Summer 2023 Reading Round-up

I haven’t posted one of these since May! This is in part because I went through a reading slump, which evolved into me re-reading a bunch of books for comfort. I can’t say that won’t happen again! But for now, here’s the list of lovely books I did read for the first time over the summer, in no particular order. Some of these are new, some of them have been out for years. If I finished the book it’s on the list!

Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater

I had a really fun time with this one, as I have with all of Atwater’s books so far. I really love irreverent takes on angels and demons, and I stan a good Christian mythos retelling that actually allows for redemption and a complex approach to morality as opposed to being focused on doom and gloom and punishment. Plus, the main character is fundamentally genderfluid and is written that way and it’s really fun! (Urban Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance)

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

I really enjoyed this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Toad is a wonderful character, and I love that the wicked fairy in this story is not so wicked after all. As always, Kingfisher deals with the horrifying in a way that is fundamentally unsettling but also kind. You know you’re in good hands. (Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling, Romance)

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

There was a lot I liked about this book, namely the decision to have a royal main character with crippling anxiety. That said, there was a lot of plot driving characters in this book that didn’t quite work for me. I would read it for the romance and the action, but not the politics. If that is still your jam, this may be the book for you! (Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance)

Another Life by Sarena Ulibarri

This tiny novella is a wonderful solarpunk bit of weirdness and I heartily recommend it. Stelliform Press remains one of the most fascinating small presses currently out there making work. All of their fiction revolves around climate change and the near future responses to it — sometimes hopeful, sometimes maybe not as much. This particular story wrestles with how we, as a society, might remember previous generations critically — and what that means for our own identities — through the lens of a new technology: the ability to know, verifiably, who you were in a past life. (Science Fiction, Climate Fiction)

Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews

Of course, I will read anything Kate Daniels. This short little adventure follows Kate as she continues to define for herself a new identity outside of Atlanta. There’s lots of swords and shifter violence and, of course, magic, so if you’re in for something light this is the second book in the bridge series between the end of the official Kate Daniels books and Blood Heir. (Urban Fantasy)

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

T. Kingfisher came in clutch this summer with a double release. We love to see it. A House with Good Bones is a pure bit of modern gothic, where an entomologist goes home to visit her mother and finds that something is definitely haunting the house. The answer to what that something is might not be what you think. It’s a great read dealing with family trauma and inheritance in a way that was deeply relatable. Plus there’s some creepy vultures, sinister roses, and a witch. What’s not to love? (Horror)

Water Logic by Laurie J. Marks

I first read Fire Logic and Earth Logic back when they were originally released in the early 2000s through Tor. I’ve had Water Logic and Air Logic, the conclusion of the series, for several years but it’s never felt like quite the right time to dive back into them. Lucky for me, this summer seemed appropriate to read Water Logic, and I credit this book with helping me to reconnect with story after my reading slump really set in. It’s a time travel tale in a series that is fundamentally queer and wrestles continuously with the questions of how a society and individuals heal from deep divisions and war. I am excited to read the last book in the series and see how everything resolves. (Fantasy, LGBTQ)

Witch King by Martha Wells

Last but not least in our Summer Reading Round-up: The Witch King by Martha Wells. I love Wells, she’s one of my favorites, and I knew that I had to read this book as soon as possible so I had it preordered months ago. It did not disappoint. If you really enjoyed the original Raksura trilogy and wanted more of that vibe, friends, this world is just as rich and this character is just as confused and fragile as Moon in his own way. A cinnamon bun demon, a very powerful creature whose loss has made him more compassionate, not less. And the politics are certainly fascinating, too, with questions raised about how to trust in the wake of fracturing movements and what happens when the unifying enemy is, apparently vanquished. It’s good, is what I’m saying. Go check it out. (Fantasy)

Alright, that’s everything new I read during the summer months! Next Round-up will probably be for Halloween, if that’s your poison. Until then!