Reading Year in Review and 2019 Goals

Before we get swept up by another inevitably fast year, there’s just about time to take stock of how my reading fared throughout the previous 12 months, whilst setting out some new goals for 2019.

According to Goodreads, I read a total of 131 books, the best of which I highlighted in my Top Reads of 2018 post. My average rating for the year was 3.6 stars. This is a little lower than the previous couple of years, but I suppose it’s natural to become a more critical reader over time, and thus harder to please in some respects. It still means I’m picking up more books that I enjoy than I am books I don’t like, and that’s definitely a good thing.

I never read or don’t read a book based on the author’s gender; it’s just not a factor that even computes when I’m deciding what to pick up. Purely out of interest, however, I went through all of my 2018 reads and found that I read more than twice as many books written by women than I did books written by men. This fact is somehow unsurprising yet very pleasing.

My specific goals were:

• Read 90 books. At 131, I greatly surpassed that number, so this one gets a big tick.
• Pick up the longer books I’ve been putting off for ages. Meh, the success of this is fairly subjective. I did pick up the likes of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, and Vixen by Rosie Garland, but I still haven’t read Jane Eyre or The Heart’s Invisible Furies. So, I ticked a few off the ‘long books’ list, but there are others I can roll over to this year.
• Read by whim. I definitely did this, which I’m pleased about, as it seems to be the best way to avoid or get out of a reading slump. It’s also part of the reason I still haven’t picked up some of the aforementioned longer reads. The moment I told myself I had to pick one of them up so I’d meet an arbitrary goal, my brain lost interest. Definitely a lesson learned.

In terms of this year, I’m keeping it pretty simple again, with my goals being:

• Read 100 books. Pretty self-explanatory.
• Read more non-fiction. I don’t pick it up all that often, but when I do, I tend to really enjoy it. I’m not going to set a specific number for this; it’s just something I’d like to consciously reach for a little more often.
• Read more plays. Again, I don’t reach for them that often, but for the last two years, a play has ended up being one of my top 10 reads of the year. That has to say something.
• Read more Daphne du Maurier. I didn’t read a single full-length du Maurier book in 2018 (just a short story chapbook), and given that I read and adored 5 the previous year, that seems really stupid.
• Keep mood reading. The more of my life I spend as a bookworm, the more I come to accept that I’m a mood reader. Set TBRs and suchlike just don’t work for me. As I said, as soon as I tell myself I have to read a certain book, my brain just stops co-operating.

I always like to end these posts by sharing my monthly wrap up pictures from throughout the previous year. It’s a fun way for me (and anyone else who may be interested) to look back at everything I read at a glance. Happy reading in 2019, folks! Here’s hoping lots of good books come our way.

The books I read in January

The books I read in February

The books I read in March

The books I read in April

The books I read in May

The books I read in June

The books I read in July

The books I read in August

The books I read in September

The books I read in October

The books I read in November

The books I read in December

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Top Reads of 2018

It’s that time again! In terms of reading, 2018 has been pretty solid, with many great reads amongst the 129 books I’ve managed to complete thus far. (I may finish another one or two before the year is out, but I’m pretty happy with this list, and so was eager to just share it now.) And since we all like to reflect on the cream of the crop, let’s jump right in.

I’m going to give an honourable mention to Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss. I should probably just make this list a top 11, because the exact number is arbitrary, but I do like the neatness of a top 10. Written with eloquence and pin-sharp precision, it is a subtly powerful exploration of gender, class, nationalism, and violence, as we follow a small group taking part in an Iron Age re-enactment. By drawing on the past, Moss is able to say much about the present day, showing the cyclical nature of men using physical power as a means of oppression. Tension builds at an unsettlingly good pace, reaching its claustrophobic best in the shocking yet beautifully understated climax. Dark, though tinged with a hope for the future that lies in the notions of youth and sisterhood, I found it thought-provoking and surprisingly impactful. The only reason it didn’t technically make the cut for my top 10 is that I just read it this month, and so it hasn’t had to stand the test of time yet.

A quick shout out as well to The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan, and Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie; the other reads that were in contention for this list. But enough dallying; on with the actual countdown!

 10. The Corset by Laura Purcell

This is an intricately plotted and thematically rich gothic chiller that follows the dual narrative of a 16-year-old seamstress accused of murder, and the wealthy young woman who takes to visiting her in prison, determined to prove or disprove her guilt through the use of phrenology. An undercurrent of mystery and threat bubbles throughout this page-turner, which beyond its bleak and immersive core, manages to explore the notions of poverty, trauma, the class system, and female autonomy. Equal parts poignant and horrifying, Purcell maintains the perfect amount of ambiguity regarding its flirtation with the supernatural, leaving the reader satisfied, without losing the sinister tone of the book at large. It was also exactly what I was in the mood for when I picked it up, and there’s a lot to be said for finding the right book at the right time.

9. A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin

This was the first read of the year to give me the elusive book tingles (that prickling feeling of excitement that a book could well become one of your new favourites), and for that, I still think back on it very fondly all these months later. We follow a decidedly menacing chap, whose plans to claim his fiancé’s inheritance are scuppered when she falls pregnant, and risks being disowned by her father. He resolves to get rid of the baby, and his fiancé too if necessary. Clever, masterfully plotted, and just damn thrilling to read, this is perhaps one of the best crime books I’ve encountered, with a deliciously sinister plot, and brilliantly executed twists.

8. The Last Witch by Rona Munro

I adored reading this play, and I subsequently saw an excellent adaptation on the stage. It’s a powerful and atmospheric dramatization of the story of Janet Horne, the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland, in 1727. Janet as a heroine is fascinating, complex, and skilfully constructed; the atmosphere both tense and melancholy. As we delve into why Janet seems so hesitant to either confirm or deny the accusations against her, the story becomes a rousing look at the struggle for power between the sexes; othering; and the inherent hypocrisy of misogyny. I also loved its nuanced look at sisterhood, the power of language, and the magic of nature.

7. Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge

This book completely defies categorisation. It is, essentially, a novelised graphic memoir written in verse. It presents itself as though it’s the diary of Mary Shelley, exploring the events in her life that led to the creation of her magnum opus, Frankenstein. The poetic prose is beautiful; the first-person perspective intimate and engrossing; the accompanying black-and-white artwork both haunting and transporting. It’s a fascinating, original, engaging, and enlightening insight into an iconic work of literature. Above all else, however, it is a stunning love letter to the genius of Mary Shelley, and how she channelled great suffering into great art.

6. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

It isn’t easy to pen a horror novel that is as unsettling as it is achingly sad, but that is exactly what Tremblay has done here. Plot-wise, we follow a family who fear their eldest daughter’s increasingly strange behaviour may be caused by some kind of demonic possession. When the church gets involved, and money gets tight, they agree to let cameras into their home to document the attempts to exorcise her. On the one hand, the book is a very meta, critical analysis of the horror genre at large, with many clever homages to the classics, but it also has much to say about the demonization of mental health; religious pushback against the advances of science and medicine; and the moral depravity of a society obsessed with exploitation as a means of entertainment. It’s well worth checking out if you want to be disturbed and have your heart broken at the same time.

5. Dracula by Bram Stoker

This is one of those classics that is so iconic I thought I knew it before I’d even picked it up. I got so much more from it than I anticipated, however, in terms of both reading enjoyment and literary merit. Its epistolary structure lends an air of realism that enhances the unsettling atmosphere, and as a lover of all things gothic-horror, I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the origin of many aspects we now consider conventions of the genre. From a thematic point of view, it was a rich treasure trove to pick apart: the primal fear of bodily and sexual corruption; gender dynamics; mistrust of the unknown; and fascinating queer coding being just a few of my favourite themes to mull over. It might not be perfect by modern standards with regards to pacing and climax, but I both appreciated and enjoyed the time I spent with this book.

4. Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski

I found this book instantly absorbing, and utterly compelling throughout. An overlooked classic that focusses on the instinctual draw of paternal love, it follows one man’s attempts to track down his missing infant son, post-war. The emotional complexity of the hero is fantastic, as is the pacing, which sees the narrative unfold with real elegance and poignancy. The central themes of loss and healing are cleverly reflected in several aspects of the story; the backdrop of war-torn France attempting to reclaim its identity following decimation and liberation highly effective as a setting. Beautifully realised, I took its characters to heart, and they remain there to this day, despite having read it early in the year.

3. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

This was a gripping read with strikingly vivid world-building. As an early post-apocalyptic novel, it was also interesting and fun to read from the perspective of seeing where so many modern entries in the genre have subsequently drawn from. Beyond the enthralling tale of survival it presents at face value, there is also a surprising amount of depth and social commentary going on; with conflict between survivors, gender dynamics, and ensuing moral dilemmas proving more troublesome than the deadly, sentient plants that have devastated the population. The prose itself is very readable, with flashes of evocative beauty, and I loved its exploration of the illusion that humans have tamed nature and assumed ultimate power; making this, in many ways, a cautionary tale more relevant now than ever before.

2. Everything Under by Daisy Johnson

There is so much narrative and thematic depth to this book, which made it a read for which my admiration only grew the more time I took to reflect on it. A tinge of almost ethereal otherworldliness is befitting of the classic myths and fairy tales it so strongly feeds from, but it still maintains a bold, original identity all of its own, thanks to its intricate plot, and its complex, fascinating characters. Its tragically inevitable outcome, and its sense of pathos and quiet magic may not work for everyone, but I was swept up by its lush prose, clever structure, and its nuanced look at identity and gender fluidity; fate vs free will; the power of language; storytelling as a means of preserving memory; acceptance of the truth; and whether or not children have a duty to their parents.

1. The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni

In The Lightkeepers, we follow a nature photographer who secures a residency on a small cluster of remote, untouched islands, where the only other inhabitants are a group of scientists studying the indigenous animal species. Geni’s prose is utterly breathtaking, and she captures the raw beauty, daunting power, and savage menace of the natural world like no other writer I’ve ever encountered. When violence disrupts the group dynamic, the story becomes a fantastic meditation on the nature of storytelling as a means of coping with trauma. There are excellent parallels between Miranda’s work as a photographer and the ‘framing’ of a story to distort reality; between the cycle of the seasons and the process of grief; and a core of mystery with pleasing homages to Christie’s And Then There Were None. Rich, intricate, and expertly handled, I was utterly enthralled; by its narrative, its construction, and by its deceptive complexity. The Lightkeepers serves as a powerful and somehow timeless reminder that we too are just animals, doing what we have to do to get by – however ugly it may be.

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There we have it! Here’s to lots of great reads for us all in 2019. Have you read any of these? What were your favourite reads of the year?

Reading Year in Review & 2018 Goals

As we enter a new year, there’s just time to reflect on 2017 and see how I got on with my reading. According to Goodreads, I read a total of 126 books, the best of which I highlighted in my Top Reads of 2017 post.

In terms of the specific goals I had set myself, first was to finish 100 books, which thusly gets a tick. Secondly was to complete the diversity bingo chart that I put together, in an effort to be a little more conscientious about my reading. I did so, and shared a wrap up detailing the results of it in a separate post which I’ll link here. Thirdly, I wanted to read more plays. All-in-all, I read a total of five (a standalone, and four by the same writer that came in a single bind-up edition). Considering that last year I read three and in an average year I would have read none, that is technically a success, but I’m not going to go shouting from the rooftops about it, and it’s one that can very much be carried over into this year.

Again, according to Goodreads, my average rating for the year was 3.7 stars – I’m pretty happy with that! It means I’m picking up a lot more books that I’m enjoying than I am books I don’t like, which is very much a good thing.

As for new reading goals heading into 2018, I’m keeping it fairly casual this year. I’ll be setting a Goodreads target of 90 books. I definitely don’t want to be a slave to numbers and pressure myself too much, but I do like that when you set a goal, it collates all your reads into a single place, which is handy for looking back on your annual reading.

It might sound odd that I’m setting a lower target than last year, but that brings me to my second goal, which is to pick up some of the longer reads that I’ve been needlessly putting off. I have no shame in the fact that I definitely have a preference for shorter books (I love when an author can sweep me up and pack a punch without any needless faff, and I like the gratification of getting through my ever-growing TBR at a decent pace), but it does mean I have an annoying habit of putting off books I really want to read, simply because they’re a bit longer. There are some specific books in particular that come to mind for this, and I want 2018 to be the year I pick at least some of them up.

Last but not least is to allow myself to read by whim. I try to do this anyway, but there’s been a lot of chat within the online bookish community lately about reading pressures and possible competitiveness. Whilst I don’t feel in competition with other readers at all, I do tend to put pressure on myself sometimes (be it to read a book faster, or to pick something up purely because I told myself the previous week/month that I would and feel guilty for not doing so, even if I’m just not in the right mood for it at the time). That’s stupid, because reading is a hobby and something I love, and as such, I want to feel free to pick up whatever book I want to read, whenever I want to read it.

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I look forward to seeing what books 2018 will bring my way – who knows, maybe I’ll even discover some new all-time favourites! Last but not least, I’m going to share my monthly wrap up pics below so that I, or anyone else who may be interested, can see all the books I read this year in one place. If any titles or covers catch your eye and you’d like to know more, please don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks for reading, and happy New Year to you all.

All the books I read in January

All the books I read in February

All the books I read in March

All the books I read in April

All the books I read in May

All the books I read in June

All the books I read in July

All the books I read in August

All the books I read in September

All the books I read in October

All the books I read in November

All the books I read in December

Top Reads of 2017

Firstly, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are continuing to enjoy the festivities. With the end of the year right around the corner, and little likelihood of finishing many more reads, I feel happy with my list of favourites, and simply can’t wait any longer to shout about how much I loved the following books. Having read at least 125 books this year, narrowing it down to just 10 was tough, and though I could easily have added a few more to this list, I must admit that I like the neatness of a top 10, and so in the spirit of singling out the real cream of the crop, I ended up with the following reads, some of which earned their place by blowing me away right from the off, and others which have ended up here because of how much they’ve stayed with me.

(Just to clarify, these are books I read for the first time in 2017, so they weren’t necessarily published then, and I didn’t include any re-reads.)

My favourite books of 2017, but now let’s work out the running order…

10. The Dig by Cynan Jones

With stark brutality yet quiet beauty and poeticism, this novella explores the way in which we as humans both use and abuse animals, as we follow the dual narrative of a young farmer lost to grief, whose sole motivation to carry on is the need his animals have of him, and a seemingly normal man who is party to the most callous hunting and torture of badgers. I love the way Jones mirrors yet contrasts the two characters. Both have darkness in their past and feel separate from society because of it, yet one responds with compassion and the other violence, effectively suggesting the existence of both within us all. The writing itself is razor sharp, where not a single word feels wasted, and the narrative has a sense of coming full circle, which works really well.

9. The Doll by Daphne du Maurier

In some respects, 2017 really was the year of my du Maurier awakening, in which I tried her work for the first time, fell in love with it, read five of her books, and came to consider her one of my favourite authors. In this collection of short stories, there were of course some that had more impact than others, as is always the case, but there was not a single dud or filler story in here, and my favourites have stayed with me so clearly ever since. The title story and one set on an island were particularly creepy and affecting, but it was the two stories narrated by a prostitute at different stages of her life, like dramatic monologues that recount her descent into a life of crime, and her eventual resignation to the future that awaits her, that were especially well executed, and with great subtlety, managed to say so much. These were some of her earliest stories, and to see what talent for sinister undertones and deftly handled themes she already had was a delight.

8. The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill

This book completely swept me up. I loved the vivid and immersive setting and thought the atmosphere of the era was captured so well, transporting readers to the dark yet magical underbelly of Montreal and New York during the Great Depression, with O’Neill never shying away from how brutal it could be. The strange, eccentric, flawed and enigmatic characters captured my heart, especially Rose, who is crafted beautifully. I haven’t become so quickly invested in a set of characters for a long time, nor rooted for them so strongly, feeling their anguish and relishing their fleeting moments of joy. It’s an enchanting and visceral experience, documenting the ways our two protagonists are broken by a cruel world, and the ways they do or don’t adapt in order to survive.

7. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Despite how much I enjoyed it, this book wasn’t necessarily an obvious frontrunner to be in my favourites list when I initially read it, but it is easily one of the reads that has most stayed with me. It’s a brilliantly creepy story that builds tension throughout at the perfect pace and seethes with a constant undercurrent of dread, getting right under your skin and refusing to leave. It’s about a young couple expecting their first child, who become concerned when their seemingly friendly older neighbours start taking a little too much interest in their unborn baby. I loved that the heroine was both an everywoman of the 60s and yet far more proactive and realistic in her responses to the unfolding events than many thriller/mystery/horror protagonists that came before or after her – and the ending is deliciously unsettling.

6. Shelter by Jung Yun

If you’re a fan of crime fiction or thrillers and are looking to make the move into more character driven literary fiction, or vice versa, I think this book would be an excellent bridge between the two. This family drama kicks off in the aftermath of a horrific crime, in which our protagonist’s parents are victim to a traumatising break-in and attack. His sense of duty to care for his mother and father sits in contrast with their formerly distant relationship and exposes the tensions between them all. A complex web of themes and ideas are touched on, including gender, the class divide, racism, Korean culture, religion and abuse, with both gut-punch moments and quietly brilliant revelations that will break your heart and flirt with the idea of mending it again; ultimately asking us if we owe respect to our family, even if they haven’t earned it.

5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

To an extent, this is a placeholder for Agatha Christie in general, who I also read for the first time this year and now love. Having read five of her novels in 2017, it was tricky to single out a favourite, but I think And Then There Were None just edged it. It’s true ‘I-don’t-want-to-put-this-down’ fiction at its best, as we jump right into the gripping story with no faffing around, following a great cast of distinct characters, all harbouring dark secrets, as the body count rises and they increasingly turn on each other. The isolated setting, great pacing, clues and red herrings, and excellent use of foreshadowing all proved exactly why Christie’s stories have endured for so many years.

4. All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan

This book felt so real to me. The way Donal Ryan handled the plot and pacing was phenomenal. Time and time again he would create a sense of ease before hitting me in the gut with a one liner seemingly out of nowhere that pulled the rug out from under me, completely changing my whole perspective on a certain character or plot point. This ability to constantly catch the reader off-guard and call into question the morality and motives of his complex, flawed characters was incredibly impressive. I felt so instantly invested in the outcome of the characters’ lives, as they navigated themes of love, betrayal, forgiveness and the letting go of our own guilt.

3. The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley

At once a dark and quietly terrifying dystopian and a fascinating exploration of gender roles, this book asks us to question the importance we place on physical beauty in women, and the extent to which man is predisposed to revert to violence. It’s beautiful and disturbing in equal measure; one of my very favourite combinations in literature when it’s done well. It’s also very much a book all about the artform of storytelling itself; both its importance in preserving the past and providing hope for the future, told in rich and gorgeous prose that paints a fever dream of events that are astounding and revolting, and utterly unforgettable.

2. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Gothic fiction at its best, We Have Always Lived in the Castle features perhaps one of the most memorable and fascinating heroines I’ve ever encountered in literature. The aura of mystery and otherworldliness that surrounds the characters and the horror of the climax are brilliantly well handled, and the influence of fairy tales that becomes increasingly apparent by the end added a whole other dimension that I loved. At its core, it’s a quietly menacing story of madness, sisterhood, isolation, and a fear of ‘otherness’; I predicted at the time its story and characters would stay with me, and stay with me they most certainly have.

1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Yep, I wasn’t kidding when I said 2017 was all about du Maurier for me. In a lot of ways, I can’t believe I only read Rebecca this year; it feels as though I’ve loved it forever. Despite it being my first foray into du Maurier’s work, I’ve now read five of her books and as I said, I consider her one of my very favourite authors – with Rebecca itself easily one of my top reads of all time, let alone this year. Immersive and completely transporting, it’s a masterclass of tension and brooding atmosphere, with a wonderfully sinister undercurrent bubbling beneath the surface throughout, leading to shockingly brilliant twists and revelations. As with most of my all-time favourites, it’s one that is at mere surface level a damn good story (about a woman marrying a wealthy widowed man, only to discover that his deceased former wife still holds a strange grip over their household), but on deeper analysis, it reveals so many fantastic layers and nuances that just add to its brilliance.

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There we have it! What were some of your top reads of 2017?

Top Reads of 2016

My favourite reads of 2016, but which one will take the top spot?

As 2016 ends and we head into the New Year, the time has come to reflect on a year’s worth of reading and pick out the cream of the crop. Throughout the last 12 months, I read a total of 137 books, which makes singling out just 10 of them a fun if somewhat daunting task. Without further ado, let’s start the countdown.

10. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

The first of Mitchell’s books I read, though I have since read another, this intricate and multi-layered fantastical epic features fleshed out, well developed characters throughout decades of their lives and it made me feel very excited to continue to explore his fascinating work.

9. The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness

It seems no list of favourites is complete without an appearance from Mr Ness somewhere. One of his adult novels, this beautiful story is inspired by a Japanese folk tale. It is both a modern story about loneliness and the power of art, as well as a whimsical tale of love, longing and storytelling as a means of great beauty.

8. The Trees by Ali Shaw

Unsettling and deeply enchanting in tone, this is both a dark and gritty tale of survival and one for lovers of magical realism. Shaw beautifully paints with words a world reclaimed by mysterious, secret-bearing trees which erupt from the ground, plunging society into chaos and sparking a treacherous journey through new and dangerous terrain for our group of wonderfully realised characters.

7. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Incredibly charming, this first book in the Fairyland series has a lot of Alice in Wonderland vibes, as a young girl is whisked away to a bonkers world, meeting many a quirky character throughout her stay, not least a dragon-like creature who believes his father is a library. The writing and imagery are gorgeous, and the dark undertones complete the fairy tale feel.

6. The Collector by John Fowles

This is one that didn’t necessarily stand out right away as a potential favourite for the year, but one that has really stayed with me and continued to haunt my thoughts – which is in itself the sign of a great book, I believe. We follow a disturbed young man as he kidnaps and imprisons the object of his affections, believing he can make her love him in time. His victim, however, is not as meek as she may at first seem.

5. Why God is a Woman by Nin Andrews

A series of prose poems, this wonderful collection tells the ongoing story of a fictional island where men are descendants of angels and women come from the sea. A type of social satire, Andrews shrewdly flips gender roles, presenting women as the dominant sex, as they objectify young men when their wings begin to sprout and browbeat their husbands to prepare them for a life of domesticity. Beautiful and poignant, this collection has a lot to say.

4. The Book Collector by Alice Thompson

Another tale heavily influenced by fairy tales (something I evidently love), this is a tale of obsession, madness and murder. It explores what it really means to be insane and the warped control of men over women in the world of fairy tales, as well as in our own world.

3. Peter and Alice by John Logan

Considering that I almost never read plays, the fact that this is my 3^rd favourite read of the year speaks volumes for how much it impacted me. A fictionalised account of the real life meeting between the man and woman who inspired the protagonists of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in their youth, it discusses the highs and lows of trying to live up to the legacies created by their fictional counterparts. It’s beautifully realised, expertly handled and will ultimately break your heart.

2. Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Hugely atmospheric, the way this book toys with your senses is incredible. Set in a world in which there is something outside which drives anyone who sees it to insanity, our protagonist has lived in seclusion with her two young children for years, but she must blindfold them and set out in search of safety. It utterly gripped me, thrilled me far more than I could have expected, and though it was one of my first reads of the year, I still get chills when I think about the truly haunting and intense climax.

1. Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry

The settings in this rich tale include a brutal women’s asylum, the gritty streets of New York and an enchanting sideshow. Set at the turn of the century, we follow an eclectic cast of characters who seem completely separate at first, but whose lives slowly weave together, forming a complex tapestry of beautiful and heart breaking storytelling. Each character has their own distinct personalities, pasts, flaws and motivations, and I fell completely in love with them. Secrets big and small lead to an eventual revelation that changes both everything and nothing all at once, and I utterly adored it, as well as the breathless journey towards the bittersweet conclusion it began. I urge you to learn nothing else of this book; simply dive in and let it sweep you away.

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There we have it! 2016 was quite the year and I am excited to see what books 2017 will bring my way. What were your favourite reads of the year?

February Wrap Up

All the books I read in February

How can it possibly be time to wrap up another month already? Alas, somehow it is, so let’s just get right to it. Throughout February I managed to read a total of 12 books (5 novels, a short story collection, a poetry collection, a graphic novel, a book of illustrated fairy tales, 2 non-fiction books and one of the Penguin Little Black Classics, which was a small collection of haikus). This matched my total for last month and puts me on 24 books so far this year.

The book of illustrated fairy tales was The Fairytale Princess, which featured seven classic tales retold by Wendy Jones, but it is the 3D paper sculptures made by Su Blackwell and photographed to form the illustrations throughout that add a whole new layer of wonder and charm. Needless to say it was one of my favourite reads of the month.

Another highlight was The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness, which is part re-telling of an old Japanese folk tale (can you tell I’m on a bit of a whimsical retelling kick?) and part modern-day story of loneliness and the power of art, making for a timeless, magical and enchanting book about love, longing and storytelling as a means of great beauty.

I also really enjoyed The Collector by John Fowles, which features a fascinating power struggle following a misguided young man’s kidnap of the woman with whom he is deeply obsessed.

All-in-all, it was a really productive, enjoyable reading month and I’m excited to see what’s in store for me in March.

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What was your favourite read in February?

Top Reads of 2015

2015 has been quite the year for books, but which one has taken my top spot?

Yes, it’s the exciting (and slightly daunting) time in which I compile a countdown of my favourite reads from 2015. Considering I have read 125 books in total between January and December, choosing a top 10 has not been easy – there’s been a lot of chopping and changing, and I’m sure if you ask me again tomorrow, some of my answers will have changed, but as it stands the following are my favourite reads.

For those who like rules, it’s books I read for the first time this year that are eligible, not just those that were published in 2015, and multiple books in one series can be allocated to a single slot if I read them all this year. But with that disclaimer out the way, let’s get started.

10. Alice and the Fly – James Rice

Taking on mental illness in a realistic yet sensitive way, Alice and the Fly follows Greg, a troubled young man, and explores the idea of acceptance, both within ourselves and of others, as well as the divides within society and the fact that hardships can befall us no matter our background. Dark, unsettling and yet beautiful, Greg’s story is an important one.

9. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – Rachel Joyce

This bittersweet and charming book follows an elderly man named Harold who, upon receiving a letter from an old friend who is now on her deathbed, sets out to post a reply but decides to just keep walking instead, gripped by the belief that as long as his friend is awaiting his arrival, she has a reason to keep living. Upon his travels, he meets many people who, inspired by his cause, open up to him about their troubles, causing him to reflect on his own life. It’s poignant, moving and beautifully written.

8. The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman

Gaiman nails the idea of a fairy tale retelling with the perfect balance between familiar and original content, with a portrayal of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White as you’ve never seen them before. There’s a strong feminist stance (these Princesses don’t need any Princes to save them) and a subtle yet well-handled LGBT undertone, whilst the gorgeous illustrations courtesy of Chris Riddell and the short, snapshot like feel of the world keep the whimsical, classic fairy tale feel intact.

7. Saga, Volumes 1-4 – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

If you’re a graphic novel fan, you’ve probably heard of this series. It’s action-packed, funny, heart-felt and just a total blast to read, not to mention that it features some of the best artwork around thanks to Staples. Taking place within a multi-world fantasy setting, the story follows a couple from warring factions who against all the odds have a child together, leading to a bounty being placed on their heads, and so begins a bonkers chase across the universe full of brilliant, eclectic characters and plenty of twists and turns. I love it so much I’ve deliberately put off reading volume 5 because I hate the idea of being caught up and having to wait for the next release.

6. A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness

Considering that this was the very first book I read in 2015 and yet it still lingers in my mind all these months later, it had to be in my list of favourites. We follow a young boy who is visited at night by a dark and alluring monster as he deals with the increasingly serious illness of his mother. As Ness himself has said, if you’re going to read this book, please try and get the edition with Jim Kay’s stunning artwork if you can; it adds a whole other layer of beauty, atmosphere and immersion that really enhanced the experience.

5. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

Few books have made me feel as immersed in a specific time and place as this one did. The narrative voice was captivating, and though perhaps slower in pace than the kind of book that usually grips me, something about this wonderful, fascinating story just swept me up and carried me away.

4. All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr

Part coming of age story, part wartime epic, All the Light We Cannot See follows the dual perspectives of a blind French girl forced to flee her home with her father, and a German boy pushed into Nazi service. The imagery is vivid and the prose haunting in this subtle, harrowing tale about the human spirit and its willingness to do good, even in the face of true adversity.

3. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender – Leslye Walton

Strange and beautiful indeed, this book is a family saga plagued by pain and loss yet tinged with just the right amount of hope. Ava Lavender is an otherwise normal girl who is both blessed and cursed to be born with wings. Her story is weaved together with those of the previous two generations of her family by Walton’s lyrical prose.

2. The Gracekeepers – Kirsty Logan

Fantastic characters, a highly original setting, beautiful writing and a whimsically melancholic story, The Gracekeepers stole a piece of my heart. We follow North, a girl living aboard a circus ship in a flooded world who performs with her beloved bear but is hiding a dangerous secret, as well as Callanish, an eponymous Gracekeeper whose job is to bury the dead at sea. It’s part fantasy, part fairy tale, and wholly enchanting.

1. The Chaos Walking trilogy – Patrick Ness

I couldn’t possibly single out one of this trio, and so all three proudly take the top spot in my favourite reads of 2015. Throughout the entire series, the pacing is ferocious, the action breathless, the story heart-wrenching, and the underlying message always important. In the first book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, we are introduced to a world in which everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, chaotic mass known as Noise, until one day our protagonist stumbles upon an area of complete silence, triggering events that lead him to realise why much of what he thought he knew is a lie, setting off an epic adventure.

At its heart, it’s about the ugliness of war, how quickly the line between good and evil blurs in times of conflict, and how difficult it is to hold onto your sense of self when faced with impossible decisions.

Our male and female protagonists, Todd and Viola, are equally strong and captivating in their own ways, which I found so refreshing. I also loved that some themes and ideas were tackled boldly, like the danger of power and greed, whilst others are addressed in such an understated, intelligent way – like how Todd has been raised by two men and not once does he or anyone else refer to his family dynamic as being in any way different or less valid than anyone else’s. It’s small details like this in which Ness makes wonderful commentary on our own world and shows the power of the unsaid, alongside the daring.

My heart just feels all warm and fuzzy whenever I think of this series. I adore it, and that’s why it’s my number one read of 2015.

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What were your favourite reads this year?