40. The Vaster Wilds

By Lauren Groff (253 pp)

The last book I read in 2024! I love this author's writing. This story is about a young servant girl who runs away from an early colonial settlement that is starving. It's winter, conditions severe, and the whole thing nerve-wracking like how is she even going to do this? It's a riveting story but not my favorite by this author. The MC is dreamy and out there and I didn't relate.

39. Livesuit (Captive's War 1.5)

By James SA Corey (90 pp)(ebook)

This is a novella set in the world of The Mercy of Gods. In it, humanity is in a great war across the galaxy and the story is more military action. Humans are recruited as soldiers and use suits that are integrated with their human body. It's very dark but really good.

38. The Mercy of Gods (Captive's War 1)

By James SA Corey (422 pp)

I LOVED The Expanse -- books and show. I would love to read and watch again if I didn't already have such a stacked TBR and "to watch" list. This is the first book in a new series by the same authors. I was barely a few chapters in when I was already having anxiety about having to wait another year to get the next one. In this book, humans live on a world they colonized at some point and they learn that something alien is headed their way. The alien invasion is quick and violent and our characters, a group of researchers, are taken to the alien home world. Nothing is as it seems. I would read it again now but I'm going to wait and re-read right before I read Book 2. Fantastic!

37. Butcher and Blackbird

by Brynne Weaver (351 pp)

Continuing the theme of reading things I normally wouldn't -- I grabbed this popular romance where the two main characters are serial killers. Serial killer Sloan targets bad men and kills them in her signature way. She runs into a little trouble but is rescued by another serial killer Rowan who also targets bad people. The meeting leads to a connection. I liked the set up -- that in this world, serial killers know about each other and also we don't see or hear much about law enforcement. But oof, take the content warnings to heart -- this got a little rugged for me. Thought it was a good book but not for me.