The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Songbirds & Snakes was published during the pandemic, and as much as I loved the original trilogy, I simply couldn’t pick up dystopian literature in 2020. 

Collins paints a portrait of our favorite villain that makes him three-dimensional, and at times we even root for Snow. This is a magic trick that is worthy of the Covey, and I love that Collins has woven the Covey into her tale. This enriches the world that she paints and deepens my love for the series and the author. 

One of the things we say is that the deck is stacked and the cards are marked, but even so, when you start to win anyway, they will try to change the rules. Because Snow must always, always, land on top. 

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Khaw weaves ancient tales into a beautiful and haunting tapestry of horror, power, domination, and all the ways the world makes monsters of us. And yet we live and love and forge connections, craving, striving, being.

All that is on display, with a prodigious and masterful, lyrical command of language that worms its way in to the darkest corners, unapologetically redecorating as it goes.

I loved this.

But then, I would.

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

2018