Averill Earls' 3 favorite reads in 2024

When a thousand-year-old fox - who can take the shape of a woman - goes on a vengeful mission to kill the man who murdered her kit, the path before her takes her instead to unexpected friends, old flames, resurging grief, and, eventually, peace. Or something like it. Yangsze Choo is an incredible world-weaver, blending east Asian folklore, fantasy, and feminist critique of both into compelling characters and swirling plots. This was one of the best books I read this year, and might be my favorite of all her books. My favorite thing about this book is how she plays with the Chinese and Japanese myths about foxes (tricksters, villains, vixens), as well as various east Asian philosophical and religious ideas. It’s a beautiful book.

When this book publication announcement came across my email, I had to have it. I think about witchcraft history a lot. The history of witchcraft is my Roman Empire. Gibson brings nuance to the study of witch panics, hunts, and trials. Some of the trials she highlights are familiar - if you listen to the History of Witchcraft podcast, or Dig: A History Podcast, or if you’ve seen any version of The Crucible production, you’ll recognize names and places in some of these chapters. But there are some surprises in there. The story of a woman who beat Heinrich Kramer, famed witch hunter and author of Malleus Maleficarum; the intersections of disability and witchcraft accusations during the English Civil War (and beyond); a witch trial of “Shula” in Basutoland, Africa. These are fascinating (sometimes horrifying) snippets from history. Her last chapter is on the trial of Stormy Daniels: a reminder that while witch trials are not (have never been) sex-specific, they are sex-related. A closer look at these historic witch trials reveal a great deal about our present.

A being born to work for a corporation terraforming a planet reclaims her body, mind, and planet for herself and the people around her. This is only my second Newitz book, but I think I love her approach to science fiction. This is a book about imperialism, gender, sexuality, revolution and resistance, environmental justice, but it’s also a book about love, friendship, and self actualization that captures a thread of pulsing existence in our current world.