A WEIRDLY BEAUTIFUL FABLE about mothers and daughters, magical recipes, and the mysteriously elusive countries where fairytales happen. B PLUS

GINGERBREAD
Riverhead Books
2019

AN EARTH DEVASTATED BY ALIEN occupation braces against a second, more deadly invasion. Action-packed military SF with thoughtful world-building! B PLUS

INVASION (FORGOTTEN VENGEANCE BOOK 1)
Quirky Algorithms
2019

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, BUT WITH DRAGONS: engaging mix of history and fantasy rings true throughout. B PLUS

THE LAST TSAR'S DRAGONS
Tachyon Publications
2019

TRUE BELIEVERS IN UFOs, from the perspective of a professor of religious studies. Some surprising, enlightening insights. SOLID B

AMERICAN COSMIC
Oxford University Press
2019

IN A FUTURE HIGH-TECH WORLD, a gifted pilot is snatched from her hardscrabble refugee island to be part of the most daring caper in history. Wonderful SF thriller! B PLUS

CYBERWAR PACIFICA
Morgan C. Parker
2016

A VERY VICTORIAN MURDER: how the death of an obscure nobleman shocked and enthralled England’s elite, from Dickens to Thackeray to Prince Albert. Amazing writing, impressive research. A MINUS

MURDER BY THE BOOK: THE CRIME THAT SHOCKED DICKENS’S LONDON
Vintage
2020

THE JOY OF TINY THINGS, from model railroads to LSD blotter art. Insightful and witty look at how miniatures shape our perceptions. B PLUS

IN MINIATURE
Atria Books
2019

WORKING AS A SUPERVILLAIN’S HENCHMAN seems like the best option for a broke student in a city staged for hero/villain battles. Fun concept, great characterization! B PLUS

HOW TO BECOME A HENCHMAN, A NOVEL: THE HENCHMAN'S SURVIVAL GUIDE
Endeavor Reads
2019

TRUTH, MEMORY, AND TREACHERY: nuanced, eloquent novel about a writer trying to navigate an accusation against one old friend by another. B PLUS

AFTERNOON OF A FAUN
W. W. Norton & Company
2019

ON A BRUTALLY HARSH COLONY PLANET, two women risk everything to find their true places within its very different cultures. Dazzling worldbuilding, memorable characters. A MINUS

THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
Tor Books
2019