Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for letting me read an e-ARC of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire! The latest installment in the Wayward Children series releases January 7, 2025. While there’s no requirement to read the previous novellas (or read them in release order), I find this series is best enjoyed that way. A novella series, however, is quickly enjoyed - so get on it!

Readers follow Nadya’s story from the beginning. Born in Russia without one arm and surrendered to an orphanage, adopted by religious American parents and taken from her home country, raised to set aside her mother tongue and history, and eventually tumbling into one of the doors that leads her to a watery world beneath the pond where her beloved turtle companions roam. As always, the door only opens and consumes the child who is sure that they will leave nothing important behind in their own world. And, though she may not know it at first, she becomes sure that Belyrreka is a better place for her than her own world. She is quickly adopted by someone who comes from America (another drowned girl), finds a lifelong turtle companion, and lives out her life in a world that accepts her for the whole person that she’s always been.

While this isn’t my favorite installment (I wish it had been slightly longer – the woe of novellas), it’s still enjoyable and quick. I wanted to spend more time with Nadya and her friends in Belyrreka. As always, McGuire does an excellent job at forging stories that challenge readers’ preconceived notions about topics like grief, love, family, disability, and mental health. For a story about a child under 10, this packs a punch for adult audiences. If you’re looking for a quick read to kickstart your 2025 reading challenge, I strongly suggest this book (and series)! I can’t wait to see what comes next for our Wayward Children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for letting me read an e-ARC of Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao! This book (at long last) released on December 24, 2024. If the date passed you by, you can find it in stores and at your local library NOW! If you haven’t read the first book, grab that one while you’re at it - you’ll want to pick this one up immediately after finishing it.

This sequel (and officially canon NOT final book) was everything I didn’t expect and exactly what I wanted it to be at the same time! The author wasn’t kidding when they said this book isn’t a carbon copy of the first book, Iron Widow. While we explore new depths of feminine rage and the complexities of societal reconstruction, the plot is slower to develop and leaves readers wanting more with every chapter consumed. We bear witness as our main character, Zetian, reckons with the choices she’s made. Waking the powerful Qin Zheng (from another century entirely) causes ripples that even she can’t begin to fathom. He’s an absolute pain in the ass, but he’s also interested in making waves in politics and bettering the lives of the general public. She will do everything to break down barriers for women in Huaxia, but at what cost?

I’ve been meaning to read this cozy fantasy for well over a year, now, but it finally felt like the right time for a low-stakes story. While it isn’t my favorite “cozy” genre book and I don’t feel the need to rush into the next installment, I thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted love story of a retired Queensguard and powerful Mage who escape to start their lives together in a sleepy town. It has everything you could want: the creation of a bookshop that comes together with the help of townsfolk and the steeping of delightful teas while perusing said bookshop. The stakes aren’t too terribly high and it ends on a positive note with the hint of more adventures to come. If you’re looking to cozy up by the fireside with a warm beverage and a good book, this might be the one for you.

Sally Rooney has done it again. She has managed to write a gut-punch of a novel centered on the human experience (featuring a cast of humans who are less than stellar at all times) and leave me an absolute wreck. If you’ve never read Rooney, the writing style (very stream of consciousness with no specific indications of dialogue) takes a minute to get used to, but if you can’t get past that (especially for this tome of a novel with lengthy chapters), I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator captures the soul of each character perfectly. I will read anything Rooney writes, even when it has to do with estranged brothers learning to live with the grief of their father’s death who take their emotions out on their loved ones. There’s a bonus when the characters are also learning how to handle a romantic relationship, too. (This one was especially interesting to watch unfold and the ending left me breathless!) Here’s to hoping the rest of my book club also enjoyed it!

This graphic novel could easily be turned into a heartwarming series following the adventures of Safi as she develops her magical abilities. As such, we have this wonderful standalone story following her and her sister as they are learning to navigate their world after a horrifying magical war in which they lost their mother and are struggling to keep their family’s shop open with their now-ailing father. Readers can expect an exploration of grief and the various family dynamics in this quick, but impactful read. If you’ve read Paulsen’s other works (like Garlic and the Vampire), this is slightly darker and heavier than her other works)!

This was absolutely STUNNING. Dickinson crafted a perfect slow burn story of a person conforming to colonization as a tactic to extract her revenge on the colonizers. She plays their games and stays one step ahead at all times, but her story begs the question about what makes a villain - is she complicit by participating in the system, even as a means to an end of the empire that’s formed? People weren’t wrong, this series is amazing and I know the following books will ruin me.

Following Coates around the globe to Senegal, South Carolina, and Palestine, readers witness his reflections on writing and how the stories we tell and consume shape our personal realities. I took my time with this book and I’m so glad I had the chance to savor every essay. It took me a few days to get through the final entry about his experiences in Palestine and I found this to be the best in the book. It was timely, heart-wrenching, and certainly helped readjust my own perceptions of the genocide we are actively witnessing. If you’re a lover of Coates’ writing, I urge you to pick this one up!

I finally got around to reading this book and it was simultaneously a warm hug on a hard day and a huge cup of hot coffee on a cold, wintry day. Each story was a beautiful dive into the human experience exploring different scenarios about what people would do if given the opportunity to travel back in time to see a loved one just once more. I found myself holding my breath several times wondering if characters would abide by the cafe’s strict rules and then crying happy tears by the end of each story. I highly recommend this to people who want a quick read. It feels (and essentially is) a handful of short stories that will help get anyone out of a slump (mentally or reading-related).

This book rocked my world. The tone, immersive writing style, and overall themes reminded me of R. F. Kuang’s fantasy works, but don’t view the comparison too deeply because M. L. Wang has truly carved out a space for herself. The magic system is extremely intricate and this is one of the bloodiest fantasy books I’ve read this year. I love morally grey characters, but Wang really packs a punch with this cast. I wanted to root for our female main character (the underdog), but what do you do when the FMC is also complicit in systemic violence toward an entire people? The multi-layered and interconnected issues of oppression addressed in this book alone made me question SO MUCH. The plot twist? SO GOOD. This was easily a top contender for my favorite book of 2024, but don’t take my word for it. I want to hear how this book messed other people up!! (PLEASE check CWs!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron for letting me read an e-ARC of Private Rites by Julia Armfield! This book released on December 3, 2024, so it’s already out in the world and ready to be placed into your willing hands!

“It’s been raining for a long time now, so long that the land has reshaped itself and arcane rituals and religions are creeping back into practice. Sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes have not spoken in some time when their father dies. An architect as cruel as he was revered, his death offers an opportunity for the sisters to come together in a new way. In the grand glass house they grew up in, their father’s most famous creation, the sisters sort through the secrets and memories he left behind, until their fragile bond is shattered by a revelation in his will.

More estranged than ever, the sisters’ lives spin out of control: Irene’s relationship is straining at the seams; Isla’s ex-wife keeps calling; and cynical Agnes is falling in love for the first time. But something even more sinister might be unfolding, something related to their mother’s long-ago disappearance and the strangers who have always seemed unusually interested in the sisters’ lives. Soon, it becomes clear that the sisters have been chosen for a very particular purpose, one with shattering implications for their family and their imperiled world.”

Armfield strikes again! If you’ve read King Lear, you might enjoy finding the parallels that I’m sure are present throughout this book (I have not, therefore I couldn’t tell you what those are), since this is a reimagining of that story. Three estranged sisters are forced to reconnect after the passing of their father. Readers bear witness to the drama that ensues after the reading of his will and all the ways this impacts the lives of the sisters. What starts out as a slow burn read quickly devolves and deteriorates with an extremely dramatic ending involving a return to the waters that Armfield always so lovingly describes. While I would’ve preferred a bit more explanation at the end, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book!