Foggy Pine Books Staff Picks

A Rip Through Time

“It's a time travel story, it's a police procedural story, it's the beginning of two strong friendships and probably a highly addictive series. Armstrong's devotees will be thrilled to watch this intelligent author pulling apart our assumptions about middle-class Victorian society (with a running gag involving how modern phrases sound to very early forensic scientists), and fans of Laurie King's Mary Russell books will be excited to discover a new, strong female lead with razor logic and winning honesty. There are some familiar tropes, and the first couple of chapters, while sympathetic, don't seem to offer anything really new...but hold on. The coffee is just percolating. The twists to come are worthy of an Old Town Edinburgh setting!”

Nialle, The Haunted Bookshop

In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America's "forgotten tribe" of white working class voters. Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics, and eager to consume cheap campaign promises. What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia is a... Read more »

Beautiful Country

“In this brutally honest coming-of-age memoir, Qian Julie Wang comes to terms with the deprivations and struggles of her undocumented Chinese upbringing in New York City in the 1990s.”

Kayleen Rohrer, InkLink Books

"Narrator Raphael Corkhill deftly navigates a range of situations and voices in this novel, a blend of romance, mystery, and space opera...A satisfying love story with plenty of political machinations, this audiobook will please fans of romance and sci-fi alike." -- AudioFile Magazine

Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue in... Read more »

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

“Written as a letter from son to mother, Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is desolately beautiful. Each carefully crafted sentence builds upon the last, a momentum that carries you through a hundred pages before you remember to take a breath. Bleak, brilliant, it is the book other books will be compared to for years. Honestly, I would have been fine if it had been the last book I ever read.”

Cody, Book Culture, @thecodystuart

The Blacktongue Thief

“Come for the battle ravens, stay for the probably-bewitched cat! Buehlman's latest will have you laughing one moment and gasping the next, and you'll wonder what fascinating new concept he'll come up with next. As Kinch Na Shannack takes an epic journey, you explore this exquisitely built world with him, your sardonic narrator, along with nonstop action. A few raunchy jokes and scenes (as a warning for those who don't prefer it). ”

Amber, Quail Ridge Books

Lakelore

“Written in the exquisite lyrical manner that Anna-Marie McLemore does better than anyone, Lakelore is a vibrant and sensitive exploration of gender identity and neurodivergence. Their writing is always luminous and honest; their use of magical realism is powerful; and their deftness and care in writing about ADHD, Dyslexia, bullying, trans, and non-binary lives is excellent. I listened on Libro.fm and it was a delightfully multi-sensory experience between the illustrative writing and talented voice actors.”

Ashleigh, Wellesley Books

The Unspoken Name

“The Unspoken Name is the gloriously fresh, magnificently epic fantasy I didn’t know I needed until I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. Larkwood explodes the classic tropes of the genre and takes the reader somewhere completely new. Csorwe is a kickass heroine for the ages. Clear a space in your schedule before you start The Unspoken Name. Very highly recommended!”

Carol Schneck Varner, Schuler Books (Okemos)

Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Octavia E. Butler paints a stunning portrait of an all-too-believable near future. As with Kindred and her other critically-acclaimed novels, Parable of the Sower skillfully combines startling visionary and socially realistic concepts. God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose... Read more »

If you enjoyed Solomon's Crown, then you’ll love A Marvellous Light.

“I'm kind of obsessed with the magic system of this world. I love the nuance of Edwin having less raw power and overcoming that with a wealth of knowledge and perfect technique. And I love Robin having no real clue what's going on, being annoyed at Edwin being a know-it-all and then slowly but surely trusting him with his life. I love two gays doing stupid things to protect each other. I love them. ”

Gina, BookPeople

Legendborn

“Tracy Deonn expertly takes Arthurian myth and weaves them into the modern day in Legendborn with magic, secret societies, and high stakes action. Whether you are familiar with those myths or not doesn't even matter. Either way you'll quickly be captivated by her writing, world building, and compelling characters - all paired with an excellent narrator. But this isn't just an addictingly good fantasy. It's also a commentary on the systemic racism in this country, and how colonial practices directly influence oppression faced by Black people in the United States today. The end result is a must listen that will leave you hungry for the story to continue and rooting for Bree to come out on top. ”

Dany, Rediscovered Books

If you enjoyed Gods of Jade and Shadow, then you’ll love Black Sun.

“‘Today he would become a god.’ From the first line, Black Sun pulls you in and keeps you enthralled until the very end. Roanhorse submerges the reader into a cinematic world full of adventure, lore, magic, mystery, destiny, culture, political maneuvering, and a touch of romance. Her world building is complex, detailed, and beautiful springing off the page and into the mind....I found myself rooting for all of the characters despite potentially not all being on the same side. Set in a world inspired by mythos from pre-colonial Americas, this is a must read for any epic fantasy lover. Black Sun will keep you engaged until the last page and jumping up and down for the next book in the trilogy (Spring 2022!).”

Emma, Content

Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in twentieth-century literature. In this charged collection of fifteen essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class, and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action... Read more »

Love & Other Disasters

“I’m not a huge romance book person but I really enjoyed this one! This queer love story between a quirky self–taught cook and her seasoned (haha) nonbinary rival on a cooking show is incredibly charming and the perfect amount of hot, too. London’s quest to come out isn’t easy but ultimately validating. I hope to see more stories like theirs center-stage in romance and beyond!”

Sam, Phoenix Books

All Systems Red is the first tense science fiction adventure novella in Martha Wells' series The Murderbot Diaries. For fans of Westworld and Ex Machina. All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of... Read more »

A Lady for a Duke

“If there are two things in this world that I love, it is historical romance and trans rights. And OOH BABY let me tell you, I got both!!! This is a slow burn friends to lovers story. It has it all: sexy dukes, female friendships, regency era passive aggressiveness, and fancy balls. Plus if you are worried about their being any emphasis on transgender suffering, I promise you it does not! It is all trans happiness, love, and joy. It was such a breath of fresh air and exactly what queer people need. I can only hope we get more books like this in the future. ”

Ruthie, Underground Books

"RAISES THE BAR FOR WHAT EPIC FANTASY SHOULD BE." —Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights

A ruthless princess and a powerful priestess come together to rewrite the fate of an empire in this “fiercely and unapologetically feminist tale of endurance and revolution set against a gorgeous, unique magical world” (S. A. Chakraborty).

Exiled by her... Read more »

Harrow the Ninth, the sequel to the sensational, USA Today bestselling novel Gideon the Ninth, turns a galaxy inside out as one necromancer struggles to survive the wreckage of herself aboard the Emperor’s haunted space station. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable... Read more »

Gideon the Ninth

“Gideon the Ninth is an epic science fantasy that if delivered into the hands of enough people will set the world on fire as it hasn’t been since The Hunger Games. Brilliance doesn’t come close to explaining Tamsyn Muir’s narrative where no single word is wasted or her engineering of a world with characters that end up belonging to you wholeheartedly even long after the last page. With fierce independence and hysterical wit, and laced with moments of pure heartbreaking tenderness and loyalty, Gideon and Harrow’s relationship simultaneously digs under your skin and tugs at your heartstrings. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.”

Nichole Cousins, Still North Books & Bar

If you enjoyed Red Island House, then you’ll love You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.

“Save this one for your next long trip, because you definitely won’t be able to stop once you jump on the roller coaster that is Feyi Adekola’s life. Art, travel, deep abiding friendship, and food all narrated by the brilliant Bahni Turpin.”

Angie, The Country Bookshop