2022: Recs 'n Recs

(Recollections and Recommendations)

Whew. I meant to send a newsletter last month but it felt like November just melted away. Before December also melts, I have a 2022 wrap up for you.

My Stuff

Poster Girl came out this year! Hurrah! And some amazing things happened with it. It got two starred reviews, an array of amazing blurbs, and it was featured in the New York Times and People magazine. And in the UK, it was a Sunday Times bestseller! Hot damn!

I also went on tour and finally got to meet with readers in person, which was really lovely. Thank you to everyone who bought the book, came out to meet me, or otherwise supported me in 2022. I so appreciate it.

And you don’t have to wait long for another story from me— Arch-Conspirator, a far future retelling of the Greek tragedy Antigone, comes out on February 23rd!

You can preorder it here and receive an exclusive (and awesome) art print!

Some Recs

I made a little video of my favorite SFF reads of 2022 here.

But let me recap them quickly for you:

The “Alternate Universe” Group: White Cat by Holly Black, The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

These are all books that are set on Earth, but with magic. This alters the way each world functions in profound ways. The Women Could Fly is on the more “dystopian” end of the spectrum, whereas The Atlas Six is more fantastical, with White Cat a little closer to the latter. White Cat is an oldie but a goodie, published in 2010, but this was my first encounter with it and it holds up— it’s concerned with a kind of criminal underworld, and it’s YA, whereas the other two are adult.

The “Big Science Fiction Universe” Group: The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt, The Stars Undying by Emery Robin, and Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

If you want fast, fun action (without losing emotional heft), go with The Immortality Thief— it’s heist-y. If you want to really dive into some gripping world-building, go with The Stars Undying (Cleopatra…in spaaaace!). And if you want something that plays with both science fiction and fantasy (there’s deals with the devil AND a donut shop run by intergalactic travelers in this one), go with Light From Uncommon Stars.

The “Future Tech” Group: Upgrade by Blake Crouch and The World Gives Way by Marissa Levien

Upgrade is a thriller for people who like science fiction, and science fiction for people who like thrillers—especially the “shady government” kind. The World Gives Way is technically a cat and mouse style detective-y story, but it’s set on a generation spaceship that’s catastrophically breaking apart, which…complicates matters. To say the least. (I think I technically read it last year, along with Light from Uncommon Stars, but WHAT IS TIME! TIME IS MEANINGLESS! ET CETERA!)

And Last But Not Least: Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho

Did I read this in 2022 or 2021? OH WELL. This is a collection of short stories that is perfect for a cozy day when you want to read in short bursts. Or any other day.

Non-Book Recs

WATCH SEVERANCE! JUST DO IT! I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS AGAIN!

I’ve been behind with anything on Disney Plus (a gal can’t subscribe to EVERYTHING, and I’m sort of off the superhero train), but a friend of mine pressured me to watch Andor and I did and it was great. My favorite Star Wars movie is Rogue One— that’s right, I said it— and the show struck a similar tone, which really worked for me.

Also good: Everything Everywhere All at Once (duh), and I discovered Killjoys this year, which was a delight.

Share your own recs in the comments, if you’d like, and otherwise have a safe and warm and happy end-of-2022!

V