6 Books with Olivia Waite

Olivia Waite writes queer historical romance, sff, and essays. She is the romance fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review.

Today, she is here to tell us about her Six Books.

1. What book are you currently reading?

The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses — been saving this as a post-deadline treat! Sci-fi and mystery and delicate relationship beats, my favorite combination.

2. What upcoming book are you really excited about?

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis — the sequel teased at the end of Wooing the Witch Queen, starring my favorite terrifying character from that book. Burgis ranges from super-light supernatural romances (Austen plus dragons in Scales and Sensibility) to dark political supernatural romances (Congress of Secrets with its shadowy horrors and secret police), but her books are always a wonderful time.

3. Is there a book you’re currently itching to re-read?

Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale — a washed-up highwayman in exile is brought back to England for revenge by a furious young woman whose family was murdered by a cult. I’ve been rereading a lot of Kinsale lately — some for the first time, like the exquisite For My Lady’s Heart — and this one was my favorite of hers from back when, so I’m dying to find out how it works for me now.

4. How about a book you’ve changed your mind about – either positively
or negatively?

Two series: I recently reread both the full Hitchhiker’s Guide series and Ann Leckie’s Imperial Raadch trilogy back to back, and was very surprised to find that Adams’ comedy now feels nihilistically bleak, while Leckie’s far-future imperial civil war leaves breathing room for hope and resilience.

5. What’s one book, which you read as a child or a young adult, that holds a special place in your heart?

Growing up as a kid, I never lost an opportunity to check a bookstore or library shelf for anything new or reprinted by Diana Wynne Jones — but the one I reread until it fell to pieces was A Tale of Time City. A bit of mystery, a bit of fantasy, incredible characters, and the impossibly delicious-sounding dessert 42-Century Butter-Pie.

6. And speaking of that, what’s your latest book, and why is it awesome?

My latest book is Murder by Memory — on a generation ship where you’re issued a new body every time your old one wears out, and your memories are saved in book form in the Library, ship’s detective Dorothy Gentleman wakes up in a body that isn’t hers just as a murder is committed. It’s my love letter to classic mysteries, sapphic sci-fi, and utopias with problems because people are still people even if they have everything they need.

Thank you, Olivia!

POSTED BY: Paul Weimer. Ubiquitous in Shadow, but I’m just this guy, you know? @princejvstin