JANUARY
In the Garden of Iden, Kage Baker
Three Bags Full, Leonie Swann (murder mystery from the PoV of a herd of sheep; surprisingly, it works)
Bellwether, Connie Willis
In Sunlight or In Shadow, Lawrence Block (ed.)
Monstress, Marjorie Liu (graphic novel)
Pirate Utopia, Bruce Sterling
Slayground (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake)
Impersonations, Walter Jon Williams
FEBRUARY
Martians Abroad, Carrie Vaughn
Plunder Squad (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake)
Dreadnought, April Daniels
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: I Kissed A Squirrel and I Liked It, Ryan North & Erica Henderson (and others)
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe, Ryan North & Erica Henderson
Valentine Pontifex, Robert Silverberg
Butcher's Moon (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake)
Crooked Heart, Lissa Evans
The Hipster From Outer Space, Luke Kondor
MARCH
Faceoff, ed. David Baldacci (teamup stories between popular thriller characters)
Caliban's War (The Expanse #2), James S.A. Corey
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler
I Shudder At Your Touch, ed. Ellen Datlow (abridged audiobook)
APRIL
Abaddon's Gate (The Expanse #3), James S.A. Corey
Get In Trouble, Kelly Link
Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, George RR Martin
MAY
Jamrach's Menagerie, Carol Birch
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 5: Like I'm the Only Squirrel In the World, Ryan North & Erica Henderson (and others)
Colonel Roosevelt, Edmund Morris
Angst, David J. Pedersen
A Hundred Thousand Possible Worlds, Bob Proehl
The Holver Alley Crew, Marshall Ryan Maresca
JUNE
The Plague Dogs, Richard Adams
The Service of the Dead, Candace Robb
The Outsider, Fredrick Forsyth
Tropic of Serpents, Marie Brennan
JULY
A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers
Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovich
Forever and A Death, Donald Westlake
All Systems Red, Martha Wells
The Drop, Dennis Lehane
Indigo, Charlaine Harris, et al.
AUGUST
Comeback (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
Arsenic With Austen, Katherine Bolger Hyde
Gwendy's Button Box, Stephen King & Richard Chizmar
Six Wakes, Mur Lafferty
Sovereign, April Daniels
Northhanger Abbey, Jane Austen
Backflash, (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
SEPTEMBER
Tremontaine, Ellen Kushner, et al.
Duma Key, Stephen King
OCTOBER
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Theodora Goss
Flashfire (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
Firebreak (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Vol 1), Lemony Snicket
Strange Beasties, ed. Juliana Rew
NOVEMBER
Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero
Buffalo Soldier, Maurice Broaddus
The Reapers Are The Angels, Alden Bell
The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson
DECEMBER
Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories of Richard Matheson, Richard Matheson
Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
The Wall of Storms, Ken Liu
The Book of Swords, ed. Gardner Dozois
The Adventure of the Incognita Countess, Cynthia Ward
The Bookseller, Cynthia Swanson
Final Girls, Mira Grant
- - - - -
SORTED BY AUTHOR:
- Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovich
- The Plague Dogs, Richard Adams
- The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson
- Northhanger Abbey, Jane Austen
- In the Garden of Iden, Kage Baker
- Faceoff, ed. David Baldacci (teamup stories between popular thriller characters)
- The Reapers Are The Angels, Alden Bell
- Jamrach's Menagerie, Carol Birch
- In Sunlight or In Shadow, Lawrence Block (ed.)
- Tropic of Serpents, Marie Brennan
- Buffalo Soldier, Maurice Broaddus
- Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero
- A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers
- Caliban's War (The Expanse #2), James S.A. Corey
- Abaddon's Gate (The Expanse #3), James S.A. Corey
- Dreadnought, April Daniels
- Sovereign, April Daniels
- I Shudder At Your Touch, ed. Ellen Datlow (abridged audiobook)
- The Book of Swords, ed. Gardner Dozois
- Crooked Heart, Lissa Evans
- The Outsider, Fredrick Forsyth
- We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler
- The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Theodora Goss
- Final Girls, Mira Grant
- Indigo, Charlaine Harris, et al.
- Arsenic With Austen, Katherine Bolger Hyde
- Duma Key, Stephen King
- Gwendy's Button Box, Stephen King & Richard Chizmar
- The Hipster From Outer Space, Luke Kondor
- Tremontaine, Ellen Kushner, et al.
- Six Wakes, Mur Lafferty
- Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
- The Drop, Dennis Lehane
- Get In Trouble, Kelly Link
- The Wall of Storms, Ken Liu
- Monstress, Marjorie Liu (graphic novel)
- The Holver Alley Crew, Marshall Ryan Maresca
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, George RR Martin
- Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories of Richard Matheson, Richard Matheson
- Colonel Roosevelt, Edmund Morris
- The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: I Kissed A Squirrel and I Liked It, Ryan North & Erica Henderson (and others)
- The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe, Ryan North & Erica Henderson
- The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 5: Like I'm the Only Squirrel In the World, Ryan North & Erica Henderson (and others)
- Angst, David J. Pedersen
- A Hundred Thousand Possible Worlds, Bob Proehl
- Strange Beasties, ed. Juliana Rew
- The Service of the Dead, Candace Robb
- Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff
- Valentine Pontifex, Robert Silverberg
- The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Vol 1), Lemony Snicket
- Slayground (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake)
- Plunder Squad (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake)
- Butcher's Moon (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake)
- Comeback (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
- Backflash, (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
- Flashfire (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
- Firebreak (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake)
- Pirate Utopia, Bruce Sterling
- Three Bags Full, Leonie Swann (murder mystery from the PoV of a herd of sheep; surprisnigly, it works)
- The Bookseller, Cynthia Swanson
- Martians Abroad, Carrie Vaughn
- The Adventure of the Incognita Countess, Cynthia Ward
- Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
- All Systems Red, Martha Wells
- Forever and A Death, Donald Westlake
- Impersonations, Walter Jon Williams
- Bellwether, Connie Willis
- - - - -
SOME OF MY FAVORITES OF THE YEAR'S READING:
- The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson -- I first read this about fifty years ago, listened to the audiobook (narrated, very nicely, by Bronson Pinchot) recently. I had forgotten how well Anderson could evoke the rhythm, style and atmosphere of classic Norse saga.
- The Reapers Are The Angels, Alden Bell -- You might think "Another furshlugginer zombie novel," but this is a particularly well-done example of the genre. YA protagonist, the story deals with the idea that to survive in a world largely devastated by monsters, people might themselves have to become monsters. And, when enclaves of normalcy begin to slowly reestablish, what place will there be for the monsters in human skin?
- A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers -- I read Chambers' first book, The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, but was not as bowled over by it as a lot of people; enjoyed that first book, but considered it "good" rather than great. I found this sequel kept my attention and interest to a much greater degree. An artificial intelligence meant to run a spaceship is implanted in a (highly illegal) human body; the story deals with her slow and sometimes rocky adjustment -- and how much it's possible for her to adjust -- to life in a new body and environment. The tighter focus on a smaller cast -- two main characters here, as opposed to the ensemble cast of The Long Way -- works to great advantage here, I thought.
- The Outsider, Fredrick Forsyth -- I'm not sure I've ever read any of Forsyth's fiction beyond a collection of short stories. Nope, not even Day of the Jackal. But The Outsider, Forsyth's memoir of his life and surprising adventures, got such an enthusiastic reception I gave it a try. Good decision. Turns out Forsyth used some of his own experiences and wide-faring travels as springboards for many of his novels. Combined with the authorial voice of a great raconteur, the pages just keep turning on this one. I especially liked how Forsyth tied the ending, set in his 70's, back to his experience as a young boy.
- We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler -- This novel has a major revelation, a Big Surprise Twist that by the time I read the book was one I was already aware of. But that wasn't a spoiler for me, because that was only the plot element around which the story's themes revolved. Themes of perception, of how the stories we write in our heads are not always the true stories, of how what we want to be real is not always reality. The narrative reversals in the later parts of WAACBS left me going "Whoa-a-a...." Very impressive story, very impressive writing.
- The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Theodora Goss -- I like a lot of books that revisit old classics and put a new twist on them. Sometimes by writing a "Next Generation" sequel dealing with the children of the original work's characters. Sometimes by doing a "mashup", putting characters from several classic works by several authors together in a new story. Theodora Goss does both in Alchemist's Daughter, with the daughters of Jekyll and Hyde, the Bride of Frankenstein, Rappaccini's Daughter, and panther-woman Catherine Moreau coming together for mutual support and to investigate and fight a common enemy. (Sherlock Holmes and company also play important parts in the story.) I especially liked the interactions between straight-laced Mary Jekyll and street-tough Diana Hyde; I was reminded of the odd-couple cop-pairings of Lethal Weapon and other movies. (I'd love to see the BBC make this as a movie or mini-series.)
- Tremontaine, Ellen Kushner, et al. Set in the swords-and-manners world of Kushner's novel Swordspoint (though several decades earlier), this is one of the collaborative novels being published by Serial Box. (Multiple authors contributing sections of a novel--length story arc; very similar to the "braided novels" in the Wild Cards series.) Politics, romance, diplomacy, trade issues and, yep, swordfights mix in the telling. On occasion, stylistic differences between contributors are a bit jarring, but overall this was an engrossing tale, and I'm hoping to see more Tremontaine books.
- Six Wakes, Mur Lafferty -- Murder mystery in space. The characters are travelers on a slower-than-light interstellar ship who only intermittently awake from suspended animation during the decades-long voyage. A side-effect of suspension is memory loss, but brain recordings can be reloaded on awakening. Problem: The woken find one of the crew very messily dead, and their memory downloads are from the earliest days of the voyage, with later recordings deleted. What happened during those missing years, and does the killer even know they're a murderer?
- Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie -- Concluding volume of the "Imperial Radch" trilogy. Grand space opera. Breq, formerly part of the multi-bodied group mind that controlled and manned an Imperial warship, has been reduced to a single soldier who has to learn to survive as an isolated individual in a milieu of complicated politics and societies. The trilogy won numerous awards, and rightly so.
- Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff -- When it comes to Lovecraftian fiction, I can usually leave it or leave it. I read enough of HPL and his imitators when I was younger to know very little of it appealed to me. But Ruff's homage/rebuttal of Lovecraftian traditions was an exception. Lovecraft's casual/neurotic racism is countered by making the main characters black in 1950's America and having to deal with actual racism, segregation and human-sourced danger along with the supernatural elements. They also feel like very real characters; I particularly liked Letitia; if LC were a movie (it's being developed as a TV series), Letitia would be the action-hero character.
- Butcher's Moon (a "Parker" novel), Richard Stark (ps. Donald Westlake) -- I've been a fan of the Parker novels (gritty crime stories about a career criminal and heist artist whose "professionalism" may be sourced in sociopathy) for a long time, and have been catching up on volumes I hadn't read back in the day. For a long time, 1974's Butcher's Moon was the last Parker adventure (Westlake revived the character in 1997 for eight additional books before his death in 2008) and could be considered the grand finale of the series. Much longer than earlier volumes, the story hearkens back to plot elements of earlier books and eventually draws in numerous secondary characters from those books for a grand Magnificent Seven/Ocean's Eleven type of resolution. Great work by Westlake, balancing numerous plot elements and complications as well as a a large cast.
- The Adventure of the Incognita Countess, Cynthia Ward -- like the Theodora Goss book mentioned above, this is a mashup of characters and ideas from a number of classic works. In 1912, Lucy Harker, half-vampire daughter of Mina Harker and Dracula, is a new government agent tasked with hunting and killing full-blooded vampires and "dhampirs". The British Empire is also in the midst of reverse-engineering and adapting the captured technology of the failed Martian invasion of some years previous. The adaptations include the powerful engines on the newly built, just launched Titanic (uh-oh), where Lucy encounters Carmilla, the pre-Dracula vampire from Le Fanu's novel of the same name. Complication: There is intense and mutual attraction between sexually-repressed Lucy and sensuous Carmilla. It all works itself out in a breakneck pulp-style romp that's a lot of fun. (And, once again Sherlock Holmes is present in a major supporting role. I'm starting to think his middle name may be "Ubiquitous". This phenomenon has been especially notable since much of the Holmes canon was finally declared part of the public domain awhile back, with a virtual tidal wave of new Holmes mysteries in the classic style -- some well-done, some *koff* not -- from both traditional and indie publishers, or using Holmes as a secondary character as Goss and Ward have done. But at least Holmes homageurs no longer have to file off the serial numbers and give their look-and-feel imitations ridiculous names like, oh, Solar.)
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