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. The links below are affiliate links, so I get a tiny kick back if you purchase through that link.
- Turning the Tables by Andrew P. Haley- If you like food history, this is a really interesting nonfiction book about how the rise of the middle class in cities in the mid 1900s led to the restaurant culture we see today. It goes into how “ethnic” cuisine rose above stuffy French food, how dining habits changed, why tipping culture exists, etc.
- The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter by Yatsuki Wakatsu- If you like Oliver from my Reanimator Mysteries books, you will love the main character of this manga series. A workaholic accountant gets accidentally transported into a magical world, and instead of becoming the traditional hero, he decides to continue his workaholic ways as an accountant for the magical realm. He runs afoul of people in power, and he finds himself the target of help from a magical knight who decides he needs to save the workaholic from himself. This manga scratches so many book itches for me.
- “Ark” by Veronica Roth- This one is less than 50 pages, but it is so good. The world is about to get hit with a dinosaur extinction level asteroid, so as the planet is being evacuated, scientists race to catalog and preserve plants in Svalbard. Samantha prepares to stay behind until she gets to talking with an older scientist who studies orchids. I don’t want to give too much away, but I found this story surprisingly poignant and lovely despite the bleakness of the set-up.
- The Duke at Hazard by K. J. Charles- Technically, this is a sequel, but it can be read as a standalone or out of order with The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting. The Duke of Severin has lived a very sheltered life of privilege, and he is itching to get away from his life (and relatives for a time). A bet with his cousin combined with being robbed of a precious ring during a clandestine meeting with another man is the perfect cover and reason to leave. For a month, he will live like a normal person, though he isn’t sure how one does that or how to find the man who stole his family ring from him. That is, until he runs into a gentleman whose family has been ruined for years who doesn’t recognize him but is willing to help. Together, they set out to find the robber, give Severin experience, and perhaps, rescue his new love’s reputation along the way.
- The Memory of the Ogisi by Moses Ose Utomi- a caveat for this is that it is the third and final book in the series. I really liked this series, and if you read all three in close proximity, I think it would really highlight the cyclical nature of societies that Utomi is getting at. I wouldn’t say the ending of the series is good, per se, but it does what it sets out to do and it’s interesting. The whole thing is a fascinating and rather brutal look at how knowledge and propaganda shapes histories and society.
- Copper Script by K. J. Charles- a policeman ends up becoming intrigued by a graphologist who reads his cousin a little too well only to realize the man’s talents are far realer than he expected. As Aaron tests Joel’s skills, they become embroiled in a case of corruption and murder that becomes far more than they bargained for, especially as they fall for each other against all odds. A bonus is that the one MC is an amputee, and there is quite a bit of hurt-comfort and intrigue going on.
- All Systems Red by Martha Wells- this is the first book in the Murderbot Diaries, and I am recommending this as sort of “read the series” recommendation. Murderbot is a security bot who has hacked its government module (aka now it has free will) and spends the majority of its time doing it’s job as little as possible and watching Netflix in its head. Wells does a really good job portraying autism and sex-repulsed asexuality through Murderbot, and the series is fun, well done, and tugs at the heart as we see Murderbot truly come into itself.
- Eaters of the Dead by Kevin J. Wetmore Jr.- Eaters of the Dead is a nonfiction/academic book about cannibalistic monsters that appear across the world and in fiction. As someone who writes about monsters and the occasional bit of cannibalism, I found this book incredibly interesting. Wetmore talks a lot about the root cause of creatures like ogres, Grendel, ghouls, etc. along with Eastern vs. Western views of funerary practices and how that plays into different views and anxieties surrounding the dead and cannibalism. Highly recommend if you want to get a deeper understanding of monsters.
- The Summer War by Naomi Novik- a rather short book packed with a ton of action about three siblings grappling with their place in the world where they are at endless war with the fae. There’s magic, queer pining of a side character, fae trickery, and so much love and caring. I listened to the audiobook of this in one day and absolutely loved it.
- Conquering Writer’s Block by K. M. Weiland- while I found this book to contain a lot of things I already know, I thought it would be useful to those who are earlier in their career. Weiland provides a grounding perspective and some good advice as to how to stay on track or get into good habits. Sometimes, when things get stressful, it’s good to have a reminder of what to do, especially in a book that’s less than 100 pages, so you can read it periodically to reset your flailing brain.
Kara Jorgensen 