Read Like A Longhorn: Book Recommendations

Recommended by Bill, UT Libraries staff in Scholarly Resources​:
A fast-paced SF novel about the struggle to get hold of a new invention, an ”empathy enhancer” device, set in an alternate history South Africa, sometime around 2010. This is a South Africa in which apartheid never ended, and the novel examines prejudice and racism, and the horror and injustice of the apartheid system, while suggesting its universal lingering effects. There are several other inherent themes, like the value and limits of language, and the value and limits of technology. The first novel by the South African writer, it was shortlisted for four awards, including the John W Campbell and the British Science Fiction Association awards, and was described by Ursula Le Guin as “chilling and fascinating”.

Recommended by Elizabeth, UT Libraries staff: It’s a shame that it took 25 years to translate this masterpiece on words, memory, and grief into English & an even bigger disgrace that out of the over twenty books Yōko Ogawa has written since 1988, English translations have only been published for four. The English language world is undoubtedly worse for it—Ogawa’s mastery of her craft is clear in this stunning piece of speculative (or is it?) fiction. If you’ve ever thought about stories—which ones we tell, why we tell them, how they’re told, who’s telling them, or who listens—this one’s for you. ​
TL;DR: stunning sci-fi allegory in translation (from Japanese) about what we say and why

Recommended by Annah, UT Libraries staff: Sea battles! Mutinies! Men keeping a stiff upper lip! In spaaaaaaace!

Recommended by Lydia, UT staff: Takács blurs the meaning of what is speculative about eir fiction, presenting stories where technology and magic blend or confront each other. All are grounded in variations of mysticism, spirituality, and Judaism, and through that lens confront issues such as environmentalism, colonialism, policing, and mental health. What emerges is a journey through several traditional science fiction tropes with a unique twist that encourages the reader to think beyond borders and dichotomies. The stories present diverse characters, but they also normalize variations of gender, pronouns, races, and abilities to create an inclusive reflection of the SpecFic landscape.

Recommended by Sol, UT senior & library student worker: I love a fantasy book with a shapeshifter and two men in love, fighting on opposite sides. Nimona and Lord Ballister Blackheart are seen as villains, but are Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and the others at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics truly heroes? This graphic novel was recently adapted into a movie on Netflix! I recommend the book if you liked the movie and vice versa. This book was also written before the author, Nate Stevenson, came out as trans, but, in my opinion, you can already see the themes of trans identity in how he writes Nimona.

Recommended by Sarah, UT Libraries staff:Sometimes I can't read – books just won't grab me, my attention span isn't there, and I just can't read! In these moments, I often return to childhood favorites (sometimes on audio). Tamara Pierce is one of the authors to whom I often return. The Alanna books are excellent girl power fantasy that can always engross me, even in my non-reading times! Also, don't sleep on the sequel series about Alanna's daughter (Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen), or the other Tortall books – they're also iconic!

Recommended by Dale, UT Libraries staff: Samantha Shannon imagines a world that takes Victorian beliefs about the paranormal to a logical conclusion: There are certain people in the world who can see, communicate with, and manipulate spirits and the “aether.” These people are simultaneously persecuted in and recruited to the security forces of the fascist Scion state of the British Isles. Paige Mahoney, a curiously powerful young “voyant” starts to connect the dots between the Scion state and the Mime Order when she is kidnapped by the Rephaites: humanoid creatures of the aether who also comprise the Scion deep state. Paige finds herself fighting against corrupt and corrupting forces at every turn, and learns that the Rephaites are not all they seem to be.

Recommended by Hannah, UT Libraries staff: This book combines the messy complexities of identity, family, passion, love, haunting, and magic against the background of high octane drag racing, a graduate program full of discovery and betrayal, and the Appalachian mountains, where natural and unnatural roots entwine deep below the surface and everything from secrets to bodies refuse to stay buried. Every word had my heart racing faster than cars on dark backroads and each new plot line was scarier than the revenants who haunted them. It was messy and touching, dripped with Southern authenticity thicker than Spanish moss and late summer humidity, and stayed in my mind for weeks after I read it. I still want to crawl into the muddy grounds of the story and live with the magic, mayhem, and monsters it shelters.

Recommended by Gina, UT Libraries staff: Trail of Lightning is the first of a series about Maggie Hoskie, a Diné/Navajo monster-slayer. She lives in Dinetah – the land that used to be the reservation, but the rest of the former United States is mostly underwater. Now, I'm at capacity for dystopians in post-apocalyptic settings, but this is merely the backdrop for Maggie's adventures of going after monsters and other supernatural threats. It's non-stop fun, and if you're looking for a fresh take on fantasy, this book is a real treat.

Recommended by Sol, UT senior & library student worker: This graphic novel is about a family where all the girls are raised to be witches, and the boys grow up to be shapeshifters, but 13 year old Aster still hasn't shifted, and he's still entranced by witchery, even though it's forbidden to him. When a mysterious danger threatens his family, will Aster be able to rise to the challenge and save his family while truly being himself?