Staff Picks

A Sorceress Comes to Call – T. Kingfisher

Dark, fun, Gaslamp fantasy with a loveable cast of characters. A feel good book with a touch of magic. A well-written, unsympathetic villain, gore, ghosts and a headless horse

Read Alike: Ordinary Monsters, The Book Eaters, The Night Circus
Reviewed by: Barb

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Historical Fiction
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy
  • Horror / Gory

Immortal Dark – Tigest Grima

Who is the real villain of the story? The ambiguity adds a gripping twist, turning the story into an intriguing must-read!

Read Alike: Maybe Deadly Education by Naomi Novik?
Reviewed by: Barb

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy
  • Horror / Gory

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

A tragic study of adoration and vanity. Haunting and reflective. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to fist fight Dorian by the end of this book

Read Alike: The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Faust by Goethe
Reviewed by: Emma Lynn

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Historical Fiction

This Will Be Fun – E. B. Asher

The perfect “cozy fantasy” – full of humor, romance, and sword fights! Think Shrek meets Princess Bride with King Arthur’s knights on a quest.

Read Alike: The Princess Bride, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Reviewed by: Barb

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Fast-paced,
  • Light or fun – a fast read

The Will of the Many – James Islington

This was the most recommended book to me in 2024. Dark Academia, meets fantasy Roman Empire in a somewhat futuristic space. Single POV and twists that keep on coming for this series!

Read Alike: Atlas Six, An Academy for Liars, Red Rising
Reviewed by: Pam

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Monstrilio – Gerardo Samano Cordova

Who knew you could do so much with a piece of lung? I wish I could read this again for the first time.

Read Alike: Chlorine

Reviewed by: Leah

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Horror / Gory

Lights Out – Navessa Allen

Masked Thirst trap fans unite! This hilarious contemporary dark romance is perfect for anyone looking for a fast, spicy read with two everyday people who need to be pulled from their mundane grey lives into full color!

Read Alike: Butcher and Blackbird
Reviewed by: Pam

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • Romance
  • Mystery / Thriller / Espionage,
  • A Fast read

The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov

A satirical soviet era tale that follows the devil and his devilish antics as he causes chaos around Moscow. Honorable mention to the devil’s companion who happens to be a human-sized anthropomorphic cat who plays chess and drinks vodka. Needless to say this book will make you question your sanity.

Read Alike: Metamorphosis by Kafka, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol, The Idiot by Dostoyevsky
Reviewed by: Emma Lynn

This book is:

  • Fiction
  • A Work in Translation