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ladybusinessThe trouble with books is that they keep coming out and they all sound amazing.
There's not enough hours in the day for me to put them all in my eyes immediately. I'm behind on my 2015 reading already. And yet, the middle of the year—May through September—is the toughest time to be a book lover because publishers are determined to make me suffer. "Look at all these excellent stories!" they say. "You definitely need to read this! And this! And your favorite authors are also releasing something new!"
Because it's summer mainstream sites are releasing new books to check out over the next few months. Of course, if you went by those lists you'd be convinced the only people writing science fiction and fantasy (or other genres; fill in the blank as appropriate) were white dudes. There's been some pushback; Book Riot's got a great list (crying over my TBR list now, thanks Book Riot, for leading me to further doom). But we can continue thinking outside the box, mainstream sites! There are endless avenues for new fiction! Be bold!
I've made my own list of books I'm thrilled to read over the next few months, but I know there are tons more out there. What's everyone else looking forward to getting their hands on?
Apex by Ramez Naam — Last year, while trying to get![[twitter.com profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico)
echthroi to read, I pressed the first book in this series, Nexus, on him. He gobbled it up. So then I showed him Crux and he also gobbled that up. I hadn't yet read this series, but the quick way he read makes me thinks this series might be intriguing. And a bonus: a series that's done! Into it.
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor — many people have impressed upon me the fact I need to be reading Okorafor, and it's to my shame that I haven't yet. This is a prequel to Who Fears Death, which was hugely popular. I have my copy and 2015 is the year I read this series and get why everyone raves about it.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson — I read this. It's so good! It's about trust and family and being a monster and a villain and how those things are never as clear as they initially seem. It's about the warm glow of friendship. It was everything I hoped it would be when I started the webcomic, and I'm so glad its in book form so I can shove it at everyone and demand they read it. READ IT.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik — three people have now said to me, "You've gotta read this book ASAP." which makes me smug, because I know, friends! I have been enjoying her writing for years. Ha! I know it's gonna be awesome. I've cracked my copy and sampled the first bits and I'm so excited to dig in and finish. Is this one of the best fantasy novels this year? It did get The Goblin Emperor Street Team Bat Signal™, so I'm going to put my bet on YES.
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest — I liked Priest's Boneshaker a lot. Since that book came out it feels like she's been everywhere — gothic and steampunk and fantasy horror and urban fantasy and now YA, which smells a little like a mystery and features girls and their friendship at the center of the narrative.
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker — I forget how this ended up on my radar, but I love stories where the status quo is challenged and perspectives shift and someone learns the world wasn't quite what it seemed.
Nova by Margaret Fortune — The entire premise of this book feels like one of the endless debates I used to listen to fellow students in my philosophy class have with each other. I'm really into the idea of what makes a person a person, memory modification, and the shifting of selves between bodies. Also, space station adventures!
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey — I've been super subtle about how much I love this series and how excited I am about the upcoming television adaptation in December (augh, December). This is the 5th book is the series, but I've started and the best words I have to describe it without spoilers is lskdjflwh4o; ur2hwefnwjee asdlkjqww fffffff
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older — Older put out another book earlier this year, Half-Resurrection Blues, which was also on my list, but see: All the Books, Finite Time. This one, however, features a girl and magic and a super urban setting that seems to really use the places to build the plot. Also, the cover to this one is amazing and makes me think of street artists and that one meme that goes around tumblr talking about urban magic every now and again that I always mean to bookmark and never do.
The Red: First Light by Linda Nagata — When this book hit the Nebula Award, I was surprised, but of course I waited too long to buy it under its self-hosted iteration and had to wait for Saga Press to re-release it. Very military SF-sounding, and really these days all you need to do is dangle the words "AI" at me to sell me on a thing.
Cold Iron by Stina Leicht — I want to get into epic fantasy because as a kid I loved the ones I did read, even if they were mostly devoid of ladies. So I kept looking! I like the sound of this one because it has a brother/sister team and what sounds like super cool magic and pirates! Pirates, yessss.
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor — this came out elsewhere last year, and of course all my book money is locked in B&N gift cards, so I was shut out. This is clearly the year of Okorafor for me. Alien invasions! Possible tentacles?
Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman — more aliens! And space! Although I admit what drew me to this was that the characters mentioned in the blurb are both women and it reminds me a little of Europa Report, which I loved.
Time Salvager by Wesley Chu — I am so bad with time travel stories, or time shenanigans, period. I still can't convert properly from UTC to my timezone, and after five years doing that you'd think I'd be better at it. NOPE. I tried Chu's Tao series, but the first one was so dudebro I couldn't manage it at the time (maybe later). I am more hopeful for this one since it reminds me a little of Looper, without all the MurderDeathKill. Fingers crossed the time travel bits don't lose me.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin — you probably already know if this is a thing you are interested in given how long we've all been pining after the initial announcement and then subsequent shift of publication date. I've yet to meet a piece of writing by N.K. Jemisin I didn't like, and my initial peeks into my ARC leave me with no choice but to advocate everyone pre-order this immediately if you haven't already. YOU'LL THANK ME LATER.
Falling in Love With Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson — Another writer that's new to me, but I've just heard such great things about her books that I have this, plus Brown Girl in the Ring on my list for this year.
Court of Fives by Kate Elliott — I know! What a shock! A Kate Elliott novel on my to-read list! This is described all over as "Little Women meets Game of Thrones", but I'm more interested in the former, because girls! Women! Connections between them! So excited. And since I'm locked into a game with myself with Elliott's back list, too, I continue my trek toward success. This book will not net me a bingo, but it will lead me ONE STEP CLOSER.
Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente — "Radiance is a decopunk pulp SF alt-history space opera mystery set in a Hollywood—and solar system—very different from our own" That bit of blurb alone would have had me, but the rest of it on this gives me such strong Larklight vibes that I'm super pumped. I'm really hoping that the blurb doesn't spoil the book, because the way it sounds right now it does, but I also expect some shenanigans may be afoot.
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard — I continue gobbling up all of her short fiction — her Xuya stories are so good — but I'm thrilled to find out what she does in a longer format. Magic and war and angels! Poor Paris, I'm sorry you have to be destroyed for our entertainment (but only a little sorry).
You're Never Weird on the Internet - Almost by Felicia Day — I've been reading more of the books online personalities have been putting out recently, and it's gone pretty well so far. They tend to be light and funny, quick reads that cheer me up, and since this is Felicia Day, whose work I already like in general, I'm definitely hoping for something upbeat/wise. :D
The End of All Things by John Scalzi — possibly the last novel in the Old Man's War verse we'll get for awhile? I'm excited for this but also a little sad, because this is the series that set me on my renewed path into SF! I love you, little series. I hope this book is awesome and holds me over for a few years until he returns to the universe.
(Which he will! Yay!)
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho — This author is new to me, but there was a ton of positive buzz with the novel was first announced and then again when the cover was revealed. People got super excited, my Twitter timeline was a solid wall of squee. There's magic in this, too, and in a world where women apparently can't practice magic, which of course means it's gonna be addressed in the book, probably awesomely. Critiques of social systems FTW!
Updraft by Fran Wilde — the blurb on this is a little vague on character detail, but this came recced to me personally by several people who know the author, I guess! And I'm definitely into stories about ~secrets of governing bodies~.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman — this is my shallow entry, because I legit added this to my list because of the cover, and only afterward paid much attention to the blurb. I read my Dad's westerns sometimes as a kid — a life choice I don't recommend — so I'm curious about how I'm going to feel, returning to the form.
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson — When I read this blurb my first thought was for the excellent class I took on The American West as part of my degree (way less focused on white people than it could've been!) and what a cool period of history that was. A girl with the power to sense gold, magic, and a rush to a place she could be free sounds right up my alley. Fingers crossed for cool history!
I'll only make it to 7-10 books (plus the ones I've already read) during this summer because of life and movies and comics. If I can't become a hermit, move to a cabin off the grid with nothing but a pile of books to read and no other responsibilities, fine. I can at least talk incessantly about all the books I'm excited about. Feel free to put some of these in your eyes as they drop and then come tell me if they're awesome. I want to live vicariously through your reading experience! I can only read so fast.
There's not enough hours in the day for me to put them all in my eyes immediately. I'm behind on my 2015 reading already. And yet, the middle of the year—May through September—is the toughest time to be a book lover because publishers are determined to make me suffer. "Look at all these excellent stories!" they say. "You definitely need to read this! And this! And your favorite authors are also releasing something new!"
Because it's summer mainstream sites are releasing new books to check out over the next few months. Of course, if you went by those lists you'd be convinced the only people writing science fiction and fantasy (or other genres; fill in the blank as appropriate) were white dudes. There's been some pushback; Book Riot's got a great list (crying over my TBR list now, thanks Book Riot, for leading me to further doom). But we can continue thinking outside the box, mainstream sites! There are endless avenues for new fiction! Be bold!
I've made my own list of books I'm thrilled to read over the next few months, but I know there are tons more out there. What's everyone else looking forward to getting their hands on?
Apex by Ramez Naam — Last year, while trying to get
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor — many people have impressed upon me the fact I need to be reading Okorafor, and it's to my shame that I haven't yet. This is a prequel to Who Fears Death, which was hugely popular. I have my copy and 2015 is the year I read this series and get why everyone raves about it.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson — I read this. It's so good! It's about trust and family and being a monster and a villain and how those things are never as clear as they initially seem. It's about the warm glow of friendship. It was everything I hoped it would be when I started the webcomic, and I'm so glad its in book form so I can shove it at everyone and demand they read it. READ IT.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik — three people have now said to me, "You've gotta read this book ASAP." which makes me smug, because I know, friends! I have been enjoying her writing for years. Ha! I know it's gonna be awesome. I've cracked my copy and sampled the first bits and I'm so excited to dig in and finish. Is this one of the best fantasy novels this year? It did get The Goblin Emperor Street Team Bat Signal™, so I'm going to put my bet on YES.
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest — I liked Priest's Boneshaker a lot. Since that book came out it feels like she's been everywhere — gothic and steampunk and fantasy horror and urban fantasy and now YA, which smells a little like a mystery and features girls and their friendship at the center of the narrative.
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker — I forget how this ended up on my radar, but I love stories where the status quo is challenged and perspectives shift and someone learns the world wasn't quite what it seemed.
Nova by Margaret Fortune — The entire premise of this book feels like one of the endless debates I used to listen to fellow students in my philosophy class have with each other. I'm really into the idea of what makes a person a person, memory modification, and the shifting of selves between bodies. Also, space station adventures!
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey — I've been super subtle about how much I love this series and how excited I am about the upcoming television adaptation in December (augh, December). This is the 5th book is the series, but I've started and the best words I have to describe it without spoilers is lskdjflwh4o; ur2hwefnwjee asdlkjqww fffffff
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older — Older put out another book earlier this year, Half-Resurrection Blues, which was also on my list, but see: All the Books, Finite Time. This one, however, features a girl and magic and a super urban setting that seems to really use the places to build the plot. Also, the cover to this one is amazing and makes me think of street artists and that one meme that goes around tumblr talking about urban magic every now and again that I always mean to bookmark and never do.
The Red: First Light by Linda Nagata — When this book hit the Nebula Award, I was surprised, but of course I waited too long to buy it under its self-hosted iteration and had to wait for Saga Press to re-release it. Very military SF-sounding, and really these days all you need to do is dangle the words "AI" at me to sell me on a thing.
Cold Iron by Stina Leicht — I want to get into epic fantasy because as a kid I loved the ones I did read, even if they were mostly devoid of ladies. So I kept looking! I like the sound of this one because it has a brother/sister team and what sounds like super cool magic and pirates! Pirates, yessss.
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor — this came out elsewhere last year, and of course all my book money is locked in B&N gift cards, so I was shut out. This is clearly the year of Okorafor for me. Alien invasions! Possible tentacles?
Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman — more aliens! And space! Although I admit what drew me to this was that the characters mentioned in the blurb are both women and it reminds me a little of Europa Report, which I loved.
Time Salvager by Wesley Chu — I am so bad with time travel stories, or time shenanigans, period. I still can't convert properly from UTC to my timezone, and after five years doing that you'd think I'd be better at it. NOPE. I tried Chu's Tao series, but the first one was so dudebro I couldn't manage it at the time (maybe later). I am more hopeful for this one since it reminds me a little of Looper, without all the MurderDeathKill. Fingers crossed the time travel bits don't lose me.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin — you probably already know if this is a thing you are interested in given how long we've all been pining after the initial announcement and then subsequent shift of publication date. I've yet to meet a piece of writing by N.K. Jemisin I didn't like, and my initial peeks into my ARC leave me with no choice but to advocate everyone pre-order this immediately if you haven't already. YOU'LL THANK ME LATER.
Falling in Love With Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson — Another writer that's new to me, but I've just heard such great things about her books that I have this, plus Brown Girl in the Ring on my list for this year.
Court of Fives by Kate Elliott — I know! What a shock! A Kate Elliott novel on my to-read list! This is described all over as "Little Women meets Game of Thrones", but I'm more interested in the former, because girls! Women! Connections between them! So excited. And since I'm locked into a game with myself with Elliott's back list, too, I continue my trek toward success. This book will not net me a bingo, but it will lead me ONE STEP CLOSER.
Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente — "Radiance is a decopunk pulp SF alt-history space opera mystery set in a Hollywood—and solar system—very different from our own" That bit of blurb alone would have had me, but the rest of it on this gives me such strong Larklight vibes that I'm super pumped. I'm really hoping that the blurb doesn't spoil the book, because the way it sounds right now it does, but I also expect some shenanigans may be afoot.
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard — I continue gobbling up all of her short fiction — her Xuya stories are so good — but I'm thrilled to find out what she does in a longer format. Magic and war and angels! Poor Paris, I'm sorry you have to be destroyed for our entertainment (but only a little sorry).
You're Never Weird on the Internet - Almost by Felicia Day — I've been reading more of the books online personalities have been putting out recently, and it's gone pretty well so far. They tend to be light and funny, quick reads that cheer me up, and since this is Felicia Day, whose work I already like in general, I'm definitely hoping for something upbeat/wise. :D
The End of All Things by John Scalzi — possibly the last novel in the Old Man's War verse we'll get for awhile? I'm excited for this but also a little sad, because this is the series that set me on my renewed path into SF! I love you, little series. I hope this book is awesome and holds me over for a few years until he returns to the universe.
(Which he will! Yay!)
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho — This author is new to me, but there was a ton of positive buzz with the novel was first announced and then again when the cover was revealed. People got super excited, my Twitter timeline was a solid wall of squee. There's magic in this, too, and in a world where women apparently can't practice magic, which of course means it's gonna be addressed in the book, probably awesomely. Critiques of social systems FTW!
Updraft by Fran Wilde — the blurb on this is a little vague on character detail, but this came recced to me personally by several people who know the author, I guess! And I'm definitely into stories about ~secrets of governing bodies~.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman — this is my shallow entry, because I legit added this to my list because of the cover, and only afterward paid much attention to the blurb. I read my Dad's westerns sometimes as a kid — a life choice I don't recommend — so I'm curious about how I'm going to feel, returning to the form.
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson — When I read this blurb my first thought was for the excellent class I took on The American West as part of my degree (way less focused on white people than it could've been!) and what a cool period of history that was. A girl with the power to sense gold, magic, and a rush to a place she could be free sounds right up my alley. Fingers crossed for cool history!
I'll only make it to 7-10 books (plus the ones I've already read) during this summer because of life and movies and comics. If I can't become a hermit, move to a cabin off the grid with nothing but a pile of books to read and no other responsibilities, fine. I can at least talk incessantly about all the books I'm excited about. Feel free to put some of these in your eyes as they drop and then come tell me if they're awesome. I want to live vicariously through your reading experience! I can only read so fast.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 09:36 am (UTC)Thanks for putting this list together.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 05:40 pm (UTC)You're welcome! The Book Riot one I linked is also excellent. :D I'm hopeful more people will come out with additional (diverse!!!) lists as the season continues so I can link to them. ~recommendation fairy~
no subject
Date: 2015-05-26 08:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 11:49 am (UTC)Nathan
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Date: 2015-05-29 08:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-26 08:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 02:04 pm (UTC)Thanks for this list! :D
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Date: 2015-05-25 05:44 pm (UTC)You're very welcome. <3
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Date: 2015-05-25 04:42 pm (UTC)Zen Cho links all her online-readable short stories from the bibliography on her website), for anyone interested.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 06:14 pm (UTC)I think I'll have to add a few from this list too though, Cold Iron & The red look pretty good!
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Date: 2015-05-25 06:25 pm (UTC)It's all Kate Elliott all the time, the world is beautiful, and I am in book heaven.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-25 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-26 11:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-26 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 06:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-29 03:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-31 06:31 am (UTC)(It's sitting in my pile. I have THREE books in front of it. So close!)
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Date: 2015-05-31 08:53 pm (UTC)(Three *very* short books? :D)
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Date: 2015-05-31 09:05 pm (UTC)(Two are, but one is Dune, so. I'LL GET THERE.)
no subject
Date: 2015-05-31 09:39 pm (UTC)