Like in her previous novels, Helen Oyeyemi takes a traditional fairytale and spins it on it's head. Gingerbread is a brilliant take on "Hansel and Gretel" and other famed tales, cleverly blending race, working class rights, and feminism with magical realism.
Heather
They're the modern day coliseums. The hold thousands, staff hundreds, and won’t be paid off until well after they've been demolished.
John
The value of this book – barely a year old – is already so well established that one feels almost superfluous recommending it. And yet in addition to the cinematic storytelling, the breathtaking power of her writing, the incredible solidity of her mythic figures, and the author’s formidable voice, one drifts through this book with the sense of being privy to a serene wisdom, its effects too enduring not to seek to share. Amidst eternity, quiet as the dawning sun, rising with steady and peaceful assurance, the book’s central question rings out: for what will we risk our hearts?
James
Sweety is a little odd--even for a naked mole rat. A zany, charming book about finding people who share your interests, from interpretive dance to mushroom identification. Sweety will steal your heart!
Kate
Kalanthe and Olsa were on an epic adventure a year ago. They fell in love and came back heroes. But now, Kalanthe, an apprentice knight, needs to marry to pay off her debts, and Olsa isn't rich enough to qualify. Olsa is one of the most recognized people in the kingdoms, which makes her work as a thief frustratingly difficult. Told half in flashbacks and half in the more complicated post-adventure present, this story is a fascinating exploration of the question so many high fantasy novels ignore: what comes next?
Shana
The tale of Jack and the Beanstalk told from different cultural traditions in one complete narrative. Beautiful!
Robin
A rambunctious reimagining of the legend of King Arthur with the anachronism of A Knight's Tale and the space fabric of Firefly, plus it's all extremely queer. This book is super weird and I super enjoyed it!
Rebecca
Kira puts her K9 rescue skills to the test when a child goes missing in a national park, but she uncovers more than she expected about local criminals and her own past.
Sarah
This collection of fairytales includes both clever retellings and entirely new stories that still feel wonderfully familiar. The accompanying illustrations are beautiful, and feel as much a part of the stories as the words do. I wanted to read this over and over.
Ari
When Faith starts middle school, she also joins the soccer team. Her diverse teammates come with all the drama of middle school; is it even possible to be a team, let alone friends? Yeah, there’s soccer, but this graphic novel isn’t about sports.
Marika
A delightful, literary buffet of zombies, werewolves, and other magical beasties. Most - if not all - of the consequential characters identify as at least one of the following (and potentially more): queer, trans, nonbinary. And to top it off, the ending is lovely. Though the conclusion is left open-ended enough to continue the story, it is warmly satisfying on its own and doesn't beg for a sequel.
Stacey
Short, sweet, and bitingly funny, this collection--originally recorded as audio essays for NPR--will have you raring get outside and enjoy the spring weather! This is some of the best work I've read about the red rock deserts of Utah (my home country!), besieged by oil & mineral leases and left with diminished protections under the current Department of Interior. It might inspire a trip to Bears Ears or Canyonlands as well. ;)
Kate
Wow, what a book. This book was a blockbuster success in Australia and it deserves every bit of hype. The momentum of the writing is irresistible, the humor is both dark and laugh-out-loud, and the characters are deliciously compelling. You won't need a bookmark because you won't put it down.
David
One of the most beautiful statements on the power of reading I’ve ever read. Whether you know Proust or not, Czapski’s story of using literature to stay sane and build community in a Soviet prison is profoundly moving. Even more impressive, his reading of Proust is absolutely brilliant; insightful if you’ve read Proust and a great place to start if you haven’t.
Josh
This book will fill the gaping hole in your chest left by Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series. One of the best science fiction debuts of 2019. Fantastic!
Rebecca