Last month I found myself in a bit of a reading slump. Life was busy and many of my library holds were taking their time coming in (yes, they came in all at once so I had some catching up to do!). I had a great time reading through a wide variety of genres in the past month, and I am super excited to share my favorites with you! Below you will find suggestions for genres in fantasy, non fiction, historical fiction, and thriller/horror. I am an eclectic reader! Dear reader, I hope you find something on this list that brings you as much delight as these reads brought to me.
Continue reading “Abbie’s Recent Reads (November 2025)”Tag: Fantasy
Let’s Get Gothic
October may be over, but I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to recommend something gloriously grim. When you’re craving the decaying splendor and unspeakable secrets of a gothic novel, nothing else will do. Each of these selections puts a unique contemporary spin on the gothic genre, and all will be an excellent accompaniment to the cold days and long nights coming right around the corner.
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Jane Shoringfield is aware that her hasty marriage to Dr. Augustine Lawrence is highly irregular. Dr. Lawrence insists upon certain unusual rules – particularly that Jane never set foot in Lindridge Hall, the Lawrence family’s ancestral home. But when Jane finds herself with no choice but to break her husband’s prohibitions, she realizes her marriage comes with more than she bargained for: magical secrets and the very literal ghosts of Augustine’s past. In The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling has deftly crafted a gothic novel that feels like the classics while speaking directly to what modern readers want. At first, this book appears to be a fantasy-influenced homage to gothic mainstays, such as Rebecca and Jane Eyre. But gradually, alongside the heroine, the reader comes to realize that this is in no way the story that they were expecting. The ending was one of the best twists I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year. Naturally, I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it.
Continue reading “Let’s Get Gothic”One Of A Kind Fantasy
Part of the reason we love genre fiction is familiarity, but even the biggest fantasy die-hards will admit that sometimes familiarity starts to get same-y. Never fear: I’ve compiled a list of fantasy novels that do something truly unique with the genre’s toolbox. These recommendations, all available at Mead, may get you out of a reading slump if you need it, and remind you why you fell in love with fantasy. And if you happen to be new to the genre, any of these books would be a great place to start.
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
Fetter lost his shadow in childhood, as part of his mother’s ambition for him to fulfill a prophecy that he would one day assassinate his father. As a young man in the city of Luriat, Fetter tries to process his past by attending a therapy group for former Chosen Ones. He discovers his affinity for the mysterious Bright Doors that mark the cityscape, as well as the role he might have to play in a rebellion against his father. The Saint of Bright Doors is a much needed re-imagining of some of fantasy’s most enduring tropes, and Fetter’s emotional journey over the course of the book is something truly unforgettable. As you read it, you’ll find yourself asking questions not only about the stories we tell one another, but also about the aspects of our real world that they reflect.
Continue reading “One Of A Kind Fantasy”A Mostly Magical Miscellany
Ordinarily, when I’m putting together a post for this blog, I tailor my recommendations to follow a certain theme. This can be a good way to get creative energies flowing, but unfortunately, it also means that if I haven’t been able to talk about some of my absolute favorites, just because I haven’t been able to fit them into a theme. Today, I aim to fix that. July just so happens to be my birthday month, so as a birthday gift to myself and all of you wonderful readers, I’ve compiled a selection of books for no reason other than because I love them. Just because of my personal tastes, most of these will fall into the fantasy genre, but there are a couple wildcards! Let’s get started!
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
Genly Ai is a human emissary to the planet Winter, home of the Gethenians, an alien species who have no concept of gender and change their sex in order to reproduce. Mounting political strife throws Genly into the path of the Gethenian Estraven. Soon, the two realize they will have to overcome their differences and depend on one another in order to survive, and possibly bring Winter into a new era in the process. All of this is told with the compassionate characterization and beautiful prose that made Ursula K. LeGuin a master of the science fiction genre. As much as I adore this book, it is worth noting that it was originally published in 1969, and therefore readers should be mindful of encountering some language and content that is considered outdated today. LeGuin herself later expressed regret that the book’s narration uses “he” to refer to the Gethenian characters rather than singular “they”. The novel’s themes, however, are timeless. I think everyone has one or two novels they encountered in college that expanded their ideas of what fiction could do, and this is one of mine. The story and characters of The Left Hand of Darkness will remain with you long after the final page is turned. If you haven’t read it yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough, and if you have, it’s a book worth revisiting again and again.
Continue reading “A Mostly Magical Miscellany”Fairy Tale Novellas
Every so often, I like to spend some time with a book that reminds me of how I fell in love with reading. For me, that means memories of being curled up under the covers with a fairy tale. These four little books prove that magical things often come in small packages. They may offer new interpretations of old stories that many of us might have come to love when we were young, but each also speaks to the wisdom and perspective of adulthood. I have such a deep love for this little subgenre, and I hope you’ll join me as I share a few of my favorites.
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
Sisters Esther and Isobel live at the river’s edge, guardians of a pair of enchanted willow trees. The two are inseparable, but tragedy strikes when the actions of a jealous suitor threaten to separate them forever. With the help of her faerie sweetheart Rin, Esther will have to struggle her way back across the boundary between real and unreal to save her sister before it’s too late. This novella was El-Mohtar’s highly anticipated solo debut after the smash success of her collaboration with Max Gladstone, This Is How You Lose The Time War. It’s everything her fans were looking for. El-Mohtar’s lyrical prose is excellently matched to a story interwoven with the themes of traditional folk ballads, particularly Twa Sisters, although this book flips the script on hero and villain from the original tale. The book also features evocative illustrations by Kathleen Neeley, as well as a sneak preview of El-Mohtar’s upcoming short story collection.
Continue reading “Fairy Tale Novellas”But What If?
I’m going to be talking about a somewhat niche subgenre today, so bear with me – I think these books are really interesting! Retellings are a huge deal in genre fiction right now, unfailingly popular with fans. Retellings of myths and fairy tales tend to get the most hype, but there’s another kind of retelling that tends to go overlooked: retellings of literary works in the public domain. I think these are particularly interesting when they add genre fiction elements, such as science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Sometimes, they even elaborate on a genre fiction element that was present in the original work. Who doesn’t love an old story made new again? I’m here today to talk about four new-ish books that offer fresh takes on older works of fiction. I hope you’ll love them just as much as I do. Let’s get started!
The Stars Undying by Emery Robin
What if Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra were set in space?
In a faraway galaxy, the fate of the Ceiao Empire and its neighbor Szayet rests on the shoulders of three extraordinary people. Ceian military superstar Matheus Ceirran and his loose-cannon right-hand woman Anita become entangled with Altagracia, the charming and ambitious princess of Szayet. What begins as a political alliance blossoms into genuine affection, but the machinations of Ceirran’s enemies will soon interrupt their plans. You probably already recognize this story, and this first volume of a planned trilogy takes its characters all the way to the fallout of the Ides of March. Reading this book was the pure pleasure of a good story well told. I really enjoyed some of the twists Robin put on their historical and literary inspirations. The second book in the duology, The Sea Eternal, released just this past month, and while I haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, I personally can’t wait to spend more time with these characters.
Adventures Through Cookbooks
One of my favorite sections in the whole entire library is the cookbook section. I get super excited whenever anyone stops by the desk and asks where the cookbooks are. At home I enjoy watching all the food shows on Discovery Plus and experimenting in my own kitchen. One of my favorite kind of cookbooks to play with in the kitchen are the themed cookbooks. In recent years there has been an uptick in cookbooks based off of TV shows or movies. There are even cookbooks based off of videogame worlds! I am only going to cover the ones I have actually cooked from in this post, but will include a bonus list of other titles we own at Mead Public Library at the end!
Tasting History by Max Miller
This themed cookbook is not based off of some fantastical made up world, but pulls recipes from our very own human history. Some readers may recognize Max Miller from his youtube show also titled Tasting History where he cooks up good eats from times long past. This book contains selected recipes all assembled in one volume. The cookbook is broken into chapters ranging from the ancient past to just a few decades ago. Max Miller takes you from recipes written on ancient Babylonian tablets to good old cafeteria pizza from the 90s. If you cannot get enough of the recipes in this book and are curious to embark on more culinary time travel-check out the website https://www.tastinghistory.com/ where there are many more recipes featured.
My featured recipe from this volume is straight off a Babylonian clay tablet and helpfully translated for us by Max Miller: Babylonian stew of lamb. I have always been a history buff. One of my bachelors degrees is in history. I feel like eating what the people of the past ate brings us a step closer to understanding who they were and how they lived. The author also includes a historical lesson with every recipe so that you can better understand the food you are eating. For this recipe I also found the video on his website so I could watch what he did before attempting as I was a bit nervous.
In addition to watching the video and reading through the history lesson (learning about the flat tailed sheep was interesting) I prepared by looking online as to where I could order Persian shallots. We do not have anything like them in America which is a shame. They have a very nice spicy taste as if they are a cross between a radish, garlic, and onion. I ended up ordering them from Amazon (a fellow reader of Tasting History left a review that made me feel confident in my choice of purchase.) I then went shopping to assemble the rest of my ingredients. I decided on a mix of beef and lamb even though the recipe calls for lamb. The author says you can substitute if you wish. Leeks also feature prominently in this recipe (I did unfortunately not take my husband on this shop so I missed out on his leek puns).
The cook. This stew is traditionally served with rinatsu (a crouton like cookie or bread prepared with olive oil). You are to serve this as a crouton over the stew and mix some of it in ground for texture. The crumbled portion is needed for the stew. However, it is optional if you want to eat your stew with the rinatsu croutons on top. (My husband liked them more than I). I was nervous about the taste as there is no seasoning in the recipe. Surprisingly, the Persian shallots more than made up for it! Their flavor sure packs a punch and hits all the right notes on your tongue. I wish they were available at my regular shops. All you need to do is soak them in water to rehydrate them for 30 minutes or so as they come dried. I then stuck them into the food processor to mince them down. The rest of the cook was rather straightforward and just a matter of following the directions. If you have made soup before the cook will seem a familiar dance. All in all this ancient recipe was a fun learning experience and a rather tasty meal. I can now say I have eaten like an ancient Babylonian! My husband also gave a thumbs up on this recipe which is saying a lot as he can be rather picky!
Click HERE to request Tasting History!
Continue reading “Adventures Through Cookbooks”Music, Magic and Mystery
Ever since Thorin Oakenshield’s company of dwarves recruited Bilbo Baggins to their quest with a song in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the fantasy genre has been intertwined with music. It goes both ways as well – plenty of rock and metal bands have written songs or whole albums about their favorite fantasy novels! My personal theory is that since just about everyone can relate to being moved by music, the incorporation of music into a fantasy story can help to ground the fantasy elements in something real. This allows the reader to suspend their disbelief and become truly immersed within the story and world. Today, I’ll be spotlighting a few books where music and dance are truly magic, sure to appeal to readers who are fans of fantasy, the fine arts, or both.
Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
Grace Dragotta has devoted her life to becoming a ballerina, enduring the scars left by personal tragedy to pursue her dream. When she brings down the house in the starring role of The Firebird, she is suddenly on the cusp of everything she’s ever wanted. But her talent attracts the attention of a mysterious and demanding patron, Master La Rosa, who is certainly not all that he seems. This book has the feeling of a fairy tale retelling, but rather than putting a new twist on a single story, it incorporates elements of many. Familiar motifs from Beauty and the Beast, the Phantom of the Opera and the myth of Eros and Psyche are all present. The story feels strongly reminiscent of the myth of Hades and Persephone for the first half, but a plot twist reveals to both Grace and the audience that she is not in the story she thinks she’s in. Combine that with beautiful prose excellently matched to the elegance of ballet, and you have a book worth treasuring.
Continue reading “Music, Magic and Mystery”Great Speculative Fiction from 2024
‘Tis the season for year-end lists! This is one that I’m super excited to share. It’s been a truly incredible year for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Some of these books have been getting well-deserved hype, whereas others have flown more under the radar. All of them and many more can be found in our collection at Mead Public Library. A quick caveat before we begin: I’m only one person, and even with my book-dragon tendencies, it would be impossible for me to keep up with all the great new releases in a given year. If I overlooked one of your favorites, give it a shoutout in the comments! Sharing recommendations is one of the great joys of the reading life. Now, without further ado, on to the list!
The West Passage by Jared Pechaček
For centuries, the Guardian and the women of Grey Tower have defended the rest of the enormous palace where they dwell from the invasion of the Beast through the West Passage. But when the Guardian dies without passing on her name to her successor, the West Passage falls into jeopardy, and winter comes out of season. Yarrow, the new Mother of Grey House, embarks on a quest to set the seasons right. Meanwhile, the deceased Guardian’s successor goes to petition the Ladies of the palace for the right to take the Guardian’s place. The West Passage is that true unicorn of a fantasy novel – reading it feels like reading fantasy when you were a kid, balancing the familiar and the completely new into a synthesis of enchantment. You can see influences here from Lewis Carroll, Ursula K. LeGuin, Hayao Miyazaki, and more, but The West Passage remains its own beautiful and strange creation. This was a privilege to read, and I can’t wait to see what Pechaček does next, whether in this imagined world or in a new one.
Continue reading “Great Speculative Fiction from 2024”’80s Fantasy Movies
When you think of a fantasy film, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many people, the answer will be Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, for good reason – those movies are great. However, there’s a whole history of beautiful, imaginative fantasy films that came out before that. As a fan of all forms of fantasy, I thought I’d take the opportunity to spotlight some of the great fantasy films of the 1980s available at Mead Public Library. For some readers, these will be nostalgic old favorites, but for others, they’ll be brand new discoveries. I hope you find both something old and something new to love on this list!
Labyrinth
When I say “1980s fantasy film”, there’s a good chance this is the first movie you think of, and it’s not hard to see why. David Bowie’s performance as The Goblin King, who punishes teenager Sarah for a careless wish by trapping her brother at the heart of a surreal and treacherous labyrinth, is nothing short of iconic. Bowie also lent his voice to the film’s soundtrack, from the playful “Magic Dance” to the dreamy “As The World Falls Down” to the haunting “Within You”, which in my opinion has got to be one of the most underrated cinematic villain songs of all time. The film is also visually gorgeous, from the costumes to the Jim Henson Company’s puppetry, which populates the Goblin King’s realm with a panoply of fantastical creatures. This film is incredibly rewatchable even if you nearly know it by heart, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll be lucky enough to have the joy of experiencing it for the first time.
Continue reading “’80s Fantasy Movies”
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