I’ve been absent for a while, and as I’ve mentioned, I was editing my book and working with my agent.
The last time I posted a “best books” list was for March, and while I haven’t been posting, I have definitely been reading. I had a run of not so great books, then luckily I had a run of really enjoyable ones. Here are the ones I recommend.
The Boy And Girl Who Broke The World, by Amy Reed (speculative YA): I honestly cannot say enough good things about this book. It’s so many things. Beautiful, ugly, honest, strange, haunting. When I started it, I thought it was going to be a pretty standard YA book full of the usual tropes. Two chapters in, I realized I was wrong, and I was completely hooked. If you only read one YA book this year, this is the one I recommend.
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (historical fiction): I realize I’m late to the party and everyone else has already read this book or watched the movie, but I never claimed to be a trendsetter. This book was amazing! This book is set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 and centers around two black maids and a white socialite who wants to tell their story. If history had been taught through historical fiction like this, I guarantee I would have paid attention.
Recursion, by Blake Crouch (science fiction): I had no idea what was going on for a long time, but the book hooked me early and kept me reading. It was a twisty science fiction thriller with great characters. I loved every minute of the ride and will end up reading it again just so I can better enjoy all the things that happened at the beginning that I didn’t understand.
The Reckless Oath We Made, by Bryn Greenwood (contemporary romance): Full disclosure: I will read and adore anything Bryn Greenwood writes. That being said, this book was wonderful. The main female character is kind of prickly. Her love interest is autistic and is a sword-carrying knight. It’s a strange romance, but beautiful to see two very different people overcoming obstacles. And just in case you think this is just a boy-meets-girl plot, it all begins when Zee’s sister is kidnapped during a prison breakout. This book is a wild ride.
The Astonishing Color of After, by Emily X.R. Pan (YA magical realism): After her mother’s suicide, Leigh becomes convinced her mother is a bird, and that her mother wants Leigh to visit her estranged grandparents in Taiwan. It’s a book about grief that’s real and raw, and the device of the bird as her mother is lovely.
We Are the Ants, by Shaun David Hutchinson (YA science fiction): Henry is periodically abducted by aliens. During one abduction, they tell him that the world will end in 144 days, and if he wants to stop it, he has to push a big red button. Henry isn’t sure the world is worth saving, and the book is his exploration of all the terrible and maybe not so terrible things in his life. I would have pushed the button right away, but this book did a great job of showing me why Henry didn’t.
Have you read anything great lately?