For us in the northern hemisphere, Spring has arrived and with it the promise of wonderful books!

I already read Final Girls, a new novella coming out in April by Mira Grant and thought it was a heady combination of science fiction, horror, and psychological thriller with excellent characters.  Another short novel coming soon is Mother of the Sea by Zetta Elliott, a novelette about a woman and a child who are taken against their will on a journey across the sea – and await for the child’s mother, a fierce warrior to come and get them.

I’ve been waiting for a long time to read Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys (out in April), a story that seems to be a reimagined Lovecratfian tale, a subverted take on the Cthulhu mythos, from the monster’s perspective.    

On May 9, A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge will finally be published in the US. It’s a wondrous novel, truly unique and creative – as well as super complex. It follows a society in which people have no facial expressions of their own, having to acquire them – the more money a person has, the more expressions and emotions they are able to learn (the possibilities for socio-economical and political consequences are fully explored here). Enter Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and the only person who has natural facial expressions.  Anything Frances Hardinge writes is amazing and this one is no different.    

Also out in May, Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner is hands down, my most anticipated book of the year, scratch that, it’s my most anticipated book of the past five years or so ever since it’s been announced. It’s the fifth in the continued adventures of Eugenides, Atolia et al set in a secondary world fantasy and full of politics, intrigue, and sleight of hand. Listen: these are some of the cleverest books out there and this author is great at smoke and mirrors writing. If you haven’t read them or heard of them, please do yourself a favour and go get book one, The Thief. This is a PSA. You’re welcome.

One of my favourite books from last year was Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, and I can’t wait for the sequel Raven Stratagem, which is coming out in June. The two main characters have basically mind-melded, and I so want to see where the author takes their story.

And I know this is cheating a bit, since this book has been out for a few weeks already so it’s technically not a Spring book, but I just finished reading The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley and it’s the best thing I’ve read by this author and one of the best things I’ve read so far this year. It’s quite unlike anything I’ve read before, and it’s kinda like a Fantasy Quest in Space with a bunch of awesome female characters and an even awesomer plot.  

We have great things to look forward to, folks!