Episode 43: A Hopeful Android Story: The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels with Guest Host Amanda Espinoza

Meredith and Kaytee had to call in the big guns this week, so they invited Amanda Espinosa to join them for this special episode of Currently Reading! Continuing Important announcement: we have a great discount code to share with you from The Bookshelf Thomasville! Now through June 30th, you can get anything on their website for 10% off using the code CURRENTLYREADING (wow!!!) This would be a great time to pick up a Shelf Subscription for yourself or others! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: a perfectly bookish gift for a Labyrinth fan, a fun reading tracking idea, and a local bookstore visit. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We are each sharing two recent reads, and there are some really big opinions in this episode, so get ready! For our deep dive this week, Amanda has done some amazing prep work to fill up your Currently Reading Challenge worksheet in the Science Fiction and Fantasy slot. She's created a number of book flights for each genre, and, in an unusual twist, there are even MORE titles in show notes than there are in the episode! As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. A magical realist novel, a humorous collection of stories centered on childhood, and a fantasy novel that will totally transport you and you might wish was real (with a TRIPLE COSIGN!) As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! . . . . . 2:24 - Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Novelization by A.C.H. Smith 2:38 - Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation Vol. 1 by Simon Spurrier 3:24 - What Should I Read Next episode 187: Traveling the World Without Leaving Your Hometown 5:12 - Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe, NM 6:51 - The Gown by Jennifer Robson 8:09 - Episode 32 with Mindy Brouse 9:11 - The Murmur of Bees by Sophia Segovia 11:00 - Books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 12:51 - Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka 14:30 - El Deafo by Cece Bell 15:44 - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 17:36 - Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy 18:28 - Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips 19:05- Sarah's Bookshelves Live 20:58 - The Girl in Red by Christina Henry 24:41 - Currently Reading 2019 Reading Challenge! 24:55 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 24:56 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 24:58 - The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer 24:59 - Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas 25:00 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 25:02 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 27:11 - Flight 1: Sci-Fi in Space 27:17 - (1) The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 28:11 - (2) Redshirts by Jon Scalzi 28:52 - (3) Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey 30:04 - (4) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 30:12 - (5) The Martian by Andy Weir 30:47 - Flight 2: Sci-Fi on Earth 30:56 - (1) Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson 31:32 - Reamde by Neal Stephenson 31:47 - (2) Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Nueval 32:23 - (3) Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn 33:19 - (4) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick 33:32 - (5) 11/22/63 by Stephen King 33:55 - Flight 3: YA Sci-Fi 34:00 - (1) Red Rising by Pierce Brown 34:37 - (2) The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 35:46 - (3) The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (4) Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (5) An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green 36:07 - Flight 4: Fantasy 36:11 - (1) Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik 36:16 - Uprooted by Naomi Novik 36:49 - (2) The Princess Bride by William Golding (3) A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (4) The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer (5) The Magicians by Lev Grossman Flight 5: Epic Fantasy 37:09 - (1) The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 38:16 - (2) Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 38:42 - Alcatraz Vs. The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson (3) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 40:40 - Caraval by Stephanie Garber 41:28 - (4) His Majesty's Dragon by Noami Novik (5) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson Flight 6: YA Fantasy (1) Caraval by Stephanie Garber (2) Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (3) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (4) Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland (5) The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen 42:23 - Sourdough by Robin Sloan 42:25 - Calypso by David Sedaris 43:34 - Naked by David Sedaris 43:35 - Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 43:49 - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris 44:51 - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 45:38- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 45:43 - Scythe by Neal Schusterman Find Amanda: Twitter: @AmandaEspi and @LoungeCuriosity Instagram: @LoungeCuriosity Website: https://curiositylounge.com/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AmandaEspi *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*