2026 book 50

 AG Slatter’s The Crimson Road

I hadn’t read this one before—it just came out last year—but I’m glad I reread the others first! I’d say all the others work fine as standalones, but this revisits characters from The Path of Thorns, All the Mumuring Bones, and The Briar Book of the Dead, so definitely read those first to avoid spoilers! Anyway, this one invokes a woman whose father raised her to be a fighter and a killer—so she can stop a prophecy and save the world from the Leech Lords (vampires!). Very cool and occasionally creepy! I really recommend all of Slatter’s Sourdough books if you like dark fairy tales and stories about stories. A/A-.

2026 book 49

 AG Slatter’s All the Murmuring Bones

This novel by Slatter involves the last daughter of a formerly powerful and wealthy family, who long ago made a bargain with the merfolk, but haven’t kept their end of the deal, leading to failing fortunes. I do really enjoy this one, but there’s a lot going on and the pacing doesn’t totally work for me. I do love the protagonist and think this wraps up in a satisfying way though! 

2026 book 48

 AG Slatter’s The Path of Thorns

I do love how all of these books involve stories and storytelling! (Actually, some of the stories here involve stuff from Of Sorrow and Such but also A Forest Darkly, which came out later—it’s cool to see the seeds and connections.) The plot involves a woman who takes a job as a governess at an isolated manor—but she has her own reasons for being there. This story has major gothic vibes mixed with dark witchy magic. And yet it’s also got a lot of caring and kindness in it. Great stuff.

2026 book 47

 AG Slatter’s The Briar Book of the Dead

I’m really enjoying reading/rereading all the Sourdough books together! This one features some descendants of characters from Of Sorrow and Such—a family of witches who basically run a small town. The protagonist is a young woman who doesn’t have any powers, but of course as this trope always goes, discovers she actually does have an unusual power. There are also some mysterious elements with missing townspeople and a new priest. Really great characters, as usual, and very satisfying wrap up. 

2026 book 46

 Angela Slatter’s Of Sorrow and Such

I believe this is the first book in Slatter’s Sourdough world (though I know there are a bunch of short stories and I think some are earlier). This novella actually has some similar themes/characters as A Forest Darkly—the protagonist is a witch in a small town with an adopted daughter, and things start to go wrong when a local shapeshifter is injured and people are suddenly looking for witches. It’s a pretty satisfying story for the protagonist, but the daughter’s wrap up is a bit abrupt. I do really enjoy Slatter’s dark fairy tale atmospheric vibes though. A-.

2026 book 45

 A.G. Slatter’s A Forest, Darkly

An author’s note describes this as her “grumpy menopausal witch in the woods” book and that is a vibe I am here for!! There’s a lot going on here—a young woman on the run who becomes the witch’s apprentice, a mysterious force in the woods, missing village children, an old lover, etc—and Slatter weaves it all together really well. I did love all these characters and hope we’ll get to revisit them! This is set in Slatter’s Sourdough universe and I caught a couple of references to the other books, but I might reread them all and see how they all connect. A/A-.

2026 book 44

 Kaye Bellot's Green Year Dragonfly

Rereading this because I remember liking it a lot and that it was pretty chill*--it's an epistolary novel set in a world where some houses are alive! Our protagonists are a mapmaker whose house has walked off, and the woman he hires to track it down and bring it back. But complications ensue! I was especially into the meddling mama and aunt. I do love a good epistolary story.

* Aside from the occasional zombie or murderous unicorn.

2026 book 43

 Martha Wells’ Platform Decay

NEW MURDERBOT, Y’ALL!!! And it’s REALLY GOOD!!! Murderbot is on a mission! It’s tense and exciting!! Events of the last couple of books are coming into play!!! Murderbot is trying to deal with its emotions!!!! I sincerely loved every second of this. Murderbot is firing on all cylinders (not literally). Chef’s kiss. A.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on May 5th.

2026 book 42

 Martha Wells’ System Collapse

I do still think this one is really slow to start, even though it picks up where Network Effect leaves off, but the second half is so good that I enjoyed this reread. Lots of action, lots of cleverness, lots of creativity, plus all those annoying emotions. Love it. 

2026 book 41

 Martha Wells’ Network Effect

Rereading this because there’s a new Murderbot book coming out, and I wanted to refresh my memories (and enjoy some rereading), and this is good jumping on point for me. Plus it’s so good and so much fun to revisit! ART remains a fave, I love its bickering friendship with Murderbot, but a lot of the new human characters are great too, and the plot is fast moving and action packed. Very satisfying all around.

2026 book 40

 Katie Siegel’s Out of the Loop

Ok, I am HERE FOR this recent trend of murder mysteries involving time loops! This one is by Katie Siegel, who also writes my beloved Charlotte Illes mystery series, and involves a woman who has just come out of a time loop only to discover a neighbor was murdered the night before—a night our protagonist has experienced over 700 times. Now she’s on the case with the help of (and to impress) her ex girlfriend, as well as a crotchety neighbor who builds Rube Goldberg devices. It’s all very fun and entertaining. I also appreciated that it dealt with the emotions of coming out of a time loop—she’s super anxious because of all the new events and things she can’t predict. Can’t wait to see what Siegel does next. A-.

2026 book 39

 Connie Willis’ Doomsday Book

I was like, what if I reread all the Oxford Time Travel books? I read this one for the first time in 2021, which didn’t go that well—too real. But I like it more every time I read it since I know what to expect now, and it’s so beautiful and sad and hopeful somehow. But I might take a break before I read the next one. A.

2026 book 38

 Cameron Reed’s What We Are Seeking

Interesting sci-fi novel about a doctor who gets sent to a planet whose settlers have a very different culture than his own (he’s from a queer-normative matriarchal poly society, and they’re largely homophobic Christians, bc hod forbid we imagine a future without homophobic Christians). There’s a whole thing with a Jain translator who’s going to learn to speak with the planet’s locals, and lots of interesting characters and relationships and genders come into play, and there’s someone from Earth who’s part of some sort of hive mind (shades of Pluribus). Like I said, it was very /interesting/, but I didn’t find it particularly /satisfying/. Like it kind of forgot about one of the main plot lines for like big stretches so the end was kind of anti-climactic? But I loved everything with Iren and maybe would have preferred a book with just that stuff? Jo Walton loved it so it’s probably just me. A-/B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in April.

2026 book 37

 Patricia McKillip’s The Bell at Sealey Head

I had forgotten pretty much everything about this book, but it was just as satisfying the second time! Here’s my original review bc I’m too tired to think of anything to say. 

2026 book 36

 Cat Sebastian’s Star Shipped

I don’t even know where to START with this, like I know I’m the target audience for a queer romance novel about the leads of a sci fi tv show (with interstitial sections from fan discords lollll) but this exceeded all expectations??? Chef’s kiss, truly. Cat Sebastian is one of my favorite romance authors and she just keeps knocking it out of the park. Adorable romance and adorably cranky protagonist with great taste in books (also anxiety and OCD). I loved every moment of this. A.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on March 3. 

2026 book 35

 Susan Walter’s Murder at 30,000 Feet

Linda Holmes recommended this on Bluesky, and a murder mystery set on an airplane sounded perfect for where my brain is at right now. (I could have personally done without the rape plotline though.) There’s a great assortment of characters on the plane—a high school baseball team, various coaches and moms and ex-wives, a wedding party, the flight attendants and other crew, and the air marshal who let the murder happen on his watch and has to solve it to save his job. And solving this murder may also solve a hit and run case from a few years earlier. And that’s not even getting into the bad storm! I actually think this would make an awesome tv miniseries but the pacing of the book didn’t totally work for me. B+.