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glitter_n_gore) wrote2019-12-30 06:55 am
glitter_n_gore) wrote2019-12-30 06:55 am
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My Favorite Books of 2019
Welcome to the end of 2019, everyone! Normally I do a year-end All the Movies I Watched list (which I might still do), but this year, I thought I'd also throw together a list of my favorite books of the year. I read some nonfiction this time, and enjoyed it for a change! These are by no means all the books I read in 2019--that number is closer to 90ish--just the ones I enjoyed the most that were also published in 2019. A couple are part of a series, so I'm trying to focus on ones that have at least one entry published this year. Links go to the GoodReads page for that book.
All right, here we go!
Magic for Liars, by Sara Gailey
To paraphrase my GoodReads review: What if Jessica Jones went to solve a murder at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and her sister Trish was also there as the charms professor? It's only kinda like that, and it's set in the US so the atmosphere is more American Preppy than British Boarding, but there's a vibe, and I love it. Plus, having it told from the perspective of the adults put a different spin on the "Bad Things Happen At Magic School" subgenre of fantasy literature. I received this as an ARC at the Tor Books panel at ALA this summer, and all the positive buzz you've heard is true.
Wilder Girls, by Rory Power
Gruesome, gorgeous, and devastating, this story of a boarding school on an island being slowly infected by something hungry and chaotic is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. The infection, called The Tox, changes the girls' physiology in alarming, violent ways. As the island goes under quarantine, and the supplies shipped in from the mainland start to dwindle, the students' restlessness and distrust only grows. This took longer to read than I anticipated, despite being quite impossible to put down, because there was a very long holds list at the library and I could not get it back after I started. But the wait was definitely worth it.
The Toll, by Cherie Priest
Priest is fast becoming one of my very favorite writers. She specializes in American Gothic, sometimes set in olden times, sometimes contemporary. Her stories are always haunting, inventive, and packed with fantastic characters. This one is a spin on the legend of the Troll Bridge: a place that cannot be crossed without a price, usually bloody, to the creature that lives underneath. It's also a spin on Southern Gothic specifically, and features two wonderfully badass little old ladies who live in a big, crumbling house on the edge of town. I won't say anymore, but I gobbled this up with a quickness.
Kiss Number 8, by Colleen A. F. Venable, illustrated by Ellen T. Crenshaw
A delightful coming-of-age graphic novel about a girl discovering her own queerness. Mads' Catholic school upbringing and strict but loving parents make it difficult for her to even arrive at her identity, much less demand recognition for it. I've seen a trend in LGBTQ+ stories lately where the central protagonist already knows who they are and the struggle is mainly against society, but this one felt closer to my experience. Mads has absorbed a lot of negativity and denial from her environment, and her fight is mainly with herself, and discovering her own true nature. It's also incredibly lighthearted and fun at the same time, with lots of authentic teen characters and high school shenanigans. Be aware this includes some bigoted language in the dialogue, but I absolutely loved this book.
Bloom, by Kevin Panetta, illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau
He's a would-be rock star trying to get out of working in his parents' bakery. He's a passionate and talented baker helping get the family business back on its feet. Romance is inevitable! This book is precious. A bit far-fetched in some places, but very sweet. And let me just say as a baker that there are some details this storytelling team gets very right. I understand both the need to get away from home, and the love of baked goods driving both characters, and that made it very easy to love.
Moonstruck, Vol. 2: Some Enchanted Evening, by Grace Ellis, illustrated by Shae Beagle and Kath Leth
I broke my usual "Never read a series out of order" rule for this simply because it was submitted for a contest I'm helping judge. However, it was so wonderful I immediately got the first one so I can spend more time in this world. Moonstruck reimagines the world of faeries, werewolves, and other mythical creatures as a vibrant and diverse college campus. This story focuses on a turf war between two faerie camps (translation: frat houses) with several characters caught inside a faerie ring until they agree to play a rock concert. It gets complicated. But it's amazing and you should all read it.
Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee
Also becoming one of my very favorite writers. This Marvel tie-in is a prequel to the events of the first Thor movie, following Loki's brief exile to Victorian London to track down a serial killer. No, really. Like most of Lee's excellent protagonists, this Loki is Queer AF, sneaky, and FABULOUS. This kicked off a massive MCU rewatch after I read it. If you're a Loki fangirl like me, you need this book. You NEED it.
Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks
My first Rainbow Rowell book, if you can believe that. And what a fantastic introduction it was! This takes place on the last day of business for a pumpkin patch where Deja and Josiah both work, and also the last time they'll be working together in this location, since they'll be graduating high school soon and spending their Octobers at different college campuses. As you can imagine, shenanigans and romance ensue. This story is action-packed, sweet, vibrant, and set in the most magical pumpkin patch village you'll ever see. I want to live in it!
Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain, by Danny Goldberg
I wanted to read one Cobain biography this year, and I specifically wanted one by someone who actually *liked* Courtney Love. This one by Nirvana's old manager hit the spot. Cobain's is a sad story pretty much the whole way through, but Goldberg emphasizes his kindness and compassion, and the genuine friendship he felt towards him. There's also a lot of detail about the inner workings of the music industry in the 80s and 90s, which some readers found dry, but I thought it was fascinating. Incidentally, this is one of the library books my dog "bought" for me by gnawing on the cover.
The Girl From the Other Side, by Nagame
This manga series is set in a fictional town on the edge of the snowy woods. The woods are inhabited by monstrous creatures known as "Outsiders" which can infect the town residents by touch. Except for one young girl, who appears to be immune to the illness. The stark black and white artwork, depicting the frozen wasteland and sense of isolation that goes with it, reminds me a little of Yearwalk, a mobile horror game based on a Scandinavian superstition about visiting a churchyard at midnight on New Year's Eve to see a glimpse of your future. There's a dark beauty to the creatures, especially "Teacher," who watches over the girl and protects her both from the more bloodthirsty Outsiders and the religious zealots of the town. The world will chill you to the bones, but the affection between Teacher and his ward will warm your heart.
Imaginary Friend, by Stephen Chbosky
Again, paraphrasing my GoodReads review: this is a Christ allegory for people who like their Christ allegories with extra blood and gristle. I'm telling you now so you won't get blindsided by all the blatant religious imagery halfway through like I did. I'm also telling you because this book is a doorstopper and you will need to pack a lunch. It's a lot of time to sink into a book if you're not down for that particular type of symbolism. Because this is a very well-written, grisly, effective horror novel, with an astoundingly creative hellscape. It has that small-town-full-of-secrets feel of early Stephen King, and King himself has been letting me down lately. I still can't quite make up my mind how I felt about this one, but I keep thinking about it, and that's usually a good sign.
Showtime At the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem's Legendary Theater, by Ted Fox, illustrated by James Otis Smith
It occurs to me now that the two nonfiction books on this list are about music, so maybe that's what I should focus on when I check out nonfiction in the future. This graphic novel adaptation of Fox's original book about the legendary Harlem theater was released this year to commemorate it's 85th anniversary. Even if you've never heard of the Apollo, chances are some of your favorite music had its formative moments there. Fox interviewed hundreds of incredible musicians, comedians, dancers, and producers who wanted to tell the Apollo's story, and Smith's artwork brings these people to life on the page in a walk through history like no other. The only drawback to this book is every time it mentioned a specific performance, I wanted to put it down and check online to see if there was a recording somewhere to watch. But then again, maybe that was the point.
In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire
The latest entry in the achingly wonderful Wayward Children series. This one takes us to the Goblin Market, which is not just a market but an entire world. The way the portals in this universe usually work is they let children live out adventures there for a period of time, and then return them to the human world never to come back. In this one, our heroine can return a limited number of times, but each time changes her, and each time she's told that she will eventually have to make a choice. I won't reveal what happens, but the emotional load carried by our genuinely torn protagonist pinches the heart in a way only McGuire can.
(Cross-posted torhoda_rants.)
All right, here we go!
Magic for Liars, by Sara Gailey
To paraphrase my GoodReads review: What if Jessica Jones went to solve a murder at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and her sister Trish was also there as the charms professor? It's only kinda like that, and it's set in the US so the atmosphere is more American Preppy than British Boarding, but there's a vibe, and I love it. Plus, having it told from the perspective of the adults put a different spin on the "Bad Things Happen At Magic School" subgenre of fantasy literature. I received this as an ARC at the Tor Books panel at ALA this summer, and all the positive buzz you've heard is true.
Wilder Girls, by Rory Power
Gruesome, gorgeous, and devastating, this story of a boarding school on an island being slowly infected by something hungry and chaotic is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. The infection, called The Tox, changes the girls' physiology in alarming, violent ways. As the island goes under quarantine, and the supplies shipped in from the mainland start to dwindle, the students' restlessness and distrust only grows. This took longer to read than I anticipated, despite being quite impossible to put down, because there was a very long holds list at the library and I could not get it back after I started. But the wait was definitely worth it.
The Toll, by Cherie Priest
Priest is fast becoming one of my very favorite writers. She specializes in American Gothic, sometimes set in olden times, sometimes contemporary. Her stories are always haunting, inventive, and packed with fantastic characters. This one is a spin on the legend of the Troll Bridge: a place that cannot be crossed without a price, usually bloody, to the creature that lives underneath. It's also a spin on Southern Gothic specifically, and features two wonderfully badass little old ladies who live in a big, crumbling house on the edge of town. I won't say anymore, but I gobbled this up with a quickness.
Kiss Number 8, by Colleen A. F. Venable, illustrated by Ellen T. Crenshaw
A delightful coming-of-age graphic novel about a girl discovering her own queerness. Mads' Catholic school upbringing and strict but loving parents make it difficult for her to even arrive at her identity, much less demand recognition for it. I've seen a trend in LGBTQ+ stories lately where the central protagonist already knows who they are and the struggle is mainly against society, but this one felt closer to my experience. Mads has absorbed a lot of negativity and denial from her environment, and her fight is mainly with herself, and discovering her own true nature. It's also incredibly lighthearted and fun at the same time, with lots of authentic teen characters and high school shenanigans. Be aware this includes some bigoted language in the dialogue, but I absolutely loved this book.
Bloom, by Kevin Panetta, illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau
He's a would-be rock star trying to get out of working in his parents' bakery. He's a passionate and talented baker helping get the family business back on its feet. Romance is inevitable! This book is precious. A bit far-fetched in some places, but very sweet. And let me just say as a baker that there are some details this storytelling team gets very right. I understand both the need to get away from home, and the love of baked goods driving both characters, and that made it very easy to love.
Moonstruck, Vol. 2: Some Enchanted Evening, by Grace Ellis, illustrated by Shae Beagle and Kath Leth
I broke my usual "Never read a series out of order" rule for this simply because it was submitted for a contest I'm helping judge. However, it was so wonderful I immediately got the first one so I can spend more time in this world. Moonstruck reimagines the world of faeries, werewolves, and other mythical creatures as a vibrant and diverse college campus. This story focuses on a turf war between two faerie camps (translation: frat houses) with several characters caught inside a faerie ring until they agree to play a rock concert. It gets complicated. But it's amazing and you should all read it.
Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee
Also becoming one of my very favorite writers. This Marvel tie-in is a prequel to the events of the first Thor movie, following Loki's brief exile to Victorian London to track down a serial killer. No, really. Like most of Lee's excellent protagonists, this Loki is Queer AF, sneaky, and FABULOUS. This kicked off a massive MCU rewatch after I read it. If you're a Loki fangirl like me, you need this book. You NEED it.
Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks
My first Rainbow Rowell book, if you can believe that. And what a fantastic introduction it was! This takes place on the last day of business for a pumpkin patch where Deja and Josiah both work, and also the last time they'll be working together in this location, since they'll be graduating high school soon and spending their Octobers at different college campuses. As you can imagine, shenanigans and romance ensue. This story is action-packed, sweet, vibrant, and set in the most magical pumpkin patch village you'll ever see. I want to live in it!
Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain, by Danny Goldberg
I wanted to read one Cobain biography this year, and I specifically wanted one by someone who actually *liked* Courtney Love. This one by Nirvana's old manager hit the spot. Cobain's is a sad story pretty much the whole way through, but Goldberg emphasizes his kindness and compassion, and the genuine friendship he felt towards him. There's also a lot of detail about the inner workings of the music industry in the 80s and 90s, which some readers found dry, but I thought it was fascinating. Incidentally, this is one of the library books my dog "bought" for me by gnawing on the cover.
The Girl From the Other Side, by Nagame
This manga series is set in a fictional town on the edge of the snowy woods. The woods are inhabited by monstrous creatures known as "Outsiders" which can infect the town residents by touch. Except for one young girl, who appears to be immune to the illness. The stark black and white artwork, depicting the frozen wasteland and sense of isolation that goes with it, reminds me a little of Yearwalk, a mobile horror game based on a Scandinavian superstition about visiting a churchyard at midnight on New Year's Eve to see a glimpse of your future. There's a dark beauty to the creatures, especially "Teacher," who watches over the girl and protects her both from the more bloodthirsty Outsiders and the religious zealots of the town. The world will chill you to the bones, but the affection between Teacher and his ward will warm your heart.
Imaginary Friend, by Stephen Chbosky
Again, paraphrasing my GoodReads review: this is a Christ allegory for people who like their Christ allegories with extra blood and gristle. I'm telling you now so you won't get blindsided by all the blatant religious imagery halfway through like I did. I'm also telling you because this book is a doorstopper and you will need to pack a lunch. It's a lot of time to sink into a book if you're not down for that particular type of symbolism. Because this is a very well-written, grisly, effective horror novel, with an astoundingly creative hellscape. It has that small-town-full-of-secrets feel of early Stephen King, and King himself has been letting me down lately. I still can't quite make up my mind how I felt about this one, but I keep thinking about it, and that's usually a good sign.
Showtime At the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem's Legendary Theater, by Ted Fox, illustrated by James Otis Smith
It occurs to me now that the two nonfiction books on this list are about music, so maybe that's what I should focus on when I check out nonfiction in the future. This graphic novel adaptation of Fox's original book about the legendary Harlem theater was released this year to commemorate it's 85th anniversary. Even if you've never heard of the Apollo, chances are some of your favorite music had its formative moments there. Fox interviewed hundreds of incredible musicians, comedians, dancers, and producers who wanted to tell the Apollo's story, and Smith's artwork brings these people to life on the page in a walk through history like no other. The only drawback to this book is every time it mentioned a specific performance, I wanted to put it down and check online to see if there was a recording somewhere to watch. But then again, maybe that was the point.
In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire
The latest entry in the achingly wonderful Wayward Children series. This one takes us to the Goblin Market, which is not just a market but an entire world. The way the portals in this universe usually work is they let children live out adventures there for a period of time, and then return them to the human world never to come back. In this one, our heroine can return a limited number of times, but each time changes her, and each time she's told that she will eventually have to make a choice. I won't reveal what happens, but the emotional load carried by our genuinely torn protagonist pinches the heart in a way only McGuire can.
(Cross-posted to
rhoda_rants.)