Episode 639: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable 2023

For the 2023 instalment of the Very Coode Street Gift Guide, we invited some old friends to share their recommendations of books read in 2023:  Alix E. Harrow (whose very worthy Starling House was a favorite, officially excluded from discussion because of her participation in the episode), award-winning Locus reviewer Ian Mond, and distinguished novelist James Bradley, whose nonfiction Deep Water: The World in the Ocean will be out next year.  

The books mentioned during the podcast are listed below.

James Bradley recommended:

The Deluge, Stephen Markley

Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

White Cat, Black Dog, Kelly Link

Translation State, Ann Leckie

Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh

Alix E. Harrow recommended:

Menewood, Nicola Griffith

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, Roshani Chokshi

He Who Drowned the World, Shelley Parker-Chan

The Magician's Daughter, H.G. Parry

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett

Ian Mond recommended:

Conquest, Nina Allan

Terrace Stories, Hilary Leichter

In Ascension, Martin MacInnes

Him, Geoff Ryman

I am Homeless if this Is Not My Home, Lorrie Moore

Gary recommended:

Mr. Breakfast, Jonathan Carroll

The Essential Peter S. Beagle (2 vols.), Peter S. Beagle

Airside, Christopher Priest

Lost Places,Sarah Pinsker (and also Monstrous Alterations, Christopher Barzak; Jewel Box, E. Lily Yu; & The Privilege of a Happy Ending, Kij Johnson)

Jonathan recommended:

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath, Garth Nix

Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, Wole Talabi

The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera

The Crane Husband, Kelly Barnhill

Hopeland, Ian McDonald

As always, our thanks to Alix, James, and Ian for making time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the podcast and that the guide is of some help at this time of the year.