Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, in which we all talk about a bookish topic and have fun making lists. This week we’re looking at books we never quite got to in 2016.
Honestly, ten is nowhere near enough to list all the books I still mean to catch up on (and let’s be honest – we all know I’ll never catch up on them all; too many books, too little time, and 2017 will be throwing more at me as it goes along). Here’s ten that are really high up that list – so high I already own 5 of them (ahem, and having drafted this post, have now started reading one AND IT’S AMAZING OMG WHY HAVE I WAITED THIS LONG TO READ IT).
Ghost Talkers – Mary Robinette Kowal
In a past that’s almost but not quite ours, the Spirit Corps gets the latest intelligence from the recently deceased. Ghosts, romance and ladies who talk with the dead? Sounds good to me.
The Drowning Eyes – Emily Foster
At least I already own this one. An apprentice Windspeaker must master weather magic to protect her archipelago from the Dragon Ships. Since first writing this post, I’ve picked this up and if you haven’t read it GO READ IT NOW FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. You’ll thank me.
Dragon Hunters – Marc Turner
Once a year, a sea dragon is allowed to enter the Sea as sport for the water mages. But this year, an ambitious woman has other plans for who will die. Magic! Treachery! Dragons. Sea dragons. Yes, that’s really all it takes.
Every Heart a Doorway – Seanan McGuire
What happens to children who stumble through doorways to other worlds after they come back? The lucky ones end up at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, and I have been meaning to find out what they get up to for months.
Infomocracy – Malka Older
Nation states are dead, democracy is monitored by a search engine, and a corporate coalition holds the majority. At election time, the world is up for grabs. This may cut a bit close to the bone, but as a post-cyberpunk political espionage novel it sounds fascinating.
Nod – Adrian Barnes
One night, nobody slept. Nor the next. Nor the one after. After six days, people become psychotic. This is the most unusual apocalypse concept I’ve ever heard.
New Pompeii – Daniel Godfrey
As if Jurassic Park didn’t involve enough hubris, New Pompeii features a corporation who have the power to transport entire cities from the past to the present. What can possibly go wrong? I love a good SF thriller and I studied archaeology: this isn’t just up my street, it’s in my attic.
Revenger – Alistair Reynolds
Space pirates. Two words guaranteed to get my attention. Add in sisters signed up to a crew who hunt for treasure on distant planets and a plot centring on revenge? Yeah, I need this one.
Hurricane Heels – Isabel Yap
Yap’s short stories have all impressed, so her debut novella is a must-read for me. The goddess chose 5 girls to protect the world, but her gifts can’t lighten the burden of secrecy and responsibility. This sounds introspective and bittersweet, so I better not read it on the train.
African Monsters / Asian Monsters – Margrét Helgadóttir & Jo Thomas (editors)
I have African Monsters and it’s gorgeous – and I’m pretty sure that once I finish it I’ll want to skip right on to read companion volume Asian Monsters. Each features an amazing line-up of authors writing speculative fiction from the eponymous part of the world.
What’s do you mean to catch up on?
onemore.org 