The Defiant Agents
Andre Norton An enjoyable space western with Apaches as the good guys, wrapped up in the cold war and tossing in the Golden Horde, a lost alien city and Russians with a mind-control ray.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones★★★★★
Seanan McGuire Creepy tale of twins transported to a world out of 1930s monster movies. Hangs together better than the first book.
Dracula★★★★★
Bram Stoker The original Dracula is a great read, not just for the way it codified modern vampire lore, but the way it's built as a collection of letters, diary entries, and so on.
A Dragon for William★★★★★
Julie Czerneda A welcome return to the world of A Turn of Light (though shorter!)
Eifelheim★★★★☆
Michael Flynn Detailed and thoughtful exploration of first contact with aliens in the midst of the Black Death.
The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)★★★★★
Katie Mack An engaging read for the general audience about what we currently know about the history and structure of the universe and what that knowledge – and the pieces we don't know – might mean for its future and eventual end.
Every Heart a Doorway★★★★☆
Seanan McGuire A fast read with an intriguing concept that reverses multiple YA fantasy tropes.
Flashforward (Novel)★★★★★
Robert J. Sawyer A fascinating exploration of time, destiny and free will after everyone on Earth gets a glimpse of the same moment 20 years in the future.
Four Lost Cities★★★★★
Annalee Newitz Fascinating look at how cities form, live and die, seen through archaeological discoveries at Pompeii, Angkor, Cahokia and Çatalhöyük.
Fuzzy Nation★★★★★
John Scalzi Not sure it's better, but it is more enjoyable than the original, with better characterization and less deus-ex-machina. Same overall story of colonization, corporate greed, enviromnental exploitation and who counts as people, but different enough to enjoy both.
A Game of Thrones (Book)
George R.R. Martin I should have liked this book. I tend to enjoy big epic fantasy, but I just couldn't get into this one.
The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time Book 12)
Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson Events move rapidly toward the apocalypse foretold in book one, and Sanderson shows he was a good choice to finish Jordan's series.
The Kaiju Preservation Society★★★★★
John Scalzi Escaping the pandemic by learning to survive on a world with gigantic monsters.
Key Out Of Time★★★★☆
Andre Norton Lost in time, lost in space, out of their depth, a handful of humans are caught in the middle of a four-way power struggle on the high seas of an alien world.
The Law of Superheroes★★★★★
James Daily, J.D. and Ryan Davidson, J.D. A fun read that applies real-world law to comic book tropes. Shape-shifters, alternate realities, resurrections and massive property damage are all explored.
Little Fuzzy★★★★☆
H. Beam Piper An enjoyable tale of first contact, colonialism, environmental stewardship, corporate greed vs. ethics, and most importantly, who counts as "people" on an alien world that turns out not to be uninhabited after all.
Night Watch (Discworld)★★★★★
Terry Pratchett Time travel, barricades and a mix of humor and darkness in a rebellion with good cops, bad cops and time monks.
Norse Mythology★★★★☆
Neil Gaiman Entertaining, sometimes gruesome, sometimes funny and sometimes sad collection of stories about Odin, Thor, Loki and the other gods of Asgard.
A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching★★★★★
Rosemary Mosco A fast, funny, informative read about pigeons, their long history with humans, appearance and behavior, and even modern extreme pigeon breeds.
Quantum Night★★★★☆
Robert J. Sawyer Intriguing premise, well explored: Quantum entanglement, psychopaths, and mob behavior. Can we reboot humanity amid a rising tide of xenophobia?
Shy Little Kitten’s Secret Place★☆☆☆☆A 1980s sequel to the classic The Shy Little Kitten that completely misses the point of the original book and tells shy kids they need to change themselves.
Soon I Will Be Invincible★★★★☆
Austin Grossman Austin Grossman’s novel Soon I Will Be Invincible is a fun read for fans of the super-hero genre, an affectionate parody featuring every cliche in the book.
Space Opera★★★★★
Catherynne Valente Fun sci-fi social satire from Catherynne Valente: The world is a mess, but we can find the sublime in chaos.
Star Born★★★★★
Andre Norton An adventure woven through the post-war struggles of an alien world, with humans caught on both sides, exploring identity, colonialism and prejudice. Definitely worth the read.
Star Hunter★★★☆☆
Andre Norton A standard survival adventure with mismatched partners and ruthless rivals, only with weird stuff going on and in space.
The Time Machine★★★★☆
H.G. Wells A bit dry, but it draws you in, and if the plot is simple, it's enough to wrap around some thought-provoking speculation about the future of humanity - and a critique of industrial society.
The Time Traders★★★★☆
Andre Norton A fun time-travel spy thriller through the bronze age that's very rooted in the cold war.
Triggers★★★☆☆
Robert J. Sawyer It's an interesting take on memory and identity, but not one of Sawyer's best.
Under Alien Skies★★★★★
Philip Plait A fun look at what it would be like to visit other planets or star systems, weaving together sci-fi scenarios, the science behind them, and the history of how those discoveries were made.
Under the Influence★★★★☆
Trey Ratcliff Trey Ratcliff details a fascinating look at a side of Instagram that I've mostly ignored.
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You★★★★★
Janelle Shane A fun, accessible introduction to how artificial intelligence works...and how it sometimes doesn't!