According to one Mouse:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - a magical, mysterious book unlike any other I’ve read and possibly my favourite of all time. A story told in journal entries of Piranesi, a man who lives in a huge labyrinth filled with statues.
Memorial by Bryan Washington - a gorgeous tender story of a gay couple told from both sides. Stunningly empathetic and just perfect in its humanity, and use of food as character and relationship device.
Milkfed by Melissa Broder - a weird bisexual masterpiece. Sex, food, obsession.
Helgoland by Carlo Rovelli - a history of quantum physics written by the man known as “the poet of physics”. written so as to be understood by anyone, mostly to tell us that even the physicists cannot fully grasp the reality of it.
Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith - ghost story depicting a decade of Vietnamese folklore and history. Magical, powerful, mysterious. I couldn’t believe it when I found out this was a debut novel and when I finished it I just sort of sat there for a while.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - a woman’s wife comes back from sea, but she is changed, and continues to change. Gay, magical realism. A beautiful allegory that can be read in a day.
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Smith - surrealist retellings of fairytales by my all time favourite short story writer
Recollections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnit - a memoir and potent exploration the silencing and erasure of women by men
Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh - all three of her books her 5 stars, she’s not missed yet. Blue Ticket is like Margaret Atwood meets Angela Carter. Dystopian feminist speculative fiction told with an almost surreal minimalism at times and almost magical vibrancy at others.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi - a scientist born of immigrant parents studying addiction, after her brother died at its hands. Grapples with grief, faith, identity, religion and love with unparalleled skill and tenderness.