best in show 2017

It's been a bit of a year, hasn't it? If like me you're feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the sorry state of the world right now, I don't blame you at all. But it's not all awful. There's been some pretty good books out this year.

Here are my favourites:

Forgotten Worlds / Forbidden Suns - D Nolan Clark
Let's get the obvious ones out of the way first, shall we? D Nolan Clark is a frickin genius, and this second and third instalment of the trilogy (both of which were released this year, so not only is he a frickin genius, he makes the rest of us look ridiculously slack) build on the superlative Forsaken Skies from last year. It's serious sci-fi that will appeal to us who appreciate solid science but also like gunfights and terrifying aliens and gratuitous explosions in space. Everything about this series made me remember why I love sci-fi.

Paradox Bound - Peter Clines
Who wants some time travel road trip treasure hunt shenanigans? That's right, EVERYONE. Peter Clines has produced another clever, funny, fast-paced, twisty-turny adventure that defies easy classification. It's a fun ride.

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
Alright, I know this will be on everyone's top ten list this year. But that's because it's awesome. Quite likely Book of the Year. So, yeah, get used to seeing everyone talking about how amazing it is. Even better, go read it yourself because then you'll understand why everyone bangs on about it. It's not necessarily an easy read - I'm not even sure I enjoyed reading it, exactly, but I'm damn glad I did.

Attack of the Fifty Foot Women - Catherine Mayer
One thing this year has taught me is: I was perfectly happy in my comfort zone of political apathy. I didn't want to go back to being angry all the time. But apparently the world has other ideas and apathy just doesn't cut it anymore. If, like me, you're looking for a way to direct your shouty anger towards a cause, Catherine Mayer's book is a good place to start, because gender politics is something that affects everyone, not just those of us encamped in our feminist treehouses.

Things a Bright Girl Can Do - Sally Nicholls
With that in mind, let's have some suffragette YA fiction. This is another book everyone's talking about, and again that's with good reason. Sally Nicholls has crafted a great story following the fortunes (or otherwise) of three separate girls who wind up for different reasons involved with the suffragette movement during the war.

The Night Brother - Rosie Garland
And this is... oh, more historical fiction, also with suffragettes. There seems to have been a theme with my reading this year. Anyway, The Night Brother is an unsettling, folklorish tale set in early 1900s Manchester, with strong themes about identity and gender, and it's really very good.

Desert Skies, Rebel Souls - M P Tonnesen
Exotic locations, coming of age, true love conquering all. Sound good? It is.

The Language of Thorns - Leigh Bardugo
SO PRETTY. Everything about this book is gorgeous. The illustrations - gorgeous. The cover - gorgeous. The stories themselves - a bunch of neat twists on some lesser-known fairy tales - SUPER GORGEOUS. The way the illustrations grow and unfurl throughout the course of each story is a particularly nice touch.

Long Way Down - Jason Bourne
Hoo boy. This is a tough one to describe. It's like a long-form poem story? Only much better than that makes it sound? It's exceptionally well written, it's lyrical, it's a complete emotional gut-punch, and it'll stay with you for loooooong after you finish reading. Oh, and it made me cry for three days.

White as Snow - Maxi Bransdale
A hauntingly beautiful modern-day fairy tale about identity and memory (and the loss of them both). My only complaint is now we have to wait for Book 2.

The Sun is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon
This book came out in 2016, but I didn't read it till this year, and also it's brilliant, so shut up. A proper beautiful love story, featuring pathos, heartache, deux ex machina, and a decent helping of science. Perfect.

I'll do a rundown of what else I've read this year, but that can wait until after the holidays. Have a great Christmas, everyone. Remember that books are the gift that keeps on giving.

plugs for friends

Following on from the gratuitous plugging last time, I figured I should plug some stuff that my lovely friends have been doing in recent months. Turns out I've got a LOT of talented friends, and they've all been ridiculously busy... thank goodness I got book tokens for my birthday and Christmas, or my to-read list would be out of control by now.

IMAGE A DAY by Juan Moore
As part of the Island of Culture year here on the waterlogged Isle of Man, local artist and national treasure Juan's posting a picture every day on this new blog of his. There's already some fantastic stuff up there, and there'll be more going up every day. Honestly, I don't know where he finds the time, the talented bastard.

TILL SUNSET by David Woods
The debut feature by David Woods, who is lovely and talented and thoroughly deserves to have his film watched by everyone who owns a blu-ray player.

DEAD LINE by Chris Ewan
Following on from the fantastic success of Safe House, this is Chris Ewan's latest book, and it's super. Fast, fun, stuffed with great characters, this is the sort of writing that makes me very jealous indeed.

THE VAMPIRE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas and Matthew Baugh
A mash-up book with teeth! ... sorry. Ahem. This is a fab version of The Count of Monte Cristo, with added supernatural nastiness courtesy of Matthew Baugh. I'm not a massive fan of the mash-up genre, but this really works, likely because a) it takes itself perfectly seriously, unlike so many other examples of the genre, and b) the author has such a flare for melding the new text with the old that it's difficult in places to remember that the supernatural elements weren't present in the original.

LORDS OF NIGHT by Thom Brannan
Hmm, I think this might have been released in 2012 actually... oh dear, I fail again. Anyway, regardless, this is a grand post-apocalyptic romp, full of action and fun and shouting, and I highly recommend it. Also, look at that cover. Phwoar.

EX-HEROES by Peter Clines
(and also Ex-Patriots, Ex-Communication and (imminently) Ex-Purgatory...)
Really it's getting to the point where no one needs to plug Peter Clines' books anymore. He's like an unstoppable boulder of literary talent, crushing all treasure-seekers in his path. Or something. Anyway, the entire Ex series has been rereleased this past year (with the added bonus of awesome alternate covers for the UK), so now no one has any excuse not to be reading them. Zombies! Superheroes! Really now, what more do you need?

THE PALACE OF CURIOSITIES by Rosie Garland
Oh my gosh. Rosie Garland is arguably one of the most talented people on the planet - singer, performer, poet, author - and she's also gorgeous. I'd love to know what her third wish was. This book is gorgeous as well, and you should read it.

There, I think that covers most of the things I wanted to gush about... if I remember anything else I'll post an update. :)