Recommended Reading: An Assortment

I look out for lists of recommended reading for two reasons:

1. I am looking for recommendations for new books to read in general. As someone who stopped reading most SFF for a few years, I am especially looking for pointers to writing that I missed during this period.
2. I am trying to broaden my reading horizons, especially in light of K Tempest Bradford's challenge (which I have not signed up for, but am bearing in mind as I select new reading material).

Three recent listicles of favorite books have caught my attention recently.

In the first, Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues Tor.com's tradition of interesting recommended reading listicles with Five Weird Books by Women.

Her list:

1. The Cipher by Kathe Koja
2. Kissing Carrion by Gemma Files
3. Don’t Look Now And Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier
4. The Woman with the Flying Head and Other Stories by Yumiko Kurahashi
5. Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa

I particularly like the emphasis on short fiction, which I am trying to read more of.

The second is entitled Through the Looking Glass: Adult Fantasy Novels for Voracious Readers and is by Kameron Hurley. I did not love Hurley's book The Mirror Empire, but have been keeping an eye on her as I thought it still showed the promise of evolving into a great fantasy series. Here is a list of her favorite tales by category:

1. Modern Adult Fairytales
1. Ash, Malinda Lo
2. Uprooted, Naomi Novik
2. Fun, Humorous Fantasy
1. The Paladin Caper, Patrick Weekes
2. No Hero, Jonathan Wood
3. Geekomancy, Mike Underwood
3. Military Fantasy
1. Control Point, Myke Cole
2. American Craftsman, Tom Doyle
4. Silk Road Fantasy
1. The Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed
2. The Desert of Souls, Howard Andrew Jones
3. Range of Ghosts, Elizabeth Bear
4. The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu
5. Secondary World Fantasy
1. Updraft, Fran Wild
2. The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells
3. Barsk, Lawrence M. Shoen
6. Epic Fantasy
1. Promise of Blood, Brian McClellan
2. Cold Magic, Kate Elliott
3. A Crown for Cold Silver, Alex Marshall
4. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
5. City of Stairs, Robert J. Bennett
7. Dark Epic Fantasy
1. Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle
2. Gardens of the Moon, Steven Erikson
3. Best Served Cold, Joe Abercrombie
4. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin
5. Empress, Karen Miller
8. Dark Fantasy/Horror
1. Miserere, Teresa Frohock
2. Chapelwood, Cherie Priest
9. Contemporary Fantasy
1. The Library at Mount Char, Scott Hawkins
2. Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab
10. Historical Fantasy
1. Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho
2. The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard
3. Bitter Seeds, Ian Tregillis

I have read six of these and loved some while only liking others and hating one. Nonetheless, I will keep them in mind as I hunt for new reading material.

Lastly, Hurley has another blog post 8 Fantasy Novels Every Writer Should Read in which she lists "selections of fantasy titles that made me question what it was to write fantasy."  The list:

1. Kushiel’s Dart, Jaqueline Carey. Says Hurley:

   Viciously underappreciated for its intricate politics, bold worldbuilding, and tricksy plot, Kushiel’s Dart will challenge the way you think about fantasy fiction. Most importantly, it’s unafraid to address topics that are often treated poorly in epic fantasy: sex, sexuality and consent are explored deftly here.

2. Sword Dancer, Jennifer Roberson. Says Hurley:

   One of the most slyly subversively feminist adventure stories I’ve ever read, Sword Dancer gave me a template as a teen for how to write a story that was engaging and meaty without being preachy. The transformation of the worldview of its wise-cracking hero is a must read.

3. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin.
4. The Etched City, KJ Bishop.
5. The Price of Spring, Daniel Abraham.
6. A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Somatar.
7. The Female Man, Joanna Russ.
8. The Labyrinth, Catherynne M. Valente.