Índex per October 2021 a Booklist Reader

From the Editor & Publisher Time travel, parallel universes, magic, and monsters: this second Booklist Reader issue presents a mind-bending mix of adult and youth science fiction, fantasy, and horror recommendations, in print and on audio. Yes, these are some of my favorite genres (OK, fine, I like everything!), but this issue showcases books from other genres, too. You’ll find those in Reserve These Reads for Adult (p.10) and Youth (p.20), two columns presenting the month’s hottest releases, which you’ll want to check out now or place on the hold list. In the mood for even more scintillating suggestions and exceptional content? We’ve got you covered! Visit us at www.booklistonline.com, where you’ll find the Booklist Blog, the Shelf Care podcast, and a rich selection of webinars—oh yeah, and lots and…

Booklist Reader Adult Books Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror The top sf, fantasy, and horror books explore deep issues like racism and ableism while still bringing all of the genre’s cherished thrills and chills. The Best of World SF, v.1. Ed. by Lavie Tidhar. 2021. IPG/Head of Zeus. The inventiveness and creativity of these 26 tales, which range from focused and weird to vast and complex, create a rich and well-curated collection full of surprises. The Burning God. By R. F. Kuang. 2020. Harper Voyager. Bringing her complex Poppy War trilogy to a poignant conclusion, Kuang shines a searing light on the devastating price and valiant sacrifices of warfare. The Jasmine Throne. By Tasha Suri. 2021. Orbit. Priya’s country suffers from a mysterious plague; Princess Malini is sent there to…

Booklist Reader Adult Books The Essentials The Epic Fantasy Renaissance What makes a fantasy epic? It has to be big: a big, historical-seeming world with big magic; a big cast of characters; a big, political plot that surrounds a big quest; and a big page count. Epic fantasy’s roots go back to Granddaddy Tolkien, and the genre has experienced a resurgence of popularity with TV series adaptations of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, Terry Brooks’ Shannara, N. K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy, and Erika Johansens’s Queen of the Tearling. Today’s epic fantasists may take direction from the old masters, but they are forging new paths of worldbuilding, with worlds inspired by their own backgrounds, and new depths of characterization and diverse casts that include women who are more than merely…

LIBRARY READS All the Feels A Novel by Olivia Dade (Avon) “Alex is an actor on a Game of Thrones-type TV show entering its final season. Lauren’s job is to keep him out of trouble. Their relationship develops over forced proximity, a road trip, and tons of fanfic tropes (only one bed!). This steamy romance, with flawed, genuine characters and sensitive treatment of mental health and body issues, is a delight from start to finish. For fans of Spoiler Alert, Girl Gone Viral, and One To Watch.” —Lauren Mitchell, Neenah Public Library, Neenah, WI NoveList read-alike: Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev October 2021 - The top ten books published this month that library staff across the country love. Cackle by Rachel Harrison (Berkley) “Annie is floundering after an unexpected…

Booklist Reader Books for Youth The Essentials Scaring Up YA—Adult Horror Novels for Teens Our recent partnership with the Summer Scares reading program has made us more excited than ever to help readers find great horror picks. With that in mind, I decided to sneak over to the adult section and (with some guidance from Susan Maguire) find a selection of recent horror novels that teen readers would die for the chance to read. by Julia Smith Angel of the Underground. By David Andreas. 2018. Akashic. When a series of grisly murders occurs at the Hartman Catholic Group Home, 15-year-old Robin is rehoused with the decidedly off-kilter Grantham family. Hand to older teens with a penchant for character-driven horror and dysfunctional families. Bite. By K. S. Merbeth. 2016. Orbit. In a…

Booklist Reader Adult Books Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror Debuts The top 10 sf, fantasy, and horror debuts showcase fresh new voices exploring fantastic worlds, body horror, and folkloric retellings. Composite Creatures. By Caroline Hardaker. 2021. Angry Robot. In Hardaker’s novel of a poisoned Earth and privatized health care, the land and air have become toxic, dooming most humans to an eventual “greying” unless they can secure access to exclusive experimental treatments. The Forever Sea. By Joshua Phillip Johnson. 2021. DAW. The world is covered in the vast grasses of the Miyaza-kiesque Forever Sea, where one junior hearth-fire keeper and her crew flee a corrupt but prosperous island nation into the heart of pirate-dominated Roughs. The Mask of Mirrors. By M. A. Carrick. 2021. Orbit. Con artist and former street…

Booklist Reader Books for Youth Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror for Youth It may come as no surprise that viruses feature prominently in this selection of best sf/fantasy & horror novels for youth (mostly the horror). But among these titles, you can also find books that run the gamut from biting satires to cozy fantasies about found family. The Darkness outside Us. By Eliot Schrefer. 2021. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. Gr. 9–12. On an interplanetary mission to rescue his missing sister from the moons of Saturn, Ambrose finds himself deeply drawn to a boy who, though he shares his mission, is also his enemy. Eat Your Heart Out. By Kelly deVos. 2021. Razorbill. Gr. 8–11. At a weight-loss camp in Arizona, six teenagers face down a horde of hungry zombies in a high-stakes…

Booklist Reader Books for Youth A Conversation Letting the Magic Speak—A Magic Realism Roundtable In the YA world, the term “magic realism” gets applied to a lot of different types of books—whimsical books, books that skirt the edges of fantasy, books that tap into the mythical. But what is true magic realism? Who has a right to claim the term? Here we talk to four Latinx authors—Michelle Ruiz Keil (All of Us with Wings, 2019), Samantha Mabry (Tigers, Not Daughters, 2020), Anna-Marie McLemore (Dark and Deepest Red, 2020), and Lilliam Rivera (Never Look Back, 2020)—about where the magic in their writing comes from and how it shapes the stories they tell. by Maggie Reagan Reagan: I’m curious to hear about the elements you all think a book has to contain to be…