I Eat Books Like You for Breakfast: Claire’s Reading List!

By Editor in Chief Claire Watson

Screw it. It’s my turn to do a reading list.

Lately, I’ve been on a rampage through my bookshelf. I’ve always loved reading, but this year has been special. I think a spell has been cast on my house, because suddenly my parents are tearing through books even faster than I can, and many of our dinner discussions, much to my delight, have turned to the topics of books. The simple and nerdy act of reading me has been filling me with so much excitement, and I want to share this with you.

Science Fiction

In Ascencion by Martin MacInnes

If you’re one of those people that goes, ‘Why are we exploring space and not our oceans?’ then this book is for you. MacInnes combines marine biology with space exploration, in this narrative that questions cycles of abuse, inheritance, and our place in the universe. As a space opera set in the very near future, this book is grounded in our reality, making it an emotional roller coaster from the very first page.

Frontier by Grace Curtis

Set in a post-Anthropocene world, Earth has been almost entirely vacated. Those that remain have transformed our world into an apocalyptic wild west. Our protagonist, who remains unnamed for most of the novel, crash-lands on Earth in order to find her missing lover. It’s funny, it’s queer, and incredibly heart-warming. Each chapter is written almost as an episode, with Curtis establishing her own tropes that she continues to play with throughout the piece.

The Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir

One thing that all these books have in common, is their lesbian protagonists. However, no one is doing ‘lesbians in space’ quite like Tamsyn Muir. The Locked Tomb Series is a cauldron of gothic literature dashed with fantasy, served in a beautiful bowl of dystopian science fiction. Muir’s hauntingly beautiful prose is balanced perfectly by her humorous characters, in a way that makes every page a different kind of punch to the throat. The first book Gideon the Ninth is particularly gripping as necromantic zealots face off in a test of their prowess, while its sequel Harrow the Ninth shows Muir’s subtlety as the narrative erupts into chaos.

Fantasy

The Story of Silence by Alex Myers

Transgender chivalric knights. What more is there to say? This novel is an exciting adaptation of a French legend, that pays loving homage to its medieval roots. If you’re an English student, you will easily recognise Myers’ use of Arthurian tropes. This is a gripping fantasy that is driven by Silence on their quest to become a knight and live as his most authentic self. The novel is framed by a Bard recounting Silence’s tale, and I would highly recommend listening to James McNaughton read this beautiful tale. As a non-binary person, this may be the most gender-affirming book I have read and can’t recommend it enough.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Jones’ subversion of fairytale tropes makes for an exciting narrative. It’s a ‘self-aware’ fairytale, with Sophie bemoaning her luck as being the eldest sister, Jones teaches us to be careful in how we perceive ourselves. Cursed by the evil Witch of the Waste, Sophie is transformed into an old woman, and runs away. She practically breaks into the titular moving castle and begins her new life as the wizard Howl’s cleaning lady. The more Sophie believes that she is the unlucky eldest sister, the more that becomes a reality. Playing with the rules of fairytales, Jones explores how no one’s destiny is set in stone. This book is incredibly light-hearted and funny, making it an easy read for all ages. If you love the Ghibli film, reading the source-material will make your watching experience all the more enjoyable.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

You will likely have heard of The Night Circus, but I would implore everyone who ever loved a book to read The Starless Sea. This is one of those fantasy books that unveils a magical world hidden beneath our own. As a consequence, it’s one of those books that makes magic feel real. Morgenstern’s characters explore a world that has been made of stories, even delving literally behind their narratives to travel between realms of imagination. Morgenstern’s characters are enchanting, and though this is a book, are visually stunning. What I love most about this novel, is how Morgenstern writes it like a video game. For me, it perfectly marries my love of reading and playing.

Historical Fiction

Nettleblack by Nat Reeve

Another amazing book for our non-binary or transmasculine readers. This is an exhilarating work of historical fiction. Reeve’s world is so vibrant that I kept having to remind myself that it was historical fiction, not fantasy. Each character is unique and is given by Reeve the opportunity to tell their side of the story, through letters and diary entries. It’s a quirky ‘whodunnit’ and has the added bonus of a fantastic romance.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

But if a cosy read is not what you’re looking for, then I would recommend Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Waters is well known for her lesbian historical fiction, but Fingersmith is a personal favourite of mine. It’s a tale of deception, love, and manipulation. If there’s one thing you know about Waters, it’s that her character will suffer. This book is exhilarating, with incredible twists that will leave your heart pounding. It’s a chunky read, but one you won’t want to put down. However, you might want to check out a list of content warnings before picking up this read.

Literary Fiction

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

I think about this book a lot. It’s one of those books where I look at the cover and go ‘You… How dare you.’ It’s an incredible tale about two friends and their complex relationship as they work together to create video games. The narrative begins in the 90’s, and ends in the mid-2010’s. As a novice gamer, it was so exciting to see how Zevin worked real-life games into her fictional canon. As a highly emotional reader that will cry at most books if given the chance, how dare you, Zevin. This book is really a roller-coaster, and at that, a page-turner. It’ll make you smile, and it’ll make you sob on the couch in front of your family.

The Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

Another heart-crusher, as this novel follows Cedar, an Ojibwe woman, who discovers that she is pregnant at the end of the world. This novel has elements of science-fiction, as evolution begins working backwards. but the primary focus is on the agency of women, in particular Indigenous women. Surveillance rises as pregnant women are tracked by the government to be taken and locked in hospitals. While Erdrich evokes dystopian fiction, this novel speaks to the apocalypse Indigenous people have already endured through the colonisation of their land and bodies.

Maurice by E.M. Forster

It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t talk about my favourite book of all time, Maurice. This book was first written in 1918 but kept in the form of manuscripts and only shared with a select group of people. Why? Because the book follows Maurice Hall as he explores his homosexuality and engages in a romantic relationship with another man. The novel tackles things such as sexuality in this conservative age, but also class, as Maurice falls in love with Alec, a working-class groundskeeper. Most importantly, this book is happy. It is hopeful, as Forster, himself a gay man, refused to write a narrative that ended with his queer characters hanging by a rope.

To wrap up my reading list, I want to hype up your local library. It’s super easy to set up a library account (all you need is a proof of address), and it takes about two seconds. If you’re worried that your library’s stock is limited, then online you can request books. I’d been looking for Howl’s Moving Castle for ages, but I was able to order into Cork City library on their website. Stop wasting your money on Audible and start using BorrowBox! With a library account, you’ll have access to thousands of audiobooks through BorrowBox. You can reserve and download your books to listen offline. I didn’t know this until chatting with writers, but borrowing books from a library actually helps writers, and they earn a buttload more through libraries than ordering their books off Amazon. There’s also plenty of fiction books to be found in the Boole Library, but you might make a few English students mad.