For me, 2017 was an adventure into real life grimdark, which means I've naturally turned away from stories of dread and darkness and toward lighthearted fun. One of my favorite reads was Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger, a fresh take on Urban Fantasy. Here's the pitch: The magic system is based on mixology. No vampires, no werewolves, no angels--just an interesting and diverse cast of characters fighting demons with well-mixed drinks, kind of like Harry Potter goes to a keg party. I read it in one day, and I still smile every time I taste an Old Fashioned.

If you do want something more heart wrenching, however, I highly recommend The Only Harmless Great Thing, a novella by Brooke Bolander, which is out January 23. Gorgeous prose and a story merging elephants and the radium girls? Sold! And sniffling.

Delilah S. Dawson's most recent science fiction novel is Star Wars: Phasma. She pairs up later in 2018 with Kevin Hearne on Kill the Farm Boy.