Well, here we are – I only started this blog two years ago,
with a post about writing something over the summer holiday break, and we’ve
suddenly arrived at the same point again.
Yesterday was the first official day of summer here in Victoria, and it’s
promising to be a hot, dry one. We’ve
finished our Palais du Chook (see left), just in time to start keeping up the water to the
new crop of baby chicks, and the garden is already starting to brown off. It seems bizarre that I was whinging about
how we couldn’t get the washing dry only a few short months ago – stick around
a bit, and you’ll hear me complaining about the heat.
My year of buying only books by female writers is also
coming to an end. I made that first
commitment, to buy only books written by women, after writing this post on women and the NYT Bestseller List. I
have to say, it was an easy task I set myself – so easy that I almost forgot I
was doing it. Books by female writers
make up the bulk of my reading and buying anyway, so it was no hardship (should
I have set myself a more difficult task?). I did a bit of an audit, and figured
out I only cheated twice: once when I bought a James Dashner book for my sons
that they desperately had to have,
and once when I bought Jay Kristoff’s Stormdancer
– but that was at the launch of the final Lotus Wars book, Endsinger, so I didn’t feel bad (Jay also writes kick-arse Japanese
steampunk female protags, which alleviated any remaining guilt). Every other book I’ve bought this year has
been by a female author.
Which doesn’t mean to say I’ve stopped reading books by
men. No way – I’ve just been getting
them all from the library. And there are
definitely a few books by guys that I’m rather keen to get my hands on, so I’m
looking forward to being able to buy them.
The Rosie Effect by Graeme
Simsion is pretty much the top of my list (although I’m hoping someone will
give it to me for Christmas – HINT), and other male-authored books I’m lining
up for are Blood of My Blood by Barry
Lyga (god yes), Winger by Andrew
Smith, The Last Shot by Michael Adams
(and the third one comes out early next year! Double happiness!), Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovich, and The First Third by Will Kostakis. I’m hoping to have a very large pile of TBR
books to take on our annual camping trip over the New Year.
Now I thought I’d get in early and write up my favourite
reads of 2014, because last time I did this it was, like, February
already. Not all of these are new – some
were published ages ago and this was the year they called to me. But anyway, here you go, my favourite reads
of the year!
Outlander: Cross
Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
Recced to me by loads of people, but most specifically
Danielle Binks, and a hearty thank you from me.
I LOVED it. An historical romance
that gender-flips all the tropes? – I am so there. And the teev series – wow! – reminded me of
all the reasons I love Ron Moore. And we
won’t even mention Sam Hueghan…
Miss Peregrine’s Home
for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Original, eerie, beautifully written and mysteriously
plotted. I loved the weird photos, which
made me think of Carnivale and The
Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg, and overall an amazing
ride
Wild Awake by Hilary
T. Smith
Such a beautiful book.
At the end of it, I felt like my world had been tilted on its axis.
The Incredible Here
and Now by Felicity Castagna
This book was up for the 2014 CBCA Book of the Year award,
and I’m so glad I wasn’t judging, I
would be the most horribly subjective judge, but THIS BOOK. Just a tiny heartbreaking sliver of Western
Sydney in an incredibly crafted package that doesn’t feel crafted, but rather
just feels like the most beautiful real life.
The Piper’s Son by
Melina Marchetta
GAH. Just…GAH. I love Thomas Mackee. And I love Melina Marchetta. I have no idea why I haven’t read it before
this year but I guess this was just the year I was meant to read it, and this
book went off like a lightbulb exploding inside my head.
Rivers of London by
Ben Aaronovich
I haven’t laughed so much or been so absorbed while reading
a paranormal urban fantasy for a long long time. Incredibly diverse cast, and I
just loved the protag’s voice. Bizarrely
plotted, but it’s all part of the fun.
Through the Cracks by
Honey Brown
Have I said often enough yet how I’m in love with Honey
Brown and want to have her book babies?
No? This is another searing
psychological ride, not so much a thriller, but you have no idea what will
happen to the characters, and you don’t want to put the book down until you
find out. Gorgeous writing – just gorgeous. And dialogue – omg. I always have a Honey Brown book on my desk,
it’s compulsory. And she has a new one
coming out soon! Woot!
The Raven Boys by
Maggie Stiefvater
I have picked up and put down various Maggie Stiefvater
books for the last few years – I don’t know why I kept putting them down, maybe
it wasn’t the right time to read them.
But this one – this one I
could not put down. The most awesome character
descriptions ever. I’m already desperate for the next book, The Dream Thieves, and if this is what
all of Stiefvater’s work is like, sign me up.
There you go – ta da!
Finally, I’m gonna end the whole Reading List Love thing with a nod at
The Book I Have Been Waiting For: I am so very very happy (I cannot even tell
you: I am FULL OF SQUEE) that The Shadow
Cabinet, the final book in the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson,
is about to be released. How much am I
longing for this book? SO MUCH. The only thing that would make me happier
right now would be if Holly Black said she was releasing a fourth book in the
Curseworkers series (please please say
that could potentially happen!! Holly, I
love you and no pressure!!)
Okay, that’s it. Just
a few more parting words before I go about the Every series.
* Every Breath is going great guns in
North America and the Philippines. It
was recently featured at The Midnight Garden here (wow!) and also on Jukebooks at theYALSA blog ( double wow!). All you
incredible readers and bloggers and book-buyers and librarians out there, YOU
ARE ALL MADE OF AWESOME, and thank you so much!
I’m so very grateful for all your support, and especially huge thanks to
Tundra Books for making it happen. Also,
so far as I’m aware, Every Breath
will reach UK shores in Spring of 2015.
* Every Word is being prepped for a
2015 release in North America and the Philippines. Woot! Right
now I’m going through typeset pages to check for last minute things before
printing.
* Every Move – omg, we’re nearly at
the finish line! I’m doing final passes
this week, and my eds and I are working our butts off to bring this book to
print on deadline, which will make an early March 2015 release possible. Honestly, after the writing and the re-writing
and the editing and the copyediting and the proofing and the final passes, I
must have read through this book at least a hundred times, so I’m getting tired
and my butt is sore from sitting in front of the computer, and I am now also filled
with the fizzy, scary nervousness of ‘will people like it?’. There’s also lots of last minute anxiety
about whether it’s going to live up to people’s expectations. But in my saner moments, I’m pretty confident
that you will like it (fingers
crossed). Either way, it’s coming very
soon!
So that’s the end.
And I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, wherever you are in the
world, and may you get lots of lovely books for Christmas! (and give them in
return!)
xxEllie
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