some books I think are neat (in no particular order):

• Devil House by John Darnielle - fiction, murder mystery - takes place in milpitas california which is not a common setting and is near to my heart. the audiobook is read by the author and his delivery is fantastic, but the paper version has some killer font choices. worth checking out either way.
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - nonfiction, autobiograpy, science - are you also megadepressed about how colonialism has affected everything it has come in contact with? this book feels like a necessary chaser for a viewing of koyaanisqatsi. determination, hope, life lessons, botany, important teachings, all woven together. the audiobook for this one is also read by the author, and worth listening to for the introduction all on its own. get the word reciprocity solidly locked into your vocabulary.
• the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud - fiction, fantasy - originally a trilogy, 4th book was added later. plays with the concept of the unreliable narrator, switching between humans and a djinn who has entire side-conversations with the reader via footnotes. very fun, the magic system is that classic summoning-circle style that has become a little harder to find in modern fantasy, and it's also very much about british class war and military overreach.
• the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin - fiction, fantasy - also originally a trilogy! each book covers a section of the life of a wizard who Goes Through Some Shit. the second book is an absolute banger and could be read on its own imo. the fourth book was written years later and doesn't flow super well with the others, I recommend sticking with the original trilogy.
• the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix - fiction, fantasy - a 7-part series about an asthmatic kid repeatedly not dying despite unimaginably powerful forces trying to kill him for an entire week straight. bizarre architecture. if you like remedy's games, you'll probably like this too.
• A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher - fiction, fantasy - a kid figures out that she can do bread magic, just in time for a political shift that sends spellcasters into hiding. (you may be noticing a recurring theme of class war in my recommendations and I will not apologize for that)
• The Way Life Works by Mahlon B. Hoagland and Bert Dodson - nonfiction, biology - a beautifully illustrated and easy-to-read guide on the biological world we live in. one of my all-time favorite books. suitable for a small kid just starting to get interested in the natural world or for someone going through an intro course on microbiology, or anyone in between.

I am actively adding things to this list, check back soon for more! (last updated 12/11/2024)

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