Zach

Finna

by Nino Cipri

Hoopla
Science Fiction

When an elderly customer at a Swedish big box furniture store -- but not that one -- slips through a portal to another dimension, it's up to two minimum-wage employees to track her across the multiverse and protect their company's bottom line. Multi-dimensional swashbuckling would be hard enough, but those two unfortunate souls broke up a week ago. To find the missing granny, Ava and Jules will brave carnivorous furniture, swarms of identical furniture spokespeople, and the deep resentment simmering between them. Can friendship blossom from the ashes of their relationship? In infinite dimensions, all things are possible.

I listened to this book alongside my best friends while on a road trip. We all found it to be engaging while also being fun and witty. Finna was a short read, but an easy one. -Zach

Gender Queer

by Maia Kobabe

306.768/Kobabe
Memoir

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

My friend first recommended this book to me because she was reading it while in a class on queer literature. I found it fascinating to hear what she told her and her classmates were able to discuss about the book. It was super quick, but my favorite part were these discussions, they helped me see more of the queer community here in Iowa City, and made me realize more closely what I actually want to do with my life. -Zach

The City We Became

by N. K. Jemisin

SCIENCE FICTION/Jemisin, N. K.
Fantasy

Five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city. Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She's got five. But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.

Released right as the COVID Pandemic was just beginning, I think this book emphasized community in a way that was necessary for everyone during that time. Perhaps that's why the book became so popular. I found it to be a wonderful representation of queer life, while being thoughtful and critical of privilege and oppression. This book is said to be for those who love New York, but as someone who visited the city many times while growing up, and who never had a care for it, I think it can be for anyone who finds community to be one of their values. -Zach

On a Sunbeam

by Tillie Walden

GRAPHIC NOVEL/Walden
Graphic Novels

Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As new member Mia gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. Soon, though, Mia reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.

I made all my friends read this book and they all agree it is one of the best graphic novels they've ever read. The art alone is enough to get me to reread this book--I would highly recommend trying it out. -Zach

Black Sun

by Rebecca Roanhorse

SCIENCE FICTION/Roanhorse, Rebecca
Fantasy

A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.

This book was very fun--it's an epic fantasy based around indigenous cultures and it focuses on a grand cast of characters. This and the second book in the series are great reads and I can't wait for the final book in the trilogy to arrive! In this book there are some characters that use neo-pronouns like Xe/xem/xyr which I also identify with! -Zach

Detransition, Baby

by Torrey Peters

FICTION/Peters, Torrey
Fiction

Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men. Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese—and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby—and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it—Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family—and raise the baby together?

I listened to this book because I kept hearing great things about it from multiple people. I started it and wow! I loved it--it had such an interesting cast of characters and I found the story both engaging and believable. -Zach

Call Me Nathan

by Catherine Castro

GRAPHIC NOVEL/Castro
Graphic Novels

“All I want is a proper body . . . ” Born as biologically female, Nathan spends his formative years facing questions without answers, social ostracism from his peers, and incomprehension from his family—because from as early as he can remember, he knows he has been born in the wrong body. But, as his family comes to recognize, a physical identity is harder to change than a piece of clothing or a haircut. So from the moment he is at last supplied with a professional term for his self-diagnosis—“gender dysphoria”—he is able to leave behind his complicated psychological history, the challenges of his self-harming, and his struggles with sexual identity, and begin the difficult process of claiming his true self. Based on a true story, at first hand, Call Me Nathan issues a moving call for understanding, a powerful denunciation of prejudice, and a celebration of everything it means to love.

A beautiful story about coming out and coming into oneself. It was good to see a happy ending. -Zach

Light from Uncommon Stars

by Ryka Aoki

SCIENCE FICTION/Aoki Ryka
Science Fiction, Fantasy

Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan's kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul's worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline. As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.

This is perhaps one of my favorite books of all time. I think the story was so amazingly silly and wonderful and I was hooked the whole way through. Read this if you need a smile. -Zach

To Be Taught, If Fortunate

by Becky Chambers

SCIENCE FICTION/Chambers Becky
Science Fiction

Ariadne is one such explorer. As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds and wake up each time with different features. Her experience is one of fluid body and stable mind and of a unique perspective on the passage of time. Back on Earth, society changes dramatically from decade to decade, as it always does. Ariadne may awaken to find that support for space exploration back home has waned, or that her country of birth no longer exists, or that a cult has arisen around their cosmic findings, only to dissolve once more by the next waking. But the moods of Earth have little bearing on their mission: to explore, to study, and to send their learnings home. Carrying all the trademarks of her other beloved works, including brilliant writing, fantastic world-building and exceptional, diverse characters, Becky's first audiobook outside of the Wayfarers series is sure to capture the imagination of listeners all over the world.

If you want a quick and enjoyable read this is for you. All of Becky Chambers' books have queer characters of all varieties, and I love each of the books in their own way. This book brought me into her writing style, and while it's on the heavier side emotionally, it still showcases some excellent themes and characters whom I have not forgotten since. This got me through the beginning of the pandemic and I'm grateful to Chambers for that. -Zach

The Empress of Salt and Fortune

by Nghi Vo

SCIENCE FICTION/Vo, Nghi
Fantasy

A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully. Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for. At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

I've already written about how I loved this book, but I don't know if I added that the main character is non-binary. Not all non-binary people identify as transgender, but some do, and I think it is always an important perspective to look into. -Zach

Heartstopper

by Alice Oseman

GRAPHIC NOVEL/Oseman/Heartstopper
Graphic Novels

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...? Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...

While the main characters of this story are not trans, there is a trans character who is very important to the story. I loved this series, and still do, and plan on rereading it sometime soon. An appreciation for queer life can be seen on every page. -Zach

She Who Became the Sun

by Shelley Parker-Chan

FICTION/Parker-Chan, Shelley
Historical Fiction, Fantasy

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness… In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate. After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness.

It's not clear whether the main character of this story would identify as trans or not, and that's mostly because this type of language wasn't used in the time this novel is set. The author is queer and non-binary so who is to say! I simply enjoyed the book. -Zach

Pet

by Akwaeke Emezi

YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Emezi, Akwaeke
Science Fiction

There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster--and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also uncover the truth, and the answer to the question How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

This story follows a fantastic cast of characters, including a trans girl named Jam. I listened to the book and I want to listen to it again, or perhaps take notes in the margin of reading it next time. Akwaeke Emezi is a wonderful author and I think anything you read by them will be incredible, especially this book. -Zach

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater

Fantasy

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

I think this series is the epitome of autumnal vibes. If you're interested in magic and folklore you'd love this series. -Zach

Red Mars

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Science Fiction

For eons, sandstorms have swept the desolate landscape. For centuries, Mars has beckoned humans to conquer its hostile climate. Now, in 2026, a group of 100 colonists is about to fulfill that destiny. John Boone, Maya Toitavna, Frank Chalmers & Arkady Bogdanov lead a terraforming mission. For some, Mars will become a passion driving them to daring acts of courage & madness. For others it offers an opportunity to strip the planet of its riches. For the genetic alchemists, it presents a chance to create a biomedical miracle, a breakthrough that could change all we know about life & death. The colonists orbit giant satellite mirrors to reflect light to the surface. Black dust sprinkled on the polar caps will capture warmth. Massive tunnels, kilometers deep, will be drilled into the mantle to create stupendous vents of hot gases. Against this backdrop of epic upheaval, rivalries, loves & friendships will form & fall to pieces--for there are those who will fight to the death to prevent Mars from ever being changed.

Red Mars was perhaps the best book I read in 2022. I was enthralled by the complex scientific ideas presented through it, as well as the interesting characters and their beliefs. This story focuses heavily on the politics of terraforming Mars for human use, and the intricacies of that change. If you like hard science fiction and political maneuvering, you will love this book just as I did. -Zach

Whipping Girl

by Julia Serano

306.768/Serano
Nonfiction

In Whipping Girl, biologist and trans activist Julia Serano shares her experiences and insights—both pre- and post-transition—to reveal the ways in which fear, suspicion, and dismissiveness toward femininity shape our attitudes toward trans women, as well as gender and sexuality as a whole. Serano's well-honed arguments and pioneering advocacy stem from her ability to bridge the gap between the often-disparate biological and social perspectives on gender. In this provocative manifesto, she exposes how deep-rooted the cultural belief is that femininity is frivolous, weak, and passive. In addition to debunking popular misconceptions about being transgender, Serano makes the case that today's feminists and transgender activists must work to embrace and empower femininity—in all of its wondrous forms.

This book is non-fiction and focuses more on the theory behind transsexual and transgender activism. It's written by trans woman Julia Serano, and focuses on trans-feminism, cissexism, transphobia, and trans-misogyny. It's a fascinating read and will definitely help open your mind to new ideas and think further on some aspects of common culture. -Zach

The Empress of Salt and Fortune

by Nghi Vo

Fantasy

A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully. Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for. At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

I'm a story-teller. I love writing as much as I love reading, so when I read this series it really spoke to me in a bunch of different ways. I would say the second book is my favorite of the three, it read so easily and far too quickly because I wish I could read a thousand more pages of this world. They were very quick and lovely reads and I will want to go back to revisit the lovely stories that are told here. -Zach

All Systems Red

by Martha Wells

Science Fiction

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

I read this book as an audiobook and I cannot recommend that experience more. It felt a little slow to start, but it's not the plot that grabbed me with this series, but the characters. I felt so connected to everyone and it made me want to read more and more. I think it's a wonderful read and something I will 100% revisit one day! -Zach

Assassin's Apprentice

by Robin Hobb

Fantasy

In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma. Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility. So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.

This series may not be for the faint of heart--it can pull at the heart strings, but also be very intense with its characters. There is violence everywhere in this series, but even more so in the second trilogy, the Liveship Traders. There are technically 5 different series within the Realm of the Elderling world, and I would recommend them all up to Fool's Fate because that's the one I'm currently on. I still have 7 books to go, having done 9 of them. My favorites were the Liveship trader series as well as Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool's Fate. -Zach

A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

by Becky Chambers

Science Fiction

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star. Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain. Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

This series is filled with love and joy. I can say with absolute certainty that each book will be one of the best books I've read this year, and I cannot wait for more by Becky Chambers--so far I have read everything written by her and I'm excited to read everything in the future! The series is a collection of stand alone novels, but that doesn't take away from my love. Usually I love when a series continues with the same characters because you grow to love them more as time goes on, but each story ended so satisfactorily that I felt content and happy with their conclusions. My one sadness is that the series is over, that I won't be able to see any new tales in this universe, but I will happily revisit it anytime. (P.S. Record of a Spaceborn Few was my favorite!) -Zach

Gardens of the Moon

by Steven Erikson

Fantasy

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.

Having read this book and series almost 8 years ago now, it is still to this day the best series I have ever had the privilege to read. This book is the first in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. This is a vast series with hundreds of characters spanning 10,000 pages and something like 3,000,000 words. It took me 3 months to read the whole series, but for 10,000 I think that says just how much I loved it. I read all that while going through school and work! This series can be graphic violently and sexually, so it may not be for a lot of people, but if you like sprawling stories filled with gods, mages, creatures of all kinds, and wonderfully built characters and worlds, this one is for you. -Zach

Dawn

by Octavia E. Butler

Science Fiction

Lilith Iyapo has just lost her husband and son when atomic fire consumes Earth—the last stage of the planet’s final war. Hundreds of years later Lilith awakes, deep in the hold of a massive alien spacecraft piloted by the Oankali—who arrived just in time to save humanity from extinction. They have kept Lilith and other survivors asleep for centuries, as they learned whatever they could about Earth. Now it is time for Lilith to lead them back to her home world, but life among the Oankali on the newly resettled planet will be nothing like it was before. The Oankali survive by genetically merging with primitive civilizations—whether their new hosts like it or not. For the first time since the nuclear holocaust, Earth will be inhabited. Grass will grow, animals will run, and people will learn to survive the planet’s untamed wilderness. But their children will not be human. Not exactly.

This book and series can be hard to read. There are a lot of scenes which focus themselves on consent, and with that there comes the feeling of sexual assault. It's not graphic, but it can be hard to read at times. I read this book in a class on science-fiction and it was fascinating to se the depths of the story with that lens. I recommend this book and all other books by Octavia E. Butler, she is truly a master at her craft. -Zach

Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Sprit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction

by Joshua Whitehead

Science Fiction

Love After the End is a new young adult anthology edited by Joshua Whitehead (Lambda Literary Award winner, Jonny Appleseed) featuring short stories by Indigenous authors with Two-Spirit & Queer heroes, in utopian and dystopian settings. This is a sequel to the popular anthology, Love Beyond Body Space and Time (2019 AILA Youth Honor Book), and features several of the same authors returning, along with new voices!

Another great collection! There's a wonderful few stories here, some of my favorites, and I cannot recommend them enough! -Zach

Love Beyond Body, Space, & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology

by Hope Nicholson

Science Fiction

"Love Beyond, Body, Space, and Time" is a collection of indigenous science fiction and urban fantasy focusing on LGBT and two-spirit characters. These stories range from a transgender woman trying an experimental transition medication to young lovers separated through decades and meeting far in their own future. These are stories of machines and magic, love, and self-love. This collection features prose stories by: Cherie Dimaline "The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy," "Red Rooms" Gwen Benaway "Ceremonies for the Dead" David Robertson "Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story," Tales From Big Spirit series Richard Van Camp "The Lesser Blessed," "Three Feathers" Mari Kurisato "Celia’s Song," "Bent Box" Nathan Adler "Wrist" Daniel Heath Justice "The Way of Thorn and Thunder: The Kynship Chronicles" Darcie Little Badger "Nkásht íí, The Sea Under Texas" Cleo Keahna And an introduction by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair "Manitowapow," with a foreword by Grace Dillon "Walking the Clouds". Edited by Hope Nicholson "Moonshot," "The Secret Loves of Geek Girls"

I love an anthology of science fiction and fantasy, and this one holds an incredible collection of different authors and stories, some already on this list. -Zach

Robopocalypse

by Daniel H. Wilson

Science Fiction

In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans—a single mother disconcerted by her daughter's menacing "smart" toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a "pacification unit" go haywire—but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late. When the Robot War ignites—at a moment known later as Zero Hour—humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us ... and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years.

The idea of robots rebelling against humanity is an old one, going back to R.U.R. by Karel Čapek, but this one gives an interesting, new perspective--it's similar to those other tales, and yet Wilson creates a story which I loved dearly. If you loved World War Z by Max Brooks and the interview style of that world, I think you may love this book too. -Zach

Black Sun

by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fantasy

The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic. A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.

Epic fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and this book had a unique take on it. I loved it and I love Fevered Star, the sequel. -Zach

Elatsoe

by Darcie Little Badger

Mystery

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.

This book was so so wonderful. I finished it this past week and I found it to be wonderfully written and suspenseful both. I think the mixing of genres is not looked at enough--we see a teenage girl, Elatsoe (El-ot-soh-ay), who finds her cousin murdered and goes to solve his murder after his ghost visits her in her dream to warn her and ask for her to protect his wife and newborn son, this combined with the fantastical world Little Badger creates makes the book un-put-downable. -Zach

Moon of the Crusted Snow

by Waubgeshig Rice

Horror

With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow. The community leadership loses its grip on power as the visitors manipulate the tired and hungry to take control of the reserve. Tensions rise and, as the months pass, so does the death toll due to sickness and despair. Frustrated by the building chaos, a group of young friends and their families turn to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping their community thrive again. Guided through the chaos by an unlikely leader named Evan Whitesky, they endeavor to restore order while grappling with a grave decision. Blending action and allegory, Moon of the Crusted Snow upends our expectations. Out of catastrophe comes resilience. And as one society collapses, another is reborn.

This book was very freaky and a wonderful book to read during a cold October. I'd recommend it if you're interested in horror, but it also doesn't go too far into that direction, perhaps it's more atmospheric horror than actual. But the tone of the piece had me shivering in more ways than one. -Zach

Braiding Sweetgrass

by Robin Wall Kimmerer

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

This is easily one of the best books I have read this year. Robin Wall is Potawatomi, combining her knowledge about botany and her skill with writing and knowledge of her ancestral traditions into a book that exceeds expectations. It can change your outlook on all aspects of life and is a brilliant read. I would recommend it to everyone. -Zach

The Time Traveller's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger

This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry, who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry was thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare's struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

This is one of the only books I have read and reread more than four times. Almost every winter I read it around Christmas time because I think it perfectly fits that time of year. This is a must read for any romance fans, especially those who enjoy science fiction and libraries! -Zach

Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house. There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

This is one of the best books I read in 2020. Susanna Clarke is one of my favorite authors with this, as well as with "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell"--both huge hits and deserving of all the acclaim they have received. -Zach

A Darker Shade of Magic

by V. E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

I haven't finished this book, but as I've been listening on Hoopla, I've been finding myself entranced. I'm very excited to see how it goes! -Zach

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgensern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

This is a beautiful read, with wonderful prose and plot. It's magical in all respects and makes me reminisce on the first time I had the pleasure to read it. If you love magic and romance, this is a must read. -Zach

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell

by Susanna Clarke

The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrel. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.

Again, Susanna Clarke is one of my favorites and I would be remis to exclude it from my list! -Zach

The Dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin

OverDrive eBook
Science Fiction

"One of the greats....Not just a science fiction writer; a literary icon." – Stephen KingFrom the brilliant and award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin comes a classic tale of two planets torn apart by conflict and mistrust — and the man who risks everything to reunite them.A bleak moon settled by utopian anarchists, Anarres has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras—a civilization of warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Now Shevek, a brilliant physicist, is determined to reunite the two planets, which have been divided by centuries of distrust. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart.To visit Urras—to learn, to teach, to share—will require great sacrifice and risks, which Shevek willingly accepts. But the ambitious scientist's gift is soon seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change.

This book changed my life. My views on economics as well as social movements and matters has been radically changed for the better from this book. It also is an award winner of the Nebula and Hugo awards! And Ursula K. Le Guin is probably the coolest person in the world--at least to me! -Zach

Vagabonds

by Hao Jingfang

OverDrive eBook
Science Fiction

A century after the Martian war of independence, a group of kids are sent to Earth as delegates from Mars, but when they return home, they are caught between the two worlds, unable to reconcile the beauty and culture of Mars with their experiences on Earth in this "thoughtful debut" (Kirkus Reviews) from Hugo Award–winning author Hao Jingfang.This "masterful narrative" (Booklist, starred review) is set on Earth in the wake of a second civil war...not between two factions in one nation, but two factions in one solar system: Mars and Earth. In an attempt to repair increasing tensions, the colonies of Mars send a group of young people to live on Earth to help reconcile humanity. But the group finds itself with no real home, no friends, and fractured allegiances as they struggle to find a sense of community and identity trapped between two worlds.

This book was an incredible read and one of the best of 2022 for me. It includes a lot of thoughtful takes on economics and other interesting motifs. The author has also won a Hugo award for her work before. -Zach