Staff Picks - Chelsea's Top 5 for the Second Half of 2022

Happy Holidays! And welcome to the end of the year and the second half of my top picks for the year. Just like the first time, I did find it difficult to narrow it down but I managed to get it down to just 5!

The Change - Kirsten Miller

Not for the faint of heart, The Change follows three women each at different points in their lives. Miller blends mystery with light fantasy well to create a rich environment that you can't help but get lost in. 

A little slow to start but once it starts you just can't put it down.

For fans of women taking a stand and defying expectations and reality. 

Cackle - Rachel Harrison 

This speculative fiction from Harrison is a spooky good time. I loved reading this one for Halloween. It follows Annie, as she moves to a new town to start over and in the process makes new friends and discovers a new side to herself. 

For fans of speculative fiction, strong female characters, and those not afraid of spiders. 

Shady Hollow - Juneau Black

Of course, there would be a cozy mystery. This one is a little more unique where all the characters are woodland creatures. And our lead is the clever fox, Vera Vixen a reporter at the local paper who is on the hunt for the murderer of the cantankerous old toad that lived in the pond.

For fans of cozy mysteries, cute characters, and clever mysteries. 

House of Hunger - Alexis Henderson

This gothic horror retells the nature of vampires as Marion fights to survive. Lush in description, this bloody tale leaves your heart racing as it quickly advances to the climax and an ending that you'll never see coming. 

For fans of vampire stories, gothic horror, and never knowing what happens next.

The Sandman Vol. 1 - Neil Gaiman

A timeless classic that has recently been adapted into a tv series. I don't know why it's taken me so long to read this series but I am happy to finally do so. 

I think everyone should read this!

The Change by Kirsten Miller

 

5/5 ⭐

The Change by Kirsten Miller is not one for the faint of heart. It's not for someone looking for some light-hearted reading with a cookie-cutter ending. 

The Change is not for anyone unwilling to face their own mortality as they age and the 'changes' that come with it. This book is for anyone, especially women who will, have, or are going through 'The Change', better known as Menopause. Or if you are Blanche Devereaux, 'The Curse'. 

Following the pov of three middle-aged women at different points in their life, Miller blends mystery and light fantasy together as these three individuals come into gifts they alone can wield. 

For those interested, I will warn you that it takes a little before the story really picks up but once it does it is a gripping page-turner. So stick with it because trust me... you don't want to miss that ending. 

This was an unusual pick for me as I don't usually read books that too closely match real-world happenings. But there was something about this one that kept calling me, so I gave it a shot. 

And oh boy. But in the end, I managed to finish it in just two days. Not even moving from my seat to finish it, because I just needed to know the ending. 

Miller managed to write in such a way that you had to figure out what happened next. Dragging you in and in and in. It left me reeling in the best way possible and left me thinking about it constantly for days afterward. 

~CP

*Remember to check the TW, there are some heavy topics and explicit events that take place. 

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

 

 5/5 ⭐

This mind-blowing follow-up to A Psalm for the Wild-Built will leave you reflective and wanting for simplicity.

We are greeted once more by Sibling Dex and Mosscap as they continue their journey toward the city so Mosscap can ask their question "What do people need?"

While stopping in surrounding villages to seek answers and let Mosscap meet more people, Dex themselves is struggling with feeling burnout and guilt over taking care of themselves. And Mosscap must learn what it is to be sentient and what they want beyond their question. 

With even more exploration of burnout and not knowing what you want when you have at your fingertips anything you could want, Becky Chambers gives us a way to work through struggles we might not be able to put into words. 

~CP

Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette

 

 5/5 ⭐

This first in a new cozy mystery will leave you desperate for more. 

It hits all the marks of a great cozy, small town life, a bookstore cat, and murder. 

A once journalist turned bookshop employee, Callie Padget is surrounded by supportive family and friends as she looks into the sudden death of a popular local. Who just so happened to die in the same place and manner as Callie's own mother decades before. 

As she travels across the beautiful scenery that is Cattail Island, experience every twist and turn and wait for an ending you won't expect. 

I cannot wait to see what happens next with this series. 

Staff Picks - Chelsea's Top 5 for the First Half of 2022

We are halfway through 2022 and I thought I would share my top 5 titles I have read so far. I read a lot for my work and for myself. So, trying to narrow the list down seemed impossible. Which is why I decided to pick 5 for the first half of 2022 and another 5 at the end of the year. 

Without further ado, here is my list!

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney - This title will be released on 8/30/22. 

This mystery/thriller takes inspiration from one of Agatha Christies more challenging stories And Then There Were None and it does a fantastic job at it. I could not put this title down and read it in just one sitting.

I can't wait for you to get your hands on it. 

If you like Agatha Christie, challenging puzzles, and incredible twists, you'll like this one. 

From Below by Darcy Coates - 

Another incredible horror from my favorite author in the genre, From Below, takes us out to sea and the mysteries that lie below in the deepest parts of the ocean water. 

Join this crew of adventurers as they uncover horrible secrets of what happened to the SS Arcadia all those moons ago. 

If you like atmospheric horror and ghost stories, this one is for you.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - 

If you like coffee, pastries, and fantasy, I have news for you. This cozy fantasy follows Viv, the retired barbarian orc looking to settle down and open a coffee shop. 

And if you think that it might be too laid back and gentle, you've got another thing coming. There is just enough action and challenges they have to face to make it engaging up until the end. 

Suffice to say I am hoping to see more from these characters!

Perfect for those new to fantasy and looking for an introduction to the genre.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - 

I love Becky Chambers's work a lot. And this sci-fi novella series is no exception. I have recommended it to almost everyone I know that reads actively. 

This cozy sci-fi takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and learning what is important to you and how to manage that with what is expected of you. I learned a lot about myself by reading this and I hope you do as well. 

If you like thought-provoking reads or are looking for something easy to get into the sci-fi genre, pick this one up. 

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake - 

Now, for me, this one was a surprise, because I am not the biggest fan of romances. But there was more than just romance here. There was a lot of self-reflection and familial events that made it feel much more fleshed out and solid. 

This was the first in a new series and I am excited to read the next one when it is out!

A positive LGBT+ romance for all. 

*All titles are available to check out through the library or are in the process of being ordered for the collection. 

Suggested Reading for Horror Fans

 Horror as a genre is growing and here are some new and some not-so-new authors dominating the field. 

• Stephen King - Most known for titles such as The Shining (1977), The Green Mile (1996), It (1986) and so many more is it any wonder that he is starting off this list?
• Darcy Coates - An Austrian-based horror and thriller author with more than a dozen titles to her name (and a personal favorite). 
• Brian Keene - A popular American author known for his work in horror and dark fantasy. Winner of two Bram Stoker Awards. 
• Sarah Langan - American author and three-time Bram-Stoker award winner. Commonly found on best-of-year lists. 

These are just a few authors in the genre. Check out our recommended reads page for more!

~CP

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

 

4.5/5 ⭐

This duel timeline horror novel features a haunted motel, serial killers, and a long-lost missing aunt. 

The night shift at the Sun Down Motel seems to attract trouble. Both for Viv, who worked there in 1982. And for her niece, Carly, who seeks it out to learn what really happened to her aunt all those years ago. 

The duel POV and time shift can be a little challenging to get used to but makes it well worth to see the parallel events from two different perspectives.

St. James has a talent for creating captivating settings from page one and manages to only build on it from there. Not only does the build-up create the perfect amount of suspense, the well tidied ending with a twist finishes this one off well. 

~CP

Simone St. James' newest book The Book of Cold Cases which came out in 2022 is available now!

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

 

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi is a clever, dynamic, and fun story for sci-fi fans. 

This is not a heavy or brooding science fiction piece. It is, in Scalzi's own words, a 'pop song'. And it truly is. It's engaging and fun and unforgettable. 

If you are newer to science fiction and worried about getting bogged down in explanations, this is the one for you. Scalzi gives us just what the reader needs to know and balances it well with witty dialogue and references to popular science fiction from the past. 

Beyond that, this book is for all the people behind the scenes that have kept and will keep everything running while the CEOs and other higher-ups take their vacations. This book is literally for the people doing the lifting.  

4/5⭐

~cp