Now Read This! July 2021: Science Fiction & Fantasy Recommendations

Our Now Read This! newsletters offer suggestions for your next favorite read, from hidden gems to the latest hot pick. Available in six genres, these newsletters include:

  • a featured book of the month
  • a special event worth checking out
  • a curated selection of newly acquired and upcoming titles
  • booklists for further reading

Whether you prefer epic fantasies or hard sci-fi, your friendly BPL Reader Services Librarians have recommendations for every reader.

Answer the questions and follow the arrows in the flowchart below to get a reading recommendation from this month's Science Fiction & Fantasy newsletter. Sign up for our newsletters here.

Q1: Fantasy retellings or post-apocalyptic sci-fi? | Fantasy Retellings ---> Q2: The Great Gatsby or Peter Pan? | The Great Gatsby: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo| Peter Pan: Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise | Post-apocalyptic sci-fi ---> Q3: Climate change or robot rebellions? | Climate Change: The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente | Robot Rebellions: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.

This Month's Recommendations:

The Chosen and the Beautiful

Set in a glittering Jazz Age America, this clever retelling of The Great Gatsby reimagines Jordan Baker as a queer Vietnamese adoptee with magical powers and Jay Gatsby himself as a bisexual villain.

Wendy, Darling

After Neverland, Wendy Darling grows up and becomes a loving mother to her child, Jane. When Peter Pan reenters her life and kidnaps her daughter, Wendy must return to Neverland, face her past, and save Jane from a dangerous fate.

The Past Is Red

Earth may be flooded, but Tetley Abednego loves her life on Garbagetown, a floating continent built out of trash. She believes it to be the most magical place on Earth, until a Shakespearean carnival wreaks havoc on her community.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

Centuries ago, the robots of Earth rebelled and disappeared. Now, a monk wanders the world, offering tea and a listening ear to those who need it, until their nomadic life is upended by the arrival of a robot seeking answers about humanity.