As is always the case with these lists, it’s tough to pick just a few books. I’ve also been pushing myself to read more books I wouldn’t normally seek out, which I’ve loved, but it also makes this list complicated. How do you compare a collection of short stories that play with the supernatural to a short novel about vampiric nuns to a slow-burn sci-fi romance? Frankly, I’m not sure. If you were to ask what are my top five reads this year, I might have a different answer for you in a few days because I’ve enjoyed so many.

That said, I’ve begrudgingly narrowed the list down to a top five that have really stuck with me this year. In no particular order, they are—

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart by GennaRose Nethercott

The stories in Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart are about the abomination that resides within us all. That churning, clawing, ravenous yearning: the hunger to be held, and seen, and known. And the terror, too: to be loved too well, or not enough, or for long enough. To be laid bare before your sweetheart, to their horror. To be recognized as the monstrous thing you are.

Two teenage girls working at a sinister roadside attraction called the Eternal Staircase explore its secrets—and their own doomed summer love. A zombie rooster plays detective in a missing persons case. A woman moves into a new house with her acclaimed artist boyfriend—and finds her body slowly shifting into something specially constructed to accommodate his needs and whims. A pack of middle schoolers turn to the occult to rid themselves of a hated new classmate. And a pair of outcasts, a vampire and a goat woman, find solace in each other, even as the world’s lack of understanding might bring about its own end.

In these lush, strange, beautifully written stories, GennaRose Nethercott explores human longing in all its diamond-dark facets to create a collection that will redefine what you see as a beast, and make you beg to have your heart broken.

On Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart

This is a collection of short stories (plus a catalog of illustrated beasts) which pull from folklore and the supernatural to put the reader in a constant state of unease—in a good way. It ranges from monstrous pits-turned-theme parks to a girl who is cursed to drown at every opportunity—always tapping equally into the surreal and our humanity.

This is a wild read that will keep you on your toes. Personally, I loved that, but other reviewers have found this collection a bit too strange for their liking, so your milage may vary. Read my full review of Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart on FanFiAddict.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

On Babel

Babel is a beautifully written book which meanders through a student’s lessons in translation and magic at a fictional Oxford—until suddenly we’re not meandering anymore. Everything has fallen apart, and we are left to try to pick up the pieces.

Babel is one of my most memorable reads this year, and it was also one of the most challenging. I don’t think it will be for everyone, but I do think it’s a story worth trying. Read my full review of Babel on FanFiAddict.

Thrill Switch by Tim Hawken

Detective Ada Byron is pumped to be assigned her first murder case–until she sees the crime scene. Someone has been killed exactly the same way as her father was seven years earlier. But, impossibly, he died using VR and the programmer responsible is still in prison.

To see if this is a copycat or something more sinister, Ada must confront her father’s killer: the enigmatic Jazlin Switch. What she discovers will change the face of both the real world and the metaverse forever…

On Thrill Switch

Thrill Switch is a wildly fun cyberpunk crime thriller set in both the real world and virtual one. It explores both spaces brilliantly, questioning how each works while showing the merits of them at the same time—but never loses sight of the mystery at hand. Who is murdering people while they’re jacked into VR? Read my full review of Thrill Switch on FanFiAddict.

Skin Thief by Suzan Palumbo

The stories in this collection of dark fantasy and horror short stories grapple with the complexities of identity, racism, homophobia, immigration, oppression and patriarchy through nature, gothic hauntings, Trinidadian folklore and shape shifting. At the heart of the collection lie the questions: how do we learn to accept ourselves? How do we live in our own skin?

On Skin Thief

God, what a good book. Suzan Palumbo has a knack for building relatable characters quickly, and I deeply cared about all of them in this collection. These are stories about identity, paralleled by the author’s experiences of being both Canadian and Trinidadian. You can feel how the prose and dialogue shifts as you read these stories, and how those cultures pull at each other in the middle. Read my full review of Skin Thief on FanFiAddict.

Umbra by Amber Toro

Earth That Was has faded into myth. After millenia spent wandering, humans are no longer nomads. Twelve tribes stand allied under the United Tribal Axis; but there is a signal in the darkness that threatens to destroy everything. 

All Skyla wanted after leaving the Navy was to be left alone. Just her ship, the stars, and a new adventure. But when a strange virus disables her ship, she is thrown into the middle of a conflict she doesn’t understand, forcing her to take on responsibilities she swore she never would again. 

Hinata always followed the rules, honor above all else. He always won, until he didn’t. Sentenced to exile for his failures, he is determined to prove himself, until a mysterious woman arrives on his station and chaos threatens to break already fragile alliances. 

Freyja was always angry, an outcast, playing the part of admiral and black ops operative. But she is tired of being a pawn in the Empress’ games and when she’s stranded on the wrong side of enemy lines after a vengeful battle, she’s forced to ally with her adversaries to clear her name.

A Rogue.

A Commander.

And an Admiral.

Brought together by circumstance, held together by duty.

Can they find a way to work together to save humanity?

On Umbra

Amber Toro absolutely nailed this debut. She writes in such a way that it’s easy to get sucked into this world and these characters—even the sentient spaceships have a ton of personality. The first half is a bit slow as Toro is establishing the world, but things accelerate quickly after that. I’m excited to see how the political tension and Skyla’s adventures pan out, though if you’re just in it for the romance Umbra also delivers a delightful slow burn that you’re sure to love. Read my full review of Umbra on FanFiAddict.

Honorable Mentions

Fall, Sacred Apple by Emory Glass: I am constantly impressed and intimidated by the depth to Glass’ worldbuilding. This story takes place in a small abbey, but it feels much bigger than that, and she’s left me excited about what comes next for Corbha and Einaid.

A Stitch Between Worlds by Frasier Armitage: Not just a short story collection, but a strange collage of worlds. This book has everything from cyberpunk heists to sentient dinosaurs, all the while playing with format such as including a story formatted as a screenplay. This collection is just so incredibly fun, I had to give it a mention. 

A Catalogue for the End of Humanity by Timothy Hickson: This mostly sci-fi collection has a few stand-out stories in it. “Two Robots” and “Trickle-Down Lobotomy” both live rent-free in my head, and are some of the most brilliant pieces of writing I’ve encountered this year.

On a personal note, thanks to the team & readers for welcoming me into FanFiAddict earlier this year, and for supporting my own release of Digital Extremities. I came into this a little uncertain about where I was headed, but this community has been so incredible. I’m excited to see what books are coming out in 2025—as well as continue my own writing journey, starting with Animus Paradox in January.

And maybe—just maybe—I’ll finally get this TBR under control.

Probably not, though. 😅