Recs if you like Rakesfall...

SFF with worldbuilding that informs the plot, prose, characters, and underlying narrative in deeply meaningful, intentional, and complex ways, so much so that changing the world means changing the shape of the story itself. Or: worldbuilding that goes beyond simple set dressing and becomes a vehicle for the story and narrative. Always open to recs and suggestions! ❤️

Need a gift for your extremist family member, but they already have a red baseball cap AND a Don't Tread on Me shirt? Were you told "Don't bring up politics at family dinner" and need some safe books to discuss instead? Well we have a full menu for you to choose from! Each just for fun book comes with our guarantee: No real world political messages under the 100% fictional plot! 😉 (Taking Recommendations!)

These are books that don't rush to impress you. They simmer while the author adds in the layers. They may confuse you or bore you at first - but if you give them time to cook you'll end up with a delicious meal of a book!

Always taking recommendations! If you are recommending a series - the layers need to come together by the end of the first book (not half way through the series).

Some books I either love or am super excited to read that are queer, BIPOC, and have some kind of speculative element (fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, etc)

tangled narratives and re-formed genres sprouting from the toxic ground of colonialism

Do you feel like you've read everything there is to read? Or get annoyed that the same books are on all the rec lists? Well, here are some more obscure masterpieces!

Some of the covers are terrible - especially among the older or self-pubbed books; there's a few YA in here; and some that are science fantasy rather than 'pure' fantasy. But trust me: they're all EXCELLENT. (And if you already love a bunch of these, let's be friends!)

What can I say? I love bones 🤷‍♀️💀 and def open to suggestions, any genre!

An on-going attempt to track Asian authors in my Interested/TBR (and hopefully Finished) categories. Books are generally fiction/lit fic/fantasy with some memoirs. Authors span West to East Asia, the Asian diaspora, and mixed-race folx.

Clever, arresting and intentional SFF books by genre writers who really know how to play with and control language; not even necessarily immensely quotable or flowery, but wholly competent and meticulous.

Books that have been shortlisted for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction. I compiled this list because the criteria (and Le Guin's works) resonate with me:

"The Prize will be given to a writer whose work reflects the concepts and ideas that were central to Ursula’s own work, including but not limited to: hope, equity, and freedom; non-violence and alternatives to conflict; and a holistic view of humanity’s place in the natural world."

Exactly what it says on the tin: queer stories that also have ghosts.

Books of artful writing and beautiful prose; like a fairytale come to life

Nominees for the Ursula K Le Guin Prize for for Fiction, awarded since 2022 for imaginative fiction. (Mostly I have made this because they're always really great picks and I want to work my way through all of them.)

Formerly the James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award: "an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender... The aim of the award is to seek out work that is thought-provoking, imaginative, and perhaps even infuriating." (from the website)

Annual award winners listed chronologically back to the award's origin in 1991; some standalone stories aren't (yet?) available to be included. Note that some years have multiple winners.

A list of books that have been considered for and/or won the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction. From the official website - "This award is intended to recognize those writers Ursula spoke of in her 2014 National Book Awards speech—realists of a larger reality, who can imagine real grounds for hope and see alternatives to how we live now."

Books which don't treat you like you're an idiot, and trust you to engage with them; complex naming conventions, elaborate worldbuilds, large casts of characters, narrative tricks, beautiful prose, heavy intertextuality.

A list to help those who aspire to read from authors outside the typical areas. I will be creating different list for different regions. I will also list the countries currently found in the list. Be sure to check out the other lists! Note: The countries are not perfect as some countries are classified differently, so I did my best.

Current Countries: Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Books that explore themes of souls, time, or identity across lifetimes. Extra bonus if "metempsychosis" is featured. The main book inspiring my fascination with the idea of souls and lifetimes is Crossings by Alex Landragin. Recommendations welcome!

Works published in 2024

Best Novel Nominees: 🏆 Someone You Can Build a Nest In • Asunder • The Book of Love • Rakesfall • Sleeping Worlds Have no Memory • A Sorceress Comes to Call

Best Novella Nominees: 🏆 The Dragonfly Gambit • The Butcher of the Forest • Countess • Lost Ark Dreaming • The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain • 🚀 The Tusks of Extinction

Legend: 🏆 Winner • 🚀 Hugo Award Winner

Books that are enjoyable, but you have no idea what’s going on (only a bit hyperbole)