Here are 86 books that Junkyard fans have personally recommended if you like
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My dad and Uncle (who was not my uncle!) were both WWII veterans; I was fortunate to receive an artist’s grant to gather stories from WWII veterans in Minnesota and told several at concerts honoring the anniversary of D-Day. My counseling background unexpectedly came into play as their stories left me understanding their heroism, sacrifice, shell shock, and grief. These vets grew up never leaving a circle about a hundred miles across and were suddenly thrown into a foreign country and war. I was compelled to research and write about the 1930’s, life on the farm, young romance, and trying to heal PTSD after the war.
Every now and then, I discover a book that has imagined a world and/or a character that takes me by surprise, and I can’t stop reading about them. Again, it’s all about character! In this book, I met a human cyborg enslaved by a computer program and built as a security unit rented out to corporate groups exploring planets for profit.
This sentient cyborg frees itself from enslavement, hilariously staves off the boredom of security work by watching its favorite media series, and as it watches characters in these shows, begins to learn about human behavior. I enjoyed the awkward, touching way it developed friendships and emotional connections. The character, which calls itself Murderbot, presents as if it’s on the spectrum.
Its first-person narration is snarky, occasionally hilarious, and endearing as it slowly learns what it means to have friendships. And oh, it finds all this wildly inconvenient, hates eye…
All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or lain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. In a corporate dominated s pa cef a ring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by…
Betty Lennox is an elemental witch desperate to leave her desert hometown of Smokethorn, California, and sell the paranormal seniors' trailer park she inherited from her mother.
Running low on cash to maintain the park's protection spell, she accepts a dangerous job: procuring a cursed grimoire so deadly even the…
I love to read, and sometimes I want to be lost in a story or world for just an hour or two. Oh, I’m always sorry when a good story ends, no matter how long or short. But a good novella is like a slice of homemade chocolate cake. I might want to eat more, but if it’s perfectly done, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as that first, warm slice out of the oven.
Ilona Andrews has written several novellas, most of which go with one of her series or perhaps even the start of a series. This one was hilarious; it was the greatest dating disaster ever.
The story doesn’t fit into any of Ilona Andrew’s series, but it contains their trademark humor and shenanigans. My favorite Ilona Andrews book is probably On the Edge, and my favorite series is the Innkeeper series. But for a quick afternoon read when I needed a smile, this was the perfect cake with tea.
A young adult story about a girl, a pig, some magic, and the worst date ever.
Chad Thurman is a thug, who carries brass knuckles in both pockets and lays magic traps for intruders into "his" neighborhood. The last thing Alena Kornov wants to do is to go on the date with him. But when her family pressures her, she can't say no. Now the ice-cream is absent, the pig is running for its life, and we won't even mention the dead guy...
This story previously appeared as a free read on our website.
I love to read, and sometimes I want to be lost in a story or world for just an hour or two. Oh, I’m always sorry when a good story ends, no matter how long or short. But a good novella is like a slice of homemade chocolate cake. I might want to eat more, but if it’s perfectly done, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as that first, warm slice out of the oven.
This is one of those books with three novellas that add up to a novel. The first introduces our intrepid wizard, a man happy with a beer and his laboratory tucked deep inside his castle. He does not wish to be bothered by quests, adventures, or distressed maidens.
The stories are fun and funny, and there’s enough suspense to keep me eagerly turning the pages. The main character is a bit of a bumbling fantasy version of “Columbo.” He is a wizard who can’t use violence to win, so he must use his brains.
The romantasy is told from the male POV and doesn’t occur until the last, longest story of the set. I loved all three stories and also love Frank Tuttle’s Markhat series.
All three of Wistril's magical misadventures are included in this complete compilation of cantrips and catastrophes!
Wistril Besieged --
Wizard Wistril's wants are simple -- four meals a day, a steady supply of honey-gold Upland beer, and above all else, peace and quiet.
All but the latter are in plentiful supply at Castle Kauph. Despite secreting himself on the edge of the Wild, Wistril finds himself battling an army of relentless mercenaries while the entire population of the nearest village takes refuge in his home. Even Kern, Wistril's long-suffering, sharp-tongued apprentice, isn't sure whether the army or the houseguests will…
Delve into this internationally best-selling series, now complete! A fast paced laugh-out-loud mix of Urban Fantasy and Mystery.
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time. I’m Jinx, a PI hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar–yet my gut…
I love to read, and sometimes I want to be lost in a story or world for just an hour or two. Oh, I’m always sorry when a good story ends, no matter how long or short. But a good novella is like a slice of homemade chocolate cake. I might want to eat more, but if it’s perfectly done, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as that first, warm slice out of the oven.
A wonderful mix of humor, mystery, and a delightful tendency to land tropes upside down (Vampires drink tomato juice, for example).
This volume has three stories, and it serves as a nice introduction to K.M. Shea’s whimsical style. Fits easily into the cozy paranormal genre. I’ve enjoyed many other K.M. Shea books, but this was one of my first reads of hers. I love the zany, unexpected character traits and the unique tangents of the main plots.
High School student Morgan Fae is beginning to question her sanity.
After witnessing a weird incident involving a werewolf, a substitute teacher/possible vampire, and a thermos of tomato juice, she is taken to the Magical Beings' Rehabilitation Center. The MBRC is an organization that strives to integrate magical beings into human society and hides itself in Chicago’s Union Station. It’s also a massive secret, and Morgan’s accidental initiation into it breaks every rule the place has.
Until MBRC officials can figure out how to undo the damage, Morgan is given a part-time job at the center so its residents can…
I’ve held a burgeoning interest in the stars since I was a young girl. Daydreams of adventure and exploration guided me to the genre. Once I found it, I consumed everything I could find, both on-screen and in the pages of books. There’s something to be said about the vulnerability of being in the vastness of space, oftentimes with strangers who grow to be family. I guess, in a way, it reminds me of that moment when we set out into the world, away from our families, to learn and explore more about our surroundings and the characters we meet along the way (only on a much grander scale).
I don’t typically read military sci-fi or hard science fiction, but these two incredible authors have pulled me in. This series is part of a bigger universe called Aeon 14 and all of it is a joy to read. The authors work together to weave a story full of well-developed characters, flawless character interactions, along with conflict and resolution.
The Silstrand Alliance lies at the intersection of vast empires. And they're losing ground... Kylie Rhoads, one-time officer in the Silstrand Space Force, is now a junker. Captain of the Dauntless, she plies the black at the edge of the Gedri System, looking for derelict hulls to pull in and sell for salvage. So that she can bring Maverick his cut of the take...
But the Silstrand Alliance hasn't forgotten Kylie, and Maverick has something they desperately need.
Kylie finds herself caught up with old friends, enemies, and a rather terrifying new technology that will make or break whatever future…
I started writing about another world when I was eight years old. I was already a reader, but books for kids were full of adventuring boys, with girls mostly sidelined. My world started with a gang of adventuring girls, and as I aged up, it kept getting bigger, and deeper, especially as I studied history. All fiction is a mirror to our contemporary society, and in conversation with other fiction; so is epic fantasy written over a lifetime. Many books later, I still get to adventure, wield magic, and be a hero, through my characters!
This is my favorite type of space opera: bigger-than-life characters, tons of action, with great sense of wonder and a world full of surprises. The women characters are excellent, as well.
There is a touch of fantasy in this series that I found sparked a hint of the numinous.
When an assassination on the Senate floor threatens the thirty-year peace between the human Republic and the mysterious Mageworlds, the victim's daughter is forced to become accustomed to the galactic intrigue, but the Galaxy may never get used to her. Reissue.
Deadwood meets The Vampire Diaries in this tale of brother versus brother and blood-magic set in a gaslamp fantasy world. Llew’s body transfers life. One nation wants her dead. Another wants her power for itself. Two brothers want the same. Only one might be swayed by love.
I’ve always thought that the Venn diagram of Space Opera and Military Science Fiction should not be a circle. I thought there should be stories about people living in interstellar civilizations that didn’t involve massive wars across unimaginable distances, resulting in untold misery and suffering. So, I wrote some, starting with Quarter Share. Each of these books shows mostly normal people trying to get by in a galaxy far, far away.
Another orphan struggling. This opening title in Wilker’s Grand Human Empire series introduces a free-lance hauler pilot, Jackson Caruso, and his collection of relatives, enemies, and allies as he tries to keep his ship flying and his skin in one piece.
A fun romp about taking risks, making do, and sometimes making friends.
Jackson ”Jax” Caruso inherited a ship from his parents.
They're dead, they don't need it.
The unification wars happened a while ago, Jax's parent's fought for the losing side. Now he takes the jobs he can get; smuggling, bounty hunting, hauling cargo. If it pays, he'll do it.
When Jax is approached with a job that seems to good too be true, he should have known better, he should have walked.
He didn't.
Now he and a few friends are in it deep; Imperial entanglements are the least of their concerns with organized crime on their tails.
I grew up in a family of church singers. As a young man, I studied poetry and piano, literature and guitar, listening to Hank Williams and reading William Faulkner while dreaming of becoming a Nashville songwriter. Eventually, I performed as a singer-songwriter myself on three continents, so it’s entirely honest to say that music, language, and stories have always been the fabric of my life. These novels represent everything I love about music and how it connects us—to people, to worlds beyond—and I hope you find them just as meaningful (and occasionally heartwrenching) as I have.
“She sang as if she was saving the life of every person in the room.” This quotation. This is why I love this book. The character in reference, Roxanne Coss, is a world-famous soprano caught in a hostage situation, but for me, it was impossible to read that line without realizing—without immediately understanding—that, oh, this is what makes a singer truly transcendent.
Not vocal range or records sold, but their willingness to sacrifice themselves on stage, momentarily, for our pain. It’s perfect. Heartbreaking and perfect, as is the entire novel. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Winner of The Women's Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
The poignant - and at times very funny - novel from the author of The Dutch House and Commonwealth.
Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honour of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxane Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerised the international guests with her singing.
It is a perfect evening - until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves…
I am a spy aiming to uncover hidden documents, private journals, and secret messages penned in the distant past. I am a detective racing to reveal the world’s most dastardly deeds and daring escapades. I am an adventurer zooming around the planet along with history’s bravest heroes and most despicable villains. I am an artist whose illustrations transform ancient stone-cold statues by turning them into living, breathing human beings that laugh and cry, win and lose, love and hate, and spring vividly to life. And I am a storyteller striving to lure readers of all ages, whether they are children or adults.
Destitute Jasper Ankle will pay any price to attend his beloved opera. But when its most famous diva chokes to death on an admirer’s candied violet, a hitherto unknown beauty named Ortenzia Caviglia takes her place, and as her star rises, everyone who might stand in her way conveniently drops dead. But as her fame and fortune increase, Jasper Ankle becomes more and more impoverished, and if you are familiar with Edward Gorey’s dreadfully terrifying tales and his delicate, elegantly devilish black and white penmanship, perhaps you can imagine what is happening herein. (By the way, Gorey is also dead but you can still get hold of his evil little books.)
Ortenzia Caviglia is an undiscovered opera understudy whose lucky break results from the mysterious murder of the reigning diva. Upon hearing her sing, Jasper Ankle becomes her deepest admirer, undaunted by perilous weather and abject poverty in his quest to hear her sing. As Ortenzia's star rises, Jasper sinks further into despair, until performer and fan collide in true Edward Gorey fashion. Exquisitely illustrated with Gorey's signature pen-and-ink crosshatching, The Blue Aspic is a heart-wrenching and oddly hilarious tale of unrequited love and the dangers of celebrity.
"She plunged her blade into his chest, feeling it grind along his ribs..."
Outcast swordfighter, Kyer Halidan, was abandoned in a cornfield at age three. Now, twenty years on, she’s searching for answers: Who left her there? And why?
Kyer doesn’t suffer fools, and when she kills a man in…
I often (half-) jokingly say that I'm a failed musician. Growing up in Montreal in the eighties, music was my deepest joy. I sang in choirs for years, and even fancied myself the next great baroque singer (I guess I was a nerd.) Nerves, however, got the best of me, and I turned to the next best thing, writing. In my family, music is a meeting place, a shared language; my kids have taught me as much about music as I have taught them. Nothing pleases me more than to see on a playlist of theirs a tune that I listened to before their birth. Music is the golden thread of my life.
A wonderful graphic novel for and about teens, Operaticfollows Charlie, a teen girl who must find "her song" for a school project, and embarks on an emotional journey about the meaning of music, friendship, love, and opera. The book, gutting and uplifting all at once, is also an homage to the great Maria Callas, while peppered with pop and rock references. A perfect book for readers 12 and up, by which I mean: up to 30, up to 45, up to 99 years old, as music ties us powerfully with our life story, no matter our age.
A story of friendship, first crushes, opera and the high drama of middle school told by award-winning Kyo Maclear in her debut graphic novel.
Somewhere in the universe, there is the perfect tune for you.
It's almost the end of middle school, and Charlie has to find her perfect song for a music class assignment. But it's hard for Charlie to concentrate when she can't stop noticing her classmate Emile, or wondering about Luka, who hasn't been to school in weeks.
Then, the class learns about opera, and Charlie discovers the music of Maria Callas. The more she learns about…
