Chelsea

Added by Chelsea

Nighi Vo writes with a surreal, dreamlike detail that is perfect for a story set in the back lots of old Hollywood. -Chelsea

An excellent fantasy novel about agency, legacy, and what mothers owe to their children. I'm looking forward to what this author writes next, and I would love to read more from this universe! -Chelsea

"Godkiller" has wonderful, immersive world building (I want to eat, like, all of the food described in this series), and memorable characters. The cast is incredibly diverse, featuring multiple characters with disabilities, casual queerness, and thoughtfully executed fantasy racial diversity. The first novel has strong DnD vibes, but the characters quickly evolve past those initial archetypes as the series continues. This is one of my new favorite fantasy series, and I would recommend the sequels, "Sunbringer" and "Faithbreaker" as well. -Chelsea

Poetic, cutting, and accurate. This book is part memoir, part poetry, and part explanatory nonfiction. Lohman details the ways that chronic pain derailed her life and reshaped her identity. If you have chronic pain, this could be a very therapeutic read. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and I appreciated untangling the snarled threads of pain alongside the author as she explored different techniques for thinking about and living with her pain. If you don't have chronic pain, this book is an excellent window into the experience of people that do. It especially elucidates the difference between acute and chronic pain, and asks the question: How much pain can you handle? -Chelsea

Suzanne Collins returns to the world of Panem with a timely and brutal novel. "Sunrise on the Reaping" explores the concept of implicit submission. It asks us what motivates our acceptance of the status quo, and what it might take to change. -Chelsea

This is a searing feminist novel that explores female rage through a lens of magical realism. This book really shines in its exploration of female relationships, especially between Alex and her family. They love each other deeply, but that love is often tempered by resentment or fear or secrecy, and Barnhill does a great job depicting that complexity. -Chelsea

The relationship between Red and Blue reveals the false dichotomy of nature vs technology. As they write to each other, Red finds the humanity within the machine, and Blue observes the algorithms that govern the natural world. I could spend ages thinking about this book. The strands of this world have been woven into my veins. -Chelsea

The characters in this book really shine, especially Hester. I love that one of the co-protagonists is a grumpy, disabled old woman, and that she uses her wit and cleverness to win the day. There are some real moments of horror in this book as well, and they were vivid enough to make me shiver. -Chelsea

So many romance novels are about the opening stages of a relationship, and it was really refreshing to watch Reyna and Kianthe navigate the conflicts that can arise in an established relationship. Thorne does a great job balancing the cozy atmosphere with intriguing political drama and world building. The sequel, "A Pirate's Life for Tea," was also a great read, and I'm excited to see what else this series has in store later this year! -Chelsea

The atmosphere in "Piranesi" is so calming; the waves, the clouds, the statuary its a perfect balance of stillness and movement terrible secrets and inevitable knowledge- a stillness disrupted- reread and edit this -Chelsea

If "The Last Unicorn" is about the ways in which we are irrevocably changed by the world, "I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons" is about having the courage to be yourself in spite of the external forces that try to shape you. The characters all have an assigned role, a person that they think they want to be, and the person that they need to be. It is delightful to accompany them on their (very much unexpected) journeys of self discovery. -Chelsea

Simultaneously dense and dreamlike, VanderMeer's prose is full of vivid detail and demands your full attention. For your effort you are rewarded with a fevered meditation on grief , identity, and the transitional ecologies of the human mind. -Chelsea

"Between Earth and Sky" is an excellent series, and it just concluded with "Mirrored Heavens" this year. Roanhorse creates a detailed and intriguing wold inspired by Native American cultures. I love how messy the politics get in this series. The main characters are frequently at odds with one another and the tensions that creates are fascinating to explore. -Chelsea

A cozy queer romance seasoned with cosmic horror. "Someone You Can Build a Nest in" asks what it really means to be monstrous, and challenges us to break away from cycles of familial abuse. -Chelsea

This book is top-notch queer horror, with fun characters, a good sense of atmosphere, and a chilling plot that pulls you forward. -Chelsea

This book absolutely nails the gothic vibe. It's a great read for the start of spooky season! -Chelsea

This book is a classic for a reason. It details a particular horror experienced by women and other caregivers; the horror of giving and giving until there's nothing left. Eleanor is so achingly lonely that she jumps at any chance of connection. She wants to be loved and taken care of. She wants to belong, and Hill House offers her that, at a price. This book has made a home inside my brain, and I will continue to walk its twisting halls for some time. -Chelsea

Nicola Griffith has queered the Hero's Journey, and it is delightful. This is not a quest for glory, or power, or salvation; this is a quest for connection, and joy, and a life worth living. Spear is a lovely, lyrical retelling of Arthurian myth with an interest in historical accuracy and the attendant diversity. Like all Arthurian myth it is haunted by the sorrow of its own promised ending. The sorrow does not spoil any of the moments of sweetness or triumph, but it adds a weight to the story like the air before a storm. -Chelsea

Came for the fantasy adventure, tripped and broke my heart on the romance. -Chelsea

I love how much hope there is in Station Eleven. I found it really refreshing to see such optimism in a post-apocalyptic novel. This is a book about finding meaning in life despite the inevitability of death. -Chelsea

A beautiful and bittersweet historical fantasy set during the Spanish inquisition that explores the consequences of desire. Bardugo uses diasporic languages, such as Ladino, to form the basis of her magic system, adding both tension and lyriscism to the narrative. The Familiar is good in print, but it really shines as an audiobook, where the magic words can come to life. -Chelsea

"Invisible" examines chronic illness through the lens of multiple women, building a full picture through their varied and intersectional experiences. This book does an excellent job of capturing the seismic feeling of becoming chronically ill, the way the people and places around you change to become stranger and more hostile. -Chelsea

The Tiffany Aching books are a delightful introduction to Pratchett's Discworld, and I wholeheartedly recommend the entire series. -Chelsea

The Winternight Trilogy is fantasy with a heavy historical influence. The detail Arden uses to describe medival Russia really grounds the more fantastic elements of the story, and the world is alive with characters from Russian folklore. Vasya is a very empowering protagonist because she only ever becomes more herself. She refuses to let the world change her, and the series follows her as she carves out a place for herself in spite of the conventions that would cage her. -Chelsea

This book is dense, and it can be difficult to get into, but it is very much worth the effort, and is particularly rewarding to reread. The characters are wonderfully flawed, and the world they inhabit is broken and horrifyingly familiar. Muir's humor will sneak up on you when you're least expecting it. -Chelsea

A lovely lyrical fantasy that i read again and again. It never fails to transport me to another world for a few hours. -Chelsea

Incredible world building, interesting magic system, excellent characters; the whole series is one of my all time favorites and I look forward to its continuation. -Chelsea

The characters in this book feel like family, like a big group of friends that lives in the apartment above you causing good-natured chaos. Jane is one of my favorite characters. I love her hard edges and her drive to fight for her community, and I love that with August, she finally gets to have someone fight for her. -Chelsea

The Fifth Season is a braided coming of age story, a wonderful character study that is beautifully narrated by Robin Miles. This series does not flinch away from difficult topics, and explores the effects of racism, colonialism, and other oppressive power structures in stark detail. -Chelsea

At turns lyrical and ridiculous, this book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me laugh while crying. The characters are wonderfully imperfect, and it is a delight to see how they fit their broken edges together. Best enjoyed with doughnuts. -Chelsea

I see myself in Lundy. I love her attention to detail and the way she uses her cleverness to find loopholes and make the rules work to her advantage. I enjoy all of the Wayward Children books, but there's something special about In an Absent Dream. It contains the sort of heartbreak that cuts to the core of me. -Chelsea

This book never fails to make me laugh, and it is unflinchingly in love with humanity. A good jumping off point for both Pratchett and Gaiman. To the world! -Chelsea

The Earthsea books are about becoming, but not in a hyperempowered-YA-protagonist way. They are about growing up and maturing and finding your place in the world and learning the truth of yourself, but they are also about accepting responsibility and guilt and all of the messy awful things that come with being human. -Chelsea

Starless Sea is evokes a very particular feeling. Reading it feels warm and golden and viscous, melancholic. This is a book of missed opportunities and decaying splendor. It is a dream that you cannot quite remember upon waking. -Chelsea