Hounded

by Kevin Hearne
The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1

If you're looking for a fast, funny read and you're a fan of mythology and magic in the modern world, here's a great pick. Atticus O'Sullivan is the last Druid, and is just trying to live peacefully, running his bookshop and hunting (in dog-form of course) with his wolfhound companion. He's also in hiding from a god he ticked off a few thousand years back, and that god has now decided to track him down in earnest, and try to off him once and for all.

This has been called the "logical heir" to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, and I think that fits. The best parts of this series are its characters, particularly Atticus' vampire and werewolf  legal team, and his relationship with his wolfhound, Oberon, who has recently decided he's very much like to be the canine Genghis Khan.

An exciting, amusing read for fantasy fans - highly recommended! And if you want more reviews and similar-read recommendations, check out Hounded on our catalogue!

Brilliance

by Marcus Sakey

A conspiracy thriller in a Heroes/X-Men-type setting. Except no one's flying or teleporting; the "Brilliants" in this story are born with gifts, but they're much more to do with exceptional pattern-recognition skills - so, reading people's intentions, honesty or even their movement by their body language, or reading the patterns in the stock market so easily they rack up $3 billion before anyone catches on...

Sakey's main character, Nick Cooper - a Brilliant himself - is very convincing as a federal agent who truly believes that he is helping to keep the balance between Normals and Brilliants by hunting those of his kind who become dangerous... until his world crumbles around him and he's forced to make a decision that could plunge the country into a devastating civil war.

While the concept's not anything new, the world Sakey has built here is much more believable than that in Heroes, X-Men, etc. He also does an amazing job of pulling you into the events through the sometimes agonizing decisions his characters have to make, which always makes for a great read.

The sequel - A Better World - also just came out, so that's my next read!

by Tom Rob Smith

Either Daniel's mother has gone mad, or his father is involved with a serious criminal conspiracy. All he has to go on is his mother's story and the evidence she brought with her on her escape from custody.  Who would you believe?

The Farm is a truly original, emotionally charged thriller that kept me thoroughly engrossed the whole way through. I devoured it in two sittings, although it would have been a one-sitting read if I hadn't been interrupted by dinner :)

This was recommended to me by another staff member, so it's a double-staff-pick!

Rogues

Rogues

A Short Story Collection
Edited by George R.R. Martin

This book is best summed up by Martin in the forward to this book: "everybody loves a rogue" - it's certainly true here. This collection features stories from a wide range of genres and authors, including some of my favourites: Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind), Scott Lynch (The Gentleman Bastard Sequence), Neil Gaiman, Matthew Hughes, and of course, George R.R. Martin himself.

My pick from this collection would definitely be Patrick Rothfuss' story, which features the fan-favourite rogue from the Kingkiller Chronicles, Bast. In it, we finally get to see just what Bast gets up to all day. But my other favourite was Gillian Flynn's - not an author I normally read, but her story was tense with some truly creepy twists.  This was perfect summer reading for me - a great variety of short, intriguing tales with an excellent gallery of amusing, clever rogues.

The Girl With All the Gifts

by M. R. Carey

My measure of a good book is if it keeps me up way past my bedtime because I just keep wanting to read one more chapter. This one did that for me, and I finished it in two sittings because I couldn't put it down.

It's about a girl named Melanie, whose entire living memory has been spent in two rooms: her cell, and a classroom where she and the other children are taught by a rotation of teachers. Her favourite is Miss Justineau. She loves Miss Justineau, and she knows Miss Justineau likes her, so Melanie's just not sure why she and the other children have to be strapped into wheelchairs by men with guns the entire time they're in class, and when they're travelling to and from their cells. Or why some of the other children disappear and never come back.

Ok, yes, it's technically a zombie book, but this has way more heart and soul (and a better ending) than just about any I've ever read. If you like your sci-fi more on the human side, but don't want to give up the page-turning thrills, this is a great read!

Memory of Water

by Emmi Itaranta


A novel of a future where water is scarce, and tightly controlled by an oppressive military. It's not your average dystopian novel though; it's more meditative than action-packed, and its focus is more on the characters - their motivations and choices - rather than the world itself. Despite that, it's still a page-turner.  I loved the tone of the writing - it's lyrical and elegiac. If you like dystopian books, but are looking for something that doesn't follow the usual conventions, pick this one up.

Storm Front

Dresden Files, Book 1
by Jim Butcher

A Fantasy-meets-Detective novel; it's fast paced, exciting, and heavy on the magic and humour. I liked the main characters, and I want to know more about their backstories and the world they inhabit. If you're looking for a new fantasy series to read, and you like your fantasy modern and funny, this is a great pick!