Recently, one of my friends asked me to recommend some new books that were not merely good, but great. I had to stop and think for longer than a moment. Because this year has been filled with good books. But not too many great ones.
This year, I read some really interesting books, but none of the writers who used to make me excited for their new releases did anything out of the ordinary. N. K. Jemisin, in particular, wrote nothing other than an annoying short story and a novella that didn’t interest me in the least.
That being said, I read A LOT. More than a book a week, in fact (you can see the complete-ish list here, if you like). And that has its advantages too. So while I can’t wholeheartedly recommend any single book as the GREATEST book of 2019, there were plenty of good ones. Here are some highlights:
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
This was a spectacular book. The author plays around with styles and with cultures in ways that really surprised me. Ultimately, as with all good sci-fi, this is all about the great question: what is it that makes us (or not-us) human?
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Rarely does a post-Tolkien fantasy book worry about such things as beauty of language or style. Well, this book had a few scenes that had me tearing up. Not surprisingly, I was moved by how Kay was inspired by the power of memory, and how horrifying it is when governments or ideologies forcibly excise memories from a people.
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time, which I reviewed here, was one of the most surprising sci fi books I’ve ever read. This sequel isn’t quite as good, but it was certainly worth the wait. Make sure to read both if you like intelligent sci-fi that’s not afraid of trying out new ideas.
Perelandra by C. S. Lewis
This was my third read-through of this classic. And I loved it more than ever. There really is nothing else like this book out there. If you haven’t read it, you really don’t know what good writing or storytelling is.
Gardens of the Moon by Stephen Erickson
It took me a long time to get into the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It’s famously complex and even abstruse on purpose. It’s also very, very, very dark. However, the worldbuilding is just spectacular. The first part of the novel is some of the most exciting and unexpected fantasy I’ve ever read. It loses focus toward the end, but is still good enough to consider reading on. Unlike the Wheel of Time series, which I’ve officially put aside for now. I’m sick of braid-tugging (you know what I’m talking about).
Empire of Silence and Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio
This series was recommended to me by a friend, and I’m glad I listened. Part Dune, part Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, part Battlestar Gallactica, it’s completely fresh and new. Although it flirts with Malazan-level darkness, it’s not nihilistic. On the contrary. The philosophizing narrator is one of my favorite new characters. I just love this series.
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