This list was started in October of 2017 and includes a sampling of my reading. For a more complete list, please follow me on Goodreads and check out my books. Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell: I've been a Shakespeare follower since I was in high school but this is the first historical novel I've read based on his life and his family. Painfully beautiful. The writing will move you.
Glow by Tim Jordan: The debut novel of a fabulous new voice in SF and also a good friend. This novel has the cerebral wow-factor of a P.K. Dick novel with the pacing and action of Richard Morgan’s “Altered Carbon.” The writing is spectacularly immersive, especially when we are in Rex’s point of view.
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd: this was my favorite novel of 2020. A ghost story, fantasy/horror, and literary work all rolled into one. A vivid portrayal of life in Victorian London through the eyes of an Irish expatriate private investigator. Must read!
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran: As I continue to research the French Revolution, a friend recommended this book. A vivid portrayal of the woman and her times.
Pure by Andrew Miller: this very little known piece is now on my favorites list. Set in pre-revolutionary Paris, it is the story of an engineer tasked with emptying the ancient cemetery of Les Innocents which has been filled to overflowing. As I am researching a historical novel set in the same period, I stumbled upon this and am very glad I did. Andrew Miller's imagery is powerful and moving. You will feel as if you are there.
The Overstory by Richard Powers: The powerful narrative and evocative imagery of this novel unfolds like tree rings. I loved the writing and the hope offered to humanity through the forests of the future.
Beyond Biocentrism by Robert Lanza; I have been a fan of Lanza's Biocentrism philosophy for many years and was happy to find he had more to say on the topic. Much of this volume rehashes some of the principle components of his theory, then goes on to tackle scientific evidence as it relates to time/space and death.
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson; I am a huge Stephenson fan and have been putting off reading this first book in his Baroque cycle for a long time. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, the world, the characters and the ideas, I felt it didn't resolve satisfactorily for me. But I feel the open ending leads to the second novel in the series. For the writing alone, I would recommend it.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller; I wondered how she could do better than Circe, but I loved this novel even more. Stylistically and emotionally, it was one of the best books I've ever read. It took me back to books I loved so much as a teenager, Mary Renault's books, The Bull from the Sea and the King Must Die. If I were to recommend one book this year, it would be Song of Achilles.
Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher; I've had the good fortune to take a workshop from Jim Butcher and finally read his first installment of the Dresden Files. Fun, fun, fun.
Among Others by Jo Walton; this Hugo winner was a great find for me. Literary fantasy at its finest, and a great example of Don Maass's push to for speculative fiction that blurs the lines. One of my favorite books of last year. I lucked into finding it. A friend thought I'd like it, and passed it on.
Circe by Madeline Miller; Beautiful imagery and storytelling. The weaving of ancient myth with a more modern twist was delightful. One of my favorite books last year.
Last Call by Tim Powers; I was blown away by the imagery and the weaving of such vastly different elements as the tarot and organized crime in Las Vegas. Poker with a tarot deck?? This book goes on my favorites shelf. The imagery is deeply affecting and the humor is laugh-out-loud.
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear; some serious science happening in this novel. Bear presents a fascinating idea that I'd like to research more, the reactivation of ancient viral DNA in the human genome.
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders; what happens when a witch falls in love with an engineer? They are tasked with saving the world, of course.
Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey; a little less convincing than the first two books in the Expanse Series, but still a good read.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson; I just started this wild ride of a book. Puts me in mind of Ready Player One. I find myself laughing out loud.
Company of Liars by Karen Maitland; a fun historical mystery patterned after The Canterbury Tales. An interesting view of England during the plague.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson; Cutting my teeth on my first Sanderson novel. I get to spend a day in a seminar with him soon and look forward to it. So far, his mastery of worldbuilding is amazing.
The Black River Chronicles; fun frolic in this game world come to life.
A Borrowed Hell by L.D. Colter; I always enjoy this author's magical realism and am already seeing it at play in this novel.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein; this novel did not take the direction I thought it would, but it presents some political ideas worth chewing on, especially as we consider settling other bodies in the solar system. Treatment of female characters is outdated, but I can't ding someone for writing to the culture of his time.
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams; I'm finally reading this classic of epic fantasy. My Three Wells series has been compared to the world created in this series. I'm enjoying his language and worldbuilding.
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson; I am a huge fan of Stan Robinson's writing and philosophy. If you want realism and scientific accuracy, you can't get much better than Stan. He's a fascinating person who writes hard SF as well as anthropological works. He's a creative genius.
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan; fascinating look at the future possibility of downloading consciousness. It is very much a mystery novel couched in SF. Interesting mix with some great writing. Quite graphic, as a warning.
Glow by Tim Jordan: The debut novel of a fabulous new voice in SF and also a good friend. This novel has the cerebral wow-factor of a P.K. Dick novel with the pacing and action of Richard Morgan’s “Altered Carbon.” The writing is spectacularly immersive, especially when we are in Rex’s point of view.
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd: this was my favorite novel of 2020. A ghost story, fantasy/horror, and literary work all rolled into one. A vivid portrayal of life in Victorian London through the eyes of an Irish expatriate private investigator. Must read!
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran: As I continue to research the French Revolution, a friend recommended this book. A vivid portrayal of the woman and her times.
Pure by Andrew Miller: this very little known piece is now on my favorites list. Set in pre-revolutionary Paris, it is the story of an engineer tasked with emptying the ancient cemetery of Les Innocents which has been filled to overflowing. As I am researching a historical novel set in the same period, I stumbled upon this and am very glad I did. Andrew Miller's imagery is powerful and moving. You will feel as if you are there.
The Overstory by Richard Powers: The powerful narrative and evocative imagery of this novel unfolds like tree rings. I loved the writing and the hope offered to humanity through the forests of the future.
Beyond Biocentrism by Robert Lanza; I have been a fan of Lanza's Biocentrism philosophy for many years and was happy to find he had more to say on the topic. Much of this volume rehashes some of the principle components of his theory, then goes on to tackle scientific evidence as it relates to time/space and death.
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson; I am a huge Stephenson fan and have been putting off reading this first book in his Baroque cycle for a long time. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, the world, the characters and the ideas, I felt it didn't resolve satisfactorily for me. But I feel the open ending leads to the second novel in the series. For the writing alone, I would recommend it.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller; I wondered how she could do better than Circe, but I loved this novel even more. Stylistically and emotionally, it was one of the best books I've ever read. It took me back to books I loved so much as a teenager, Mary Renault's books, The Bull from the Sea and the King Must Die. If I were to recommend one book this year, it would be Song of Achilles.
Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher; I've had the good fortune to take a workshop from Jim Butcher and finally read his first installment of the Dresden Files. Fun, fun, fun.
Among Others by Jo Walton; this Hugo winner was a great find for me. Literary fantasy at its finest, and a great example of Don Maass's push to for speculative fiction that blurs the lines. One of my favorite books of last year. I lucked into finding it. A friend thought I'd like it, and passed it on.
Circe by Madeline Miller; Beautiful imagery and storytelling. The weaving of ancient myth with a more modern twist was delightful. One of my favorite books last year.
Last Call by Tim Powers; I was blown away by the imagery and the weaving of such vastly different elements as the tarot and organized crime in Las Vegas. Poker with a tarot deck?? This book goes on my favorites shelf. The imagery is deeply affecting and the humor is laugh-out-loud.
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear; some serious science happening in this novel. Bear presents a fascinating idea that I'd like to research more, the reactivation of ancient viral DNA in the human genome.
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders; what happens when a witch falls in love with an engineer? They are tasked with saving the world, of course.
Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey; a little less convincing than the first two books in the Expanse Series, but still a good read.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson; I just started this wild ride of a book. Puts me in mind of Ready Player One. I find myself laughing out loud.
Company of Liars by Karen Maitland; a fun historical mystery patterned after The Canterbury Tales. An interesting view of England during the plague.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson; Cutting my teeth on my first Sanderson novel. I get to spend a day in a seminar with him soon and look forward to it. So far, his mastery of worldbuilding is amazing.
The Black River Chronicles; fun frolic in this game world come to life.
A Borrowed Hell by L.D. Colter; I always enjoy this author's magical realism and am already seeing it at play in this novel.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein; this novel did not take the direction I thought it would, but it presents some political ideas worth chewing on, especially as we consider settling other bodies in the solar system. Treatment of female characters is outdated, but I can't ding someone for writing to the culture of his time.
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams; I'm finally reading this classic of epic fantasy. My Three Wells series has been compared to the world created in this series. I'm enjoying his language and worldbuilding.
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson; I am a huge fan of Stan Robinson's writing and philosophy. If you want realism and scientific accuracy, you can't get much better than Stan. He's a fascinating person who writes hard SF as well as anthropological works. He's a creative genius.
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan; fascinating look at the future possibility of downloading consciousness. It is very much a mystery novel couched in SF. Interesting mix with some great writing. Quite graphic, as a warning.