favs of the year, not counting books that were rereads
- chain-gang all-stars, nana kwame adjei-brenyah - when i read this in june i knew nothing else this year would top it. one review said it’s like if you combined death race, hunger games, and gladiator. prisoners fight to the death in the near-future. if you survive so long, you are freed. the characters will stay with you. the story will stay with you. the realization that this isn’t even a far-fetched concept will definitely stay with you. it’s really dark and violent and socially charged. i’m obsessed with this book.
- this thing between us, gus moreno - weird horror that i couldn’t put down. i would avoid the synopsis spoilers. it’s partly about an alexa that goes rogue. excellent writing. (it’s on kindle unlimited as of this recording)
- the devil takes you home, gabino iglesias - a guy’s life is falling apart and he’s in debt, ends up working with an acquaintance as a hitman. violent and gory as hell, gritty, wild, but so well-written. (there are a lot of Spanish words in here, sometimes several sentences at once. don’t skip looking at those. my copy from BOTM came with a little booklet of Spanish translations, so if you read this try to get that sort of copy. not sure how kindle handles that.)
the others in no real order:
- kindred, octavia e. butler - this book was published in the 70s and doesn’t at all feel not modern. time travel (not in the weeds about the science though). a Black woman has a connection with a family in antebellum times in the american south. she keeps being taken back to save someone.
- the last one, will dean - thriller, couple good twists. a woman wakes up after her first night on a cruise and there’s no one else on board. i’ve heard the synopsis gives too much away.
- boy parts, eliza clark - weird lit fic, definitely a black comedy. main character takes photos of young men she always chooses guys who will inevitably get weird when the camera comes out.
- everyone in my family has killed someone, benjamin stevenson - fun, a little quirky, the narrator breaks the fourth wall often and talks to you, the reader, directly. mystery story with a locked room setting. a little dark but mostly fun.
- kaiju preservation society, john scalzi - weird and goofy scifi but not heavy on the science part. i’ll be reading more from this author for sure.
- my murder, katie williams - thriller with a unique concept: a woman is brought back to life by the government after she’s murdered.