December is here! This means, it’s time for this year’s Dear Santa post featuring books I would love to find under the Christmas tree.
1. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin [2015]
Will 2024 be the year, where I’ll embrace fantasy reading? Don’t get me wrong, I do dip my toe into the genre from time to time. Lord of the Rings and Rivers of London even rank amongst my favourite series of all time. However, I’m barely scraping the surface of the vast fantasy genre. The big question is: Where to begin? Apparently, The Broken Earth Trilogy is known for its beautiful writing, wonderful world-building, great characterisation and a plot which stands out from the typical mainstream fantasy. I hope it’s good. If not, my fantasy reading project may be short-lived.
2. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman [1995]
Another dystopian novel, which has been on my radar for a while is I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated from French by Ros Schwartz. A young woman is kept in a cage underground with thirty-nine other females. Unlike the other women, the protagonist doesn’t remember a life outside this underground prison. According to reviewers, the story is bleak, original and impactful. My kind of book!
3. Jellyfish Age Backwards by Nicklas Brendborg
Jellyfish Age Backwards is a nonfiction book about aging by Nicklas Brendborg, a PhD student of molecular biology. Knowledge of aging in humans has progressed over the years, but what can we learn from the plant and animal kingdoms? Did you know that Greenland sharks can live for 500+ years? Or that trees and lobsters don’t age at all, the way we understand it? However, the jellyfish tops it all – it can actually age backwards. Intriguing, huh?
4. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride [2023]
This 2023 publication by the prize-winning author, James McBride, has already gained critical acclaim. Set in the 1930s Pennsylvania in a neighbourhood dominated by immigrant Jews and African Americans, McBride explores the complex dynamics and struggles in the diverse community. By telling the stories of various characters, the author creates a portrayal of a community of people living on the margins.
5. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey [2012]
The Snow Child has been recommended by many bloggers and it sounds perfect for this time of year. A childless couple, Jack and Mabel, struggle to get by in the Alaskan wilderness. One day, they build a snow man, or rather, a show child, which quickly disappears. Instead a young girl appears. Inspired by a Russian fairytale, The Snow Child explores the relationship between Jack and Mabel, who are dealing with past traumas as well as current hardship in the brutal Alaskan nature.
These were some of the many books, I would be happy for Santa to deliver. Maybe not the most festive or cheerful selection. But then again, I don’t often read cheerful books. Murder mysteries are more like my idea of fun, but I couldn’t think of a good one to put on my list. Which books are on your wish list?
An eclectic selection. I have read The Snow Child and enjoyed it thoroughly. I will be interested to see what you make of it.
Good to hear you enjoyed The Snow Child, fingers crossed I will get it for Christmas, it seems like a popular choice!
Like Scuffed Granny, The Snow Child is a great favourite of mine. I was excited to see it on your list! Your other wishes are all for books new to me. The McBride especially grabs me. Hope Santa is kind to you, Stargazer π
I look forward to The Snow Child! If Santa doesn’t bring it, I guess I’ll get it myself. π
Murder/mystery suggestions: anything by Mick Herron (laughs among the mayhem), Will Dean (Nordic noir written by a lad from the Potteries), Jorn Lier Horst (more Nordic noir featuring the thoughtful, wistful William Wisting) and the brilliant Kate Atkinson (especially her Brodie books and her latest triumph, Shrines of Gaiety). Enjoy.
I have tried the first book in Atkinson’s Brodie series and didn’t love it enough to continue. I will look into your other recommendations – thanks so much!
Fab list hope you get them for Christmas!
Thanks Nicki, fingers crossed!
Hi. All of the books you’ve chosen sound good. There are SO many good books out there — we’re lucky that way.
There are a lot of books out there! We are certainly lucky, but it also makes it difficult to choose.
I canβt find a common link between these books but they all sound good. Hoping Santa is kind to you this year.
Thanks Rose, I hope so too! π
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store sounds a good read, I’ve added it to my list! The only one I’ve read is The Snow child and it’s a good choice for Christmas, here’s hoping!
The Snow Child seems to be very highly rated – I look forward to reading it! If Santa doesn’t oblige, I may have to buy it myself, it sounds so good. π
Great post idea. I might have to try a Dear Santa post … but I don’t want to steal your meme, lol. I liked The Snow Child but then others tell me it was completely overhyped so beware. You have a diverse list here. I fear I will never get into Fantasy but I have read some Tolkien of course. I just don’t actively pursue fantasy when there’s my regular fiction genre, but people say Jemisin is great. Good luck with these. & Merry Christmas
Please do! It is by no means an original idea, lots of bloggers do something similar. Hmm, I will try to lower my expectations to The Snow Child, but it does sound good. I’ve had the same attitude to fantasy as you, but I love certain fantasy books, so now I want to give it a proper try. Jemesin is certainly one of the most praised authors in the genre, especially amongst readers, who like more “literary” books. Merry Christmas to you too!
N. K. Jemisin’s books have been on my radar for so long and I have the first book of that trilogy picking up dust on my bookshelf hahah I hope you enjoy these if you ever get your hands on them! π
Haha, let’s see if I get to the first book in the series before you do. I have high hopes that I will enjoy it. Happy new year Lashaan!
Did Santa bring I Who Have Never Known Men? I just finished reading it this morning. It is a very thought provoking book. And one I now need to get my friends to read so that I have people to discuss it with.
Yes, I did get it and also found it interesting and thought provoking! It reminded me of some of these Holocaust survival stories, which discuss how you need to find a meaning in life, otherwise you might as well give up. The setting was also intriguing. My guess was, it didn’t take place on earth, but we don’t really get any answers.
While part of me would have liked some answers, I loved that answers werenβt the point of the book.
Glad Santa was kind and delivered something off your wish list π
Sometimes, it is frustrating not to get the answers, but for this book, it worked really well. And as you said, that wasn’t really the point of the book.
Exactly. But this book was also a little mean – when you have settled to being ok with not getting answers to your questions, bam! she finds the bus π. That just made me even more curious. Not frustrating, and I don’t think I would have like the book any more if we had gotten answers (and perhaps would have liked it less). But that did feel like a red flag to a bull π
Very true, that part was quite intriguing! When no answers are provided, I like to make up my own story of what happened. But yeah, the bus was a bit of a tease. π