stars. A clippy whodunit starring Molly the Maid, a model employee at the Grand Regency Hotel who is the key witness in the murder of mogul Mr. Black. Molly is quite clearly neurodivergent—although the story never goes so far as to say this outright, it’s spelled out in a thousand ways, most clearly in Molly’s understanding of the world: her inability to read expressions, her unawareness of social cues and norms, her adherence to mantras to help navigate unfamiliar territory. I’ve seen a few criticisms of the text for this aspect of Molly’s character, but it does make her an excellent narrator and brings a unique perspective to the murder mystery. The book is light and extremely readable, a great read to snuggle up with on for a crisp fall day. Molly must decide what to tell the police, who she can trust, and help uncover what really happened to Mr. Black, and why.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
4 stars. Chances are if you’ve heard of the “cozy fantasy” genre, you’ve heard Legends & Lattes mentioned in the same breath as the quintessential example of this popular sub-genre. For the uninitiated, a cozy fantasy is the antithesis of epic fantasy—rather than focusing on high-stakes battles, complex magic systems, or world-saving quests, cozy fantasies are “slice of life” stories that use fantasy worlds as the setting for quiet, more personal stories. They’re the Animal Crossing of fantasy novels: warm, comforting, and refreshingly low stakes. I honestly wasn’t sure this book could live up to the hype, but it surprised me in the best way. Legends & Lattes tells the story of Viv, a battle-hardened orc who wants to retire from questing to open a coffee shop.
Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune
3 stars. I think the right reader will love Under the Whispering Door, but that reader just wasn’t me. The premise is so promising: a Reaper and a Ferryman set up in a quirky teahouse in the woods, helping souls to pass to what’s next. But the premise is really just a frame for the main characters to have conversations about life, death, and the meaning of it all. Very little happens in this novel. It is a talking book, which could be alright, but I didn’t find that it had that much to say. The first third of the book in particular is almost all questions without answers. I lost count of the number of times the Ferryman said “nothing will happen until you’re ready,” or some similar platitude. I think Under the Whispering Door was high on potential, but didn’t have enough meat to really deliver for me.
The Keep by Jennifer Egan
4 stars. When Danny and Howard were boys, they shared a traumatic experience that ended their friendship. So 37-year-old Danny is surprised to hear from Howard so many years later, and even more surprised at the invitation to travel to Europe to help his cousin convert a medieval castle into a hotel. But isolated in the remote, decaying castle, Danny begins to wonder if Howard has an ulterior motive for their reunion. This moody thriller keeps you engaged as Egan has a gift for writing dialogue and crafting characters who see the world in a unique way. I also appreciated the length of this book, which I know is a strange thing to say. But at 250 pages, The Keep felt so enjoyably snackable after some of the more lengthy tomes I’ve waded through this year.
Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
4 stars. I’m going to start off by saying that I think every synopsis of this book that I read before picking it up focuses on the wrong thing. Going in to Stay with Me, I really thought that the central conflict in the book was going to be the forced introduction of a second wife into the marriage of Akin and Yejide, a Nigerian couple who fell in love and planned to thwart tradition by not participating in polygamy. But the addition of second wife Funmi to their relationship is only one small element to the novel, and not the focus at all. Rather, the novel is a tragic, heart-wrenching tale of infertility, infant loss, and their effects on a marriage. This book is compelling, beautifully written, and meaningful, but the subject matter could be triggering, which is why I think it’s so important to point out where the summaries I read missed
The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg
3.5 stars. I got a copy of The Hanging City through Amazon First Reads, which offers one free eBook download a month from a curated selection. Since it was my first time selecting a book from the program, I wasn’t sure how the quality would be, but I was pleasantly surprised by The Hanging City. Lark has the power to project fear into others, which has seen her exiled from every known human civilization. Running out of options, she travels to the troll city of Cagmar in hopes of finding not just shelter but a place to call home. I truly enjoyed the imaginative world-building in this novel, like the troll caste system and the unique architecture of the troll city, which is suspended in a canyon to access rare supplies of water. Where the book didn’t resonate for me was the romance, which consumed the second half of the novel. I think there were more interesting avenues to explore with this world (the troll politics or military, the cosmology religion), so the expected forbidden romance just didn’t excite me that much. Still I did appreciate that this novel about a hanging city didn’t leave me hanging: it has a satisfying ending that wraps up the storylines so you aren’t left waiting for a sequel.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
4 stars. Lest you think I just dislike romance after my previous review, here’s an example of a sweet love story done right. Mika Moon has been raised believing it’s dangerous for witches to live together, that the concentration of their power will attract attention and risk the safety of all. So when Mika receives an invitation to travel to Nowhere House to tutor three young witches who have apparently been raised together in this idyllic house by the sea, she’s, well, a little apprehensive to say the least. But curiosity and perhaps a longing to see if her dream of camaraderie and family amongst witches could be a reality lead her to accept. Throw in a “will they or won’t they” romance with the brooding librarian at Nowhere House and you have a fun seasonal read with cozy, witchy vibes.
Gallant by V. E. Schwab
4 stars. I dug Gallant out of my to-be-read pile for spooky season, and I’m glad I did. Olivia has spent her whole life in grey, bleak Merilance House for orphaned girls. Unable to speak since birth and haunted by ghouls only she can see, she is isolated from the other girls, her identity hinging on her mother’s strange diary, which seems to describe her courtship with her father and eventual descent into madness. Thinking herself completely alone, Olivia is shocked to receive a letter from a long-lost uncle inviting her to come and live in the family estate, Gallant. It seems too good to be true, except for one thing, the final line in her mother’s journal: “You will be safe as long as you stay far away from Gallant.” This book reminded me a lot of Mexican Gothic, which I read last October. Both feature spooky houses and families supernaturally tied to the house and its dark secrets.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
4 stars. Third-born princess Marra has spent half of her life in a convent away from court as her sisters were consecutively married to a rival kingdom’s prince to secure an alliance. But as Marra sees her sisters suffer at the prince’s hand, she decides to leave the safety of the convent to do an impossible thing: kill a prince. She seeks out a dust-wife, a woman skilled in the magic of the dead, and what follows is a classic fantasy quest, including impossible tasks, goblin markets, disgraced knights, and wicked fairy godmothers. Nettle & Bone gave me shades of classic novels like The Blue Sword or The Book of Three, and I mean that as a compliment. It utilizes the tropes of this genre, but the characters always feel fresh and compelling, and it has a darker bent with the inclusion of necromancy. My one complaint is that the first chapter uses a setting that is never again revisited, and I felt this was a misleading hook into the book. But Nettle & Bone is a solid entry in the fantasy quest genre, and worth a read.
Still Waters by Viveca Sten
3.5 stars. I am kind of surprised that I enjoyed this book as it’s a crime fiction detective novel, very different from my usual reading choices. A body is washed ashore on the summer island of Sandhamm off the coast of Stockholm, Sweden, and mere days later the victim’s cousin is also found dead. Detective Thomas Andreasson must determine if there’s been an accident or a murder and calls on his childhood friend Nora, who is spending the summer on the island with her family, to help interview the locals and possibly find a killer. If you’ve read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you’ll enjoy this as well—both are Swedish exports and I could see some similarities in tone.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4.5 stars. Children of Time is a eons-spanning sci-fi adventure that follows the rise of one civilization and the collapse of another. What’s left of humanity is contained on the ark ship Gilgamesh, now hurtling through space with a cargo of colonists slumbering in temporal stasis and following a star map left by their ancient ancestors that may lead to a terraformed planet hospitable to human life—their only known chance at a new future. But on that terraformed world is waiting something—or rather someones—quite unexpected. The bio-engineering project that was supposed to populate the planet with human-like creatures has instead resulted in a unique society quite unlike its makers. Told from alternating perspectives of the two civilizations, we see their stories play out as one builds a future of hope and innovation and the other becomes increasingly more desperate.
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
5 stars. After being released from prison, Nellie Coker, matriarch and proprietress of the Amethyst nightclub empire, finds her family beset by challengers hoping to steal her London clubs and her legacy. Her six adult children are little help, each involved in their own schemes or dreams in the glittering yet sinister world of Soho nightlife. Meanwhile, a librarian and rare honest police captain investigate a series of missing and drowned dancing girls who may be connected to Nellie’s clubs. Atkinson has an almost Dickensian touch when it comes to characterization, introducing a huge cast of characters, and yet each is deeply drawn, multi-faceted and interesting. Part of the pleasure of the novel is letting Atkinson lay the scene of 1920s London and sketch a portrait of each of the players, skipping into their backstories and then weaving their threads together to tell her story. I found this book engrossing and enjoyable.
Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams
5 stars. Pearl’s job is to tell people how to be happy—or more accurately, Pearl administers the Apricity test, which analyzes your DNA and suggests a personalized contentment plan almost 100% guaranteed to bring you happiness. Suggestions can vary from the simple (eat ice cream) to the bizarre. Set in the near future and told through rotating points of view that include Pearl’s troubled son Rhett and her artistic ex-husband Elliot, Tell the Machine Goodnight explores what makes us happy and comments on the quick fix wellness trends so prevalent today.
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
4 stars. Diane Setterfield, author of The Thirteenth Tale, is a master of spinning yarns, stories that feel at once timeless yet fresh, rooted in folklore and magic but also very real human tragedy. On a dark and stormy midwinter night, the door to the Swan inn bangs open to find a gravely injured man holding a drowned child. The night takes an even stranger turn when the girl almost magically regains consciousness, and various claimants begin to arrive at the inn doorstep searching for their lost child. Setterfield is excellent at layering in new plot developments at just the right moment, so even as you find a new twist in the narrative, it never feels forced or out of place. Her storytelling flows just like her titular river.
Caitlin Kenney Smith 