Gio's Staff Picks

Norse Mythology

“With a voice like warm milk and honey, Neil Gaiman breathes life into his stories Norse Mythology honors the tale’s past, but still has Neil’s distinctive style. Which is then enhanced by Gaiman reading the story aloud. Gaiman is able to create distinct voices for each of his characters, from the sly and cunning Loki, to the short-tempered, impatient warrior Thor. Gaiman took mythology that I already loved, created something even more enchanting. It is a collection of stories I could hear time after time and never grow tired of revisiting.”

Victoria, Mysterious Galaxy Books

The Half-Drowned King

“A fast-paced and harrowing saga of a sibling pair, both trying to do what is right for the other while navigating the physical and political terrain around them. Ragnvald and his sister, Svanhild, are our protagonists, and the book contains alternating chapters about each of their adventures. One fights a war on the battlefield while the other fights a war in the bedroom, and, fighting internal conflicts, each grows into adulthood quickly in this harsh environment. Rich with battles, love stories, and the breathtaking landscapes of Norway, The Half-Drowned King is a must-read for fans of literary fiction, adventure tales, and well-paced storytelling.”

Giovanni Boivin, The Bookloft

Sea of Rust

“It’s fifteen years after humanity has gone extinct, and things are not looking good for robotkind. Many have succumb to becoming facets for one of the two One World Intelligence hive minds that remain after the war with humanity, and the freebots who do not submit gather together in ramshackle settlements for protection from OWI raids. One such freebot is Brittle, a rare caregiver model who traverses the Sea of Rust on her own, scavenging parts to barter with from damaged bots who are too far gone to be saved from their mad wanderings. When another caregiver model critically damages her in an attempt to poach her parts for himself, both join a secret mission with the promise of repairs…but Brittle soon discovers that there’s far more at stake than she ever realized. Cargill has crafted a believable world of post-apocalyptic ruin, seen through Brittle’s eyes as she fights for survival against her own deteriorating mind and the brutal memories of her actions in the war, making for a compelling story about faith, choices, and consequences.”

Darcy, Mysterious Galaxy Books

The City of Brass

“S.A. Chakraborty introduces a fantasy set in the Middle East that thrusts us into the magical world of Daevabad. The City of Brass follows, in parallel, Nahri, a con artist and naturally gifted healer, and Ali, prince of Daevabad and fiercely trained soldier. Nahri and Ali find themselves learning new lessons on how to survive changing environments and difficult challenges, while trying to figure out the complexities of their lives. I found myself turning page after page, following Nahri's and Ali's story while deciphering the fantastic terminology and the world that is Daevabad. The City of Brass is a wonderfully written, mystical adventure that keeps you guessing about what will happen next.”

Barry Nelipowitz, Literati Bookstore

Full Throttle

“What a ride! This book of stories (two written with Stephen King) is a fast ride through Hill’s considerable imagination. He takes us through 13 stories of suspense, from the back of a motorcycle and outrunning a murderous semi-truck driver to an American sea monster, then on to a young girl who befriends a machine, and ending with, well, the end of the world. His stories are reminiscent of a certain well-known horror writer, but are clearly his own brand of terror. I enjoyed each of them and wished that some might morph into full-length books because it was hard to let them go. I always look forward to Hill’s books, and this one did not disappoint.”

Sarah Harmuth Letke, Redbery Books

A wildly imaginative novel about a man who is reincarnated over ten thousand lifetimes to be with his one true love: Death herself.

“Tales of gods and men akin to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman as penned by a kindred spirit of Douglas Adams.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

First we live. Then we die. And then . . . we get another try? 

Ten thousand tries,... Read more »

The Sea Beast Takes a Lover

“It is a rare thing when a collection of short stories absolutely blows your mind, and Andreasen's collection packs a wallop. His uncanny world-building, using animals and strange mythologies to describe a world so much and slightly unlike our own, gives him the gift of nailing such deep concepts and providing such profound insights into the human character. How can we explain to aliens the difference between 'having relations' and 'having a relationship?' When an ideal exists that we all strive for, what will our lives be like if we actually achieve it? Magnificent, enchanting, and full of literary verve.”

Raul Chapa, BookPeople

Foundryside

“Foundryside is the first book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Foundry trilogy. Not only did this book get me out of my reading slump, it was a book that I just couldn’t stop listening to. The cover grabbed my attention and the story surpassed every expectation that I had. Foundryside is about a well-trained thief, Sancia. She’s good at what she does, and her latest job has landed her in a whole world of trouble. She’s gone from off the radar, to Tevanne’s most wanted. Sancia has to band together with some unlikely allies to make it out alive. We learn about the world Bennett created through Clef, a character who is unique and loveable from the start, who in turn learns from Sancia. Bennett created complex characters, a world that is half tech, half magic, and a story full of heart. It was a story that I couldn’t get enough of and was sad to see end. I can’t wait for the next part!”

Victoria, Mysterious Galaxy Books

A Cosmology of Monsters

“When is the last time a horror novel was both scary and charming? A Cosmology of Monsters is that book! Riffing on themes from H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, Hamill weaves a complex tale of lost cities, haunted Halloween attractions, and doorways to other worlds. I really enjoyed this literary horror story, which starts out as a love story (don’t ALL good horror tales?) and grows progressively creepier. The book posits the questions: Who are the real monsters, and why do we love to be scared? Truly an uber-creepy yet delightful homage. I loved it.”

William Carl, An Unlikely Story

Devolution

“Incredible. Every Max Brook book is everything you could ever want it to be and then some and Devolution is no exception. His most traditionally structured work yet, Devolution is an epistolary account of the town of Greenloop, a small, isolated, high- tech community situated in the middle of the Cascades and what befalls it after the fictional eruption of the entirely real Mt. Rainier that ravages the North-Eastern coast. It's a fabulous horror novel that tricks you into gaining some survival skills along the way. And through all the spatter, the gore, guts, and splintered skulls, it's outlandish premiss is ground (maybe by a 40+ shoe- sized foot?) into harsh reality through hard science and facts that exposes mankind's current and far too numerous weaknesses. What's evolution and what is devolution? I'm still not sure long after I flipped the final page. Definitely worth the listen on Libro.fm. They get Terry Gross from Fresh Air to actually play Terry Gross from Fresh Air and it doesn't get better than that.”

Conner, BookBar

Fate of the Fallen is the start of a brand new adventure from New York Times bestselling author Kel Kade

Not all stories have happy endings.

Everyone loves Mathias. Naturally, when he discovers it’s his destiny to save the world, he dives in head first, pulling his best friend Aaslo along for the ride.

However, saving the world isn’t as easy, or... Read more »

Winner of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award

Includes the story “Premium Harmony”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine

The masterful #1 New York Times bestselling story collection from O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King that includes twenty-one iconic stories with accompanying autobiographical comments on... Read more »

From a New York Times bestselling and Hugo award-winning author comes a modern masterwork of science fiction, introducing a captain, his crew, and a detective as they unravel a horrifying solar system wide conspiracy that begins with a single missing girl.  Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but... Read more »

It started with a single child, and quickly spread: you could get high by drinking your own shadow. At night, lights were destroyed so that addicts could sip shadow in the pure light of the moon.

Gangs of shadow addicts chased down children on playgrounds, rounded up old ladies from retirement homes. Cities were destroyed and governments fell.... Read more »

From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Kelly Barnhill comes a stunning collection of nine stories teeming with uncanny characters whose lives unfold in worlds at once strikingly human and eerily original.

When Mrs. Sorensen's husband dies, she rekindles a long-dormant love with an unsuitable mate in "Mrs. Sorensen and the... Read more »

Two princes, Shvate and Adri, are born in Hastinaga, capital of the vast Krushan empire-one blind, the other albino. Though one cannot see, and the other cannot face sunlight, the Dowager Empress Jilana and Prince Regent Vrath assure their people and allies that all will be well. Any rumblings of dissent are summarily quashed and none dares... Read more »

In this hard-rocking, spine-tingling supernatural thriller, the washed-up guitarist of a ’90s heavy metal band embarks on an epic road trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.Grady Hendrix, horror writer and author of Paperbacks from Hell and My Best Friend’s Exorcism, is back with his most electrifying novel yet. In... Read more »

Steeped in the folklore of Eastern Europe, and set in the shadow of Nazi darkness erupting just beyond the Czech border, this bone-chilling, richly imagined novel is propulsively entertaining, and impossible to put down.

"A wildly entertaining story...Russell has created a truly frightening story." —The New York Times Book Review

Czechoslovakia,... Read more »

Recursion

“As soon as I saw Blake Crouch’s name, I scooped this book up. As a huge fan of Dark Matter, I knew I was in for a treat. In his newest, Crouch quickly reveals the cause of the ‘fake memories’ that are plaguing the population, but the twists and thrills just keep coming. I haven’t been this satisfied with a book in a long time. Hitting and exceeding all of my expectations, this one will be hard to beat as my favorite book of the year.”

Mary Salazar, The Country Bookshop