December Reading Round-up

Happy Yule, y’all! I’m working on my annual best of lists, but if you’re looking for (very) last minute gifts or trying to figure out what to do with you new book dollars post-holiday, here are some things I’ve read a loved this month!

Also, tune in at the start of next month for an announcement about some collective reading opportunities!

Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk

This was a lovely novella with some really lovely prose. This short novella is a magical murder mystery set in historical Chicago. If you want a wintery story with excellent sapphic rep, this might be a great read for you. There’s also some excellent noir aesthetic in this story that would appeal to a lot of urban fantasy and crime readers. I would definitely read more. (Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ+)

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle is always a good time, and this novella is no exception. Wandering cleric Chih is caught up in another rollicking adventure as they wander the roads of the Riverlands and encounter some delightfully quirky characters. I’d love to see this movie, honestly, and I hope someone somewhere is looking at how to adapt these to the screen. (Fantasy, Asian Fantasy, LGBTQ+)

A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

I have told almost everyone I’ve run into about this book since I read it, which evoked some massively complicated feelings in my heart. There was so much to love here: blatant depictions of the physical and emotional challenges of being a new, first-time mother; a potential political structure and vision of what real climate change might look like; really fun aliens. This book feels like the literary progeny of Octavia Butler and Vonda McIntyre, if that progeny were incredibly Jewish and queer. Go read it. (Science Fiction, Climate Fiction, LGBTQ+)

Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews

The official release of the most recent Innkeeper novel had some wonderful action, a wonderful reality TV vibe, and the reveal of the fables Sebastian North. If you’ve been reading these books, you’ll want to catch up — and then tell me all about what you think. (Contemporary Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance)