Bookshelf

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I read a lot so I have a lot of books to recommend people. Most of them are series, so I may only make one entry for the series. Especially since a few of them are long or on-going. Warning you now, it's a lot of sci-fi and some fantasy. And I don't limit myself to age appropriate because I'm too old to give a damn. There's going to be some kids books on here. I already know this is going to be a long-term project as I go thru my G00dreads and grab the books I want to share. Keep checking back I guess?

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Wayward Children Series

By Seanan McGuire

Wayward Children is a series of novellas that take place at a boarding school for children who have journeyed to magical lands and been forcibly returned to the real world. The volumes alternate between being set at the school versus showing the lives of the children while they were in their alternate worlds.

This series is so important and special to me. It gives me reason to be excited at the beginning of every new year, as the books are released each January. Not only is Seanan McGuire one of my favorite authors, but she's also one of my favorite people to follow on social media. She's queer, so everything she writes is queer, and this series is no exception. The cast is so diverse and the characters are so deep and real. All of the kids (and most of the adults, including the owner) of this boarding school has gone through Doors to own fantasy world and, for one reason or another, come back to this world. Most of them are still looking for their Door home.

The odd numbered books are set in the present day and follow some of the kids at the school as they go on quests they're definitely not supposed to be going on. The even numbered books tell some character's backstory of how they found their Door and what happened on the other side of it. Being novellas, these books are quick and easy reads (I've read many of them 4+ times) but despite their short length, nothing feels rushed. You get exactly the amount of information required to tell a good story, and nothing more or less. They're wonderfully paced, delightfully written, and even include beautiful illustrations. If you read nothing I recommend, read these books. I'm begging you. And then come tell me, I love talking about them.

InCryptid Series

By Seanan McGuire

InCryptid is a series of urban fantasy novels that follow multiple generations of a family of cryptozoologists who protect supernatural beings from discovery by humankind.

I've never gotten into one of these kinds of long, on-going series before, but this one is definitely worth it. The books follow a family of cryptozoologists, with the narrator rotating every couple of books. We get so many different perspectives of what this supernatural life is like. Every member of the family is unique and interesting and their adventures are always a thrill. And honestly, the books only get better as they go. This isn't one of those series where the same thing happens over and over, there's no formula being followed. It's just one crazy roller-coaster with twists and turns you will never see coming!

Alechemical Journeys Series

By Seanan McGuire

Alechemy, evil plots, secret worlds hidden right under our noses. This series has it all. It's really complex and hard to follow sometimes, but if you just trust and keep going, it is more than worth it in the end.

Wayfarers Series

By Becky Chambers

This series is a practically brand-new subgenre of sci-fi that people are calling "cozy sci-fi". Everything Becky Chambers has written so far fits into this new genre she invented. Each book in this series is connected and chronologically follows the previous, but they aren't one continuous narrative. The books each follow a different group of people and are mostly slice-of-life type stories, set in space, with aliens and shit. They are all connected though, but you'll have to read them to understand how.

I've honestly never read such wonderful culture building as I have in this series. Each alien species we meet, even the futuristic humans, have a thoroughly fleshed out culture that you learn about in a very natural and casual pace. There's no long history class chapter to explain everything to you, you just pick it up as you go. And the diversity! Oh! The diversity!! The aliens aren't just "humans but better" (looking at you (lovingly) Star Trek), they are truly ALIEN. Even the humans are wondefully diverse. A friend of mine referred to it as "queer-norm", where in this future setting, queerness is completely normalized and things like "coming out" aren't problems or even plot points. The Galactic Commons (the government uniting all of these alien species) has a common language (translated to present day English for us) including gender neutral pronouns and honorifics, so you see those used very frequently.

I genuinely recommend this series to all queers forever. See what a future could be like with us properly included. It's not utopia, it's just cozy.