Books like Swan Song — picked by fans

I‘ve always been fascinated by the dividing line between human and monster. Because, what is a monster?

I know, this kind of question will usually get a quick answer, but I have been thinking about this particular question for quite some time now. I am Legend revolves around this question, and I love it for that. I also love it for the somewhat unexpected twist in the end, and that one can be interpreted as an answer.

Anyway, for me, this book got me thinking about morale and ethics and other stuff. I just like it when a book gets me to that point where I think: wait a moment, but what if…?

It’s been a while since I have read this one but it has always been one of my favorites. An American pilot is stranded in post World War 2 Britain. In this reality, moments before defeat, Adolf Hitler released a biological weapon that decimated the population. A hemorrhagic virus that attacks certain blood types, those not killed initially are slowly dying and desperate for a cure that they think is in the main character's blood since he is unaffected. The action in this book is some of the best I have ever read as the ‘Black Shirts’ chase our hero through the war-torn city.

Anything to do with Jim Carrey, I’m in. In fact, when teachers would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d reply “Be Jim Carrey.” As a longtime fan, I was excited to learn that he would finally be charting his life in an autobiography. As it turns out, the book was mostly wild fiction. What’s so engaging about this book is how he blends real-life occurrences like his body of film work and relationship with Renee Zellweger with completely off-the-wall fantasy like mentor Rodney Dangerfield returning as a Rhino, Kelsey Grammar leading a cult, and Carrey struggling with his career as his entire essence goes virtual. It’s extremely experimental, but the inclusion of celebrities will leave you grinning.     

This book's opening scene is one of the most visceral and shocking I have ever read. Incredibly tragic, it hits you in the gut with the force of a hammer blow before sweeping you along on an adventure of epic proportions. Once I started reading, I was unable to stop.

I just had to know what happened next and what lay in store for the main protagonists, Kati and Jenni. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them, and I will never forget the hours I spent by their side. My only regret is that the story ended, though I’ve heard rumors of a possible continuation. If that’s true, it will be a dream come true!

Grunts is one of my ultimate laugh-out-loud books, followed by a look round to make sure there’s no one nearby I have to explain it to. It’s a tale of the orcs after the final battle between good and evil, out of a job and in the tricky position of being on the losing side. Grunts delights in turning every fantasy trope on its head, cracking jokes I certainly wouldn’t want to explain to my mother, and at every step rooting for undeniable bad guys who were just there to do the job of fighting for the Dark Lord.

Oh, and the orcs are cursed with a cache of weapons from our world that is turning them into US Marines. I don’t know why that makes it so much funnier, but it does.

Don’t embarrass yourself - remember to pee before you start reading.

This book knocked the wind out of me!

I found that this book was the key to tying years of anticipation together. Genesis of Shannara was the end of an absolutely brilliant trilogy. I loved the layers, the character arcs, the plot, and subplots. Amazing work!

I experienced a near out-of-body experience reading this book. At one point, I reacted to the writing in a way I never had before. Maybe it was awe! I thought Terry Brooks was instructing a Master Class when I read it.

I can’t say enough about how this book took control and steered my imagination.

Peter Parker’s struggles give me life! Am I a sick and twisted person? Maybe. But I’m definitely not alone.

Preeti Chhibber knows the key to a good Spidey story is watching our little webhead struggle, and I adore how she puts him through his paces. She really delights in torturing our boy and pushing his buttons. Don’t worry; he still gets to crack jokes and be his charming self. It wouldn’t be a Spidey story without some genuine comedy!

I love it when you can tell how much fun the author had writing the book, and Preeti’s Spider-Man is exactly that. When I wasn’t giggling, I was feeling all the feelings. Maybe I’m not so sick and twisted after all?

I love how much Mercy learns about herself. I also really admire the time and space and, above all, respect Briggs's investments in Mercy's witting and unwitting explorations of her powers and heritage. And how Mercy reacts to revelations about her mother and mostly unknown father. I, at least, admire when Mercy is allowed to get cranky and try to pick and choose what she wants to keep or discard, approve or disapprove.

All this, and it's a heck of a roller coaster ride. I rode the slow build-up, increasingly bracing myself for the first big drop, and then whoop-whoop-whoop, I whirled up and down and sideways to the end.

I love this book because of how forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Adshead and dramatist Eileen Horne reveal what compels people to commit crimes. I enjoyed the variety of the cases described, and the dialogue between Adshead and her patients. By taking me into her forensic psychotherapy sessions she brings the therapeutic encounter with offender patients to life. Although I do very similar work, in prisons and clinics I still learned much from her perspective and was moved by how compassionate, nuanced and rich in detail these stories were, helping me to understand the evolution and treatment of crimes within a social and political context. 

I really connected with evil genius Doctor Impossible and his whacky world of superheroes. In grade and high school, I felt like I was the one who was overlooked, which was often the good days; getting noticed generally meant I was being made fun of and bullied. But to take revenge, to show my plebeian classmates the (imagined) might that lay within me, how glorious that would be! Hahaha! Evil laugh aside, as Doctor Impossible does just that, I also enjoyed his vulnerable needs, longings, and regrets. And the lives of the heroes are not all they are cracked up to be. While not as stark (or violent) as The Boys, Grossman also exposes the toll superhero biology can take on the mind and body. A fun and poignant read.