This Week: January 11th

News and Updates

After most authors taking the holidays off, the event season is in full swing! I had a great time at the event Friday night and have another coming up at the end of this week. It’s why we’re covering the top events of the next few months this week – some of my favorite book and author gatherings happen this time of year and I don’t want you to miss them!

This Week

This week took me to a subgenre I have never ventured to before – Afrofuturism. Octavia Butler is who most readers consider the unofficial Queen of Science Fiction – and I can see why!

Monthly Reading Challenge: Science Fiction

Weekly Reading Challenge: Afrofuturism

When war breaks out on earth, an alien ship arrives to help care for the survivors but finds few. They utilize suspended animation to help save and care for the humans but bringing them out of it shows some challenges. The humans are terrified of the aliens. They have a hard time understanding that the aliens are there to help. The humans do not wish to assimilate to the alien culture and struggle to do as they are told. When a plan is developed to return them to Earth many years later, the question becomes will they know how to survive when none of the modern tools and technology they depended on exists anymore, and in trying to teach the humans how to fend for themselves, the aliens discover that, at the core of their personalities, the humans are wrought with jealousy, greed, and distrust that threatens to undo everything they have been working towards.

If you’re looking for other great books for this prompt, try one of these reads recommended by our StoryGraph community:

Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, Ytasha Womack
Binti, Nnedi Okorafor
The Galaxy Game, Karen Lord
Kindred, Octavia Butler

New This week

This week, the paperback version of a book we reviewed a few months back is being released – Head Cases by John McMahon. If you are a reader who waits for the paperbacks, go grab this one – you’ll love it!

The paperback for another great book by one of our favorite authors is hitting shelves, too – The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune. We haven’t read this one yet, but our friends won’t stop talking about it. If you’ve read it, drop a comment with your review below.

In Case You Missed It

Last Week’s Prompt

Arthur woke up this morning to bulldozers in front of his house. Eminent domain they said. He should have seen the notices they said. Ford woke up this morning to a notice the galactic builders would arrive at Earth today. Eminent domain they said. They should have seen the notices they said. Now Arthur and Ford are stowaways – hitchhikers – on an intergalactic improbability spaceship trying to survive with the help of a book of tips written just for travelers like them.

I give The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 4.2 out of 5 stars. This is a hilarious story perfect for middle grade readers, or just the middle grade readers in all of us adults. While I liked this book, it just wasn’t one I’d shout from the rooftops about – it was an easy read with loveable characters, and scenes that came to life. If you’re a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, you will love this book! I’d also recommend this to readers who enjoyed Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Last Week’s Articles

Science Fiction is a genre I haven’t spent much time reading, but last week we dove right in. We reviewed some great books you might want to include in your TBR stack this month, but also linked to the Spotify Reading Playlist for January full of intergalactic-themed songs about stars, spaceships, aliens, and more.

I mentioned in one of our TikTok posts that reading challenges like ours are fantastic for people like me who tend to get stuck in the same trends – reading the same genres and never really exploring to other parts of the library. This month has taught me so much about the types of Science Fiction I enjoy, and some I really don’t. What’s been your favorite so far?

Last Week’s Preview

hat if your best option was to say yes to the Dark Lord instead of going home? 👀

Arabella’s day was supposed to be perfectly ordinary…until her carriage is attacked by a mysterious brute dressed head to toe in black. He’s dangerous, infuriatingly handsome, and seems to actually enjoy it when she fights back. When he offers her a choice—marry him and claim a new kind of power, or return to a father who only sees her as a bargaining chip—the answer suddenly isn’t so simple.

I give The Dark Lord’s Guide to Dating 5 out of 5 Stars! You can read our full review here.

Reading Challenge Prompts

In 2026, we’re reading through the genres in our local libraries, starting with Science Fiction! This isn’t my favorite genre, but I’m having fun digging in so far. Which of our weekly prompts is your favorite type of science fiction?

This Week: January 11th

News and Updates

This Week