New Fiction Roundup, February 2023

Family dramas, mythological retellings and more await you in February!

2/7: Cold People by Tom Rob Smith
Earth has fallen to an outside force, and the remnants of humanity will only be allowed on Antarctica. Those who make it there confront an urgent challenge: to what extremes are they willing to go to evolve quickly enough to ensure humankind’s survival? (science fiction) A Peak Pick!

2/7: Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein
Two families in 1940s Trinidad, one wealthy and one poor, are inextricably linked by the disappearance of a wealthy landowner. (historical fiction)

2/7: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell
A woman’s mysterious death puts her husband and son on a collision course with her demonic family, who are determined to pull the son back into the family fold. (horror)

2/7: A Spell of Good Things by Ayòbámi Adébáyò
Teenage Eniola and doctor Wuraola find themselves caught in the snare of wealth, power, corruption and violence in this story set in contemporary Nigeria. (general fiction)

2/7: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
This retelling of a classical myth presents Medusa’s story, from growing up as the youngest (and only mortal) of the Gorgon sisters, to her punishment for the crime of another and transformation into a snake-haired monster, to her pursuit by Perseus. (fantasy) A Peak Pick!

2/7: VenCo by Cherie Dimaline
Lucky St. James finds a tarnished silver spoon in the wall of her Toronto apartment, a discovery that sets Lucky and her grandmother on a road trip to New Orleans to connect with a network of witches and forestall a powerful adversary. (fantasy)

2/7: Victory City by Salman Rushdie
In 14^th century India, a goddess speaks through nine-year-old Pampa Kampana and breathes into existence the city of Bisnaga, a place where women have equal agency. Over the next 250 years, Pampa Kampana strives to maintain the city in the face of human pride and greed. (general fiction) A Peak Pick!

2/7: When Trying to Return Home by Jennifer Maritza McCauley
This short story collection full of Black American and Afro-Puerto Rican characters is a meditation on belonging and the meaning of home. (general fiction)

2/14: The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane
In September 1883, six-year-old Denny Wallace goes missing from a small town in the Australian outback during a dust storm. As community members search for him, the large cast of characters and their daily lives, conflicts, and dreams come into vivid relief. (historical fiction)

2/14: The Wife of Willesden by Zadie Smith
Novelist and essayist Smith turns to playwriting with this adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath, following Jamaican-born British woman Alvita as she tells her life story to a band of strangers in a small pub. (play)

2/21: Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
A reimagining of Antigone in a dystopian future where widespread radiation has led to reproductive oppression. Antigone, living in the last habitable city on Earth under the tyrannical rule of her uncle, is sentenced to death and seeks her revenge. (science fiction)

2/21: The Destroyer of Worlds by Matt Ruff
This sequel to Lovecraft Country finds Atticus Turner and his father facing an old nemesis in North Carolina; Atticus’ uncle George contemplating a deal with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop; Hippolyta and Letitia finding the far end of the universe on a trip to Nevada; and much more. (fantasy)

2/21: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Bodie Kane, professor and podcaster, has long put behind her her four years at a New Hampshire boarding school and the murder of her roommate their senior year. When she returns as a visiting instructor, she’s drawn back into the intrigue of the past. (general fiction) A Peak Pick!

2/21: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
A young author attends an exclusive writer’s retreat, only for it to descend into nightmare. Can she make it out alive? (thriller)

2/28: Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown
Four generations of Black women grapple with a familial curse that sees any person they fall in love with die. When 17-year-old Nickie brings a boy home for the first time, the women are galvanized, set on a course to a New Orleans book shop where they may discover the answers they seek. (general fiction) A Peak Pick!

2/28: Homestead by Melinda Moustakis
In 1956 Alaska, two near-strangers are drawn together by a shared dream of homesteading. As they marry and work the rugged land, they must face all they don’t know about one another and the reality of homesteading. (historical fiction)

~ posted by Andrea G.

New Fiction Roundup, January 2023

New year, new fiction! 2023 gets off to a great start with a slate of engaging general fiction, mysteries, horror, historical fiction, and much more. What will be the first novel you read in 2023?

1/1: Hide by Tracy Clark
Chicago detective Harriet Foster is on the hunt for a serial killer who targets redheads. (mystery)

1/3: The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
Five years ago, Geeta’s husband walked away without a trace – but rumor in the village is that she killed him, and now other women are asking for her help getting rid of their husbands. (general fiction) A Peak Pick!

1/10: Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
Mackenzie, a young Cree woman, begins to have dreams that seep into her waking hours, dreams that connect back to her sister Sabrina’s untimely death. She travels back to her rural Alberta hometown where she’ll try to figure out what happened at the lake before Sabrina died, and if it threatens the rest of her family. (horror)

Goals for 2023

In the early days of 2023, perhaps you’re still taking stock of 2022. Perhaps you’re looking forward to this new year, setting goals and gathering information to achieve them. If it’s the latter, here are some suggestions to get you started in a few different areas.

Finances

Money money money – always a preoccupation! Maybe this is the year you focus on your financial health, or maybe you’re in a position to begin (or do more) investing. Check out our booklists on Personal Finance and Investing.

Publishing your writing

Is this the year you work on getting published? Whether you’re pitching articles, or querying agents, find helpful books for every part of the process with our list Publish Your Writing. And if you’re still at the beginning or in the middle of a project, we have a list of Our Favorite Writing Books to inspire you.

Reading goals

Lots of folks make annual reading goals, either of number of books they want to read, or of type. In that later category, you may decide that you want to read a greater diversity of voices or a broader range of genres, and we’ve got you covered with lists such as Asian American Fiction; Black Poets; LGBTQIA Fiction and Nonfiction; Mysteries and Thrillers; Native American Fiction; Romance; and Science and Nature Nonfiction. Find even more booklists, for all ages, on our Staff Picks page.

Get to know Seattle

Whether you’re new to Seattle or have lived here all your life, there’s always more to explore! Check out a nonfiction title that illuminates a topic you want to know more about, or a memoir that prompts you to see the city in a different light; or, dive into a novel that brings the city to life.

What goals will you pursue in 2023?

~ posted by Andrea G.

Short Books to End the Year

As the end of the year approaches, perhaps you’re looking for a short read, either to help you hit a reading goal or to devour during some self-care time as 2022 finishes up. If so, check out one of these reads, all coming in at under 200 pages.

The Singing Hills Cycle novels by Nghi Vo
In this series set in a land inspired by Imperial China, cleric Chih travels around gathering stories and legends to take back to their monastery. Each book is short, but wholly absorbing, like listening to a storyteller around a fire. Start at the beginning, with The Empress of Salt and Fortune, or pop into the second or third book in the series, which also stand alone (When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain or Into the Riverlands). You can’t go wrong.

Crafty Gifts for the Holidays and Beyond

As year-end holidays approach, you may be looking to supplement (or replace!) store-bought gifts with handmade items. Take inspiration from one of the books below and make use of these dark winter evenings to make a homemade gift.

Made with Love: Get Hooked with 30 Knitting and Crochet Patterns by Tom Daley
British diver and Olympian Tom Daley presents 30 patterns for knit and crochet items, as well as instructions for the novice just getting started with either craft.

Natural Kitchen Dyes by Alicia Hall
Discover how to use common plants – even food scraps! – to dye cloth and fiber, and then use your dyed items to make one of ten craft projects.

The Crafty Chica Creates! Latinx-inspired DIY Projects with Spirit and Sparkle by Kathy Cano-Murillo
Tap into a diverse range of Latin style with the wide spectrum of projects included here, from clothing and jewelry to home and garden decorations, party staples, and more.