Full list so far is under the cut, but particular recommendations include:

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, by Anthony Marra: A beautifully written book about Chechnya during and after the civil wars/wars with Russia, centering around a small child whose father is disappeared, the village "doctor," an at-most mediocre half-qualified physician ( Read more... )

Apparently I read more in the first half of the year than the second.
But if you have shiny new holiday bookstore giftcards, I recommend picking up:

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North: Groundhog's Day across the twentieth century, with more science and science fiction ( Read more... )

Ok, so since this is going up before summer vacations are all completely over, here are a few specific recommendations (whole list is under the cut):

If you like YA fantasy and coming of age stories, read: The Inheritance Triology, by NK Jemisin (first book is The Hundred Thousand KingdomsThe main characters in the first and second books are an ( Read more... )

Also, I am always happy to discuss any of the books I've read, or take any new suggestions! :)

(recommended books are starred, rereads noted with an (r ( Read more... )

Because I need to record this somewhere ( Read more... )

We're going to be doing another European trip this summer and I could use some advice ( Read more... )

PhD!!!

(defense passed on Friday, no revisions required, aka I am done with grad school!)

Hurray!

I have several very (very) long flights coming up and not enough books for them!  (I ended up reading a few of the books I was stockpiling because I just got bored. oops.)  I have acquired The Magicians, Ready, Player One, and Sarah Canary for the trip, but will definitely need more.  Anyone have anything they've recently read and loved and thought ( Read more... )

I watched I Am Number Four on the flight back from China (aka the flight where I wasn't trying to sleep).  It was kinda meh- vaguely amusing, stuff blew up, supernatural stuff happened (this is what happens when I write reviews months and months later!).  Some plot points/characters didn't make sense (for example, Dianna Agron at the end of the ( Read more... )