For the 2023 instalment of the Very Coode Street Gift Guide, we invited some old friends to share their recommendations of books read in 2023: Alix E. Harrow (whose very worthy Starling House was a favorite, officially excluded from discussion because of her participation in the episode), award-winning Locus reviewer Ian Mond, and distinguished novelist James Bradley, whose nonfiction Deep Water: The World in the Ocean will be out next year.

The books mentioned during the podcast are listed below.

James Bradley recommended:

The Deluge, Stephen Markley
Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
White Cat, Black Dog, Kelly Link
Translation State, Ann Leckie
Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh

Alix E. Harrow recommended:

Menewood, Nicola Griffith
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, Roshani Chokshi
He Who Drowned the World, Shelley Parker-Chan
The Magician's Daughter, H.G. Parry
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett

Ian Mond recommended:

Conquest, Nina Allan
Terrace Stories, Hilary Leichter
In Ascension, Martin MacInnes
Him, Geoff Ryman
I am Homeless if this Is Not My Home, Lorrie Moore

Gary recommended:

Mr. Breakfast, Jonathan Carroll
The Essential Peter S. Beagle (2 vols.), Peter S. Beagle
Airside, Christopher Priest
Lost Places,Sarah Pinsker (and also Monstrous Alterations, Christopher Barzak; Jewel Box, E. Lily Yu; & The Privilege of a Happy Ending, Kij Johnson)

Jonathan recommended:

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath, Garth Nix
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, Wole Talabi
The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera
The Crane Husband, Kelly Barnhill
Hopeland, Ian McDonald

As always, our thanks to Alix, James, and Ian for making time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the podcast and that the guide is of some help at this time of the year.

Episode 639: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable 2023