In the past, I would make a best of list for books I read, but I hate holding off on talking about my favorite reads. Instead, I plan to make a few of these posts throughout the year as I find books I loved. You can read the first installment here.
- To Clutch a Razor (#2) by Veronica Roth- a one-time killer becomes the hunted and must atone for his past sins by taking out his family members for Baba Yaga in order to get part of his soul back. I absolutely loved this story. It’s about monsters, humanity, family- blood and found, and how you break generational curses in different ways. I can’t wait for more of this series.
- A Mouthful of Dust (#6) by Nghi Vo- Cleric Chih arrives in a town famous for its pork dish and its past famine only to find some members of the town are far more afraid of the truth of the famine and what people were driven to than others. As always, Vo’s work is layered and unfolds in unexpected and deliciously perfect ways.
- Queer as Folklore by Sacha Coward- a nonfiction book taking a look at the queer underpinings of folklore and monsters, from ancient times to modern pop culture. It is accessible and incredibly interesting and ends up being one of those books you finish and immediately want to do more research about the topic.
- Cinder House by Freya Marske- a very bi Cinderella retelling where Cinderella (or Ella, in this case) is the ghost of a murdered girl haunting a house until she realizes she can explore her city post-mortem and makes a bargain that leads to her falling in love at a ball. It’s also a bit about generational trauma and how children become the pawns in adults’ games.
- Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher- a woman escapes her life by running out to her aunt’s house in the middle of nowhere with only her dog and a few bucks only to find her aunt died a year ago and her house stands empty. She slowly becomes a part of the community and finds she has attracted the eye of a minor desert god. She soon realizes she is capable of far more than she thought possible.
- Cronus by P. Djeli Clark- A short story about AI, time manipulation, and reclaiming Black history. I don’t want to say too much since it’s short, but the speakeasy, magic, and queerness of the story was chef kiss. It’s also very timely, and for me, Clark is an auto-buy author.
- After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian- a man working at a bookstore in the 1960s, a man running from his past, a young woman starting over with her baby after the death of her husband, and finding their way to a new life together as family. I love how much this book focuses on found family and community while still dealing with so much grief. As with all Cat Sebastian books, it was like a cozy sweater and a hug after a very bad day.
- Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher- the third princess of a small royal family realizes she is the only one who can or will save her sister who is married to a prince who killed their sister and abuses her. The main character is a princess turned nun turned witch (?) who teams up with a bone witch with a demonic chicken, a banished knight, a bone dog, and a very odd godmother. I absolutely loved this one as it scratched my fairytale itch.
Kara Jorgensen 
