(The "default rec if I don't know anything about you" is a tricky thing, because that doesn't mean it's my favorite book. Though it's quite good.

What it means is that a lot of my recs have things I know plenty of people don't like: secondary-world settings, events that require serious trigger warnings, weird sex stuff, copious footnotes, plot that is advanced primarily through meetings and subtext, or second-person perspectives.

Whereas The Golem and the Jinni feels possibly good for anyone.)