It’s been a long 2022, so we’re taking a moment to think about all the books that helped us make it through the year. As we prepare to jump into 2023, Tor Publishing Group’s staff looks back on some of the stories we’re thankful for!
The Atlas Paradox
by Olivie Blake
I’m grateful for Blake’s incredible Atlas series, and The Atlas Paradox in particular. I often find the world a bit scary and overwhelming, and as a result really enjoy media that unpacks the thorniness of being alive. None of the powerful magicians that comprise the cast of Paradox are okay, but in watching the complicated ways they struggle against, help, and even hurt each other, the real world feels less confusing and intimidating.
a cat, Digital Marketing Coordinator
Nettle & Bone
by T. Kingfisher
Tessa Villanueva, Editorial Assistant
Book of Night
by Holly Black
I’m thankful to exist in the same universe as Holly Black, and I’m so thankful that with Book of Night she’s expanding the type of stories she tells. I’ve loved her young adult books, and to see her progress into a different realm of storytelling has been fantastic. I’m so excited to be able to keep reading her, and see what she does next!
Julia Bergen, Marketing Manager
The Genesis of Misery
by Neon Yang
I’m grateful for The Genesis of Misery because it’s an outrageously creative work of space opera, a delightfully genderspun/queered mecha novel, and also a deeply nuanced genre-reception/refraction/retelling of the Joan of Arc mythos. But more than that, I’m grateful for Neon Yang for 1) existing, 2) writing this book, and 3) continuing to be one of the most lovable human beings on the planet with one of the most staggeringly vast imaginations.
Yvonne Ye, Ad/Promo Assistant
Legends & Lattes
by Travis Baldree
This year, I am immensely grateful for Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and even more grateful for my extremely patient coworkers, as they listened to me rant about how much I loved this book at least three times per week since I read it. No, I am not sorry, and yes, you should definitely add this to the top of your TBR pile as soon as possible. I didn’t know I needed cozy fantasy in my life until I got my hands on this book. Warm, comforting, and joyful, Legends & Lattes follows Viv, a battle weary orc who hangs up her sword and takes a chance on building something for herself-the first ever coffee shop in the town of Thune. This book has found family, giant cinnamon rolls, and a gentle love story that will have you savoring this tale until you’ve turned the final page.
Rachel Taylor, Senior Marketing Manager
The Traitor Baru Cormorant
by Seth Dickinson
I am grateful for Seth Dickinson’s epic fantasy novel The Traitor Baru Cormorant because it made my cold, dead heart feel so many things. This gorgeously written, tragic book was without a doubt one of my favorite reads of the year. Baru, a young woman from a colonized land who joins the enemy empire to take them down from the inside, is one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever read. I found myself rooting for her even as she made horrible, heart-rending decisions. If you want to cry ugly tears in 2023, give this one a read.
Merlin Hoye, Marketing Assistant
Just Like Home
by Sarah Gailey
I’m grateful for Sarah Gailey and their novel Just Like Home. I’ve never read a haunted house book like this one, and believe me, I’ve read a lot of haunted house books. I took so much gratification in hand-selling Just Like Home this year at New York and San Diego Comic Cons. I’m so grateful I get to work with authors who are not only great writers, but great people.
Jordan Hanley, Senior Marketing Manager
I have to second Mr. Baldree’s pick of “Legends and Lattes”. A very fun read.
Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope was the book I’m most grateful for. Not only was it the best book I read last year, it was the best book I’ve read in at least a decade.
This magical realism book is set in 1925 in Washington DC. You can feel the heat sizzling in the unairconditioned Washington summer. And it’s not just the atmosphere that sizzles. The writing does, too. It’s part heist story, part mystery, part magical, part romantic and all wonderful.
The clearly well-researched details of what it was like to be black in the 1920s are part of what makes the book so special. And there are characters who not only have the burdens (and joys) of being black, but who also have other challenges and secrets such as the attendees at the Fairy Ball.