Put together by Lília
Written by Renata, Martijn, Lília, Jouke, Sophie, Simone, Jonna and Natalia
In this Part 3 of our Staff Choices the titles below were chosen by one or more ABC colleagues, and everyone has their own reasons for loving them. Read on to see what they are. You might even find one or two new titles for your TBR list!
Mythos by Stephen Fry
Renata: I’ve been a fan of Greek mythology since my teens. The myths, gods and goddesses, have always been a source of imagination and lively discussion among friends. Stephen Fry recounts these stories with a delicious dose of humor.
Martijn: Loved it! Very funny with informative footnotes on how the mythology entered a lot of our language today.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Lília: I can’t recommend this book enough; it is such a great read! Full of all sorts of ghosts, it tells the story of a ghostwriter who sees spirits and has to learn to deal with her own ghosts, those in her head and the real ones. Florence is a great character learning to accept that life is not always what other people make of it, but what we make of it ourselves.
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Jouke: This has been the year of military fiction for me, from thrillers to sci-fi to fantasy, and this one rules them all.
The idea of humans fighting wars in outer space with advanced technology is nothing new, but John Scalzi did an outstanding job of taking fresh approaches to this concept. The idea of an army made up of senior citizens is unique in itself, and the weapons and tech he came up with are also quite clever. It’s filled with rip-roaring battle scenes and the alien opponents are also several notches above what you usually get in these space war-type books. But the real hook here is the outstanding job Scalzi did with the characters and the sense of humor that he weaves into the story.
For fans of Ender’s Game and Ready Player One.
Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin
Sophie: An absolutely extraordinary book.
It is an archaeology of the future, and reads like an anthropologists carefully taken notes. Through personal stories, poems, histories, descriptions of rites, descriptions of village lay-outs, plays, dances, and much more you are presented with the most intricate mosaic that makes you feel like you are living in this future society.
I’ve seldom felt a book speak to my soul like this.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Jonna: This story follows a man and his cat. Together they travel to see several friends from his past. The chapters alter between the cat’s point of view and the human’s. It is a cute little story with a bittersweet end. Perfect for a quick and easy read.
Simone: This debut novel by Japanese author Hiro Arikawa is a lovely, sweet and endearing story.
Satoru, owner of the cat Nana, is looking for a new owner.
They travel the country together, visiting old friends who might be suitable and willing to adopt Nana. They reminisce about their time together at school, or their friendship later in life.
Nana, the cat with a tail shaped like a 7, adds her own perspective on things, and is quite a personality.
Their road trip together proves to be a very important experience, and both look back on it with great affection for each other.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Natalia: A (forbidden) romance between the Royal Prince of Wales and the President’s son, set in a world where Trump doesn’t exist. What more could you want?! Definitely THE feel-good book I needed this year!
