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Fiction

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Editors' Spotlight: Amanda's Top Picks

Miller's prose is gorgeous

The long-awaited follow-up to Madeline Miller's 2014 Women's Prize-winning novel The Song of Achilles is another masterpiece of historical fiction. Circe follows the titular Greek goddess of witchcraft, a daughter of Helios who, feeling left out by her family and peer group, turns to the world of mortals for companionship. Ultimately it's a story about a woman who stops letting her destiny just happen, learning with time and growing confidence that there's all this power inside of her waiting to be wielded if only she could shake off the weight of other people's projected expectations and desires. Perdita Weeks' narration perfectly captures Circe's fears and anxieties, belied as they are by an undercurrent of incredible strength.

Miller's prose is so gorgeous that it makes me furious and inspired in equal measure; her ability to capture what it means to be human while writing about gods and goddesses is seemingly beyond any mere mortal's level of empathy and care.

An examination of human fallibility

In Chloe Benjamin's star-making debut, four siblings visit a psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die.

Don't expect to find out whether the psychic was truly psychic; it doesn't matter. The Immortalists is an examination of human fallibility and our fruitless attempt to control our outcomes in an uncontrollable world, and the comfort that can be found in surrendering to fate, come what may.

Narrator Maggie Hoffman expertly embodies each of the four Gold children in their search for meaning, making for a beautiful listening experience.

For fans of The Handmaid's Tale

For fans of The Handmaid's Tale comes Red Clocks, which might as well function as a prequel to Margaret Atwood's seminal dystopian novel.

It's present-day America, and abortion is once again illegal; in vitro fertilization is on the way out, and single would-be parents and same-sex couples are denied the right to adopt. As these freedoms are stripped, Leni Zumas' story is told through the lens of four very different women grappling with this new world order. Red Clocks isn't perfect — it doesn't do enough to integrate the experiences of marginalized communities who tend to fare even worse under circumstances such as these. Regardless, this book ended up being a 2018 favourite for the same reasons The Handmaid's Tale will always appeal to me: it's a reminder of the dangers of complacence, and how easily the ground women have gained over the past 100 years would be happily ripped away by those who would benefit from a return to subservience.

A searing critique of modern-day feminism

If you need your female characters to be likable, this fast-paced murder mystery isn't for you. Above all, The Favorite Sister is a searing critique of modern-day feminism and the reductive idea that feminism means all women must like each other — the sort of rah-rah girl power that is more marketing intended to sell shampoo than an actual movement in service of advancing women's rights.

I'll leave you with this passage, because it fairly sums up the vibe of Jessica Knoll's sophomore novel: "Telling women to help other women in a society that places us in a systemic competition with each other is a fool's errand. Two percent of the world's CEOs are women and yet we are expected to treat each other like sisters and not rabid hyenas thrown a carcass picked to the gristle by lions. Malnourish me, undervalue me, humiliate and harass me when I try to get my money anyway. But don't you dare tell me to go about it nicely."

Captures the grim nature of fairy tales

Have you ever thought about how truly dark fairy tales can be? We're told the watered-down versions when we're young, but even those feature child-eating witches, bloodthirsty giants, murderous stepmothers, and more death traps as allegory.

In The Hazel Wood, 17-year-old Alice and her mother attempt to outrun the uncanny bad luck that follows them wherever they go. Soon, Alice discovers that the fairy-tale world described in her grandmother's cult-classic stories is real — and it's closing in. Melissa Albert's debut captures the grim, no-takebacks nature of fairy tales — how terrifying, how life-threatening, and how unyielding they can be on their path to parable.

Mysteries & Thrillers

Editors' Spotlight: Tori's Top Picks

One of the biggest decisions you can make

When I began Motherhood, I hoped for the same things that the narrator did — that something, anything, would give me a sign. Should I choose motherhood, or a less conventional path?

While I feel no closer to making that decision for myself, I have felt a kindred bond to Sheila Heti and her narrator in a way that I haven't felt before from an author. She lets you into her truest self, opening up and bringing the listener deep into her reasoning over a decision that many modern women must wrestle with as the end of their childbearing years become visible on the horizon. Regardless of which direction you lean on the subject, you will undoubtedly connect with the level of care and concern that Heti takes in turning over the topic repeatedly in her character's mind. I have come away with a better understanding of my own struggle with the decision, and I'm hopeful it will similarly shed light on a difficult choice many women wrestle with.

A satisfying conclusion

The conclusion to The Extinction Files by A.G. Riddle did not disappoint. The duology opener, Pandemic, started with a relatively realistic concept that took a sharp turn into international conspiracy, plunging the listener into a secret society hell-bent on creating the perfect world.

Pandemic left us with many unanswered questions, but Genome delivered answers with a combination of science fiction, action, and historical fiction, making for a delicious finale.

A de-motivational riot

Many celebrities share tales of years and years of hard work before it started to pay off, but this is not that type of memoir. If you’re a fan of adult-geared cartoons, you’ve probably heard H. Jon Benjamin’s iconic voice before, as the star of Archer and Bob’s Burgers. While short, this audiobook is jam-packed with Benjamin's tales of woe, from his failure to have a successful sleepover to his failure to graduate from college with his intended degree. Despite finding his way onto two wildly successful shows, the multihyphenate entertainer manages to keep failing at being a celebrity.

Honesty is the only policy

No matter your political opinion of James Comey, this audiobook is brilliant. Comey recounts his career from his early days as a prosecutor in New York City through to the final days of his shortened term as the Director of the FBI. Travel behind the scenes of the United States government as Comey details investigations into NSA wiretapping, enhanced interrogation techniques, and — of course — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

As a narrator, Comey delivers a stellar performance; he makes you feel like you're listening to him over drinks in his study by a roaring fire. If Comey is still looking for his next role, he sure sounds right at home in the recording booth.

For better … or for worse

Standard Christian marriage vows often require that the couple pledge to stay together forever, "for better or for worse." You tend to assume that the "worse" tests the relationship, but what if it's the better that does you in?

In this psychological thriller, a couple on their romantic island honeymoon discover something in the water that will forever change the course of their lives together. Performed brilliantly by first-time author and Downton Abbey actress Catherine Steadman, this addictive story will have you listening nonstop until you get to the bottom of what lies beneath.