An Untamed State, by Roxane Gay: This may have been one of the most difficult books I've read all year, if not in all my reading life, and also one of the best. As such, I've struggled to write about it--how do you review something that is so brutal and yet so honest, that reveals the depths of human cruelty and also our capacity to withstand the worst life can throw at us? You don't, I've decided. But still, you should read this. Just be prepared for an author who refuses to shy away from pretty much anything.
Parnassus on Wheels, by Christopher Morley: This little gem showed up in the second Book Riot Quarterly box, and I devoured it in just a few days. A charming story of a woman who takes her destiny into her own hands--by buying a travelling bookstore, no less. Who doesn't want that life?
Invisible City, by Julia Dahl: An awesome mystery-meets-journalist-intrigue story of a young woman investigating the death of a murdered Ultra-Orthodox woman. Read my full review of Invisible City, and stay tuned for my interview with Julia later this week.
My Real Children, by Jo Walton: Jo Walton is my homegirl, I think. Among Others was one of my absolute favorite books of 2011 (is it really that old!?), and while My Real Children is very, very different, it's also very, very good--especially if you enjoy books that push the boundaries of what is possible to ask the "What if?" question again and again.
Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughn (Volumes 1 & 2): Someone recommended this series to me after I lamented the wait for the next volume of Saga, and I don't regret it. It's funky, it's weird, and it's got a balance of girlpower and girlcrazy that just... works.
Blackbirds, by Chuck Wendig: DUDES. HOW DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS!? Wendig is an awesome writer--I knew that from reading Blue Blazes--but Blackbirds is so amazingly kick-ass that I cannot believe it took me so long to pick it up. Violent and thoughtful and generally amazeballs, this is. Read it. Read it now.
What were the best books you read in May?
