What I'm reading in 2020...

I absolutely adore spooky season. The holiday season is the magic that gets me through the year and it all starts with a little boo and a lot of ancestors. Please do not forget the Reeses pumpkins, because I have not.

On this perfect, cloudy Fall day, I was going through and updating my Goodreads account and realized I've read some fan-fucking-tastic books this year. Thinking about all these books again, I found myself wanting to talk more about them-
 so straight from my bookshelves to your eyes, here are my top 5 reads (so far) of 2020:

1. Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
   This book is brilliant on every level. Just read it. Stop reading reviews about it, go to the library or your local bookstore, buy it, and settle in for the night. You need this book in your life. Fantasy, magic, rebellion, pathos, love, betrayal, family... It is the best and most perfect book ever written. I am biased because I could not tear myself away. All of the books in this list were AMAZING, but this is possibly the best book I've read since I can remember. 
2. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
   This YA book is completely, utterly engrossing. If you like urban fantasy and a mash-up of The Order and Arthurian mythology mixed with a healthy dose of American history, this novel was written for you. Deonn explores what it means to be a young, Black girl in White fantasy; what it's like to be written out of the stories and how to the protagonist, Bree, fights to find her own story forward and back in time. Y'all, her story is so powerful and mighty, I can't even. Shout out for the LGBTQ representation, too! As non binary folk, it was nice to read another they/them. It was nice to read queer couples casually a part of the fabric of this rich, complex story. 
3. The Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
   I utterly savored the Binti trilogy. This novel is set in a alt future Africa and follows a Himba girl, named Binti on her journey to the Oomza Uni, the best university in the galaxy. I literally can't tell you any of the juicy adventures without giving away big plot points, but I can tell you that Binti is so incredible (the book and the human). Her journey is complex, and messy, and despite the living space ships and math-magic, utterly real. This is a beautiful and delicious read.
4. The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes
   I'm not sure I have the words for this book. Look, it's amazing. It explores the culture of Black mermaids who are descendant from pregnant slave women thrown overboard Slaver ships. It explores memory & trauma & collective & self. It's a song and a story, a struggle and life. While it's a short read, I found myself pausing often, to go back and re-read, to think, to feel what was happening. Just thinking about this story makes me want to cry and hold it close to my chest. Read this book. 
5. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
   Y'all, look, when my partner texted me about this book, they said simply "GAY NECROMANCER IN SPACE" so obviously we went and bought two copies. It's the first in a series (the second one just came out last month), and it does deliver on the gay, space necromancy. Tamsyn has created a complex world and a protagonist (Gideon) that galivants about with brazen ferocity. I have one, huge, giant, major complaint but it is a MASSIVE spoiler, so if you've read it and want to dish with me, hmu. Up until the last action sequence, I rate it 10/10, but it drops down to a 5/10 after that. Worth the read, and nice to have a queer lead, but gird yourself for the end. My hopes are that it will redeem itself in the next book. 

That's it, my fine readers. What are you reading right now? 

And don't forget- if you like this content and want to support my writing and read supporter-only content, you can buy me a cuppa at ko.fi. You can also purchase my chapbook of poetry a record of night at Amazon. If you're so inclined, you can also follow my author page at goodreads.