Nick's Picks

“We need more heroes like S.T. — a foul-mouthed, idealistic, moral crow with unquenchable courage — and his sidekick, a befuddled bloodhound. Kira Jane Buxton speaks crow, gull, dog, housecat, and owl with such fluency and poetry that I could not put this book down. Her vision of the zombie apocalypse is a strange and wonderful journey I want to take again and again. I really can’t think of another current novel that conveys such humor, joy, sorrow, and hope so beautifully. Thank you for restoring my faith that this world may live on.”

“Shannon Moss is a member of Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS), but she is from a branch of the Navy few have ever heard of. Shannon is part of Naval Space Command, a clandestine organization that sails deep space and time. Shannon is on the hunt for a killer: NSC officer, Patrick Mursult, who seems to have been driven mad during his missions into deep space. But if a time traveling, deep space killer isn't enough tension for you, there is also a humanity-ending event that has been observed hundreds of years into the future: the arrival of the Terminus. The Terminus is an unknown entity that, put simply, ends all life on the planet in horrific fashion. Since the discovery of the Terminus, NSC has been trying to find a way to avoid its arrival and the subsequent end of humanity. The problem is that every time they travel to the future to observe the Terminus, it has arrived earlier and earlier. This means the clock is ticking doubly fast for Shannon Moss and the entirety of the human race. And her killer seems to be linked to the Terminus somehow. This is a time-traveling, sci-fi, horror, murder mystery for fans of Dark Matter and Annihilation. It's one of the best and strangest (and at times disturbing) rides I've been on in a while - and well worth the price of admission!”

“I never thought I would find myself so drawn into a story where the main characters are half-orcs. But by page three I was hooked, and rooting for them. This book took what I thought I knew about fantasy and flipped it on it head. The main character is Jackal, a half-orc and a member of the Grey Bastards, a biker-like gang that rides hogs with snouts and tusks instead of wheels. He is young but also cunning and head-strong. Along with his "brothers" they patrol the Lots and do their best to keep full-blooded orcs away from the human world. Jonathan French created a rich world filled with boorish jokes, scheming, fighting, brotherhood, friendship, and betrayal. Each member of The Grey Bastards has their own charm. Some you end up liking more than others, like Oats and Fetching. The Grey Bastards was a book that I actually found myself laughing out loud while I was reading. The characters breathe life into the pages and leave you wanting more.”

“Christopher Moore has done it again! Noir is now among my very favorites by this popular novelist. This book is everything it promises: A love letter to hard-boiled detective fiction, a thorough and loving bath in the atmosphere of 1947 San Francisco, and loads of laughs along the way. Aliens? Yes. Romance? Also yes. Add in a cast of characters with heart, moxie, and beguiling banter and you've got Noir, a recipe for pure enjoyment.”

“Read by Adjoa Andoh, the audiobook rendition of Ann Leckie's fantastic scifi novel brings the world and characters to life.”

“Written as an oral history chronicling the astronomic rise and fall of a Fleetwood Mac-esque rock band in the late '70s, DAISY JONES & THE SIX is a gorgeous, dishy, and profound book that I devoured in something like two days. The story races like gangbusters and cuts straight to the hearts and souls of the superbly-drawn characters, who all have a lot to say about music, creativity, fame, family, love, collaboration, and (of course) sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year so far!”

“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character's perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be.”

“The Name of the Wind is a very straightforward book which you absolutely should not take at face value just because of its upfront nature. Rothfuss builds a slow burn fantasy narrative meant to keep you warm throughout dark nights of literary pursuits, rather than a showy bonfire that burns through all its material in order to hook you. Kvothe, the focal point of the story, is a character study in noticing subtle contrasts. However, the story Kvothe tells is always cordial, and Poedhl's mellow reading only lends itself to enhancing the obliging chronicle. A beneficial factor given the hefty size of Rothfuss' debut novel, a factor which can scare away the faint of heart or the light on time. It is well worth the effort, and ultimately a rewarding reading and listening experience.”

“Lethem’s latest is a treat for fans and new readers alike. His personal brand of detective fiction (shrewd character descriptions, razor-sharp dialogue, and scene-setting that engages all five senses) has always been indebted to the (wild) West Coast — Hollywood specifically — so it’s unsurprising that The Feral Detective is as satisfying as his New York novels. A compelling and timely tale of why even going off the grid won’t save you from going off your rocker.”

“A stunning debut novel by an original voice. Twelve characters of Native American descent, interrelated by birth or chance, struggle with the competing forces of cultural history and modern urban existence. Their stories build separately before colliding powerfully in the book’s final pages at The Big Oakland Powwow. I was riveted.”

“This sweeping tale of the gods and heroes of Greek mythology as seen through the eyes of a minor goddess had me from the first chapter. I listened to this as an audiobook from our audio vendor, Libro.fm. The brilliant narrator was the 29-year-old Welsh film actress, Perdita Weeks.”

“After a family tragedy, former NHL player Peter Andersson moves his family back to Beartown, where he's gotten a job as general manager for the local hockey club. Beartown is on its way back up, riding the heels of its most successful junior team in years. On the cusp of that victory, news breaks of a crime that shakes the community to its core. When the worst happens, who do you stand by - your team, your community, your family? In Beartown, Backman shows us, once again, that human beings are anything but predictable.”

“In the near-future, the drought in SoCal has reached catastrophic proportions despite years of warnings and restrictions...and it becomes downright apocalyptic once a water supply deal falls through and the water is turned off entirely. The main story of Dry follows Alyssa, her brother, and their prepper neighbor as they try to survive in this new world while society crumbles around them. The Shustermen have clearly done their research when it comes to the effects of dehydration and desperation — something that is viscerally and terrifyingly conveyed throughout the book. Told through the point of view of several characters, the timely plot grabs you from page one and pulls you at a breakneck pace all the way through to the end, with each person having their own distinct voice and coping mechanisms. Just be sure to have a glass of water handy while you’re reading — you’ll need it.”

“The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee was truly a pleasure to hear! A deliciously dry sense of humor pervades this tale of English landed gentry making a tour of the Continent in the 1800s. However, this is no ordinary tour and these no ordinary lords. Unrequited love among the two male protagonists, a racial twist, parental abuse, maladies with no cures and more pervade this fast paced, adventurous novel complete with highwaymen, dukes, alchemy and pirates (sort of). Impossible to stop listening and extremely entertaining!”