Despite summer coming to an end, some of us have yet to have our summer holiday. And anyone that's ever packed for their vacation knows choosing your (beach) reads is the most important task. Here's what Glass Housers recommend for all those struggling:
George Ebey, author of the forthcoming Legend of the Phoenix (Phoenix Saga series) and novella DEBBI (Rovers of Mars series)Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
A reclusive billionaire dies and leaves the keys to his fortune hidden deep inside the workings of a popular online role-playing game. The first gamer to solve all the clues and find the keys will win, leading to a massive hunt that pulls in players from all over the world to compete for the final prize. A great read and lots of fun.
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
It tells the story of several beauty pageant contestants who are stranded on an island after a plane crash. It's delightful satire, with jabs at sexism and racism among other things, while celebrating teenage girls from a variety of backgrounds. It also features queer characters, mainly a lesbian, a bisexual (not confirmed in-text) and a transgender girl who used to be in a hit boy band.
Mary Fan, author of The Firedragon, Firedragon Rising, Tell Me My Name, forthcoming Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil (Flynn Nightsider series) and Fated Stars seriesShip Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.
In a dystopian future, one of the only way for impoverished teens like Nailer to make a living is by scavenging grounded oil tankers for their parts. The book depicts a visceral, dog-eat-dog world with a stark divide between the haves and the have-nots. When a rich girl - a "swank" - washes up after a storm, the toughened, desperate people of Nailer's community see only a commodity to be bargained, and Nailer is faced with a difficult decision: whether to defy his community and save the girl... possibly at the expense of his own survival.
Carrie White-Parish, CEO of Glass House Press, editor and publisherMagonia by Maria Dahvana Headley.
Aza Ray suffers from an unknown malady that makes it impossible to breathe and survive in the real world. And then things start to get ... strange. She sees a ship in the sky. Birds begin talking to her. And then one flies down her throat. Before she knows it, her earthly body is dead and she's been taken into the clouds, where a whole new world--and a new destiny--awaits. But there are choices to be made between her present and her past, and a war to be averted. All on her shoulders. This book is vibrant, confusing, completely overwhelming, and amazingly beautiful. One of my favorite 2015 reads.
Tash McAdam, author of SLAM, Blood in the Water, forthcoming Maelstrom (The Psionics series) and Warp Weavers seriesRed Rising by Pierce Brown.
In a dystopian space dwelling future, The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner slaving below the surface of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and make it habitable. The Reds are humanity's last hope.
Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been inhabited for generations, by a class of people called Golds.
Darrow undergoes extensive surgery and training to disguise himself as a Gold and infiltrate their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.
A fantastic, tense read with echoes of Roman history, a great sci fi base and a brilliant, shocking plot, Red Rising is the perfect book to get your teeth into over summer.Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been inhabited for generations, by a class of people called Golds.
Darrow undergoes extensive surgery and training to disguise himself as a Gold and infiltrate their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.
A fantastic, tense read with echoes of Roman history, a great sci fi base and a brilliant, shocking plot, Red Rising is the perfect book to get your teeth into over summer.
Linda Foster, author of Fallen Souls (The Realm of the Claimed series)The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance. Great book, from a unique point of view. Reliving my childhood love of the circus behind the scenes, or tent.But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance. Great book, from a unique point of view. Reliving my childhood love of the circus behind the scenes, or tent.
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.
After her sister Bailey's death, Lennon must learn to face life without her trailblazing sister in the lead. As she struggles through her grief, she finds comfort in Bailey's boyfriend, Toby, who seems to be the only one who can relate to her loss. But the new kid in school, Joe (and yes I do have a sweet spot for all Joes) offers the chance at a new life, a happiness based in the future, not the past. Can she open up to Joe and risk heartbreak, or will her loss trap her for good and in a spiral of mourning at Toby's side? Though the focus on death is rather heavy for a beach read, Lennon's eventual happiness in the face of such sorrow makes this book all the more heartwarming. One of my favorite books of all time.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.
A story about a man who is full of anger and hate towards his empty bureaucratic life filled with meaningless distractions, who lets his wild emotions loose with baring his fists in Tyler Durden's Fight Club. Seemingly the only escape from reality, secret late-night fights in a society with no rules and no limits give new meaning to life. Or do they?
Magic Kingdom for Sale — SOLD! by Terry Brooks.
Ben Holiday is a lawyer in a funk. Depressed and lost after losing his family, he happens across an ad for a kingdom for sale and, though skeptical, he decides to pursue the offer. When he receives the 'key' to his new kingdom, Ben finds that his skepticism was misplaced-- indeed, he is now the king of a mysterious and magical land, called Landover. This is a must read for any lover of high fantasy, delivered by one of the greatest authors of the genre.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
A great debut novel by this author. This suspense delves deep into the cycles of abuse on every level. It's such a great mystery, I don't want to say too much and give it away! If you loved Gone Girl, you'll love this!
All images from Goodreads.
No comments:
Post a Comment