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ladybusinessI'm still halfway in 2016 mode with books because I couldn't time travel in order to read all the books I wanted. But 2017 is here and with it, new books, new lists of upcoming books, and my renewed lack of self-control. Here's some books I have my eye on in the next few months.
Dreadnought by April Daniels (January 24, Diversion Publishing)
Dreadnought picked up a ton of buzz late last year; it's a book about a girl who is keeping the fact she's transgender to herself, until an incident with a dying superhero grants her powers that transforms her body into what she's always felt like she was. But, predictably, I am more into the superhero bits, because lady superheroes, yes! There are so many good sounding books about superheroes out now and I haven't managed to get to any of them, but this one sounded too fun and interesting to not keep on my radar.
Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan (January 26, Doubleday)
I forget where I heard about this book (maybe The Millions), but it sounds like the perfect mix of romance and science fiction. In the future, every three years you move to a new place by yourself, leaving everything behind. Carys and Max meet at some point, and the book recounts their past, while in the future it tells the story of their present. They're trapped in space with only 90 minutes of air left and no way home. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle the tension of this book without hella spoilers, though. Definitely a "read the end first" book for me, probably.
Bitch Planet, Vol. 2: President Bitch by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro & Taki Soma (January 31, Image Comics)
My long wait is over! The second volume of this brutal but fascinating comic is coming out soon. I loved the first volume, even though it was a tough, complicated read. The writing was excellent and the art was beautiful even when it was stark, gutting and honest. The first volume ended on a suckerpunch so I'm curious to see where they go from there.
Home by Nnedi Okorafor (January 31, Tor.com)
Binti was one of my favorites last year. It's about a young girl leaving her people and her planet to go to university in space and how her trip is derailed by death and how she survives to come through the other side. This follow up is about her trip home for the first time, accompanied by an Alien Pal. Cross-species friendship! I am excited.
Lotus Blue by Cat Sparks (February 2, Talos)
When I first added this to my TBR, the details were very scant: what drew me initially was the far-future setting filled with partially sentient machinery (robots!) and the centering of two sisters who live as nomadic traders. I'm starting to really love stories featuring sisters of all kinds. It seems like there's a lot more to this post-apocalyptic story now that we're closer to release. There's the additional of potential DEATH OF HUMANITY by a giant mean robot, which sounds to me like Vegnagun from Final Fantasy X-2. If so, SIGN ME UP.
Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright (February 2, Henry Holt and Co.)
This may or may not be research for a thing I'm writing. Also, I really like overviews of particular parts of history like this by women, because they're more likely to include historical scientists and researchers who are women if they were present. It's not 100%, but I discover more women doing cool work (and writing fascinating books about it) from nonfiction books by ladies.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi (February 14, Balzer + Bray)
The last year has seen a lot of talk about immigration. I've read some fiction about immigration but it's been over ten years, and this was recommended in one of the many newsletters I subscribe to. When immigrating to the U.S., Fabiola's mother is detained by U.S. immigration officials, leaving her to continue on her own into a drastically new life with her extended family. I'm extra excited because this is by a new to me author, too!
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (March 3, Sourcebooks Fire)
Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, discovers she has the power of necromancy, and is taken in by another person with her skills to learn how to harness her powers. This sounds like it might be a great mentor/student book, with bonus time limit on becoming awesome with powers, as DOOM approaches. The cover for this is also aces.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (March 3, Clarion Books)
I enjoyed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, so I was excited to see that there was a new book from the author on the horizon. His writing goes down so easy and he does some of the best parent/kid relationships I've ever read in YA lit, so I'm thrilled this is coming out this year.
The Comet Sweeper: Caroline Herschel's Astronomical Ambition by Claire Brock (March 14, Icon Books)
This apparently came out over a decade ago and is being released again in paperback. I accept this, because a new version means my library may get it for me and I can continue my trend of filling their shelves with great nonfiction books by ladies. #Goals This is about Caroline Herschel and her determination to DO SCIENCE, and how, yes, women did things other than have babies and keep house. We contain multitudes.
Asteroid Hunters by Carrie Nugent (March 14, Simon & Schuster/TED)
Asteroids are cool, and my main interaction with them is via science fiction. I wanted to learn more about asteroids as they exist right now and how humans interact with them and how they interact with the earth. I'm sort of interested in the premise of the book: how we might prevent an asteroid from hitting the Earth and causing an E.L.E., because I am obsessed with both 90s movies about this very thing. But I am mostly happy I get to read about SPACE SCIENCE from a lady.
Babies for Sale: Transnational Surrogacy, Human Rights and the Politics of Reproduction by Miranda Davies (March 15, Zed Books)
Over the holidays I listened to a podcast, Flash Forward, about the potential of artificial wombs. The host interviewed several people (like Bujold!), and it's a fascinating episode if you want to check it out. It raised a lot of questions for me, and although this book isn't about that at all, I came across it shortly after hearing the podcast and thought that it was hitting on similar themes (motherhood, legality, social implications).
Star's End by Cassandra Rose Clarke (March 21, Saga Press)
My first reaction upon seeing the cover to this book was, "I am having some Uncanny Valley reactions to the person represented here and am creeped out." What artist did this? Plz next time focus on natural shape of heads. This is scary.) Luckily, I added it to my TBR before the cover was announced! Esme is taking over her father's company that he built from scratch after he dies, and to do so she has to face secrets about the company, about her family, and about her father's legacy. Since this sounds like it has both sister relationships and a complicated father/daughter relationship, I'm in.
Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland & Michael Miller (March 21, Delacorte Press)
This had me at "found family". A prince goes into hiding on a ship, led by one of the youngest captains ever, to convince her to return with him to help make dramatic changes to their culture. When she balks, he decides to get her there by any means necessary, because another rival royal family wants her, too. This was another book I added before there were many details, so earlier this month when I was revisiting my list I was like "am I gonna be able to handle some dude planning a kidnapping as a hero?" and I guess it depends on how the authors resolve it. Because the blurb that was added to the book makes it sound like the prince is a Creep. BUT STILL. Found family! I gotta try.
A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (March 28, St. Martin's Griffin)
I loved A Star-Touched Queen last year, and this is the companion novel to that which follows Maya's sister Gauri as a young woman. She's captured, and must rely on an enemy prince and work with him to win the Tournament of Wishes so she can return to her kingdom. I expect the magical realism in this book to be at Maximum, because the previous book definitely had it in spades.
American War by Omar El Akkad (April 4, Knopf)
This came from another book newsletter, and it caught my eye because it's near-future science fiction novel written by someone who was a reporter. I'm not sure it's a good idea for my anxiety to read novels about war in the current environment, but also, if not now, when? When our government declares libraries illegal? Ha.
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (April 4, Little, Brown)
YOUNG WOMAN AND ROBOT PAL IN SPACE.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (May 1, Sourcebooks)
A few years ago I read The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes and in that book, one of the girls from the past was a performer who used radium to glow. This was a thing I wasn't aware of at all, and when I saw there was going to be a book released about this in the U.S. I was super excited. More women's (terrible) experiences with capitalism lost to history will no longer be lost.
Mockingbird, Vol. 2: My Feminist Agenda by Chelsea Cain & Kate Niemczyk (May 2, Marvel Comics)
This collects this last three issues of the sadly canceled Mockingbird series with some New Avengers material, because they couldn't even let the creative team do enough issues so the volume would be complete. It makes me so mad all over again for this comic. It was so good and I'm sad I didn't discover it until too late, because this is one I would've added to my pull list. Definitely plan to buy and read this one as soon as it's out.
Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini (May 23, Beacon Press)
Science treated women like crap, still treats women like crap, and will probably continue to treat women like crap. SEXISM IS EVERYWHERE. I want some answers.
Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee (June 13, Solaris)
After the events of Ninefox Gambit, I have no clue what to expect from the follow up. The blurb makes it sound one way, but the blurb for the first made that book sound one way and it was entirely more complicated than that. I can only assume this will be true of Raven Stratagem. I can't wait to have my brain melt out of my ears.
Dreadnought by April Daniels (January 24, Diversion Publishing)
Dreadnought picked up a ton of buzz late last year; it's a book about a girl who is keeping the fact she's transgender to herself, until an incident with a dying superhero grants her powers that transforms her body into what she's always felt like she was. But, predictably, I am more into the superhero bits, because lady superheroes, yes! There are so many good sounding books about superheroes out now and I haven't managed to get to any of them, but this one sounded too fun and interesting to not keep on my radar.
Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan (January 26, Doubleday)
I forget where I heard about this book (maybe The Millions), but it sounds like the perfect mix of romance and science fiction. In the future, every three years you move to a new place by yourself, leaving everything behind. Carys and Max meet at some point, and the book recounts their past, while in the future it tells the story of their present. They're trapped in space with only 90 minutes of air left and no way home. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle the tension of this book without hella spoilers, though. Definitely a "read the end first" book for me, probably.
Bitch Planet, Vol. 2: President Bitch by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro & Taki Soma (January 31, Image Comics)
My long wait is over! The second volume of this brutal but fascinating comic is coming out soon. I loved the first volume, even though it was a tough, complicated read. The writing was excellent and the art was beautiful even when it was stark, gutting and honest. The first volume ended on a suckerpunch so I'm curious to see where they go from there.
Home by Nnedi Okorafor (January 31, Tor.com)
Binti was one of my favorites last year. It's about a young girl leaving her people and her planet to go to university in space and how her trip is derailed by death and how she survives to come through the other side. This follow up is about her trip home for the first time, accompanied by an Alien Pal. Cross-species friendship! I am excited.
Lotus Blue by Cat Sparks (February 2, Talos)
When I first added this to my TBR, the details were very scant: what drew me initially was the far-future setting filled with partially sentient machinery (robots!) and the centering of two sisters who live as nomadic traders. I'm starting to really love stories featuring sisters of all kinds. It seems like there's a lot more to this post-apocalyptic story now that we're closer to release. There's the additional of potential DEATH OF HUMANITY by a giant mean robot, which sounds to me like Vegnagun from Final Fantasy X-2. If so, SIGN ME UP.
Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright (February 2, Henry Holt and Co.)
This may or may not be research for a thing I'm writing. Also, I really like overviews of particular parts of history like this by women, because they're more likely to include historical scientists and researchers who are women if they were present. It's not 100%, but I discover more women doing cool work (and writing fascinating books about it) from nonfiction books by ladies.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi (February 14, Balzer + Bray)
The last year has seen a lot of talk about immigration. I've read some fiction about immigration but it's been over ten years, and this was recommended in one of the many newsletters I subscribe to. When immigrating to the U.S., Fabiola's mother is detained by U.S. immigration officials, leaving her to continue on her own into a drastically new life with her extended family. I'm extra excited because this is by a new to me author, too!
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (March 3, Sourcebooks Fire)
Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, discovers she has the power of necromancy, and is taken in by another person with her skills to learn how to harness her powers. This sounds like it might be a great mentor/student book, with bonus time limit on becoming awesome with powers, as DOOM approaches. The cover for this is also aces.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (March 3, Clarion Books)
I enjoyed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, so I was excited to see that there was a new book from the author on the horizon. His writing goes down so easy and he does some of the best parent/kid relationships I've ever read in YA lit, so I'm thrilled this is coming out this year.
The Comet Sweeper: Caroline Herschel's Astronomical Ambition by Claire Brock (March 14, Icon Books)
This apparently came out over a decade ago and is being released again in paperback. I accept this, because a new version means my library may get it for me and I can continue my trend of filling their shelves with great nonfiction books by ladies. #Goals This is about Caroline Herschel and her determination to DO SCIENCE, and how, yes, women did things other than have babies and keep house. We contain multitudes.
Asteroid Hunters by Carrie Nugent (March 14, Simon & Schuster/TED)
Asteroids are cool, and my main interaction with them is via science fiction. I wanted to learn more about asteroids as they exist right now and how humans interact with them and how they interact with the earth. I'm sort of interested in the premise of the book: how we might prevent an asteroid from hitting the Earth and causing an E.L.E., because I am obsessed with both 90s movies about this very thing. But I am mostly happy I get to read about SPACE SCIENCE from a lady.
Babies for Sale: Transnational Surrogacy, Human Rights and the Politics of Reproduction by Miranda Davies (March 15, Zed Books)
Over the holidays I listened to a podcast, Flash Forward, about the potential of artificial wombs. The host interviewed several people (like Bujold!), and it's a fascinating episode if you want to check it out. It raised a lot of questions for me, and although this book isn't about that at all, I came across it shortly after hearing the podcast and thought that it was hitting on similar themes (motherhood, legality, social implications).
Star's End by Cassandra Rose Clarke (March 21, Saga Press)
My first reaction upon seeing the cover to this book was, "I am having some Uncanny Valley reactions to the person represented here and am creeped out." What artist did this? Plz next time focus on natural shape of heads. This is scary.) Luckily, I added it to my TBR before the cover was announced! Esme is taking over her father's company that he built from scratch after he dies, and to do so she has to face secrets about the company, about her family, and about her father's legacy. Since this sounds like it has both sister relationships and a complicated father/daughter relationship, I'm in.
Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland & Michael Miller (March 21, Delacorte Press)
This had me at "found family". A prince goes into hiding on a ship, led by one of the youngest captains ever, to convince her to return with him to help make dramatic changes to their culture. When she balks, he decides to get her there by any means necessary, because another rival royal family wants her, too. This was another book I added before there were many details, so earlier this month when I was revisiting my list I was like "am I gonna be able to handle some dude planning a kidnapping as a hero?" and I guess it depends on how the authors resolve it. Because the blurb that was added to the book makes it sound like the prince is a Creep. BUT STILL. Found family! I gotta try.
A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (March 28, St. Martin's Griffin)
I loved A Star-Touched Queen last year, and this is the companion novel to that which follows Maya's sister Gauri as a young woman. She's captured, and must rely on an enemy prince and work with him to win the Tournament of Wishes so she can return to her kingdom. I expect the magical realism in this book to be at Maximum, because the previous book definitely had it in spades.
American War by Omar El Akkad (April 4, Knopf)
This came from another book newsletter, and it caught my eye because it's near-future science fiction novel written by someone who was a reporter. I'm not sure it's a good idea for my anxiety to read novels about war in the current environment, but also, if not now, when? When our government declares libraries illegal? Ha.
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (April 4, Little, Brown)
YOUNG WOMAN AND ROBOT PAL IN SPACE.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (May 1, Sourcebooks)
A few years ago I read The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes and in that book, one of the girls from the past was a performer who used radium to glow. This was a thing I wasn't aware of at all, and when I saw there was going to be a book released about this in the U.S. I was super excited. More women's (terrible) experiences with capitalism lost to history will no longer be lost.
Mockingbird, Vol. 2: My Feminist Agenda by Chelsea Cain & Kate Niemczyk (May 2, Marvel Comics)
This collects this last three issues of the sadly canceled Mockingbird series with some New Avengers material, because they couldn't even let the creative team do enough issues so the volume would be complete. It makes me so mad all over again for this comic. It was so good and I'm sad I didn't discover it until too late, because this is one I would've added to my pull list. Definitely plan to buy and read this one as soon as it's out.
Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini (May 23, Beacon Press)
Science treated women like crap, still treats women like crap, and will probably continue to treat women like crap. SEXISM IS EVERYWHERE. I want some answers.
Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee (June 13, Solaris)
After the events of Ninefox Gambit, I have no clue what to expect from the follow up. The blurb makes it sound one way, but the blurb for the first made that book sound one way and it was entirely more complicated than that. I can only assume this will be true of Raven Stratagem. I can't wait to have my brain melt out of my ears.
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Date: 2017-01-17 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 11:33 pm (UTC)Also, very excited about Raven Strategem, Bone Witch & Inexplicable Logic.
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Date: 2017-01-18 02:31 am (UTC)I am determined to read SO MUCH nonfiction by ladies this year.
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Date: 2017-01-18 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-04-12 03:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-04-12 03:38 am (UTC)