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2024 Hugo Reading List

 So I am a terrible person who lazily copied this from the official site . I had only read Starter Villain by Scalzi when the list came out, but I will read as many of these as I can before Voting ends.  I have, so far, read three of the novelettes, which are all excellent. I read Ivy, Angelica, Bay by Polk, On the Fox Roads by Vo, and One Man's Treasure by Pinsker. Of these, Ivy, Angelica, Bay is my current favorite. Best Novel The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager UK) The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom) Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK) Starter Villain by John Scalzi (Tor, Tor UK) Translation State by Ann Leckie (Orbit US, Orbit UK) Witch King by Martha Wells (Tordotcom) Best Novella “Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet”, He Xi / 人生不相见, 何夕, translated by Alex Woodend ( Adventures in Space: New Short stories by Chinese & English Science Fiction Writers ) Mammoths at the
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Review of Kelly Link's Book of Love (2024)

  Kelly Link's _The Book of Love_ is excellent. Daniel, Susannah, Mo, and Laura found a magic object of great power, but lost it because they didn't know how to use it. Then, Daniel, Mo, and Laura disappeared. When they return, they, along with Bowie (whose origins are uncertain), Susannah (Laura's sister), Thomas (who lives to avenge his brother's death), and Mr. Anabin (their music teacher), must find the lost magical object and complete their quest, preferably before winter break is over. Although the characters are all adults, they are very young adults and have not really assumed adult roles. Laura and Susannah still bicker with each other. Laura, Susannah, and Daniel are in a band together. Susanna and Daniel have an on-again-off-again romance. Despite the characters seeming immature, they are sexually active. And some of the sex scenes are explicit, if not especially erotic. I really enjoyed the book. Exposition and world building can
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Review of _A Sorceress Comes to Call_ by T. Kingfisher (2024)

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A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher Pub Date: Aug 06 2024  Cordelia's mother is not like other mothers. Cordelia's mother is a sorcerer who can make Cordelia be Obedient so that Cordelia has no will of her own and her mother can control her like a puppet. Other than this, Cordelia's life is like most other people's lives. Cordelia helps out around the house, and goes horseback riding. One day, though, her mother decides to remarry and introduces Cordelia to her fiance's family. Cordelia immediately hits it off with Hester, the Squire's sister, and knows that she has to intervene before her mother does something terrible. I've liked everything I've read by Kingfisher, and this is no exception. I do not read a lot of fantasy but if more of it were written like this, I would. The female characters are
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A review of _Tidal Creatures_ by Seanan McGuire

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  Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire Pub Date: Jun 04 2024   Tidal Creatures is a direct sequel to Middlegame , which I loved. I wish I had read it more recently before reading this one as it did rely on knowledge of the previous book to make sense. Tidal Creatures is the story of Kelpie, an alchemical construct intended to help the alchemists harness the energy of the Lunars, manifestations of various lunar gods. The story is engaging, with unexpected twists and turns. I really enjoyed it.     I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  
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A review of Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas

 Review of Cascade Failure by L. M. Sagas  4/5 Stars I read a lot of SF. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It is a story of found family and the dangers of making choices for your loved ones instead of *listening* to what they want. Especially for a debut novel, the pacing was really good and the story was engaging. I didn't really see a lot of character development, though. I also noticed that sometimes Sagas seemed to get caught up in clever descriptions that would have been better left to the reader to notice on their own (too much "telling"). I can certainly understand why others have compared it to the Murderbot books by Wells, but it lacks the single voice of a consistent snarky narrator. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Gideon the Ninth

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Resources for discussion of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Blurb:  The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines and no more time for undead nonsense.  Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.  Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, an
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Location: Conway, AR, USA
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A Memory Called Empire

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 For July and August, we'll be reading A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. This has been on my list since I saw Martine read at the Arkansas Literary Festival a few years ago.  Themes: Queerness Sacrifice  Culture Diplomacy Reviews:  Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/arkady-martine/a-memory-called-empire/ Q&A with the author: https://www.npr.org/2019/04/07/710356506/questions-for-arkady-martine-author-of-a-memory-called-empire Vox: https://www.vox.com/culture/21497422/a-memory-called-empire-book-review
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