Why am I passionate about this?

Sci-fi and fantasy give us permission to go places we might not go in this world. I am a big daydreamer and always have been. One of the most magical things about being a writer is that you get to design a world that lives only in your mind, and then share it with the reader. Like George R. R. Martin wrote, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”


I wrote

The Girl in the Zoo

By Jennifer Lauer,

Book cover of The Girl in the Zoo

What is my book about?

Mirin thought she was the last human on Earth. Captured during the AI takeover, she’s being held caged in a…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Humans

Jennifer Lauer Why did I love this book?

The Humans is the story of an alien inhabiting human form.

His views on humanity change during his stay on Earth, and it asks the question - with so many deep flaws, what makes humanity worthy of saving? It’s a comedy and a drama and a love story all wrapped in one. I felt like a better human after reading this one.

By Matt Haig,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Humans as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. OR IS THERE?

After an 'incident' one wet Friday night where he is found walking naked through the streets of Cambridge, Professor Andrew Martin is not feeling quite himself. Food sickens him. Clothes confound him. Even his loving wife and teenage son are repulsive to him. He feels lost amongst an alien species and hates everyone on the planet. Everyone, that is, except Newton, and he's a dog.

Who is he really? And what could make someone change their mind about the human race . . . ?


Book cover of Wool

Jennifer Lauer Why did I love this book?

The story of people living in an underground Silo who don’t know why they're there, and only that the outside world is toxic and they must survive.

The characters in this story are heroic and relatable. I just wanted this book to keep going, and luckily there are two more in the series – Shift and Dust. The TV series is also a great addition and keeps a similar tone to the book.

By Hugh Howey,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Wool as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

SOON TO BE A MAJOR APPLE TV SERIES
__________________________
'Thrilling, thought-provoking and memorable ... one of dystopian fiction's masterpieces alongside the likes of 1984 and Brave New World.' DAILY EXPRESS

In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo.

Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies.

To live, you must follow the rules. But some don't. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others…


Book cover of The Library of the Dead

Jennifer Lauer Why did I love this book?

I loved this book from the first page. The voice of teenaged Ropa is fiery and laugh-out-loud funny.

A paranormal medium, Ropa becomes a detective for cash, and the humans who want answers from ghosts are her clients. The relationships with her grandmother and sister are sweet and the story is fast-paced and a lot of fun.

By T. L. Huchu,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Library of the Dead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now a USA TODAY bestseller!

Ilube Nommo Award 2022 for Best Novel

"An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked." – Genevieve Cogman, bestselling author of The Invisible Library

Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu's The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

WHEN GHOSTS TALK
SHE WILL LISTEN

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker – and they sure do love to talk. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to those they left…


Book cover of All Systems Red

Jennifer Lauer Why did I love this book?

This book was enchanting. I have a thing for personified robots with quirky personalities.

We follow a robot who was formerly a murderbot, as he frees himself from his depressing job, and develops a sentience that is both hilarious and heartwarming. And the bonus is that it’s a novella, and a very quick read.

By Martha Wells,

Why should I read it?

26 authors picked All Systems Red as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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…


Book cover of Legends & Lattes

Jennifer Lauer Why did I love this book?

No list with the word cozy in it would be complete without Legends and Lattes.

This book was such a delight, not only because it delivers on its promise of “high fantasy and low stakes,” but also because it’s wonderfully written book. Reading about Viv and her found family as they build a coffee shop business in this fantasy world was just what I wanted to read. 

By Travis Baldree,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Legends & Lattes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

High fantasy, low stakes - with a double-shot of coffee.

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream - for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can't go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune's shady underbelly could make it all…


Explore my book 😀

The Girl in the Zoo

By Jennifer Lauer,

Book cover of The Girl in the Zoo

What is my book about?

Mirin thought she was the last human on Earth. Captured during the AI takeover, she’s being held caged in a zoo, and suspects her guard, Borgie, is becoming sentient. When they introduce a feral man they want her to mate with, she realizes she’s not alone. Now she could be in more danger than ever. When Mirin discovers secrets about the zoo and how she got there, she is determined to survive.

Aided by a feline companion and an unlikely love, Mirin must face forced proximity, emotional scars, a deranged scientist, and robots gone awry. Will she finally escape the zoo?

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The Rancher’s Lost Bride

By Roxanne Snopek,

Book cover of The Rancher’s Lost Bride

Roxanne Snopek

New book alert!

What is my book about?

Leila Monahan is creating her dream family, but when her fiancé gets cold feet, she sends him packing. A sperm bank would be easier but first, she’ll take a DNA test. She doesn’t care about finding her birth parents, but her future children might. The surprising results are nothing to the shock of seeing her first true love back in town, with an eight-year-old daughter.

Sawyer Lafferty loved Leila, but her desire to get married—at nineteen!—sent him running. Before settling down, he wanted an education and opportunities. But those, and any future with Leila, vanished with the unexpected arrival of…

The Rancher’s Lost Bride

By Roxanne Snopek,

What is this book about?

Leila Monahan is creating her dream family, but when her fiancé gets cold feet, she sends him packing. A sperm bank would be easier but first, she’ll take a DNA test. She doesn’t care about finding her birth parents, but her future children might. The surprising results are nothing to the shock of seeing her first true love back in town, with an eight-year-old daughter.

Sawyer Lafferty loved Leila, but her desire to get married—at nineteen!—sent him running. Before settling down, he wanted an education and opportunities. But those, and any future with Leila, vanished with the unexpected arrival of…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in robots, secrets, and dystopian?

Robots 97 books
Secrets 262 books
Dystopian 593 books