Staff Fiction Favorites

Though Annihilation is a short piece, it was very easily one of the weirdest reading experiences I've ever had, and I loved it. Vandermeer doesn't fall into the sinkholes of tropes and predictable plot lines. I had no idea where the story would go and could barely put the book down to sleep. This is a perfect book to shake you out of a literary rut. - J

Zadie Smith understands people the way Dostoevsky understood people: the ways in which where they come from and who they come from influence where and how they end up. Reading this book is like joining another family, and though every member is flawed - to say the least - each character feels like a real person. A nearly perfect book. - Jess

Looking for more speculative fiction? I highly recommend Morrow's unique, character driven debut novel. In an alternative 1920s, memories are extracted from people and exist as a sort of clone stuck in time, reliving their scene until they fade away. Powerful and insightful, this is the type of book you'll find yourself thinking about months after you've finished. - Emma

The City of Brass sequel is here! This novel again follows Nahri, Dara, and Ali, and introduces a terrifying new opponent—Nahri's own mother, who is determined to retake the Daevabad throne at any cost. Like its predecessor, this novel features a dynamic cast, captivating plot, rich political intrigue, and immersive worldbuilding. It’s the best kind of sequel. - Stuart

Set at a summer sleep-away camp, this debut novel explores the complexities of female friendship over time from adolescence through early adulthood. Perennials offers readers a unique look at the bliss and beauty of girlhood, as well as the grief of growing up and remembering when and where you lost your innocence. - Kristi

Though the movie was universally panned, the book remains one of the best-written, most intriguing works of fiction of the past twenty years. Composed of six connected novellas that take place over vastly different eras, both past and future, each written in a different style, the book is a essentially a brilliant survey of humankind. One of my all-time favorites. - Rico

If “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down” is your battle cry, read this book. A Handmaid’s Tale for 2018, Red Clocks follows five women as they navigate private burdens and desires regarding pregnancy, fertility, and motherhood. Set in a world that’s like ours but with even more misogynistic laws, Red Clocks is a book for anyone who worries for the future of this country. - Jessica

This is a timely, beautifully written novel that reads like a fragmented memoir. Kimia Sadr fled Iran for France at age 10. She now sits in a fertility clinic recounting her family's history starting with her great grandfather, a feudal lord, and leading on to her dissident parents who protested the Shah's monarchy and then found themselves hated by the Islamists who deposed him. - Trey

This gripping fantasy novel focuses on Nahri, a young conwoman in 18th-century Cairo who accidentally summons a djinn warrior, and is then swept into an epic adventure to discover the truth of her heritage in Daevabad, the djinn capital city. The book features gorgeous prose, fantastic characters, and a riveting plot, with superb worldbuilding inspired by Islamic mythology. - Stuart

When journalist Camille Preaker returns to her tiny hometown to report on a local murder, deep-rooted family issues and an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia quickly take hold. I love a good mystery, and Flynn’s character-driven, deeply atmospheric writing immediately drew me in. Suspenseful, original, and subtlety sinister, this kept me guessing until the very end. - Jade