2015 Reading Review

I keep my private life largely out of this blog - it's more about reading and writing. So if you're after something more personal I apologise but if you're after a few recommended books you've come to a welcoming place.

I read 32 books this year, which is up from my norm of late. I read a number of strong books, which I’d happily recommend. Let me know if you want specific thoughts on any of those listed below (happy to hear yours too).

Books Read in 2015

The Shadow Year Jeffrey Ford

The Prestige Christopher Priest

The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie

The Year of the Ladybird Graham Joyce

My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro ed. Jeffrey Eugenides (anthology)

Points of View: An Anthology of Stories ed. James Moffett & Kenneth R. McEelheny

Before They Are Hanged Joe Abercrombie

The Last Argument of Kings Joe Abercrombie

We Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson

Tallula Rising Glen Duncan

Peace by Gene Wolfe

Station 11 Emily St. John Mandel

Behold the Man Michael Moorcock (novella)

The Man Within Graham Greene

My Cousin Rachel Daphne Du Maurier

The Princess Bride William Goldman

A Little Life Hanya Yanagihara

Bloodlines ed. Amanda Pillar (anthology)

The Year's Best Australian Fantasy & Horror 2013 ed. Liz Grzyb (anthology)

The Buried Giant Kazuo Ishiguro

The Roving Party Rohan Wilson

Love and Romanpunk Tansy Rayner Roberts (collection)
Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Selected Stories Fritz Leiber (collection)

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms N.K Jemisin

The Dwarves by Markus Heitz

Flying Dinosaurs: How Fearsome Reptiles Became Birds John Pickrell (expository)

The Sleeping Sorceress (Elric #4) Michael Moorcock

Thief of Lies Lucy Sussex (collection)

Bad Brass Bradley Denton (novella from Rogues ed. George R.R. Marin & Gardner Dozois)

A Dark Matter Peter Straub

Inside Creative Writing: Interviews with Contemporary Writers ed. Graeme Harper (expository and a complete dud)

Novel Highlights

I thought I’d mention my top 4 novel reads for the year - many came close.

The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford

A wonderfully reflective novel relating to family, childhood and the neighbourhood, to the extent that, although not a memoir, it has a memoir-like sense of nostalgia at times. The Shadow Year is peppered throughout with dark mystery. Superb. Deserved its World Fantasy Award.

The Prestige by Christopher Priest.

Dueling rival magicians from different backgrounds weave webs of deceit and illusion. Though there is a contemporary first person thread the text is largely epistolary, which suits the late Victorian and Edwardian era in which the novel is chiefly set. In a structural sense, along with its intriguing unreliable narrators, The Prestige is a masterpiece. Very clever.

The Blade Itself by Jo Abercrombie

Love Abercrombie's short stories and I'll now say that I’m a fan of his longer work too. Not everyone’s cup of tea but Abercrombie’s characters are vivid, there’s plenty of escapist action and acerbic humour and his lively active prose has dollops of impressive imagery. Perhaps Abercrombie tries too hard to subvert genre narrative conventions at times; the red herrings and overt subversion make it fall a little short in terms of overall plot but there are plenty of exceptional scenes. Gripping, fun and you’ll enjoy the series.

The Year of the Ladybird by Graham Joyce

Joyce’s passing was a sad loss to the world of literature this year. The Year of the Ladybird is a gentle read and a wonderful love story. Set in an old fashioned summer entertainment camp in coastal Skegness, the novel’s nostalgic setting allows for an array of colourful characters. It explores a vanishing culture, nationalism, love and coming to terms with one’s past. A lovely summer read.

Anthologies

Two anthologies really stood out for me (not including anthologies I have stories in or in recommended reading lists here as that just seems unethical): My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro ed. Jeffrey Eugenides and the old classic Points of View: An Anthology of Stories ed. James Moffett & Kenneth R McEelheny.

Like most anthologies there are a few stories I dislike, but there are also many incredible works in these two anthologies. A few featured on last year's short story list and more will be on this year's (I'll put it up in soon)