SciFi & Fantasy Must Reads

If you enjoyed 1984, then you’ll love The House in the Cerulean Sea.

“This was a wholesome squeal of a novel that I ADORED! It had so much hype around it so I was wary but it immediately drew me in and wouldn't let me go until I finished. I opted for audio since it seemed that was the only way I was going to squeeze it in with my giant TBR list. Once I started, I literally changed my activities to better fit the listening of this book—more knitting, less TV, longer walks, and antisocial behavior. The narrator, Daniel Henning, perfectly encapsulated the whimsical nature of Linus Baker and his mysterious Level 4 security assignment to the island of Marysas. Though this book is entirely its own, it had vibes that reminded me of 1984 meets The Umbrella Academy meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Klune imbues so much life into all his characters. The kids are so cute and sassy and I love this quasi-magical world that they exist in, despite the fact that it keeps them locked away in an orphanage. I love that themes of our own world are examined and questioned and that it has a happy ending. I highly recommend this fantastical novel to everyone! Any book that steals all my attention from start to finish is pure magic and should be cherished!”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

“This story sparkles and enchants! It’s a rich and layered multigeneration saga featuring strong women and a mystery veiled in magical realism that will tease and feed your imagination.”

Grace Rajendran, University Book Store

With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her... Read more »

A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.
 
In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet's word is law, Immanuelle Moore's very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so... Read more »

Under the Whispering Door

“Full of heart, hope, grief, humor, delicious character development and perfectly steeped tea, Under the Whispering Door is one-of-a kind. I laughed, I cried, I stayed up far too late reading. You don't want to miss this book.”

Miriasha, Phoenix Books

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling.

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . [and] over much too soon.”—The Washington Post Book World

SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES • Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy!

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

It’s an ordinary Thursday... Read more »

Black Sun

“Rebecca Roanhorse brings us into a fantasy world of magic and warring clans and an over-reaching spiritual elite who think they control the others. Told through multiple voices, I sped through this story, with excitement and betrayal and passion and magic at each turn of the chapter. This is part one of an adventure I cannot wait to pick back up. Bonus: the author tells these stories from a North American Indigenous perspective with all the spirituality from a wide range of Native backgrounds.”

Jessica, BookBar

Vuelve la autora de Jonathan Strange y el señor Norrell con una novela hipnótica ambientada en una realidad onírica.

La casa de Piranesi no es un edificio cualquiera: sus habitaciones son monumentales, con paredes llenas de miles de estatuas, y sus pasillos, interminables. Dentro del dédalo de corredores hay un océano aprisionado en el que...

A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy. Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there's only one voice in her head, and... Read more »

The City We Became

“What did I just listen to and why did I like it so much? Part of falling in love with this book was the listening experience, to be certain. The narration was stellar. The production was on point. But the story... the story itself is sublime. N.K. Jemisin has written a love letter to New York City - but not the one in bright, bold letters on the silver screen - the real city, and the real people who inhabit it and call it home, even if only temporarily. And it was beyond my wildest dreams (and nightmares). The City We Became is so incredibly layered and nuanced - diving into discussions of racism and sexism and the fallacy of good vs evil. I wanted nothing more than to steep in its long chapters, and get to know its boroughs as intimately as Jemisin would allow - not mere stereotypes but fully fleshed and brilliant, blinding avatars. Witty, subversive, imaginative, unbelievable. Get on this wild ride.”

Britt, Second Star to the Right

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens the very fabric of the multiverse in this stunning debut, a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

WINNER OF THE COMPTON CROOK AWARD • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • “Gorgeous... Read more »

Gideon the Ninth

“This is everything I wanted in a book and more. Gideon is likable but flawed, Harrow is horrible and unforgettable, and the prose occasionally turns hauntingly beautiful. The narration helps make a complex world become real and the characters friends you may or may not want to invite over to dinner. It depends on whether your folks are there.”

Jenny, Page 158 Books

Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki's Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful adventure set in California's San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts.

Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other...

Catch a fallen star . . .

Tristran thorn promised to bring back a fallen star. So he sets out on a journey to fulfill the request of his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester—and stumbles into the enchanted realm that lies beyond the wall of his English country town. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master...

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read. When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only... Read more »

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

“This gripping, diverse novel, set well after Earth's residents have scattered to Mars, other planets, and itinerant spacecraft, is as scientifically and sociopolitically plausible as any science fiction I've ever read or listened to. The characters, from a variety of alien species along with AI, have wide-ranging journeys that speak to our current reality and to issues of immigration, xenophobia, colonization, economic class, technological advancement, environmentalism, and more. The members of one species are all born female and becomes male later on, of another all use "they" pronouns, and of another are free with their touch and affection and find amusement in human hangups about touch. In the midst of all this complex representation emerges a story that stands alone as cohesive, meaningful, and powerful.”

Emily, A Seat at the Table Books

This Is How You Lose The Time War

“Agents for opposite sides of a war without an end or beginning find themselves drawn to one another. It starts as a little deadly competition, but it quickly becomes clear that it's more than just fascination. Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone work together like steak and a fine wine. Some of the most beautiful prose, and two of the most complex characters ever written, This is How You Lose the Time War is a tragic love story wrapped in science fiction. Emily Woo Zeller and Cynthia Farrell narrate with such emotion that the listener believes every word they say. This is one of my favorite Audiobooks of all time.”

Sophie, Cavalier House Books

Winner of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella!

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do...

Dark Matter

“Dark Matter is equal parts science fiction, thriller, and theoretical self-examination, complete with an overarching love story. Crouch does a fantastic job of keeping readers grounded while traveling through multiple dimensions, and he offers introspection on how each of the life choices a person makes recreates that person in a new and profound way. I tore through this, waiting for --and finding -- a spectacular conclusion. A must-read!”

Ed White, Hudson Booksellers