This book hits a level of relatability that just feels purely human. I didn't realize how deep I was sucked in until I hit the last page. If you are looking for your next comfort read, this is it.
Jane
Downton Abbey meets The Danish Girl (with a side of All Creatures Great and Small). British trans history takes a turn when aristocrats fighting over a baronetcy go to court.
Sarah
In this stunning gothic horror, Jane Shoringfield decides the best way to survive the societal pressure of marriage is to arrange one that will allow her to have the independence she has always enjoyed. Her first choice, Augustine Lawrence, agrees on the condition that she must never visiting his family manor on the outskirts of town. Naturally, Jane winds up at the manor on the night of their wedding to find that things at Lindridge Hall, as well as with Augustine himself, are far from normal
Engel
Reality and the uncanny meet in this dark narrative. Samantha Heather Mackey doesn’t fit in at her selective, MFA program. Preferring her own company to most of the others in the creative writing department, she is repulsed by a group of girls who call each other “Bunny,” and appear more cultish than simple friends. But as much as she hates them, a part of her longs for acceptance, and so she is swept up in the group and finds herself in the center of a strange and sinister world.
Engel
If you want a terribly fun character-driven romance with plenty of angst pangs set against a backdrop of tasty space colonial scifi, Winter's Orbit is your book! In particular, this book is great for people who read/watch scifi and say, "Okay, but if this is set four thousand years into the future, why are all the gender expectations essentially the same as they were on Earth in 1985?" Everina Maxwell does some really neat stuff re: the future of gender, sex, and embodiment.
Piera
The complexities of the 1980s shape this coming of age story, with characters Bug (Beatrice) and Frankie learning about the world and how they may, or may not fit in. It is a story about acceptance, friendship, family, and love. Lots of love. I cannot recommend it enough.
Robin
Grown-ups, have you ever bought a child in your life a toy that... eugh... makes noise? Did you regret it instantly? Are you constantly wishing for some gosh-darn peace and quiet around here? Isn't the act of Making Noise Together one of the most fun, important, human things we can do??? Pokko and the Drum is a fun, funky, beautifully rendered wish fulfillment fantasy of the highest order.
Piera
Cute and funny, I never get tired of reading this one - a very important quality in a baby book...
Katie
For every curious mind, remember there is no idea that is too big, too small, too odd, or too normal. Yamada reminds us that we should embrace and follow our thoughts with pure, simple, and confident joy.
Kai
In a world adjacent to our own, but where vampires, ghosts, and other folklore creatures walk the earth, Ellie Bride’s cousin appears to her between his last breath and his descent to the underworld to warn her that his death was no accident. With the help of her friends, family, and ghost dog she sets out to solve the mystery and uncover the secrets of a mysterious town. This book was amazingly fun and I could not put it down. I can’t wait to make everyone in my life read Elatsoe.
Katherine
